Script

INT. SCENE ONE. DRESSING ROOM. NIGHT.

FADE IN

MAIN TITLES AND CREDITS

JAZZY MUSIC JUMP CUT TO SCENE ONE

ESTABLISHING SHOT SPREAD OVER THE DRESSING ROOM

Dressing room is messy, sprawling, dimly lit in 1950s style, camera trails past glittering costumes, over discarded feathered boas and pin up posters. Finally landing on a beautiful woman bathed in light applying her make up as show tunes hum in the background. A man knocks on the door and then enters shortly after.

DECTECTIVE COMPTON WARD – A dark figure in a trench coat and brightly polished shoes stands directly behind the woman he loves engulfed in her beauty. The light from Evie’s mirror dimly illuminates his masculine features, not even 35 years of age the light creates shadows on the crevasses of the lines of his face as his eyes drift over her skin soaking up her beauty silently observing her mindlessly practiced routine.

EVIE – No older than 25 her soft feminine features accentuated by pink plumped lips, she carefully applies her make up in the mirror wordlessly acknowledging Compton’s presence while maintain focus on her own perfection.

EVIE

(Softly almost a whisper, looking up at him in the mirror, slowly lifting a cigarette to her lips, biting her bottom lip seductively fluttering her long black lashes slowly.)

Got a light?

COMPTON

(Lights a match from a matchbox in his jacket. Puts large emphasis on YOU saying it slowly and with precision, a smile flickering on his lips- leaning against the wall)

For you and you only doll.

(Lights match)

EVIE

(Long draw of smoke in she breathes out with an exasperated sigh, she starts to pack up her make up)

What are you doing here Compton?

COMPTON

(leans over her chair grasping on to it, knuckles white showing his anger)

You know why Evie god-

dammit I want you to stop doing this!

(gestures to the pin up poster of a scantily clad show girl)

EVIE

(stands up finaly turning around to face him in indignation.

I don’t need your help Compton,

all you need is to love me – nothing more

COMPTON

(gestures angrily stepping forward in a confrontational manner pushing Evie backward against the dressing table)

You are better than this life!

I can take you away from all this

- give you a proper life-

EVIE

(pushes angrily against Compton’s chest thumping against his chest)

–I aint no kept woman –

COMPTON

(bows his head down, upset, then earnestly looking down at her, raising his hands it reiterate his points sincerely)

That’s not what I mean

and you know it!

I want to save you

 from this li-

EVIE

(Interrupts abruptly, bursting away from his embrace, making a dramatic beeline for the door)

I don’t need NO

man to “save” me –

COMPTON

(pushes Evie violently against the door maintaining intense eye contact, holding her wrists against the door)

-DAMMIT EVIE STOP!-

EVIE

(indignantly yelling at him, straining against his restraint)

-Especially the likes of

YOU Detective Compton Ward

COMPTON

(Lets go of Evie wrapping his hands around her waist, talking softly and tender, brushing a stray curl from her face)

Well I’m not going anywhere –

even if I can’t change your mind

you’re my beaux and I’m not leaving.

 Not now, not ever.

EVIE

(retains eye contact and melts under his gaze- quickly regaining composure and smirks sassily before pushing past him towards her clothes rack)

Everybody leaves Compton,

some way some how.

COMPTON

(shrugs and smiles charmingly, lighting a cigarette quicky)

Well not me doll I’m part

of the darn furniture.

EVIE

(still angrily searching her clothes rack for a accessory for her pale corseted costume, she peers through the rack comedically)

And what if I decide to

change the apulsetry one day, huh?

COMPTON

(picks up her feather boa from behind the door and walks over to the rack opening and passes her the boa.)

Well kid, I could always

do with a change of colour.

EVIE

(looks at the boa holding her face into the boa to hide her tears)

I just can’t Compton

 – I just – Just can’t.

COMPTON

(pulls down the boa and holds her hands in his softly kissing her dainty hands)

What is it you can’t face?

Your mine and I’m yours, period.

EVIE

(Snatching the boa, she walks over to the mirror adjusting her clothing as tears glisten in her eyes; confusion is mounting as she stand offishly mutters.)

All right then tough guy,

 I’m on in five.

COMPTON

(moves quickly out of her way as she brushes past him towards the telephone, grinning and tipping his hat as he exits)

Good night Miss Evangeline.

EVIE

(Says good bye assertively with a hint of seduction)

Detective Compton.

COMPTON EXITS.

(picks up the phone on her dresser and starts to dial and

she waves good bye with a sad look on her face.)

FADE TO BLACK

CUT TO. INT. HOME OF DECTECTIVE COMPTON. NIGHT.

JUMP CUT MUSIC FROM PREVIOUS SCENE FADED IN.

Simply furnished, almost shabby apartment with a barely lived in feel, minimal furnishings. Dim lighting and shutters shade his face as he sits and reads the paper. Smoking a single cigarette with quiet jazz streaming out of the radio.

BANGING LOUDLY INTERRUPTS PEACEFUL SCENE.

COMPTON QUICKLY JUMPS UP TO UNLOCK THE DOOR.

IN SPRINGS HIS BROTHER DIXON WARD.

DIXON WARD- Youthfully dishevelled aged beyond his 27 years he is dirty and bloodied, clutching a gaping wound in his chest. With his hair a mess he starts to bleed on the ground he unable to stand by himself.

COMPTON

(Rushes to help Dixon through the door clutching the gaping wound on his head)

Dickie !What happened to you?

DIXON

(Gasping for breathe, he collapses onto the ground)

I haven’t got much time-

COMPTON

(Moving to stand up off the ground reaching for the telephone)

I have to call the station!

DIXON

(Short of breath, he grabs Compton’s shirt pulling him down to whisper in his ear)

NO! Don’t, please! I-

COMPTON

(Upset, he tries to stop the blood flowing out of the wound, stemming the flow with his hands reaching to the sofa pulling a pillow under his head cradling him in his arms)

Please- Please-

DIXON

(gasping for breathe he beckons to Compton asking him to come closer so he can whisper in his ear, panting and shuddering under the strain)

NO, look there is a new drug in town being sold at the club.

COMPTON

(leans back in surprise and outrage tossing his hands into the air)

Evie’s Club?

DIXON

(stuttering and cowering on the ground his grasps Compton’s hand)

Yes-

COMPTON

(shocked he leans closer, then moves away moving to stand up as Dixon pulls him back again)

By golly we have to get down there!

DIXON

(annoyed, he grabs Compton by the scruff pulling him down hurriedly)

Wait! Stop! These new guys they’re some tough stuff

(audibly gasps in pain)

COMPTON

(hurriedly, taking short breaths his body lies completely still)

Dicky wait! You’ll be okay tell me!

DIXON

(quietly almost completely inaudibly he mutters his hand slowly loosing grip on Compton’s scruff)

The drug, the Fuzz think it’s me,

 but I swear Compton,

I never, I never would.

COMPTON

(patting the air slowly soothing his brother)

I know Dickie, I know.

Who are they? Tell me!

DIXON

(gasping for breath his body racked with convulsions on the floor , foam erupting from his mouth)

I-      I- I’m Sorry Compton.

(grabs Compton’s hand tightly and then dies more and more quietly gasping)

COMPTON

(violently shakes his brother willing him to wake up as if from slumber)

DICKIE! DICKIE!

(weeps uncontrollably in a manly fashio)

COMPTON WARD- reaches into Dixon’s hand unravelling a scrap of paper with “THE SMOKE” written on it, suddenly looks up and in the direction of the door)

CUT TO: INT. SPEAK EASY BAR/ DRESSING ROOM. NIGHT

Detective Ward runs through corridors and up stairs in a series of montage cuts towards the club, runs through the abandoned bar towards the dressing room. Where he finds it overturned and Evie gone, in this he collapses on the floor looking morose.

FADE OUT: END SCENE ONE.

EXT. SCENE TWO. CITY STREET MONTAGE. NIGHT.

FADE IN.

DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES IN TO SCENE.

DETECTIVE COMPTON WARD- he is wearing dark foreboding trench coat, complete with black fedora. aged even more in the past four hours older now nearly forty in Bruno’s eyes Compton Throughout the montage he is shown to be consistently searching for the love of his life and the revenge for his brothers death. 

MONTAGE OF DECTECTIVE WARD WANDERING STREETS, SHAKING DOWN VARIOUS BAR OWNERS ALWAYS FOLLOWED BY A MYSTERIOUS FIGURE SMOKING.

Dark and dingy alleyway the moon hanging heavily in the sky, rubbish litters the path way, with fire escapes creaking in the wind, the red rust melting into the wall creating a namelessly auspicious setting – perfect for an encounter.

BRUNO- Dark hulking figure, completely ageless between 30 and 60 years of age he stands silent almost mute, standing at 6ft 4 he is impressively large, dressed in a black trench coat with a cigarette attached to his fingers at all time.

COMPTON

(leans against the red brick wall, a cigarette between his lips he strikes a match and draws in a quick breath)

You’ve been following me, sir.

BRUNO

(Bruno says nothing, staring at Compton; his eyes pierced slowly resting his weight on his right leg as if ready to pounce)

COMPTON

(walks towards Bruno at a quick pace entering his personal space coming in close to his face with a prevocational stance)

Speak god dammit,

What do you want from me?

BRUNO

(Bruno says nothing, standing still, tilting his head from side to side inspecting Compton)

COMPTON

(Savagely grabs Bruno by the scruff against the wall, his forearm crushing Bruno’s wind pipe)

Who is doing this?!

BRUNO

(Bruno says nothing, struggling against Compton’s painful embrace, his face contorted in pain)

Fight ensues between Bruno and Compton.

Compton finally pins Bruno down on the ground strangling him. Sweat fanning down his brow, and Bruno’s face red and breathless.

COMPTON

(His body on top of Compton, his hands forcing the life out of Bruno, yelling with all his might in his direction)

TELL ME. WHERE ARE YOUR EMPLOYERS?

BRUNO

(Gargling sound, his arms struggling against Compton and his face contorted in spite)

COMPTON

(forcing his hand down further on his throat)

TELL ME.

BRUNO

(struggling for breath he whispers in a Russian accent)

The abandoned warehouse off fourteenth and Kensington, they will be offloading tonight.

COMPTON

(releases pressure on Bruno’s neck stepping back )

Thank you.

QUICKLY WALKS OUT WITH A SWISH OF HIS TRENCH COAT.

FADE OUT TO BLACK END SCENE.

EXT. SCENE THREE. WAREHOUSE PACKING STATION. NIGHT.

FADE IN.

FOREBOADING MUSIC.

DETECTIVE COMPTON- 35, Crouches behind a box his dark coat nearly touching the dusty dirty ground of the warehouse his gun is cocked in apprehension of a fight, poised and still he crouches, his face gaunt and tired.

HENCHMEN- Three Henchmen, dark nameless faces, unyielding in strength and carrying machine guns.

Compton walks out surprising the henchmen, they fight and he quickly takes out three of them in short crippling blows.

Out comes three more henchmen from the shadows with Evie in tow.

EVIE- Looking older than her 25 years, gone are the pale glittering hues, she is now clad in a tight figure hugging black dress with blood red lipstick smeared across her lips. Seeing Compton causes her surprise her lips part and eyes flutter back before she composes her face into a sinister smile.

EVIE

(drawn out mysterious, she circles Compton indicating to her remaining henchmen to remain trained on Compton)

Compton..

COMPTON

(confused, stands up straight on, he circles Evie they walk around each other in duelling style neither breaking eye contact)

Evie?

EVIE

(Looks Compton up and down, still circling her hands tremble wrapped around the hilt of her dagger.)

How have you been?

COMPTON

(Circles Evie, his hand slowly reaching for his revolver as he motions towards, the drugs packed away in the boxes)

What is this?

EVIE

(Still circling him venom drips from her words ,as her eyes tear up)

I’m sorry Compton but you have to die.

COMPTON

(Innocent confusion unravels in his face as his eyes search for a vantage point simultaneously angry and upset, pleading with Evie)

Drugs? Murder? Evie, how could you?

EVIE

(Stops circling as Confusion and torment unravelling on her face with a trembling hand she Raises her gun)

COMPTON

(Stops and raises his gun)

(close up on there faces, depression and sadness etched in both)

EVIE

I’ll always love you Compton.

COMPTON

Evie NO-

BANG - GUNSHOT

EVIE

(look of shock on her face, lips parted dramatically)

COMPTON

(looks down at his chest then runs to Evie, catching her as she falls)

EVIE

(tears running down her face gripping him as she holds his strong arms, she whispers as blood drips out of the edge of her mouth)

I thought you said you’d never leave?

COMPTON

(strokes a stray hair out of her face)

And I wont, now way no how –

The same goes for you kid..

Don’t leave me.

EVIE

I love you too.

COMPTON

(crying and weeping he leans down and kisses her forehead)

NO EVIE NO PLEASE!

FADE OUT TO BLACK. CUT TO SUNRISE

FILM ENDS WITH COMPTON WALKING AWAY INTO THE SUNRISE WITH HIS JACKET OVER HIS SHOULDER AND THE SOUND OF SIRENS SOUNDING IN HIS EARS.

END SCENE FADE OUT TO BLACK AND TITLES.

Indonesian Cinema and the Rise of the New Noir - The Gaurdian

Indonesian cinema and the rise of a new noir

Film-makers in Indonesia are harnessing Hollywood's dark arts to ask questions about their own society

Fine new form … a film still from Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing (2012)

But even more than the grand conspiracies, it's personal territory that holds the greatest promise for Indonesian noir. The genre was always at its most successful when it touched on the frailty and temptation inside everyone. The American films were populated by weary molls and petty insurance scamsters, inept adulterers and ordinary Joes with a past – everyday folk taking short cuts and inevitably paying the piper.

And it's just those sorts of insecurities that, as he stages his past misdemeanours in The Act of Killing, catch up with Anwar Congo. There's a moment when the muezzin outside interrupts the murderous mood that he and his fellow actors are cooking up for their opening scene, and they wait to resume filming. Their kitsch is suddenly electrified by something profound; it's like God, the voice of judgment lilting down, is teaching them noir's true depths. Congo is irritated, and rants about his disdain for human rights. But something is happening to him. Later, playing a communist himself in another menacing interrogation, he seems to break down, and a redemption of sorts begins.

It's clear that the conscience of the killer has been caught through envisioning and staging these tacky scenes. The one-time king of the noir underworld is now caught in the whirlpool. Oppenheimer has managed to pinpoint a moment where cinema and the real world touch, and create heat. The question of representation, and what it can achieve, doesn't look so dumb after all.

• The Terracotta film festival starts tomorrow. Belenggu screens as part of its horror all-nighter on Friday. Details: terracottafestival.com. The Act of Killing is out on 28 June.

Inter-titles

Kath Bowden
Media Room
Friday 7th of June
Brainstorming Session


At the moment I have been researching some changes in my script for my Film Noir Film
I would really like to cut out as much dialogue as possible to avoid boredom and use inter titles. I first came across this in the start of the film Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Wikipedia says >>

Intertitle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Intertitle in The Birth of a Nation (1915)

In motion pictures, an intertitle (also known as a title card) is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e. inter-) the photographed action at various points, generally to convey character dialogue ("dialogue intertitles"), or descriptive narrative material related to, but not necessarily covered by, the material photographed ("expository intertitles").^[1]

Intertitles, then known simply as "titles", were a mainstay of silent films once the films became of sufficient length and detail to necessitate dialogue and/or narration to make sense of the enacted or documented events. The earliest known use of intertitles was in the 1901 British film Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost.^[2] The first Academy Award presentation in 1929 included an award for "Best Title Writing," but the award was never given again, as intertitles went out of common use due to the introduction of "talkies".^[3]

In modern film, intertitles are used to supply an epigraph, such as a poem, or to distinguish various "acts" of a film or multimedia production by use as a title card. However, they are most commonly used as part of a historical drama's epilogue to explain what happened to the depicted characters and events after the conclusion of the story proper.

The development of the soundtrack slowly eliminated their utility as a narrative device (they were common for providing narration, but not dialogue, well into the 1930s), but they are occasionally still used as an artistic device. For instance, intertitles were used as a gimmick in Frasier. The BBC's drama Threads uses them to give location, date and information on distant events beyond Sheffield. Law & Order use them to give only the location of the upcoming scene. Guy Maddin is a modern filmmaker known for recreating the style of older films, and uses intertitles appropriately. Some locally produced shows, such as quiz bowl game shows, use animated variations of intertitles to introduce the next round.

"Intertitle" is an academic term invented long after the advent of sound film (see also subtitle (captioning) and supertitle).^{[citation needed]} These "titles" should not be confused with the modern-day definition of subtitle or main title.

Example of an Inter-title Silde

Modern/ Contemporary Uses Include - The Artist (2011) a black and white silent comedy drama, the writer of the screen play struggled to make the story comprehensible, without using to many inter titles, apparently research was very important.

My thoughts - I think that I will change around with the dialogue on my script and see if making it a silent film with inter-titles or just with minamalist dialogue and a combination of inter titles or not.


Update: Discussion with teacher - I have decided not to plan my inter titles and I must be careful as they are often associated with comedy, and also I must adhere to a certain amount of conventions to create a 100% stereotypical Film Noir film.

Film Concept

CONCEPT:

Target Audience: The concept for my four to eight minute film noir short film will be targeted at a wide audience but mainly an older audience accustomed to film noir unlike the younger generation who enjoy the newer neo noir.

Title: The film will be called “The Smoke” a foreshadowing title that alludes to glamour and mystery.

Conventions Included (5):

Plot Synopsis- A detective’s (Compton Ward) mobster brother (Dixon Ward) comes to him and tells him of a new drug on the street that has been worrying the underground of the city code name run by a mysterious crew named The Smoke. Meanwhile the detective’s innocent girlfriend (Evie/ Evangeline) works at a speak easy bar and one day goes missing – the detective runs to the bar that is completely trashed with a single cigarette sitting on the bar. The two brothers team up to find out what happened to Evie. Together they shake down criminals in a montage sequence- every time the audience will catch a glimpse of a mysterious figure watching them in back leather gloves. They confront the man beating a confession out of him until he tells them about a drug drop that the mysterious leader of the smoke will be at. They are situated in an abandoned theatre -going to find this mysterious criminal figure- then they find out that he is been Evie all along who faked her own death! The film ends as the brothers engage in a huge shoot out with the femme fatale and her henchmen. A stray bullet catches the femme fatal and as she is dying but whispering that she always loved him.

Characters and Motivations:

·      Detective Compton Ward – Wants to capture the mysterious smoke gang and find out what happened to his girl.

·      Dixon Ward – The Mobster – Wants to help his brother and take back control of the underworld

·      Evie/ Evangeline – The Innocent waitress/ Femme Fatale – wants to maintain control of the underworld, having to make a choice between love and money

·      Bruno – The Henchman- wants to serve his master and to kill the ward brothers

·      Group of Henchmen 3-4 – Shoot the good guys

·      Speak easy bar patrons 3-4- Drink and mind there own business.

Practicalities:

Settings-  Settings will have to be quite basic as some students are boarders so as many on school shots as possible – and as it will be shot in Black and White this will add a dark tone. Rain is important as well as damp streets add to the mise-en-scene, Kings college stairway shots, Window shots, Staff Room Bar shots. The locations should be common urban settings to give it a realistic feel.

Costuming- Costuming will have to set the time period of the late 20s with suits and glamorous dresses, leather guns, and hats– these will need to be made available from the costuming department in the great hall, as well as some donated costumes. Costumes will need to represent characters such as good lady no lipstick, bad lady bright blood red lipstick.

Props- Again period setting props – maybe some martini glasses and a few guns as well maybe an old car- Will need to be borrowed maybe from a teacher.

Cast- Cast will be very important, as serious actors will be needed with flexible schedules.

Five things:

Cinematography

·      High low angles

·      Reflection

·      Distortion and skewed view

·      Extreme Close Ups

·      Deep focus

·      Faces obscured through objects

·      Dutch tilt

·      Irregular framing

Mise-En-Scene

·      Rain and Damp streets

·      Urban Settings

·      Low Key lighting – Chiarascuro

·      High contrast

Post Production

·      Sound

o   Down beat music

o   Heavy breathing

o   Quiet and silence

o   Sudden music

o   Voice over

o   Sound effects

·      Editing

o   Non linear start

o   Day shot for night using filters.

o   Montage

o   Jump cuts

Film Production Deadlines

DEADLINE	WHAT IS DUE	ASSESSMENT STANDARD
18TH APRIL 2013	MOOD BOARD, FILM CONCEPT	91494 (towards this) – produce a design for a media product that meets the requirements of a brief
8TH MAY 2013	FILM TREATMENT	91494 – (towards this) – produce a design for a media product that meets the requirements of a brief
22ND MAY 2013	SCRIPT DEADLINE	91497 – Write a media text to meet the requirements of a brief
31ST MAY 2013 I would suggest you start filming as soon as these are handed in!	STORYBOARDS PRODUCTION SCHEDULE, CAST AND CREW LISTS AND PERMISSIONS FOR CAST, TEST SHOTS (taken in or out class during lighting workshop) LOCATION SCOUTING WITH IMAGES DEADLINE	91494 – Produce a design for a media product that meets the requirements of a brief.
31st MAY - 10TH JUNE 2013 First filming period	FOOTAGE FILMED – RAW FOOTAGE SCREENING DEADLINE IS JUNE 10TH	91495 – Produce a media product to meet the requirements of a brief
11th - 18TH JUNE 2013 Second filming period – cameras must be returned by June 18th.	PICK UP SHOTS DEADLINE	91495 – Produce a media product to meet the requirements of a brief
1st JULY 2013	FINAL CUT FILM HAND IN	91495 – Produce a media product to meet the requirements of a brief