Genre

The genre that we have chosen to work in is a marrying of two genres therefore making it a hybrid. The genres that we are combining are Neo-Noir and Violence. I think that these two genres work well together. An example of this is in such films as Sin City and Brick.





























'Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse's Fifth Anniversary Special" (April, 1991), and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several other stories of variable lengths have followed. All stories take place in Basin City, with frequent recurring characters and intertwining stories.

A movie adaptation of Sin City, co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller with "special guest director" Quentin Tarantino, was released on April 1, 2005. The Sin City volumes were reprinted with new covers and in a reduced size to coincide with the motion picture's theatrical release. A planned sequel to the 2005 hit has been moved around the release schedule for years, with current plans having pre-production start in 2010'. (Source: Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_City)

Neo-noir (from the Greek neo, new; and the French noir, black) is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.

The term Film Noir (French for "black film") was coined by critic Nino Frank in 1946, but was rarely used by film makers, critics or fans until several decades later. The classic era of film noir is usually dated to a period between the early 1940s and the late 1950s. Typically American crime dramas or psychological thrillers, films noir had a number of common themes and plot devices, and many distinctive visual elements. Characters were often conflicted antiheroes, trapped in a difficult situation and making choices out of desperation or nihilistic moral systems. Visual elements included low-key lighting, striking use of light and shadow, and unusual camera placement.

Below: Typical 'Film Noir' shot. Makes use of high contrast, filmed in Black and White.
















Although violence is visible in film-noir we thought that we would accentuate it so it became more of a prominent feature in our short film. Typically, in film violence comes in the form of a male inflicting pain on a female but in film noir this often is transcended and the roles are switched. Also, an aspect that we really admired when watching Sin City is that when there is violence and therefore blood, the blood is contrasted by the black and white diegesis because it is a very rich, crimson/red. We may use this in our film.