Wednesday 31 December 2014

Cinematography References: Film Noir

Having studied the sub-genre, film noir, I have always enjoyed the many different methods that are associated with film noir, due to the typical nature of the camera work, lighting, and use of shadow. I've always thought the appeal of black-and-white stems from the amount of effort put into cinematography, because film noirs tend to succeed at being visually unique and brilliant despite the lack of colour. Speaking, of course, on behalf of classic film noir, which, by focusing attention on all the other aspects of cinematography, managed to encourage very creative ways to depict black-and-white film, giving the genre a unique and unforgettable look.

My favourite technique used in film is definitely the dutch tilt, because of how well it depicts the dread of a scene, usually from a character's perspective. It seems to have a lot of uses, but it is mainly used for adding a sinister touch to the scene.


See what I mean? I look at these images and just feel the intensity, simply from the cinematography. The shadows, the camera angles, the low key lighting, are all the reasons I just love this genre and why it influences me. This was one of the reasons I changed the style of my animation to match this style, because of how effectively it conveys the tone, and it translates well into animation.

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