poster

film noir evaluation

For this assignment we had to create a film noir poster. Film noir is a film genre mostly set in the 1950's and was used a lot in those times. It usually involved detectives and the mafia. The clothes they would wear for a man would be a suit a long coat and a fedora. Most people would look like this and the women would be wearing a long dress not showing anything. The men would mostly be in the shadows so you can only see the coat and fedora.

I had a look on google for film noir images to look for inspiration, I found a lot of shots of men leaning against the wall I thought that I should add one of these images, there is a lot of people in the dark and their face lit up. I also remember a game I played called LA Noire which is a film noir game so I also used the game cover as inspiration. I also had a look around for some locations I could use. Most of the research I did was secondary research and the only primary research I did was going out to look at locations.

 The ideas I had was for the first picture to have a person leaning against the wall with their head down so you can't see who the person is making the person looking mysterious. I took the picture from different angles and then I'd use the one I thought looked the best. The second image I took was in a dark room and I used a phone light to light up the models face. This one was took at college in a dark room. We couldn't have any light in the shot or it would of ruined it. The third image I took was the model walking down the stairs, I also took this one at college I took a lot of pictures as he walked down the stairs, I used the one where he was closest to the camera. I also had people in the background so I had to take that out in editing. The fourth and final image I took was of the model standing facing the camera, this was based off the LA Noire cover. There wasn't too many problems when taking the pictures we made sure the timing was good so there was not many people around us when we were taking the pictures.

When we was going out we wanted to do it when there wont be many people around. We knew all of the locations that we wanted to go to so we weren't wasting time trying to find a location. They were all in or near college so we didn't have to travel far either. I didn't use any props in the pictures so I didn't need to worry about that. I only used one model in the pictures so I didn't spend time trying to find people for the shots. We had to book out a camera but I didn't use a tri pod because I didn't think I would need it.

I had a lot of issues when I had finished taking the pictures because I lost all of the work on the computer so I had to go out and retake them and rush them the next week, we also then had the issue of using more than one SD card making hard to find my work. I also missed some lessons being sick so a lot of my final product was rushed. I changed the colour of the image by double clicking on the layer and using the gradient overlay tool to make it black and white. I used the text tool to write the text on my poster, I also used the eraser tool to get rid of some of the background because I had people in the shot that would of ruined it if they were still in it.

If I did this assignment again I would definitely use my own SD card when taking the pictures to save a lot of issues, and also I would save all my work on my hardrive. I would also find some more unique pictures to take, I did a lot of pictures that have been used so many times in film noir I would make a unique picture. I would experiment in photoshop too since I just used the basic tools I could of used a lot more but I didn't have any time.

In my opinion I think that the pictures I took meet the assignment brief but the final poster I made doesn't. I didn't have time with all the retakes and the days off. I have learned a lot with this assignment that I wont make the same mistakes again next time.

Memory check 4th december

The first image is cropped and rule of thirds.
The second image is symmetric and rule of thirds, slow shutter speed.
The third image is rule of thirds
the fourth image is cropped, it is an older picture because of it being in black and white and the clothes they are wearing also a high ISO.


F1.8, F4, F8, F16

1/120th

memory check

1. What does the acronym DSLR stand for? Describe the difference between a bridge camera  (like the ones we use in our lesson) and a DSLR A Digital SLR Camera. DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. 

The first difference is the size, the bridge camera is smaller. The lens is not removable. 

2. Name four genres of photography where a zoom lens is used. Portrait shot, action shot, wide angle

3. The key light is the name given to the main source of light we are using during a photo shoot. 

Name four sources of light you could use to produce this light on future assignments. red light, lamp, flashlight, sunlight 

4. What does the term ‘considered’ mean when referred to your final shots? think about the shots before you take them 

film noir proposal

For my assignment I want to create a video game cover. I have a few ideas of the shots i'm going to use but it will not be easy finding the props and the location. The first shot I will use is the man in a suit holding a gun. I will need to do this shot at home since we are not allowed to bring any weapons into college, This will be the hardest to shoot because we need a good location and we will have to book the cameras to take out. If I need to I'll take the picture near a wall and just cut it out in the editing. The easy part to this shot is there is only one person to take a picture of so it wont take long to get this shot out of the way. If the shot is too dark I could do it in front of a window so the sunlight will reflect on the model lighting him up. I will see which is the perfect angle by moving the camera around. I will need to find a place where there is nothing in the way of the shot. I need a full body shot of a person standing in front of a blank wall. I think that the ISO on the camera will need to be low since I might have the room dark but there might be a bit of sunlight from the window, there is not much I can do about that. I will have to be careful about health and safety, if I am going to be setting up in a public place and if I would be using extra lights there would be wires all around the place.

The second image I will use will be taken in the college and in the TV studio or the sound studio since the room can get pitch black then i could use a torch to light up the model I need everything black but the image of the person. This will not be hard to make I just need to use a spotlight to light up the person. The background will not be an issue since it is just gonna be black, I will have the camera looking straight onto the model so you can see his face and half of his body. I want to have the ISO higher so it looks grainy and older so it would be fitting with the theme of film noir. For the props I will only need a suit, it shouldn't take too long to take the pictures but it might take a while to set up everything. Health and safety wont be much of a concern just have to be careful about the wires especially if we need it to be dark in the studio.

The third image I want to have someone leaning on a wall in a alleyway, this is a typical film noir image so I think I should add it into my image. The location could be anywhere in town I just need to find a place with not so many people making it easier to shoot. It might be best to do it after we finish college in the afternoon since it would be dark. The ISO on the camera would need to be very high so it looks older. The props I will need is a suit so I could use the same suit I use in the first shoot. I want the image of the all of the persons body leaning on the wall. It shouldn't take too long to set up or take the pictures.

The fourth and final image I have decided to use is an image of a man walking down the stairs, this can be taken at college and it shouldn't be too hard to recreate, I will have to have a high ISO so the image looks dark and older. The props just needs to be a coat and a hat which isn't going to be hard since I have used it in the other shoots, I want a full shot of the persons body. it wont take very long to take these pictures. We will have to be careful with the wires on the stairs if we use any lights. I might use red heads to light up all of the area since we need a full body shot.

5 film noir posters

I like this poster because it has the typical look that was used in that time and it is clear what the game is going to be about. I think if I had to recreate it the background wouldnt really matter as much since I would be editing a lot out and just using the characters body. The props that would be needed to recreate this image would be a suit and a fedora also a gun. The location isn't really important since I would be editing most of it out. I think that the studio light would be used to light up this image. I'm not sure if this has a message I think it is just showing what the game is going to be about. The problems I would face trying to make this image would be I wouldn't be able to do it in the college since it has a weapon involved also I would need to find a hat and a suit.

I like this poster because it is not a typical film noir poster. However it has everything film noir is about. I think this was taken in a studio and a lot of it would be edited. The only props I would need to recreate this shot is a suit, This would not be a hard picture to recreate. I think that a spot light would of been used to make this poster as they only need to light up the person the rest is black. I think the ISO on the camera would need to be higher since the room might be quite dark. I don't think this poster has a message. The only problem I can think of when recreating this picture is that I might not be able to get the props.

I like this poster because it is one of the only posters I have found that does not involve weapons. This makes the poster unique. The props used is a suit for the man and a dress or top for the girl so this is not a hard photo to recreate. The shot would of been done in a studio and studio lights would of been used. I think that the ISO on the camera would need to be high. The poster shows that the couple is scared of something but it is not clear what it is they are afraid of. The only problem is that we might not have enough people to make the shot.

I like this poster because it would be easy to recreate. It does not involve many props just a dress, We will need to find a location with blinds so we can have the picture of the man looking through them. I think this would have been taken in a studio with studio lights on the man and maybe a spot light on the woman. I think the camera will need to have a high ISO. I don't think there is a message in this poster. The only problems we may have is not having a location to do this or not having the props or not having enough people.

I like this poster because it is simple and will be easy to create. The props that would be needed would be a suit that it is, the location we could use is somewhere in town, We could use a spot light to light it up and use a studio light on the woman and have her in the studio. The ISO would need to be high. There is not really a message with the poster, The only problems is getting the lights in town and also I might have enough people for the shot.

film noir target audience

I want to create a game cover for my film noir, so my audience would need to be interested in games or it wont appeal to them. Their jobs or any other hobbies wont really matter as long as they are interested in games. The age would probably teenagers and young adults because they are mostly interested in games, it might appeal to someone older since the theme is film noir and it might interest them to see what it is like, maybe it is something they remember growing up and can relate to it. Their socio-economic would not really matter as long as they are having some kind of money since they would need to buy the game

tips

Tip 1: Make sure i have the right props to make it look professional, so a suit, coat and fedora would be ideal.
Tip 2: Make sure the location isn't too light as it needs to be darker for the lighting to work, if it is too light it wont look professional.
Tip 3: Use photoshop to add grain to make it look better.
tip 4: use alleyways or creepy areas of town for the location
Tip 5: increase the iso to add grain.

8 images

https://photofocusblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/lovegrove-film-noir-1.jpg

The first image I have chosen I think was taken in the late 1950's. You can tell this by the way the
 woman is dressed and also the fact it is in black and white. The image shows that women are weak and always in trouble which was a very popular stereotype in that time. This image is different to images taken today because the time it looks to be taken was the time of gangstas and the shadow looks to be a gangsta, this rarely happens now.

If I was to recreate this image I wouldn't have the woman standing up, i'd have her backed up against the wall, i'd also move the camera so it focuses on the stairs and the wall showing the woman is backed up against the wall and the man is halfway up the stairs making the viewer wonder what happens to the woman after the photo has been taken. The lighting could be an issue though as I'd need a light for the man and also the woman who are not together so I'm not sure how many lights we would need.

https://vicsmovieden.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/film_noir_style_photo_01_by_ollywood.jpg


This image looks to be a stereotype of the gangstas during the time it was taken, I think that it was taken the same time period as the other one, It has everything you image a gangsta to have with the gun the hat and the cigarette. I'm not really sure what the message would be in this image as it is not very clear. This image is unique because it is showing everything that portrays a gangsta in the 1950's. There is no one who wears clothes like that anymore making it different to anything we see now unless they are trying to portray a gangsta.

I wouldnt really do anything to change the image, I think it is fine as it is, I maybe put a coat that the gangstas would wear to make it definitely clear what it was I was trying to show. The lighting would be easier for this as there is also a light in the image and then i'd just have on more lighting up the gun.

http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2010/12/04/pulp-addiction-top-10-noir-adaptations/

This image is an iconic film noir image, with a man leaning against a wall with a cigarette hiding his face with his hat. All of the images seem to be in the same time period. He looks like a mysterious person with secrets. He looks suspicious its now how everyone was in that time. There is not really a message in the image but it is unique as there is no one who looks like that now.

http://www.hifilmfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/noir-1.jpeg

This image i think was made in the late 1950's because of the way he is dressed, also the iconic hat and he is smoking, The message is that the men are important than the women since the woman is looking up to the man and the man looks down on women, also she looks like she adores the man whereas the man doesn't seem interested in the woman, I don't think people would take pictures these days like this because men and women are now equal whereas they wasn't in the time this picture was taken.

If I was going to do this image I wouldnt have the man looking at the woman at all, Making her seem so unimportant.

http://img01.deviantart.net/e902/i/2010/018/1/9/film_noir_still_life_by_twieja.jpg

This image would be taken in the 1950's, I think it is showing the gangsta side of the time since alcohol was banned and was only really sold by the gangstas. The message would be saying that this was the life of a gangsta with the smoking and drinking and playing cards. They have the iconic hat which was usually worn by the gangstas. This is unique because now the alcohol isn't banned this image has no meaning since the people can buy alcohol and smoke freely, it isn't unique anymore however it would be in the time it was taken.

I wouldnt change anything about this image I would keep everything the same however I feel it has no meaning now and is not really unique.

http://www.tanyaplonka.com/blog/images/2011/1109/0929-steven/steven-noir-portrait-lethbridge-09.jpg

This image is a lot like the 3rd image it just looks like it is from a different angle. It looks like it was took a bit later than the 1950's more recently but just made to look like it was from that time. I don't think there is a message in this image and it doesn't really seem unique as there are lots of images like this.
If I was going to recreate this I would move the camera back so I capture his whole body and maybe have a gun in his other hand so it makes the viewer think he has killed someone with the way he is looking down at them.

http://melissalovephotography.com/files/gimgs/21_noir062-b.jpg

This image looks like it was taken in the early 1950's with the way he has no guns just an axe and he is coming up to a woman. He still looks like the iconic gangsta look however it is unique as we cant see the actual person just his shadow. I don't think there is a message with this image.

If I was going to recreate this image I would have the shadows of the man and woman together with the man having the axe in the air, making it unique because you wouldnt be able to see either of the people but you can see their shadows and work out what is going on.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/LA-Noire-Box-Art.jpg

This image is a cover of a game that is set in the same time as all of the film noir images. The lighting wont be as much of a problem as I can greenscreen this if I wanted to recreate it, This isn't really unique as all of the old film posters looked like this the only difference is that this is for a game not a film. I dont think this has a message its just showing that it is a detective story with the police in the corner.

Pool image

1.What time period do you think the photograph was taken? Give reasons for your answer.

● The pictures were taken in the late 1970's, you can tell this by the style of clothes the people wear, the different hairstyles. Also the train people are sitting on doesn't look safe and they wouldnt allow that these days. 

2.What do you think was the genre/subject?

● The genre of the pictures was to look at the working class people of Britain on a holiday. It would be used to promote the location.

3.Are the elements in the shot balanced?

●  I think that it all works well, they manage to fit in everything they need to. There is enough of the train to show and the pool, and also all of the people in the back. 

4.What message could the photograph be trying to convey?

● The message is the place is a good place for a family to go on holiday and have a good time together, you can tell this by that there are kids and adults and they all look like they are having a good time.

5.Do you notice anything striking about the shot?

● they are vibrant colours with he colour of the pool and the train and the clothes that the people are wearing. 

6.Do you think consent was needed from the subjects?

● I think it would be to take photos of the children in the picture as I don't think they would allow random people to take pictures of children. 

7.What is the viewpoint?

●  The picture was taken at eye level, he could of done it any other way like Birdseye view. 

8.If you were to produce this shot what would you do differently?

I would of done it from a Birdseye view looking down onto the pool. 

This Gun is for hire notes

In the lesson we watched a few minutes of the film called This Gun is for hire, It was made in 1947. The generic conventions of the genre Film Noir is that they have a long intro introducing who is in the film, who directed it, who was the music by, You don't really see this much in films now but it was used in the film from the 1940s.

Also the characters clothes all look like the style of clothes you see in films about the mafia, with suits a hat and a long coat. Also all the women would be wearing dresses you wouldn't see them in jeans. Also the men seem to have more rights than women and they appear to be stronger than the women, they also show that women cant really defend themselves.

The Voices are more high pitched in a film noir film for the women and the men, Also when they are inside a room it always dark and it makes it hard to see what is on the background. In a way it is making you just focus on the characters or what they want you to focus on.  

                                                                                                     

Towards the end we had different pieces of paper which is labeled with either something that is a generic convention of a film noir film or is not. We had to sort them into piles of if they were generic convention or not. We only had a few wrong we got most of them right, We wasn't sure what the neon lights meant, I thought it was more of a modern day thing, but the meaning was for on bars and restaurants where they had neon signs and a lot of film noir films include bars.