Film noirs conventionally take place in dark, gloomy urban settings like New York City, often during rain. Scenes use low lighting from blinds and dull colors and objects to create a realistic, pessimistic tone. The camera uses close-ups and low/high angles to make audiences feel uneasy. Narratives typically begin with the protagonist broken in the present, then use flashbacks to explain mysterious events that led there, like a femme fatale seducing and betraying a man. Sound and music reinforce the dark atmosphere while editing was basic due to the era.

1. Generic Conventions Of Film Noir
By Matthew Levesley

2. Mise En Scene
In a conventional Film noir, the
location is in an urban city, most of
the time it will probably be New
York or another place in America. It
will usually be raining and dull to
portray the feeling that the film is
realistic. Blinds are often used for
lower lighting and darkness as well
as dull objects and clothing. The
Femme Fatal will be wearing ‘sexy’
clothing to make her appear more
seductive whereas the Everyman
will usually wear a suit but he will
look fairly scruffy to make himself
more relatable to the target
audience.

3. Sound & Editing
Sound is included to reinforce the
pessimism of the film, this can be
done with silence and quietness for
periods of time, this will often be
followed by a sudden noise (calm
before the storm). Downbeat music is
the main style of background music
and occasionally sound effects of the
busy city are included.
The lack of editing is conventional in a
Film Noir as the majority of the films
were made in the 1940s and
technology was not as advanced.
Occasionally jump-cuts and montages
were used to show time passing (e.g.
with flashbacks). In Black Dahlia, it
would appear that a filter has been
added to give it a dull effect to
conform to the conventions.

4. Camera and Composition
In the films, close-ups are used (for
example the everyman and femme
fatal kissing in Double Indemnity),
over the shoulder shots are often
included, mostly in conversation but
they are also included when someone
is smoking to create mystery. The
angles often are created to put the
audience at unease, this can be done
with high or low angles or a distorted
view.

5. Narrative
The narrative is often non-linear, with the story beginning at the end when the
Everyman is broken, this adds mystery. The story then goes back to explain what has
happened with flashbacks and the Everyman narrating the events that have
happened.
We took photos of a demonstration of a conventional narrative structure which was:
1. Buster Rayburn is in a prison cell
2. Flashback to Buster walking out of jail
3. Buster is drunk in a bar on his own and is greeted by a gangster who says he has
a job for him. Buster turns the job down.
4. The gangster’s girlfriend (Lacey Lane) appears. Buster can’t take his eyes off her.
5. Buster is back in the sam bar drinking and Lacey Lane walks in and whispers
seductively in his ear.
6. Buster back in jail with a voiceover ‘if only I walked away when I had the chance’
7. Lacey gives Buster a gun
8. Buster shoots the gangster
9. Buster and Lacey meet. She thanks him and says she will run away with him.
10. Buster waits for Lacey but the cops arrive and arrest him. Lacey is seen in the
background and she has obviously called the police on him.
11. Buster grabs a policeman’s gun and manages to kill Lacey
12. Buster is back in jail.

6. Photos of The Narrative
1 3 4
876
9 10
11 12
2
5