Attracting/Addressing My Audience

Examining My Sequence’s Conventions, Aesthetics, Representations, Narrative Devices and Themes

Overview My sequence would be able to engage my outlined

audience in the way it successfully emulates the style and thematic basis of the noir genre in a modern context. There is a sense of familiarity for those able to identify these specific traits and a sense of discovery for those only just coming to them and beginning their genre education.

Furthermore, there are some enigmatic teases to hook an audience and make them want to continue watching as will the central relationship whose development poses an interesting for the film, one which the audience may enjoy for the way their characters have elements which break away from genre stereotypes.

Overview Overall, the sequence faithfully adopts the

conventional elements of the genre across the board – in its aesthetics, character types, narrative developments and themes with only some small deviations from the standard form. As stated before, this would allow for a degree of familiarity but the small twists on the formula would appear all the most standout in the midst of the genre conventions, making them more appealing for those seeking out a new take on the noir standards, finding a sense of satisfying discovery when encountering material that breaks away and tries new things.

AestheticsInstantly, the sequence’s place in the noir genre is established through the

aesthetic design. The use of monochrome in conjunction with the jazz score is an easily identifiable and crucial element of the genre so its presence here, and the connotations that come with it firmly entrench the viewer in the genre. This provides both a reassuring sense of familiarity for those with experience in this area, bringing back a classic style as an antidote to the modern state of filmmaking. Alternatively, those without genre experience would be first introduced to noir through this so would be engaged by the atmosphere provided by the various aesthetic elements – the cinematography, the jazz music et al carries connotations of mystery and criminality, drawing the viewer in by tempting them with exciting developments to come. The evocative nature of the design is surely a major point of engagement with the narrative as well as with the genre as a whole.

Aesthetics Additionally, in the name of identifying with the

noir genre, the use of an urban environment is also an important convention. This type of setting connotes ideas (in this context) of crime and a certain seediness lingering beneath the surface. It also hints to the environment in which our protagonist is most comfortable, implying his confidence with criminality. This is a character trait that would be easy for the audience to engage with, either for a sense of empathy or a sense of fulfillment since he could represent how they would want to be in this scenario, endearing them to him and making them want to follow his journey into the darker areas of the city.

Aesthetics The key element in terms of aesthetics that diverges from

standard genre form, is the use of first-person voiceover which is rather uncommon in cinematic noir, and more widely used in noir literature. This adds a unique layer to the storytelling since it allows the audience a more direct insight into the central character’s mental state and thought process. This could encourage not only a great level of identification as he explains his feelings and also encourage an even more pronounced element of discovery since the audience now has the ability to follow the plot with the protagonist, trying to navigate the various twists along with him in a manner of satisfaction comparable to following a TV detective drama. This unique wrinkle makes the sequence stand out from similar genre entries and tying it to its literary roots would help to engage those with an understanding of the prose heritage.

Representation The character types fall into basic archetypal designs

of the Hero Private Detective and the beautiful femme fatale and this adhering to such timeless genre staples provides a sense of recognition and consciousness as to the genre’s codes and conventions. Those with an affinity for the genre would engage with this standard formula though without much divergence from type, this could be seen as conservative and lacking innovation. That being said, the way the characters appear to interact highlights their character dynamics which would be of interest to an audience seeking out some degree of change. In particular, the detective’s elements of humor and the strength of the female character.

Representation As per traditional noir character designs, the

hero should be the epitome of cool and confident, rarely prone to weakness. However, here (seen in his startled and “uncool” reaction to the women’s reveal) he undermines his gruff and gritty persona - manifested by his voice-over and back-story – with humor and a certain level of vulnerability. This is an interesting character trait that differentiates him from the stock detective mold, rewarding those seeking a relatively new take on a well-worn cliché and also hints to the sort of character he will be in the main feature.

Representation The female character also has some degree of strength which would

engage those with an affinity for stronger female characters. She is in control during their exchange, despite the fact that she is in need of help and it is highly likely that she has come to him purely because she is fully aware of the power she holds over him, able to exploit this quite effectively in disrupting his cliché tough-guy persona. This level of control is a unique element in the state of cinema, providing an interesting representation of woman as something other than pure eye-candy (though she does provide this element, as per noir tradition), similar to Gaby Rogers’ character in Kiss Me Deadly who is revealed to have been manipulating events from behind the scenes. Furthermore, their respective character traits would make for an interesting relationship to develop throughout the story, serving as a key point of engagement for the audience to hook onto and afford more to invest in over the course of the narrative, finding appeal in their interactions and the potential for humor not found in most noirs.

Example I refer you to the example below, featuring an

extract from my own sequence.

Narrative Structure Falling once again, back into genre standards,

the narrative structure (what little there is) is very much compliant with what is expected from this type of story, baring strong similarity to the opening of The Maltese Falcon with the femme fatale approaching the hero with some type of mysterious assignment. Furthermore, the hero’s back-story – someone formerly involved in the thick of criminality but now resigned to a quieter life – does bare similarity to the character of Doc Sportello in Inherent Vice so does function as a noir staple. These basic narrative elements are very straightforward in the context of the genre and should be fulfilling to fans of the genre.

The Maltese Falcon Opening Scene

I refer you below where you can see the clip in full.

Themes The adherence to film noir standards implies a lot about the deeper plot

and, in particular, the use of traditional iconography links to Strauss’ Binary Opposition theory between cop/criminal or good/evil, basic themes that resound in the genre since its inception, shown in counterpoints between the likes of Orson Welles’ corrupt cop and Charlton Heston’s righteous man seeking the truth in Touch of Evil, both characterized by their status as either evil and good respectively. The thematic heart of my sequence is fairly light, given the focus on aesthetics and the minimal amount of narrative material provided, making analysis of such content slightly futile. However, the fact that the sequence does include these elements does make it fit into the genre well, and a deeper sense of thematic substance would serve to engage people seeking a greater level of intelligence in their entertainment to examine.