Neo Noir.

The Spirit (2008)

I also looked at a very modern portrayal of the genre in the film 'The spirit' this edgy contemporary vision shows how film noir has evovled to indulge modern audiences, the block colours and shadowey lighting effects mixed with grusome imagery and crime. The film also has a very comic book style and like most comic book stories it is set in new york.

From looking at the Neo Noir genre it has shown me how the genre has changed for modern audiences and has given me ideas on how to adapt my chosen scene from Ashputtel and bring it into the 21st century, i think to accheive this my setting must be set in a urban enviroment as this will not only scream Film noir but if i used for example a loaction as New York city, it is a place audiences can relate to.

The Man That Wasn't There (2001)




It was suggested to me to look at contemporary Film Noirs, Neo Noir (neo for new)modern films that use the Noir style, with the lighting,setting, costumes and plots filled with murder and crime, but using modern techniques and a fresh clean visual image. One film that was a suggestion for me to look at was 'The Man who wasn't there' made in 2001 yet set in the 1940's, it follows the typical style of the previous films yet it seems more refined, a little bit disturbed and dark as most of the film Noir from the 40's and 50's are in some way smoothed over to cater to the audiences back then but with modern day audience they are always crying out for something new.

Dial M for murder .

Dial M for murder is part of the later end of the film noir, it is in colour which you would think that as the genre is called film noir and means black film that it would not work and would not create the same dramatic effect as the previous films, yet it works. From looking at this it gives me ideas on how i could adapt my chosen scene into a Film Noir on the stage and really emphasise the importance of the costumes and lightingg. Above is an image of the current set of dial m for murder on Broadway at The John W. Engeman Theater, New York. Set design by Michael Bottari and Ronald Case.From looking at this it gives me inspiration on how i could design my set and that windows are a crucial piece and they could create most of the lighting effects.


Trailer (1954)

Its all about the lighting ....

These are images from the rosoco website of the lighting created for a Brazilian play called (The Asphalt kiss) Traci Klaner the lighting designer had to create Rio de Janeiro in the Noir style. From looking at this it shows that for one that style and dramatic lighting can be acheived in the theatre effectivly and secondly can be acheived with simple and plain sets. Overall from looking at previous productions i feel that i am ready to further my research and create my own design for Ashputtel.

Mildred Pierce (1945)



From looking at this film it confirms to me what Film Noir is all about,as in Mildred Pierce it once again shows elegance throughout the costumes and characters mannerisms. The plot is based around a murder per usual for a the genre and is full of twists and dramatic suspension, but from looking at this film and the previous ones its starting to become clear that the setting and location of these films it can be diverse and that as long as it is urban, busy or inside a house or new york flat and then teamed with effective lighting it creates the perfect setting.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)



This film has a slightly different style and plot yet from looking at it you can straight away tell its a part of the film Noir genre, it doesn't feature a inspector or a young glamorous female yet it does feature a brutal murder and a sadistic aged slient movie hollywood star and a young hansome failing screen writer, which maintains the typical plot and charatchers of previous film noirs , from this it shows that the genre can be played around with if using the basic recipe of glamour and a brutal murder teamed with a plot that intails a love story. Which creates more of an understanding of how i could apply my scene from Ashputtel as it is about a love story, the main charater is aswell a young beautiful girl, that could fit into role of the glamorous screen siren.

The Big sleep (1946)

A classic film Noir with the typical secretive detective that is Stern yet caring.The beautiful screen siren that's glamorous,clever and being dragged into a crimianl world and all this is teamed with high impact lighting and clever use of setting and sleek, stylish costumes.

Film noir is born..

In 1940 the first acclaimed film that started off the film noir genre was "stranger on the third floor".Its a story of an innocent reporter that witnesses a brutal murder in a dinner which makes him a key witness, yet when the same style murder is carried out on his neighbour, suspicion is raised against the reporter and hes arrested and it is left to his beautiful fiancee to clear his name.

This a typical Film Noir style as with the plot there is murder, innocent people being dragged into a criminal world. The way it has been filmed with the dramatic difference between the lights and dark, the use of shadows as seen in the black and white picture above,It creates suspense and drama and the shadows are exaggerating the characters movement that create a ghostly like figure which its intentions are to scare the audience.

The rules of Film Noir...

The term film noir is french for black film, which is overall what the Gene is all about.The filmography,the setting,the costume and the plot are all dark and mysterious mainly a crime drama with use of low-key lighting, corrupt characters and a urban surroundings.
The genre started in the late 30's and ended in the early 60's

My Chosen Scene:
In this scene the step sisters and mother are attending a royal ball, Ashputtel can not go as she has nothing decent to wear so she ventures out into the garden to the tree she planted as an shrine to her dead mother and asks for an dress to go to the ball with and on the branch of the tree appears a white dove with an dress for the ball.

The next step of the project is to pick three genres and take this scene and mulipnate it into the genre i decide to work with create a theatrical stage design.
the three genres are:

• film noir
• gothic horror
• historical japanese drama

Narative and genre

Grimm tales : so from reading all the tales the play I've picked is
Ashputtel
The story is very similar to the famous fairy tale Cinderella.
With the running theme of many fairy tale stories of how a young beautiful
girl is hard done by and eventually is given everything she wants and falls in love with a hansome young prince and all her dreams is answered,
except with this story there's a difference.
There are grusome happenings, for example the sister disfigured there feet to fit into the glass slipper which creates a horffic image and is not the average fairy tale.