Spring 2012 Prompt

Best Film Spring 2012 50 Hour Film Contest

Sam Dorado from Max Erickson on Vimeo.

* Below is the Prompt for the Spring 2012 50 Hour Film Contest *

Your Prop: Duct Tape

The prop MUST make a clear appearance in the film to qualify for judging. The level of integration of the prop into the film’s plot is completely up to the film team.

Your Character: A jealous boyfriend/girlfriend

Your Dialogue:

Will you marry me?
You’re never around when I need you.
It’s stuffy in here, I need some air.
There’s still time.
This was/is my city
Well, nobody’s perfect.
It is the only way I will ever matter.
She/He was trouble.
That’s against the law
It happens to be against three laws.
You’d sell your own mom if you had the chance.
I wouldn’t expect you to understand this

You must use five of the lines above! This dialogue must be kept in intact sentences or phrases , but the order, the timing or usage of these sentences is entirely up to your group. These five sentences MUST be able to be heard clearly in the final movie.

Your Genre: Film Noir

Definition of genre for the purposes of this 50:

The term “Film Noir” was used by French film critics shortly after World War II to describe the dark and gritty films that were coming out of Hollywood at the time. The once lighthearted films coming from the American movie industry before the war turned into tales of the dark side of human nature that mirrored the global moral abyss.

Film Noirs were known for their look. Usually dark black and white films with low key lighting (one light with maybe a reflector). Long shadows and silhouettes are heavily used, with many of the scenes taking place at night. Deep focus and dutch angles were also used.

The script usually contains frank unapologetic dialogue delivered by strong usually devious characters. Voice over is used to describe the story and inner feelings of the main character.
The Protagonist was usually a private detective navigating the ugly underworld of human nature (kidnapping, blackmail, adultery etc). The Protagonist would be dragged into the story and usually it would be a fatal downward spiral until the ending. The role of Femme Fatal was developed in the Film Noir in response to the changing gender roles during the War. This woman not portrayed as a helpless submissive that needed to be saved but rather as a very strong equal to the normally male protagonist.

For more reading on the Film Noir please check out http://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html and here http://www.bighousefilm.com/noir_intro.htm

A list of traditional Film Noir’s

The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Laura (1944)

Films inspired by Noirs

Blade Runner
Sin City
Batman Begins/Dark Night
Memento
Fargo
LA Confidential
Seven

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