Noir film making questions

[Jaap Elzes]

Hello,


I’m working on a noir short film for my graduation project. We have the possibility to shoot with the red camera.
I have some questions concerning lenses and working with the red camera.


1. I do know that in noir film making it is common to use a wide angle lens.
Most scene’s are in a Jazz bar and a small dressing room.


-? what would be de best wide angle lens to use
-? which most common problems can I encounter
-? which other lenses are interesting for me


2. I have no practical experience with the red camera at the moment.


-? which most common problems can I encounter
-? what are the best resources to get familiar with the red one camera (internet tutorials, books)

 

[Tim Hole]

As a very long standing fan and collector of Noir I wouldn't say that it is so much the use of a wide angle lens as the use of deeper focus photography. Which becomes a matter of lighting as much a lens choice. As one of the signatures of Noir is chiaroscuro lighting this does help matters due to the high contrast of the lighting choice. So wider prime lenses are preferable. The lenses you choose vary dramatically on your budget. It might also be an idea to see what kind of vintage lenses are available in your area as this could help you in creating your look and they could be cheaper than renting some Cooke's or Ultra Primes. Both of which really like hight contrast but are also extremely sharp - which you would likely need to soften. The good thing about vintage lenses is that they have some great characteristics but can also be slightly softer and have lens lens treatments.

Others on here may shed light on this a bit more (especially people like David Mullen) or even correct me if I'm wrong, but in the earlier years of Hollywood is was more desirable to have deeper focus photography than shallow. Its only really in more recent years that has switched.

Noir is known for breaking the mould in terms of the extensive use of close ups, especially on body parts and points of interest and the use of unusual angles and lighting set ups.

I'm sure I am preaching to the converted here, however noir should definitely be led by story and the storyworld. The texture of the environment is meant to be an extrapolation of the mindscape of the main character. I am one of the people who wholeheartedly denies that noir is just a visual style.

In response to the RED resources...you are on the best resource - mammoth though it is.

There is also Noah's book http://www.amazon.com/RED-Ultimate-Guide-Revolutionary-Camera/dp/0321617681

And the RED 101 DVD: http://dreamwelder.com/red101/?source=RU

Both mandatory resources for people starting out in the format.

Happy shooting...and hope you create an interesting Noir piece - we don't need anymore Noir homages!!

 

[Jaap Elzes]

Thank you for the response! This will help us a lot. Unfortunate we only can arrange a red one for three shooting days. That's not enough for our short movie. We are now going to shoot with either the Panasonic AG-AF101 or a Canon 7D. But thanks again for your input.

 

[Jeff Coatney]

Cameras were bigger and heavier back then, so they tended to stay put and the action was covered mainly by panning from a stationary position on stage. Some dolly shots were used for dramatic effect: zeroing in on a gun, for example. Fog and smoke are components, though likely used in a practical sense to disguise a not-too-exotic locale, like turning the Van Nuys airport into Morocco. I think you may have some luck with a 35mm lens, its a good compromise for shooting the action and it would minimize the perspective distortion on many 28mm lenses. Noir perspective tends to have solid rectilinearity on the vertical. Most glamour close-ups have a diffusion filter to soften the actress and hide the always hasty make-up jobs that kept the production on schedule. Oh, and don't forget the 1:33 aspect ratio if you're going for purity. We too often analyze the finished result when we look back at work that has gone before, without understanding the underlying cause and effect relationships that are just as responsible for the outcome as the desire or vision of the filmmakers. David Mullen's thread is a huge resource for you. I remember some Noir discussions in there somewhere. Search his posts.