Camera and Composition

Many different techniques are used in terms of camera and composition to create different effects with the audience and represent different things.

Low-angles 

Low angles, if on a person, shows their power, as the audience is looking up to them. The amount of power they have may change throughout the movie, so the way they are filmed will probably change as well.

Below are some low-angles used in Film Noir.

As you can see, the low angle gives the audience the feeling that this character is powerful, capable and authoritative. 

High Angles

High angles are used for the opposite purpose. They are used to make the audience view a character as vulnerable, weak and possibly not in control.

Below are some high-angle shots from various Film Noirs and Neo-Noirs. 

Dutch Angles

Dutch/Canted angles is a shot where the camera is at an angle, so the image on-screen is not parallel with the bottom or top of the camera frame. This gives a distorted effect and is used to make the audience feel un-nerved, restless and apprehensive. It also gives the viewer a feeling of disorientation. If being used from a character's perspective, Dutch angles can show how they feel psychologically or physically. Below are some Dutch angles used in Film Noir and Neo-Noir. 

Deep Focus

Deep focus is a cinematic technique using a large depth of field. Depth of field is the distance between subjects that are sharp in an image, before the image becomes blurry and out of focus. 

This technique uses lighting, wide angled lenses and small apertures (apertures is a unit of measurement used to calculate the size of the opening of the lens, to control how much light reaches the film/digital sensor). This means that very little lighting reaches the film. Below are some examples of Deep Focus being used in Film Noir. Deep Focus shots are also used to show the status and importance of characters in those shots, or the role they play. 

Composition

In Film Noir, composition of the image on-screen is massive part of what makes the film, and in developing characters.

Firstly, there is a conventional way actors and actresses are composed in certain shots. For example, a lot of the time, the main actress in shot will be standing a few feet behind the male actor. This shows that the director wanted to show her apparent lack of power, and that she is could be 'dangerous,' in a weaker position or doing things behind his back. Here are some examples of this type of shot. 

This can of course be composed the opposite way, with the actress in front, showing power and the male actor a few feet behind her, showing his weakness and how he is dangerous, in the entire film but especially towards the female character in shot. Below are some examples of this. 

The way in which actors are placed, level-wise also effects the way they are perceived in a shot. For example, if a character is sitting in a shot, they can seem more vulnerable, or if one character is at the top of a set of stairs, and one is at the bottom, this can give the audience a feeling of who is more authoritative. 

Here are some examples:

I will be posting more about other aspects of Film Noir and Neo-Noir soon.