OTS Title: 'Chainbound'

When we first established our basic ideas for the constituents of our OTS, we decided not to label it immediately. If we had chosen a final title for our piece before actually creating it, we may have ended up working backwards and shaping our ideas around the title, and what it implied. I think this would have resulted in a piece with one central theme or focus and little else. In order to avoid this, we left the naming of the film until after it was created. We very much wanted our title to be generated naturally; the OTS would inspire a title, not the other way round.


Our OTS introduces the Femme-Fatale as the film's main antagonist, the Goon as her 'right-hand-man', and the Victim as an unimportant individal who has unfortunately got into trouble with the Femme Fatale's crime syndicate, and is suffering the consequences. Theoretically, the actual film would then go on to introduce the main protagonist, perhaps a private investigator, and would follow his progress as he infiltrates the syndicate in order to uncover the truth of the given situation, perhaps a murder, but ends up in too deep, and struggles to cope with the problems that arise.

On my desk at home, I had a piece of paper which I would use to jot down any title ideas that came into my head. I had already looked at a list of film-noir titles, and so knew what sort of name would fit. As the name of a film-noir/psychological thriller hybrid, the title would need to be both ambiguous and daunting; possibly alluding to an important plot element, but not something that would spoil the film. Here is a list of some words I jotted down:

Cipher, Trial, Alibi, Break, Deed, Tact, Chase,
Mutiny, Run, Code, Riot, Storm, Recoil, Clarity.

I paired some of the words together to create two possible titles: Riot Cipher and Clarity Tact. I liked the pairing of words, because it left a certain mystery as to how they were linked. Riot Cipher, for exmaple, juxtaposes something chaotic and something that requires order and precision, and this could work to make people wonder about the film and become curious enough to watch it. Despite this, I didn't think either of these titles would work for the OTS, because they didn't seem to fit with the themes of the OTS at all, and would seem detached from our piece, possibly resulting in audience confusion.


James produced this 3D title animation for the end of our OTS, but it was replaced by normal, 2D text on the general consensus that it was too lucid, and shattered the subtlety that our OTS had established up until that point.

A week or so ago, when we realised our production was coming to a head, we decided to have a group brain-storming session for our film title. This involved sitting around a computer, suggesting words that related to our OTS, and then typing them into Thesaurus.com in the hope of discovering an appropriate synonym. After a while, I suggested the word, 'Chain' as a metaphor for the crime-syndicate; the main protagonist would be uncovering links between different sections of the syndicate, trying to find weaknesses along the way that he could use to his advantage. It was Tom who then developed this idea, suggesting 'Chainbound' as a single world. This made even more sense as a metaphor for the situation the protagonist would find himself in; whilst trying to uncover the weak links in the crime-syndicate, he would become bound by certain problems, and would struggle to escape. Also, the name doesn't appear to have been used previously, which will give our OTS an even further sense of originality.

The Changing Nature of Noir

Recently, I watched a box-set of 'THREE MUST-SEE MOVIES' from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. This included Fight Club, The Usual Suspects and Memento. All three films could be described as thrillers; they all combine mystery, pacing, and a twisting plot in order to evoke tension.

Browsing through various DVD extras, I was surprised to find that both The Usual Suspects and Memento were regarded as works of film-noir. On further investigation, I found that all three of the movies in the set were labelled under the genre of 'Neo Noir' on The Internet Movie Database. As a prefix, 'Neo' means 'new,' and is usually used in the case of something being revived or reinvented. With this understanding, it is easier to see why these films fit under the neo-noir genre; they contain certain elements present in original film-noir, but do not attempt to replicate classic film-noir. After making sense of neo-noir, I was further intrigued by the current popularity of neo-noir as opposed to classic-noir or immitations of classic-noir. In order to establish exactly what neo-noir has to offer to modern cinema, I first needed to clarify what it directly borrows from original noir.

The most commonly borrowed aspects of film-noir are the dark, malevolent atmosphere and the flawed, morally ambiguous chracters. Crime-based narratives provide a firm platform upon which these elements of film-noir can flourish, which explains why so many neo-noir films revolve around stories of heists, murder and gang warfare. So if neo-noir borrows on both narrative and thematic fronts, then the only true source of originality is in style and context.















Even this poster for the theatrical release of Blade Runner emulates the style of those that were used for classic film-noir.

Neo-noir has a certain amount of charm that other genres lack, because the films it describes portray film-noir in a new and unique light. The most obvious, and perhaps the most famous example of this is that of Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner. The narrative follows almost all of the traditional film-noir conventions, but is set in Los Angeles in the year 2019. The film is particularly clever in the way that it integrates the rudimentary film-noir plot elements into the futuristic setting. Where the classic film-noir take on the plot may have been: a cop must hunt down and kill a group of highly-dangerous escaped convicts, the neo-noir take is: a 'Blade Runner' must hunt down and retire (kill) a group of Replicants (androids). Whether the directors of neo-noir films are conscious of it or not, they are carrying film noir influences into new and unique areas.



Suprisingly, the most prominent of all these 'new areas' seems to be that of intellectual thought. As directors synthesise film-noir and other cultural influences, they soon find themselves with an expansive melting-pot of ideas that need to be explored. More often than not, this results in more compelling and philososphical films that contain a specific moral, or are designed to make the audience think in a certain way. The above clip from the ending of Blade Runner illustrates this trend perfectly, as the main antagonist discusses the nature of his own life as a Replicant.

Another good example is that of Memento (below), which directly challenges the viewer to make sense from the unconventionally arranged narrative. The film's protagonist suffers from a mental conditions which prevents him from making new memories. As a result, he can only remember things for a short amount of time, and relies on notes, pictures and tattoos to guide him. The film begins with the protagonist shooting someone, and then the rest of the film is made up of clips chartering the protagonist's progress up until this point, all in reverse order. This method works incredibly well, because each new scene brings a sense of both satisfaction and mystery; you discover what led to the beginning of the previous scene, but are left wondering what led to the current one. Some people state that Momento is a non-linear film, however, as Director Christopher Nolan points out, the film is most definitely linear, because if the narrative did not follow a set path, the entire structure of the film would fall apart.




Even more interestingly, there is no real reason to restrict neo-noir to the confines of the medium of film. With the ever-expanding world of media distribution, it is no surprise that noir influences find their way into video games and music videos. The video for Franz Ferdinand's 'Walk Away' (below) is a prime example from 0:50 onwards, utilizing the film-noir style and stock-characters to tell a clichéd tale in a short space of time. The video is definitely a work of post-modernism, as it clearly exaggerates the conventions of noir (particularly the shadows on the wall at 1:44) but also goes against general conventions, revealing the filming studio at the end for dramatic effect.




Another manifestation of the neo-noir trend is Rockstar Games' Max Payne series of video games, which, so far, has taken a gritty look at present-day crime. Interestingly, Rockstar are also currently working with Team Bondi on a game called L.A. Noire. The website claims that the game will be "an interactive detective story set in the classic noir period of the late 1940's". If the game lives up to these claims, and to the quality of the announcement trailer (below), it will be sure to stand out from the crowd; I am sure that gaming audiences will welcome a game that combines free-roaming, mission-based action with an immersive and distinct time period.




It seems, then, that film-noir was never really left behind at the end of the 50s. Noir is no longer just a genre or style; it has become a meme in the true sense of the word. It has embedded itself in the roots of popular culture, and its influences can be found spread across all areas of entertaining media. With regular deveopments in media technology, such as 3D viewing, the reaches of noir can only be extended.

Perhaps film-noir will re-establish itself as a cinematic trend in the coming years, or perhaps it will remain as an underlying and pervading influence, but either way, noir looks set to stay.

Research Presentation

Earlier today we reviewed our respective research notes and presented our ideas to the class. The purpose of the presentation was to demonstrate our knowledge of film-noir theory by stating what we already know, and explaining how we plan to apply it.

I was the first to speak, introducing our basic ideas, describing the core aspects of film noir, and explaining how these will be applied in our production.

Representation & Stereotype

Similarly to semiotics, respresentation and stereotype are not specific areas of a production that are considered respectively. Instead, they are significant factors that influence all areas of work.

• Representation is the act of communicating an idea with something other than the idea itself. Example: The symbol below represents peace, but the symbol itself does not constitute actual peace; the idea of peace is represented.

• A Stereotype is a standardised representation which usually coincides with social assumption. Example: The statement 'old people are boring,' is stereotypical. The statement represents the idea that elderly people are boring, and is standardised in assuming that this is true of all elderly people. The image below could be seen as stereotypical in the same way as the phrase.

The image above illustrates the way that representation and stereotype are never constrained to one medium of communication. It is important to understand this when constructing a media product, because it implies that representation and stereotype are controlled and affected by all factors included in that product.As an example, lets consider a short film in which the main character is a small-time London criminal. Because the audience are not actually meeting this person, but simply watching a film involving him, the character must be represented with the use of signifiers. Here is a list of areas that would need to be considered in terms of what they signify, and subsequently represent:

• Dialogue - Not only would the script-writer need to write in colloquial language with regard to the character's dialect, but the actor playing the role would need to use the correct accent when performing.

• Mise-en-scene - A lot can be learnt about a character through their surroundings and clothing. It may well be that the character's clothing contrasts with their environment, showing us that they do not belong. 

• Camera - Just as a character's relationship with the surroundings can influence audience interpretation, so can a character's relationship with the camera. This relationship is, of course, indirect, but is still incredibly effective. For example, a low angled shot can make a character appear to have higher status than another character shot from a high angle.

• Editing - As is shown in the video above, Editing is an incredibly effective way of changing a character's representation. Through a basic process of selection and omission, an editor controls what information is exposed to an audience, and can therefore guide their interpretation of a character.

• Audio/Visual Effects - Although these are used to a lesser extent, combinations of grainy, desaturated video and and a faint echo applied to footsteps could make a character seem dark and shifty.

It is the smooth convergence of these separate areas that results in believable and convincing characters.

Continuity Task

Today we were set the task of a first attempt at producing a video that displayed our understanding of continuity. To show this, we had to include certain conventions, which involved filming a match on action, abiding by the 180 degree rule, and utilising a reverse shot.

In terms of basic content, the instructions read as follows: Person A walks to a door, opens it, passes through, crosses room, sits down, talks to someone.

There was also the option to work to extension criteria, which suggested other peices of content: Person walks alone, footsteps, door bangs, mutterings, enigma, scream, implied fear, more than 3 locations, more than 2 people. The extension criteria for production techniques was also provided: Ambient lighting, extreme angles, reverse tracking, use of tilt.

For this peice, I worked in a group with Daniel Knights, James Wigger and Tom Palmer. Seeing as this was the first production task we had been given, we didn't strictly delegate specific roles, and instead discussed all aspects of the production with one another to get an idea of our individual strengths and weaknesses.

We decided to film in a specific outside area within the school grounds, because we wanted to utilise certain features within our video. The features we wanted to include were: a chain-link gate, a fence with vertical metal bars, a small area of trees, and a large metal container. Although our main aim was in showing our understanding of continuity, we also wanted to create a dark, serious tone with a concise narrative based on dry humor. We did this in order to get an idea for what we may want to achieve in our final film-noir production.

During filming, James operated the camera, Daniel acted as the main character, and I acted as the secondary character, whilst Tom helped implement continuity rules. I also had a list of the criteria we had been given and ensured that we fulfilled the basic requirements of the task and also included many of the extension items. There were certain factors we could not include because of our chosen environment, namely the sitting down section, but I believe we made up for this by using a similar technique to show our main character stopping to have a conversation with our secondary character.

Another problem caused by our chosen environment was that of pupils and teachers walking through our filming area. We combatted this by using our time wisely and politely asking large groups to use another route. On top of this, there is a small section of video in which a rain-drop on the lens distorts part of the frame. Luckily, it is hardly noticeable, but we will remember to keep the lens clean in future to maintain professionalism.


We edited our footage using Sony Vegas 8, as can be seen in the screenshots above. We did the majority of editing as a group; taking it in turns to deal with certain sections, but communicating consistently to ensure shots flowed. This allowed each of us to get a feel for the process of editing, and an understanding of what it entailed. Further editing was later done by James, who produced a revised version of the video (below) after we had all given feedback on the orginal.

An Introduction to Semiotics

The Italian intellectual Umberto Eco stated that 'a sign is anything that can be used to tell a lie.' Whilst this idea might initially seem arrogant and irrational, it begins to make sense with a basic understanding of what 'semiotics' means.

The Dictionary.com definition of Semiotics is:

–noun (used with a singular verb)

1. the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing.

2. a general theory of signs and symbolism, usually divided into the branches of pragmatics, semantics, and syntactics.

Therefore, semiotics is basically an area of study looking at signs as a means of communication. When used with regard to media, then, semiotics must refer to the use of signs as a communicative medium within this field.

It is important to understand that semiotics is by no means a narrow spectrum of study, because signs can take on an extremely wide variety of forms. If we divide a sign into its fundamental components, we are left with the Signifier and the Signified. The Signifier is the material of which the sign is composed, whether that be text, images, sounds, etc. The Signified is the concept that the Signifier alludes to.

Signifiers work because they represent thoughts and ideas that have been associated with them in a given society or culture. For example, in modern Britain, on the most basic level, a green man connotes safety. It is important, however, to realise that semiotics are culturally relative; the meaning expressed by a sign will change depending on context. For example, although a green man in Britain may connote road safety, a green man in parts of America could imply alien activity.

Once this understanding is established, it isn't hard to recognise semiotics at work.

• The BBFC, as explored in an earlier post, use symbols to represent their classifications.
• The ostentatious use of red in movie titles.
• The exploitative use of celebrities in advertising.

The media industry use signs because they are an efficient way of expressing a large amount of information with very little material. If a film director wanted to instill a sense of mystery in a city setting, they wouldn't have the main character walk into the scene and express his thoughts about the city in a long and detailed monologue. Instead, they would choose something more subtle and visceral, such as a layer of fog on the setting, with dim lighting, creating only patches of light. Whilst they still might include a reference to the character's thoughts, this would be ambiguous, creating an even deeper sense of mystery.

When working to produce a film that fits into the conventions of such a disinguished style as film noir, it is important to consider semiotics as a powerful method of creating the desired effect. I am certain that my new found knowledge of semiotics will prove helpful in allowing me to replicate the conventions of film noir in my practical task later in the year.

Click here for a more in-depth exploration of semiotics with particular focus on advertising.

Exploring Regulations

In the early 1900s, with film becoming increasingly popular, the British film industry decided that some degree of uniformity was required in order to regulate the exhibition of films nationally. As a result, in 1912, the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) was established. This was an independent, non-governmental body that would classify and censor films in order to protect audiences. In 1984, when Parliament passed the Video Recordings Act, the BBFC changed the last word in its name to Classification instead of Censors, to reflect their focus on classification over censorship.

The basic idea on which the BBFC functions is the notion of protection in the film industry. At the same time as entertaining consumers, it is important that the industry as a whole feels responsible for the comfort and safety of its audiences. Because movies are usually produced with a certain audience in mind, and for specific purposes, it is important that these aims are able to be fulfilled without causing any harm or annoyance. For example, if a violent horror movie intended for adult viewing was watched by a group of three year olds, it may cause them to feel distressed and upset, when this was not its intention.

In order to prevent such occurances, the BBFC classifies films using 7 categories, although only the first 5 are regularly utilized. This is because the seventh category, R18, restricts films with the highest levels of explicit content to licensed adult stores and cinemas, and the 12 category is not used for cinema. Cuts can also be used to omit material, but only if it is absolutely necessary.

Below is a list of the main BBFC classifications, along with a brief explanation of the specifications and an example film.

Universal - Suitable for all
Films under this classification should contain a positive moral framework and deal sensitively with the theme. They should not reference drugs, discrimination, or any other similar issue without showing strong disapproval of endorsement. Any mild horror should have a reassuring outcome, sex can only be referenced mildly, and natural nudity is only allowed with no essence of sexual connotation. Only very mild bad language. An example U is Finding Nemo.


Parental Guidance - Some scenes may be unsuitable for young children
Such films should not disturb a child of eight or older. Whilst not as constricting as the universal classifications, PG still limits aspects of sex, violence, language, drugs, discrimination and horror in detail and intensity. As the title suggests, it is sensible for parents to accompany children. An example PG is Shrek.

Twelve A - Not recommended for children under twelve, but is allowed if accompanyed by a responsible adult.
The same as above, although stronger language is allowed as long as it is infrequent, and dangerous behavior or violence cannot dwell on detail and should show its harmful effects in context. Sexual content should be briefly and discreetly portrayed. The 12A rating is only used in cinema, and 12 only on published media. An example of a 12A is The Dark Knight.

Fifteen - Suitable only for those aged fifteen or above
Any theme is allowed as long as long as it is treated suitably. For example, references to sexual violence can be made, but strong sadistic or sexualised violence cannot be shown. Bad language is acceptable as long as it is justified by the context. Most other rules are the same as 12A. An example of a 15 is I Am Legend.



Eighteen - Suitable only for adults over the age of eighteen
Under this final classification, the BBFC guidelines usually do not override the principle of freedom of choice in entertainment for adults. Despite this, there are still conditions under which a film will not even be classified here. These include circumstances where the material is in brech of criminal law, where the film may cause damage to public health or morality, and where there are unjustified explicit images. An example of an 18 is Saw.

Although these classifications are not technically laws, the 2003 Licensing Act states that all cinemas require a license from their local authority, which must include an agreement to restrict the admission of children in accordance with the above classifications.

In the BBFC there are examiners from a wide range of professions who watch movies and make a judgement under which category the film should fall, and whether any cuts need to be made. These are led by Senior Examiners, who have more experience in the field. There is a management team which includes a Director, to make executive decisions, and a collection of others responsible for certain areas of the council, such as communications and technology. Above this, there is a President and two Vice-Presidents, who are responsible for the classification of Video. To keep the whole BBFC in check, there is the Council of Management, who overseer senior appointments and financial matters. As with any kind of modern organisation, the BBFC also have Informations, Personnel, and Accounts departments.

This information was summarised after research on the official BBFC website.

Continuity Ideas: Analysis of Doorway Images

At some point prior to my main practical production, I will be performing a continuity task to show that I am aware of the principle and conventions of continuity. Here, I have collected five images of people using doors, and have explained the ways in which they may influence my continuity task.

1. As an incredibly low-angled shot, this would perhaps work in a film-noir in order to make a character look abnormal or insane. The odd perspective certainly warps the shape of the subject, and our mental interpretation of the character is warped as a result.

The issue with continuity is that the perspective of this shot is at such a low angle that the audience may become confused. If there was to be a relatively normal shot of the man heading towards the door, followed by a cut to this shot, the audience would be momentarily disorientated. This is precisely what should be avoided with continuity, and so the preceding shot should also use a low angle, probably focuing on the subject's feet.

Unfortunately, the environment is too 'office-like' and the exposure is too high, so the shot doesn't really fit with the gritty film-noir stylings. Also, the composition contains too much of the man's shoe, which could easily have been placed to the side of the camera to show more of the subject. Overall, the shot would not work for basic continuity in a film-noir production, because it demands too much of the camera position and actually looks more comical than gritty, due to the awkward composition.

2. Unlike the previous image, this shot focuses upon the bottom of the doorwar, and we cannot yet see the person behind it.

The high-contrast in lighting between each room implies that there is something different or peculiar about the dark room.

I think that this would work in terms of continuity if it followed a mid-shot of the person walking towards the door on the other side. From this very frame, as the door opens to let light into the room, the camera could tilt gradually up to reveal a sharp sillhouette of the character. Although this would work well for a film-noir with the single adjustment of colder lighting, the type of camera we are allowed would probably not cope with the ambitious high contrast.

3. Although this may seem like an unusual image to analyse for this purpose, I have noticed that an increasing amount of TV shows and movies have used either actual security cameras or at least simulated the effects of these on a shot. These work because they link the consecutive shots together as well as making the audience aware of the secuirty camera's presence.

The low-contrast colours and bordering time-stamp show us this is security footage.

This could follow a shot of the subject walking down a street towards the door, and could cut to a tracking shot of the subject inside the building once she has left the frame. Equally, this shot could be used for a split second in between shots either side of the door, or could follow a close-up of the security camera itself, much like an eye-line match.

4. Although the colour palette is way too warm for a film-noir, the composition would work well for a match-on-action, as the hand on the door jamb would link a shot from within the other room.

With colder lighting and a subject that looked more dishevelled, the shot could work well for a film-noir, as it would distance the character from their surroundings, and create a surreal and unnerving undertone.

5. Out of this small collection, this image is easily the most suited to the style of film-noir, as the absence of colour, scruffy subject, and dowdy environment work to evoke an atmosphere of pessimism and hopelessness.

Seeing as the shot clearly shows the subject leaving some place resembling to a pub, the preceding shot would simply have to show the character finishing his pint at the bar, or something similar. Because the shot is composed of a lot of connotative architecutre, the audience need not see a linking shot edited to match-on-action, they can simply tell that the character is leaving the establishment from this shot alone.

Target Audience: 'ists' and 'isms'

In the modern world, it is almost impossible to look into the media industry without coming across the concept of a 'target audience'. Every media product produced, whether an advertisement, newspaper or film, has a defined purpose with a specific target audience. An audience is a collection of consumers, and the creators of the media product target a specific collection of consumers with regard to the product and its appeal. For example, the creators of a magazine entitled 'Gardener's Monthly' would most probably focus on gardeners as their target audience, and would need to seriously consider a career change if they had done otherwise.



To simplify the process of determining a particular audience to target, the media industry has resorted to categorising and labelling certain types or groups of people. Just as a blissfully ignorant school-child might define a dislikeable cohort as a 'chav' in order to make their social stance clear, a media company will label types of people depending on certain factors, such as aesthetic preference or yearly income, in order to clarify their aims. Over the latter decades of the 20th Century up until now, this categorisation system has developed in complexity, and can describe almost any comprehendable type of audience with a smothering range of terminology.

When defining an audience, the media uses two main types of categorisation. The first of these is know as the Quantitative Method. This method of categorisation looks at aspects of individuals that are determined by amount or quantity. For example, yearly income and age both fall into this method. Accompanying this method are 'socio-economic-brackets', which classify areas of society into grades, making them easier to target for the media industry.

social grade	social status	occupation
A	upper middle class	higher managerial, administrative orprofessional
B	middle class	intermediate managerial, administrative orprofessional
C1	lower middle class	supervisory or clerical, junior managerial,administrative or professional
C2	skilled working class	skilled manual workers
D	working class	semi and unskilled manual workers
E	those at lowest level of subsistence	state pensioners or widows (no other earner),casual or lowest grade workers

This table is provided by the NRS (National Readership Survery), and is funded by the UK Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA), and Periodical Publishers Association (PPA). Copied from http://www.businessballs.com/demographicsclassifications.htm

The other type of categorisation is the Qualitative Method. This focuses on the actual qualities of the audience, such as their asthetic preferences and consumer habits. Film audiences are generally split into three sections, which can be used to define what films might appeal to them. Here is a list of the three categories, along with a definition and some example films:

Hedonist: Purely devoted to their own pleasure and are likely to take risks for this purpose. Such a person would probably watch films like Cloverfield and Final Destination 3D for the thrill aspect, and might chance watching an independent film such as Little Miss Sunshine or Gangster No.1 without really knowing what to expect.

Traditionalist: Sticks to conventions for safety and security. Traditionalists like to have their expectations fulfilled, and would go to watch movies with rigid conventions. Such films include Disney Pixar's Finding Nemo, the original James Bond action films, and almost any romantic comedy.

Post Modernist: A person with intellectual interest, who will revel in intertextual references and enjoy analysing the way in which the film has been constructed. A post modernist would enjoy watching films like District 9, which transposes a science fiction story over South Africa's troubling history. They would also watch movies such as Pulp-Fiction, Run Lola Run, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, so as to enjoy the thought and creativity that has made the film.

Whilst these categories generally work for the media industry in areas of research and marketing, it is important to remember that the definitions are not set in stone; a predominantly Hedonistic film may appeal mainly to Post-Modernists, for example.

On top of this, any consumer can be labeled as either Active or Passive. Active consumers will purposefully consume a specific media product, whilst Passive consumers will happen to consume it because it was either forced upon them, or they were guided into it. For example, a woman going to see the latest romantic comedy would be an Active consumer, whilst the poor man being dragged relentlessly along behind her would be a Passive consumer.