Dead Letter Drop

This is the final product that we came up with after analysing media products and Film Noirs.

Although this video was uploaded with a glitch 1:40 minutes into the clip, and we were unable to remove it.

Audience Feedback

Our group decisions varied throughout our final film. The research that I carried out was mainly on understood whether film noir was recognised through a varied aged and sex groups and bringing forward a small synopsis on what is meant to happen. This helped to enable any changes that could be made to the production and whether this would be a popular film to be seen.
There were also problems throughout the months with our group in the fact that 2 of the 4 decided to drop out of A levels all together. This meant that roles needed to be changed and balanced out. This was done by balancing out the roles between myself and Josh. As Joshstill had editing to finish (this will later be explained why) I accepted to research title faces on the Apple Mac’s and then we could decide on which one suited the film as well as which one that I thought would be similar to previous bold title faces seen in noirs and contemporary noirs such as la confidential and the big sleep.
Decisions varied throughout the shooting stages due to sometimes shooting would become difficult as the location was too busy or the lighting was to dark.
One main problem that caused trouble was due to the lack of planning with the first scene that we tried to film. It failed not only because of the corridor being extremely busy but also that narrowness of it. Mise-en-scene hadn’t been looked into far enough so we were left with the problem in having to rethink a whole scene which was vital in explaining the stories events that were to unfold. This problem was overcome by a decision between our small group to film at the meeting area of college which was spacious and able to include some great non-digetic sound.
The decisions made through editing and problems that were met were as follows. Also, later on during editing it was noticeable that our cinematographer, who dropped out, may not have been all that interested due to the fact that we had a microphone popping into view through a countless amount of shots. This was a problem which couldn’t be altered without ruining the visuals of the scene which was slightly upsetting. Other altercations which needed to be added were the transference from the previous work ‘the exchange’ to the new addition to the filming. Our editing was late to start due to the filming which hadn’t been fully completed. This caused a dramatic set back to the final piece as some areas needed to be rushed to make sure that the story was understandable by the help of a voice over (voice of the dead protagonist) which needed to be added to explain why the flashback was occurring.

Copyrighted Music.

The song we used in our film opening is Hearing Damage by Thom Yorke. We chose to use this song because we felt that it was very suitable for our piece and it created the right mood.

The film me produced isn't for distribution or broadcasting purposes, but if it was, however using the music would have been infringing copyright if permission in not obtained.

To gain copyright permission I would have gone to the Performing Rights Society, from which I could request permission from whichever party owns the music, I would also have to give details on how and why the music would have been used.

Who did what

For our film production each person in the group had a different role. Justine Wright was the art director, Joshua Featherstone was the editor, Amy Banthorpe was the cinematographer and I was the producers.
After deciding on what our opening was going to be like, each person in the group did their own bit of work so that it would then come together as one.
After the filming of our piece, Amy Banthorpe left college, only when editing we realised that some of the shots really weren't working so the when out to reshoot some of them, I was then the cinematographer.
After that Justine Wright also left college, leaving me and Josh with the editing, and paperwork such as the treatment.
As to members of our group left, the work load increased and me and Josh had to for example go out and reshoot some some bits that were missing like the part in which Josh lies on the floor drifting in and out of consciousness.

Film Noir Dialogue

Screenplay

INT. SPENCER’S CAR

SPENCERS’s car is parked by the bridge on the photograph, he waits in the car while looking around, wondering why he is there. Olivia then, from out of nowhere enters the car and turns of the radio.

OLIVIA

(with a posh accent, sitting in the passenger’s seat)

Hi, I’m Olivia. I see you got my letter.

Would you like to play a game?

SPENCER

(Looking at Olivia shocked)
What do you mean, a game?

Seriously, is this some sort of joke?

OLIVIA

(Not making any eye contact)

No. Not at all.

This is nothing more than just an exhilarating pastime.

You will get a lot of money if you win the game.

SPENCER

What have I got to lose. I’ll pay

Who would pay me if I won?

OLIVIA

Let’s just say, I’m a very generous person.

However, if you were to lose, the consequences would be great.

SPENCER

What kind of game is this?

OLIVIA

It is a treasure hunt.

SPENCER

Ok, what am I looking for.

OLIVIA

(Now looking at him before leaving the car and walking away)

You will know when you find it.

OLIVIA gives SPENCER another pink envelope and exits the car.

Film Noir Treatment

Treatment

Cinematography

We decided to use a wide range of shots that will add to the film noir effect,

We used a long panning shot of the bridge because it not only shows the location but it can also be used as an establishing shot as show the beautiful scenery. This shot was quite lengthy, in contrary to our second panning shot, of the atrium which was a point of view shot of our male character, the speed represented the fact that he was looking for someone, but most people in the shot weren’t important.

In the car, while the characters were talking we filmed the conversation from either side and from the back. This was so that when editing we could use the shot-reverse-shot technique for the conversation. This was a medium shot. This helps show facial expressions of both characters, which is quite important.

We also had an extreme close up of the radio when Olivia enters the car and turns off the music, the close up was so that the audience could see the action, which was quite empowering for her.

We filmed a shot of Spencer in the atrium in which he was sitting down and Olivia was standing in the background by the wall, she then walks up to him, puts and envelope in his back and walks away. For this shot we kept Olivia to walk as far away from Spencer as possible within shot so that when it came to editing we could give in a ghostly effect, which added to the mystery.

In the car we also shot the conversation scene from the back, we positioned the camera in the boot of the car. This gave us another angle on the conversation that could be used later on.

Editing.

The editing techniques used for our final piece will try to make the film noir filming a continuous flow to make the viewer feel like they are there in first person viewing the action taking place.

The beginning shots are taken from our 1^st piece, The exchange. What we are trying to go for here is a flashback scenario. Showing the viewer what is going to happen and then relaying back to how this situation happened.

Black and white is used for the beginning to make the viewer aware which is the flashback and which isn’t. This stylistic has also been used to refer back to the old noir stylistics.

Our opening scene of the flashback shows Spencer, our male protagonist, sitting alone unaware that the femme fatale is behind him lying in wait.

When she approaches him to place an envelope into his bag a use of jump cuts are used to speed up her movement towards Spencer. In doing so it also develops an eerie perception to be made….Is she real?

The sound within this scene is either digetic or non-digetic. At the moment the decision hasn’t been made on whether which one will fit.

The shot of Spencer opening the envelope fades out and the next shot fades in to show that time has passed between shots. That scene also show the unveiling of the Orwell bridge and the next shot to follow will be its graphic match of the Orwell bridge….hopefully.

In general the transitions between shots will be to link the sequences being shown. The use of Cuts which will be used to change locations/ scenes within the film. The next shot will be of the Orwell bridge and a panning shot towards our male character. This shot also allows the graphic match but also starts an opening to the scene and the meeting between Spencer and the femme fatale.

Motivated cuts will also be used, like those scene in the beginning with Spencer sitting, to try and keep the viewer constantly anticipating the next shot….hopefully!

Sound

The sound on our film noir is dialogue, atmosphere voice over’s and music.

The dialogue is quite simple and relatively short as most of the film is mysterious.

In the dialogue, Olivia the femme fatale asks Spencer to play the treasure hunt game. It is quite posh dialect as Olivia is ideally, a posh, rich character. Although she keeps he sentences short and mysterious, and never gives away too much information.

The music is copy-right free; it will be used at the start to see the mysterious, film-noir mood. The music we chose effectively portrays the mood of our movie as it is sort of dark and gloomy. The music will be something that also matches the actions and fits in with what it is seen on screen.

The voice over’s will help us put across what our main characters feels about the mystery and the treasure hunt.

Mise-en-scene

We used the Orwell Bridge as a background and the fields because they tied in well with the gloomy day, which added to the dark film noir effect as he filmed the characters in the car. We also used the atrium in the college as another location in which Spencer gets the first letter from Olivia, because the atrium is a room full of people and Spencer was sat there alone which helps us portray how alone he is.

As for costumes, we dressed Spencer in fairly casual wear, as he is a teenager, but we tried to dress Olivia in more formal clothing with the skirt and a blazer which we wore underneath her coat.

We only had one main prop which was the pink letter with the picture inside the Olivia always used to communicate and lure Spencer around.

Film Noir Synopsis

Spencer Valentine is an eighteen year old guy with a burning desire for some excitement in his life. He picks up a pink envelope that falls out of his coat pocket, he notices his name on it.

The country is shaken by the mysterious deaths of male teenagers in the region, this is the main topic of conversation, even in the lessons, but to Spencer, this is no more than atmosphere sound.

He opens the pink envelope and takes out a picture of a bridge, on the back there was “February 1^st 2010 at 12 pm. Don’t be late.” written on neatly.

Curious, two days later, Spencer goes to the nearby bridge on the photograph. He meets Olivia, who invites him to play a game with her, giving him another pink envelope and raising more questions than answers, claiming that money will be given to the winner of her treasure hunt game.

Spencer is not so willing to believe that this was anything more than a joke, but he opens the envelope that was given to him. With the second envelope he gets a set of photographs, which together lead him to the next location through clues.

The clues lead him to different locations under a time limit.

He then comes to meet another young man playing the same mysterious game named Eddie, but soon thereafter Eddie is found dead, the reasons for his death are unknown.

Spencer finds himself drawn to Olivia when they meet again. Assuming the feeling is mutual he places his full trust in her.

He then becomes interested in the surrounding deaths of the young male adults, according to the news reports they were all related to the game.

Wondering if Olivia knows anything about the strange occurrences, he decides to confront her, so he goes to the next meeting place at the time and date planned, but Olivia doesn’t come, she evaporates as suddenly as she materialized, leaving Spencer wondering if she was nothing but a product of his fertile imagination.

One year later, Spencer walks down the college corridors to his Art class, a pink envelope is passed into his hand as he walks by a girl walking in the other direction.

The familiarity has Spencer stopping and starring as she walks away. But not for too long, as Olivia doesn’t leave business unfinished.