For my analysis of Film-Noir style, I have chosen to analyse a short section from ‘Dracula’ (1931).
The first meeting between Renfield and Dracula is shrouded in mystery, where the noir-inspired visuals counterpointed against the silence evoke fear
The near silhouette of Renfield against the smoke illustrates his lack of power against the the forces that surround him, whilst the shallow focus leaves us as viewers powerless to know what is about to happen to our protagonist.
Renfield’s first view of Count Dracula utilised high-key lighting that has made film-noir so recognisable. The viewers are given a sharply lit view of his face which is addressing the audience directly; he has control in this shot and is a force to fear. The mystery surrounding the rest of the image, where any element which is not his face is obscured into darkness, still stands but the force is palpable.
The abruptness of the cut into this closer two-shot emphasises the power dynamic that has just developed, with the elements of the shot reinforcing this. Reinfield’s face has started to become obscured as his image of the Count becomes further away from what was anticipated. Composition-wise, Reinfield is shown to be at an explicitly lower angle than him, with the Count having control of where this confrontation will take them. The only dialogue in the scene is Reinfield asking the Count whether he is in fact the Count, which bares no response. The final image we see of him in this scene, a shot that will define the vampire in pop culture, follows.
The focal point of this shot are the eyes, both for the camera and the audience. As Stoker’s vision of a red-eyed beast could not be captured in monochrome (although later adaptions would), Laemmle explicitly lights the eyes against the darkness (a famous technique associated with noir). Whilst the emphasis of a person’s eyes would usually be to evoke sympathy and a deeper look into a person’s motivaions, the use within ‘Dracula’ is to juxtapose the lights against everything else in the shot and unveil the evil that is hidden within the mysterious incubus.
I have decided to use ‘The Case’ short film section of J.J. Abram’s ‘Super 8’ (2011) to analyse how I can emulate this 8mm style of shooting. The sequence was created to juxtapose against the psychological horror tone of the picture and create levity during the credit sequence. Within the narrative of the movie, the short film is created by the young protagonists on Super 8 Cameras, similar to the style I hope to emulate in ‘The Black Hawk War’
The shooting style is explicitly handheld, with specific attention being drawn to the low production values that are associated with this. For example, in this shot the camera is lazily panned and zoomed to the label mid-shot, with the humor being derived from the lack of professionalism shown (as they are children). Whilst I aim to emulate a similar style, in my case I hope to evoke the innocence associated with Americana nostalgia and juxtapose this feeling against the melancholic horror of ‘Concerning the UFO Sighting’.
These shots demonstrate how specific colors can be utilized when shooting in a Super-8 fashion. The first shot is stylistically ungraded color-wise (apart from the effects applied to create the illusion of Super 8). Looking at the trees and the sky, it is clear how the color range of Super 8 is not particularly wide – giving a de-saturated look . This especially applies to the car, where the characteristically popping red has been dulled. The example on the right appears to be an effort of mediocre teal color grading on behalf of the kids. Whilst using this effect to this extent in my own picture would be counter-intuitive to the tonality and themes I wish to evoke, it would be perfect to evoke the Americana nostalgic tonality.
As the subject matter of the second track of the album has been left purposefully broad through the many different titles and the instrumental nature, I have fully created my own interpretation of the second song through the music content as a continuation of the first song’s themes. I am doing this to evoke the vintage themes of the opening track, the aesthetic of traditional Illinois that is expanded upon in the next track of the album (‘Come On! Feel the Illinoise! (Part I: The World’s Columbian Exposition – Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream)’) and the idea that the alien life forms are transcendental of time period and style. Much of this effect can be achieved in editing, through the washing out of colours and harsh blacks, the emphasis of yellows, a lower frame rate (around 18 frames per second) and added noise/grain. The real meaning will be achieved in the shot placement and sequencing, which will be discussed in my planning.
As independent rock does not need to attract to the popular masses in the same way pop music does, these artists have more creative liberty to be experimental in their narratives and forms in the genre of music videos. Sufjan Steven’s music is the epitome of this thought process, as his music is intentionally abrasive against established conventions in regards to time signature (being an innovator of 9/8+1/16 time) and general tonality. This has given me personal liberty to be experimental in the form of my music video – especially my decision to not include the artist (or in my case, a stand-in for the artist) as a character within the narrative. In this case, the art will be allowed to express itself truly and allow the meaning to be the marketable feature.
Media Coursework 2016-2018 