Parallel & Contrapuntal Sound Presentation

Film Noir Lighting

The shadows in film noir are strongly pronounced, which really creates an element of mystery and darkness. The low-key lighting enables you to get a really defined shadow and they avoid spilling the light in order to really focus on the actual character or object. What film noir aims to do is prevent using any extra light as it takes away from the mood of the scene. Film noir is essentially a world of shadows and this is what makes it so obscure and curious as a genre. The chiaroscuro is what provides the dramatic impact and makes the scene adopt some depth.

No filler light would be used as filler light softens shadows and the whole point of the genre is to enhance these silhouettes. Predominantly, key lights would be used to accentuate the thing being shot and this means that they would use under lighting, top lighting and back lighting. These all create different effects and all three would be used at different times in film noir as they depict very different atmospheres. Back lighting would be used a lot as this would enhance the shadows. 


In this clip from The Maltese Falcon, the shadows are highly pronounced. There are shadows created by nearly everything. When the lights inside the house come on, shadows are still created from the lamps on the wall. The use of these silhouettes create a very crime/detective sort of atmosphere.

Film Language: Lighting

 

Low-Key Lighting. 

There is an exaggerated light and dark contrast, creating a very mysterious and dramatic image. Also the smoke provides the image with a film noir atmosphere as she appears as a femme fatale.

The key lighting comes from the left, creating shadows on the right. There is also a back light which creates an element of mystery. 

Low-Key Lighting.

There is a pronounced light and dark contrast and the top lighting emphasises the glamour and beauty of the woman. Although low-key lighting is conventionally used to create a dramatic atmosphere, this looks almost romantic as the shadows on her face are really exaggerated. In addition, she doesn't look scared or frightened, supporting the fact that this is not a horror film or thriller. There is no back light or filler light which creates the darkness in the background. 

High-Key Lighting. 

All 3 lights have been used as the scene looks very realistic and natural. The top lighting accentuates the characters eyes and makes him seem villainous. The dark shadows cast underneath his eyes and on his cheekbones make him appear quite evil and dark, despite the fact that the lighting is high. 

Low-Key Lighting. 

There is a key light coming from the right side, casting a shadow on the left side of the character's face. There is also a back light as we can see every bit of rain even though we cannot see the left side of his face. There is no filler light or very little filler as the shadows are strong. This lighting creates a dramatic atmosphere and suits the genre of film noir. His facial expression also depicts this as he looks very serious and stern.

Low-Key Lighting. 

There is a key light which comes from the left and no filler as the shadow, which is cast behind her, is very pronounced. Although the image is lit well, the shadows make it appear less realistic and more theatrical. There is no back light either as we can see the exaggerated dark shadow, making the image appear mysterious. Also her facial expression makes the image look frightening as she herself looks frightened. 

High-Key Lighting. 

The image is very realistic as there is natural light coming from the blinds. This creates streaks of shadows across their faces and very minimal lighting yet very realistic. The effect of the lighting in this image makes it youthful and almost optimistic as the light is just seeping through.


The only lighting in this image is back lighting as we can see an over exposed background and an unpronounced front. The silhouettes create an obscure image as we cannot see the characters faces, just pure darkness, depicting a very mysterious image.


Low-Key Lighting.
There is a key light coming from the left, which lights up most of her face and accentuates the shadow behind her. There seems to be no filler light as the shadow is so pronounced and also due to her facial expression being of concern,we can tell that this image is very mysterious.


High-Key Lighting.
There's a very realistic feel created with this image and there is also top lighting, which acts as the key light. We can tell this as the top of her face is lit yet there are shadows which are cast underneath her chin. There is both a back light and a filler light as there are no shadows created. There is no pronounced light and dark contrast, depicting a very natural scene.


Low-Key Lighting.
There is a back light which creates the silhouette of the banister along the wall. There is also a key light coming from the right as the right side of the character's face is lit and also the shadow is pronounced on the opposite side. The whole image is very dark in general, which makes the atmosphere unquestionably dark too.


High-Key Lighting.
There are no emphasised shadows created in this image, however there are some shadows that are not very pronounced. The key light comes from the left and there would be a back light too. I think there is a minimal amount of filler light as there is a shadow cast on the wall from the woman. The whole image is quite film noir yet a sort of realistic atmosphere is still created.

Mise-en-scene - Film Clip Analysis and Comparison

Scarface

This scene is set in an expensive, grandeur looking mansion, filled with a lot of red and gold, connoting wealth. The setting is almost over the top, every prop looks expensive, there is nothing out of place in the house. The security cameras in his room show just how big his house is and just how much security he needs, perhaps this is to suggest that he needs protection, therefore we can make the assumption that he is not a virtuous man. 

His costume is also very high class as he wears a suit, suggesting that he is a business man. The fact that the assassins are wearing normal everyday clothes emphasises the protagonists wealth. Also due to the fact that he is higher above them shows his superiority and dominance. The blood, which is already on his collar before the scene starts, implies that he has already been in a dispute beforehand. This re-emphasises his immoral nature. 

The lighting of the scene is unnatural as it is from his many chandeliers and bulbs, perhaps suggesting that there is no good in him as it is all fake as the only light that shines on him is not real. The scene becomes quite foggy mid-way through, which may show the outcome of the situation becoming clouded or even the judgement of the protagonist being clouded as he seems very impulsive. 

The machine gun in the scene makes him powerful as his facial expression reveals a very motivated and serious character, who seems to think he can take on the world alone. He dies in a pool, which could signify how he is cleansing himself now that he is dead. 

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory 

This scene begins with the protagonist throwing newspapers into peoples homes, suggesting that he is doing a paper round. The streets seem quite old and murky, suggesting that the scene is set in a poor area. There's also a market woman and a woman picking flowers, showing the poverty within the setting. The man that is met wheels away with a trolley filled with a varied range of knives, conveying the man to be quite an abnormal and mysterious character. His facial expression is almost vicious as he makes direct eye contact with the boy, even when he's walking away; this makes him seem very intimidating. 

The protagonist is dressed averagely, there's nothing that makes him appear any different from the typical boy. As the lighting changes from high-key to low-key, indicating a change in time it also creates a gloomy atmosphere. The gates to the factory are extravagant in relation to everything else, which makes it seem out of place. The darkness reveals an element of mystery within the factory and as the name 'WONKA' lights up, the whole scene does too. As he almost marvels at the factory through a small little gap in the wall, this conveys his interest in the setting.

The facial expressions of the protagonist shows terror as he encounters the mysterious man; the protagonists' eyes show confusion and his mouth expresses anticipation as he parts his lips slightly. This reveals the boy's innocence as a character.  

Sinister 

The scene is set outdoors; simply made up of one large, strong looking tree and many green bushes and grass. The setting appears quite natural and pure with nothing around except 4 characters. The lighting isn't low-key which subverts the convention of a horror film, however it doesn't seem as though it is very bright, therefore you could make the assumption that it was very early morning. The whole setting appears fairly natural, except from the hanging family.There is also a kind of spear, which is quite abstract.

The hanging characters seem to be wearing common clothes, implying that they are normal people. The fact that their faces are covered with sacks shows that their killer wants to hide themselves. It's particularly interesting to see that they are hanging on the left side of the tree; maybe this is iconic as the left side is associated with evil and has many satanic connotations. Furthermore, trees can convey a sinister atmosphere due to the tree of knowledge being associated with good and evil. 

Although we cannot see the facial expressions of the characters, we can easily make the assumption that they are distressed; they sway their legs and twist around, hanging helplessly. Fog starts to emerge from the bushes, which creates an atmosphere which insinuates a cold chill or better said a sinister mood. 

Both Sinister and Willy Wonka are set in the outdoors in a very regular environment, however Sinister includes an uncommon aspect due to the dead people. There is an almost chilling mood created in all 3 of these clips; in Scarface, Tony thinks he can dominate the world but his death results with a cold ending; in Willy Wonka, the man holding knives generates a mysterious and chilling mood also as we are unaware of who he is or what he is doing there; in Sinister, the whole scene is eerie, even though the lighting is high. This is intriguing particularly because Willy Wonka is a family fantasy musical, whilst Sinister is a horror and Scarface is a crime drama. Willy Wonka is practically on the opposite end of the spectrum to Sinister yet they share similar elements, in terms of mise-en-scene.

There's an element of worry in both Tony Montanna's facial expression and Charlie Bucket, however Tony reveals more supremacy within his nature, whilst Charlie shows his innocence. There is an aspect of mystery shown in both the Willy Wonka clip and the Sinister clip, more so because they are the opening scenes of the film. 

In addition to this, there is a weapon in all 3 scenes; machine gun, knives and spear. The props are very similar, which is also very interesting due to the different genres. 

Mise-en-scene - The Joker

The character, Joker, is presented as a very villainous character through his facial expression. Although he is in a jail cell, showing that he is trapped, he does not seem phased by this. The cell bars indicate the setting as being a prison. From this, we can identify that he has committed a crime.

The make-up and costume of the Joker is distinctive; with his white powder, dark black eyes and red lips, positioning his mouth into the formation of a smile. His scars and appearance make him iconic and reveal his antagonistic nature just through the mise-en-scene of his appearance. The dark eyes express him as being evil and all his make-up act as a kind of mask, making him appear to be insecure. The 'mask' enables him to hide his true identity. This opposes the Black Skin, White Masks theory as he is trying to mask his identity from society, whilst standing out with his iconic appearance instead of trying to follow conventions and act 'normal.' His hair is also dyed green, further emphasising his perverse, unnatural character.
His facial expression suggests that he is malicious and malevolent as there is a hint of an evil grin within his artificial yet permanent smile.  

The low-key lighting creates a very dark and sinister atmosphere. The only light there is shines on one side of the Joker's face, this may convey the message of his two personalities and how there may be some good within his evil yet he is still overpowered by his shadows and the darkness of the prison cell.

Film Poster Analysis

The storyline is not explicit from the poster itself however because we are aware from the review, 'absolutely hilarious,' that the film will be a comedy, the audience would primarily be watching the film for the comedy aspect rather than the narrative. The woman in the top left corner resembles 'The Exorcist' and from this we can tell that the film will be a parody of a compilation of horror films.
Genre - Hybrid genre; Comedy, Horror.
Target Audience - 16-30, aimed predominately at both the male and female youth demographic.

The poster does not give much away, however due to the destruction and sombre atmosphere surrounding the man we can tell that the storyline may be quite serious. Also, assuming that the only character on the poster is the protagonist, this may suggest that the storyline involves this man being alone or in isolation.
Genre - Drama.
Target Audience - 18-40, predominately aimed at the older demographic.

The film may be about a boy who discovers a hole in the ground. From the poster, this is the only hint of the storyline given.
Genre - Hybrid genre; Thriller, Drama. The blue print underneath the title makes it clear that the film is an award winning thriller.
Target Audience - 16-30, aimed at males more than females and the younger demographic. 

The clue about the storyline is explicitly in the title 'Sin City.' The narrative could be about a corrupt city due to the men holding guns and the females represented as a sex objects, without any weapons. Furthermore the dominant ideology of patriarchy is clearly presented on this poster so the storyline may involve prostitutes as the females seem quite bold and proud. Also the use of a minimal amount of colour shows that the film may be quite dark.
Genre - Hybrid genre; Crime, Thriller.
Target Audience - 16-30, predominately aimed at the male youth demographic due to the portrayal of women and violence.

The narrative of the film is most definitely about pirates due to the name and the portrayal of a pirate and a pirate ship. It may involve trying to find the 'dead man's chest' because of the title.
Genre - Hybrid genre; Adventure, Fantasy.
Target Audience - 10-30, mainly aimed at the pre-teen demographic. 

The fact that the film title has played on the title 'Pride and Prejudice' suggests that the film will be about love and relationships. The male and female central seem to be the main 'couple' of the film and the fact that the Taj Mahal is present on the right hand side and the skyline of America on the left shows a cultural merge between the two countries. The narrative may therefore be the typical boy meets girl story, however in this case, an American boy meets an Asian girl.
Genre - Hybrid Genre; Romantic, Comedy. The review hints this.
Target Audience - 16-40, predominately aimed at the female demographic.

The protagonist of this film seems to be the female character. Due to the colour scheme being dark it seems as though this film will be quite serious. The female protagonist appears toned and subverts the typical stereotype of females in film as she appears to look more like a tom-boy. The man on the left is wearing a boxing glove, which may hint to the audience that this film is about a female boxer.
Genre - Drama and Sport.
Target Audience - 16-35, a varied demographic as the protagonist is female but the film is about sport, therefore the target audience would probably be fairly mixed. 

Simply from the Blade Runner film poster I can tell that the film will be quite futuristic due to the use of the conventional sci-fi colours; black, whites, greys and yellows. The narrative may involve a spaceship or space in general. Also the caption in the top right corner says 'man has made his match... now it's his problem,' therefore the film may also be about saving the world.

Genre - Hybrid genre; Sci-Fi, Thriller

Target Audience - 16-35, aimed more predominately at males.