Film Noir: Still Photographs

The photoshoot today went really really well! We got shots of all our characters and can't wait to get moving on shooting the film!

Here is Ellen enjoying her time in the studio - we set up the lights and background appropriately. Behind the white sheet you can see a black screen is stored - this allowed us to change the background for the different characters accordingly.

Ed Beard - "Detective Carter":

To create this image we used a white background and a large spotlight to make sure the iconic hat was displayed, but also created a dark shadow on the left side of the face. This allows a sense of unease to pass through the mind when looking at it, but the eye contact the character has with the camera creates a sense of trust. As he is the main male protagonist in the story, it is key that the audience develop a bond with them as they must be on his side to feel the effects of the storyline in the way we desire.

Typical film noir conventions evolve around a suit being worn, and so this is what we've done! The white shirt and black tie combination is much more effective than if we were to used a patterned tie for example. In every film I have seen the main male wears a white shirt and black tie. An exception to this rule is the main character in 2005's Brick, because it is set in a high school and so him wearing shirt and jeans were appropriate.

Ellen Bradford - "Bonnie Kensington":

Here as you can immediately see the costume for our 'femme fatale' is very much a representative of the time period of which we want our film to convey. The fur shawl draped over her shoulders gives an indication of wealth and makes her seem almost a 'dramatic' personality. The black netted design of the hat again displays a sign of wealth, and as a lot of well established females wore these kind of hats we felt it was perfect for the role Ellen is to play.

The casually seductive pose she is standing in without a hint of remorse in her face suggests that she is dangerous, and that is also addressed in the direct eye contact she has with the camera. The dress she is wearing in this photograph is a very bright red, which is key to the story due to the semiotics of the colour which involve lust, danger and passion.

Ben Humberstone - "Bobby":

As I have mentioned in both the previous photographs, eye contact with the camera distinguishes the purpose of the character in the story. As here Ben is looking away from the camera, it suggests he is hiding something, or perhaps is guilty for something and by directing the camera it might be revealed. In contrast with the femme fatale who is deceiving viewers, this character is looking down and so develops a sense of vulnerability which can be understood when the true situation in the story is revealed.

The suit is a classic part of film noir, but by contrasting this outfit with the detectives it creates a divide between the two men and allows us to see the rivalry and the differentiated understandings about morals they have. The light focus creates shadows across his face and body but they are all very faint, and the picture fairly light. This means that we trust him as a character even though he perhaps may come across as 'evil'.

Antonia Hunter - "Scarlett Jones":

This is not a main character and so the lighting and white background present in the other photos is unnecessary. Direct eye contact and a relaxed, slightly sultry pose suggests the character is not innocent, or indeed ashamed of it. Because as you can see both Antonia (me) and Ben (bobby) in the above photograph are sitting on chairs it is creating the connection between the two characters. They are connected in the story. The darkness of the photo also initiates a mystery about this characters past and even future.

Toby Fitch - "Chester":

Again as here we do not have a main character the black background is used. The fact Toby is in a suit directly connects us to the detective because he is wearing one too. Chester is a fellow police officer so he needs to be related to the detective.

The thoughtful pose here suggests hard work and thinking which of course happens during the process of perhaps discovering murderers and being an important officer.

This character does not wear the white shirt and black tie combination because he is not a main character. This means that the detective looks even more 'suave' in a sense because his clothes are more distinctive.