WRITING A FILM NOIR SCENE

2. INT. Office unknown. Dull lighting / Night.

            Mid shot from behind detective’s back, showing the Mis-en-scene. Slowly moves toward him. His head slightly bent sideways, smoke emerges from below. Sound of clinking glass.

3. Close-up only showing his face below the eyes. He takes a sip of drink. Smoke invades the frame.

4. Close-up of door, matching a knocking sound.

5. Close-up of detective from his front.

DETECTIVE

Come in!

The door opens, his face sharpens seriously, he leaves the glass on the table.

                                                            DETECTIVE

Yes…?

6. Close up – Low Level Angle, of a woman’s legs walking towards the desk, slowly and seductively. She stands still for a moment, then sits on a chair. Camera still, focused on her back, Detective’s face is seen in frame, behind the desk. He stares still.

DETECTIVE

Lady?

7. Close up of her face, looking melancholic, head tilted sideways, eyes focused on nothing.

WOMAN

May I have a cigarette, detective?

8. Two-shot from her back, displaying in the middle, a table including bottles and cigar holders, and an ash tray.

DETECTIVE

Well I don’t think that’s gonna be the case unless you tell me what this whole is about, do you know what time it is?

9. The two-shot changes perspective to his back, showing her face. She remains in silence for some cold seconds.

WOMAN

I’m sure you’ve heard about… about this… person wondering around, right?

Camera fixed on her face, she looking down in what seems anguish.

10. Two shot from her back, showing detective’s expression, which is nearly of a laugh

DETECTIVE

What do you think we dedicate to at here darling?

The camera fixed on him. He starts a mid laugh and takes a sip of drink.

11.Close-up of her face. Slightly Dutch angled in horizontal level with her tilted face. She sounds stressed.

WOMAN

I know it seems absurd detective, but I am fearful about the situation…

12. Close-up of a man  surrounded by shadows, standing near a door.

DETECTIVE (Voice-Over)

Excuse me lady, you know I have not got the time for this nonsense of the woman in despair and the gentleman who offers to help.

13. Close-up of her face. Slightly Dutch angled in horizontal level with her tilted face. In an icy voice.

WOMAN

It’s… He’s my husband…

DETECTIVE

What about him?

WOMAN

He’s the one in charge of the murders around here, I’m afraid I’ll be the next, or… who knows…

14. Close-up of detective’s stone face, serious mood.

DETECTIVE

That’s… another story, tell me about him, where is he?!?!

15. Close-up of her face. Slightly Dutch angled in horizontal level with her tilted face. She is about to break in a cry, her voice fractures.

WOMAN

I’m afraid he… he is the one who brought me here. He’s outside, at the car… Help me! (whispers)

After two presentations of the work which went on satisfactorily, we can conclude on some points, as the fact that the first presentation was key to developing the documentary into a more sophisticated one, listening to the critiques from the other groups. We had to cut off scenes who's audio was far too distorted and loud due to the live filming at the streets, include subtitles, include a soundtrack which I managed to download, and insert another B-roll footage at the start of the documentary.

After the second viewing (the official one) we had also final cuts to make, which we are currently developing, as including music on selected parts, cutting off rough edges which seem lagged, and shortening specific B-rolls.

We have managed to create a jounalistic, proffessional texture throughout the short documentary, because of the formal interviews, key B-roll, and straight forward phrases which convey directly what the film is about, as:
"There is no solution to this problem..."