Reflective Writing

Development of genre



The Rules of Film Noir
Film Noir wikipedia article

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography, while many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hard boiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression.

The term film noir first applied to Hollywood movies by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unknown to most American film industry professionals of the era. Cinema historians and critics defined the canon of film noir in retrospect; many of those involved in the making of the classic noirs later professed to be unaware of having created a distinctive type of film.


During a Media lesson, we watched The Rules of Film Noir, this is very different to children's TV drama but possesses information on the codes and conventions of the narrative and the use of cinematography. Most significantly, The Rules of Film Noir highlights that there is a need to show a reflection on today's modern society - through social and historical context and what is the influence or if there is a influence, such as literary or political influence. When thinking about children's TV drama and The Rules of Film Noir, both need to show evidence of a reflection on society and in Film Noir it could be the war (historical context) or social attitudes, so children's TV drama looks at the social role of children/teenagers and this is shown through characterisation and representation. Therefore, in my title sequence I can choose to use a reflection of the way children live in today's society - either the lives of teenagers or the lives of young children. Furthermore, The Rules of Film Noir underlined the role of cinematography and the common lighting, angles, positioning and shots that were used, and whether these are challenged or remain the same, thus with children's TV drama, I could choose to challenge common uses of cinematography or stick to what is commonly used.