This course evokes the 'Film Noir' cinema of the 1930s, 40s and 50s which was inspired by German Expressionism and has its origins in the Great Depression and War. It is the art of shadows. It is shot in black and white, using dark, low key lighting and a dramatic key light to create harsh contrast and “chiaroscuro” effects. Noir explores dark narratives marked by moods of pessimism and fatality, perfectly translating today’s recurrent themes of crime, violence and the darker psychological aspects of human nature. Develop your Noir story and create a narrative in the form of a sequence of photographs. Students will need to bring a DSLR or Digital Camera with manual exposure, tripod (if possible), notebook and pen and an A1 Card for this course.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• Film Noir: The Dark Side of the Screen, Foster Hirsch
• The Rules of Film Noir, Matthew Sweet (BBC Documentary)

COURSE OUTLINE

• What is Film Noir? Origins and themes
• Visual display - Noir Cinema Stills, Noir influences in Photography, Graphic novels etc.
• Develop a Noir narrative
• Explore the dramatic key light effects of Shadow, Contrast, Silhouette, “Chiaroscuro”, “Cookies” and “Eye light”
• Portraits /Interiors /Streetscapes

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Learn the origins of Noir and its continuing themes.
2. Create a Noir story.
3. Improve technical camera skills
4. Use and develop lighting for NOIR effects to photographically interpret a NOIR story.