Storyboard

1st shot: This first shot is the establishing shot of the film. Already kicking off the film with a creepy and mysterious vibe, a detective's office is shown. As depicted from the clock, it is just after 5 AM. The shot pans over to the second shot, playing frantic jazz to build suspense.

2nd shot: Next is a close-up of the main protagonist. The camera stops on her, where she says her first line. The monologue continues, but as a voice over as the shot quickly changes to the 3rd shot through the use of a jump cut.

3rd shot: As the voice over comes to a close, the music returns. This time, a smoother jazz, suggesting that the build up is over and the movie is reaching a much calmer point. The shot begins with a close up on the back of this car, focusing mainly on the license plate. As the car drives further away, the camera pans upwards and the angle becomes wider. The voice over returns, introducing the story.

4th shot: As the monologue continues, the camera follows the car as it drives through the city. The music is still going, but at a lower volume to place an emphasis on the monologue. Low-key lighting is used, and this is where the title of the film is shown. The shot then jump-cuts to the fifth shot.

5th shot: The driver of the vehicle is shown, and it is the protagonist from the first two scenes. This scene is a bit introspective, as the dialogue gets more direct. The lighting is dark, but bright enough to clearly see the protagonist as well as the fact that she is in a car.

6th shot: the camera jumps from the last shot showing the protagonist in her rear-view mirror to her side mirror, also providing the viewer with a shot of introspection and intensity. The dialogue is building up, and as this is the final shot, leaves with a "bang." The music also picks up to match the intensity of the scene. The coloring remains the same. 

Brainstorming for our Film

Personally, I really liked the opening to the first link “Rise,” where the camera focuses on the car mirror, then the soccer ball, and his soccer cleats, and kind of follows the character. In a way, this opening creates suspense for what is to come. My team and I will be creating a film noir, a film genre that highly consists of mystery and suspense. I did not particularly like the film opening for “Always Watching,” where the film focuses on two main characters talking to one another as an opening scene. To me, this is more of a shot for the middle of the movie.

Watching the different openings allowed my teammates to see what we do like versus what we don't like. My group and I certainly gained some perspective on possible shots to film for our opening scene.

What Inspired Me to Create a Film Noir

As defined by Merriam-Webster, a film noir is a "a type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music." The word quite literally translates to black film in French. Film noir was first created in France in the 1930s. The first known film noirs include The Maltese Falcon and Laura. These films are dark, mysterious, and often give off the vibe as if they were created in the 20's.

My love for film noir films stemmed from 2010 television series Pretty Little Liars. The series follows four teenage girls following the disappearance and murder of their fifth best friend, Alison DiLaurentis. The entire series has a murderous and eerie tone to it, with their stalker “A” and other unwanted characters lurking in the shadows. However, in their fourth season, the series did something that they had never done before by introducing an episode done entirely in black and white.

Titled “Shadow Play,” this episode perfectly foreshadows upcoming events in the series whilst also taking viewers out of the perfect town of Rosewood and back to the 20’s for one hour long episode. The four friends are taken into this alternate universe as a result of Spencer’s overabundance of sleeping pills, therefore everything that follows in the episode is amplified by this feature. Ezra, Aria’s English teacher and long-term boyfriend is depicted as the villain, with his sidekick Mona (otherwise known as the original “A”). An otherwise grappling detail to note is that Alison herself comes back from the grave to make a feature in this episode, a foreshadow to the next season, where it is revealed that she was never really dead. In a way, this only multiplies the mystery and eeriness of the episode, as it left viewers thinking, “What does this mean?”

At only fourteen years old, I fell in love with the style of film noir from the instant that I saw the preview for this Pretty Little Liars episode on ABC Family. The beauty of the lack of color with the presence of shadows and mystery intrigued me. As shown in screen caps from Shadow Play below, the fashion and design known in this time period only added to this. Throughout the episode, the four main characters plus other female characters like Mona and Alison wear elegant outfits, hats, overdone makeup, pearls. It is very Great Gatsby in that sense.

      

With my own film, I only hope to create the same ambiance through color, shadows, acting, design and makeup, and setting. There is such a specific feeling given through film noir films, a feeling of horror and romance that cannot be replicated. I know that with proper work ethic, time, effort, and creativity, my group members and I can create the same beauty that most film noirs encapsulate.

My Film Opening Project - Genre & Group Members

I am working with Cooper, Kiley, and Mickey, and we will be doing film noir.