Rushes

Rushes:

Opaque is a short film that is based off detective and whodunit films from the 80-90s. To make sure we made the film visually appear older than the time it was recorded, we used a range of props and other set ups in the rushes to help make the film meet the conventions of the detective genre

In terms of the characters, James is always seen wearing a camera around his neck that was made and known in the 80s. Jessie, the other main character, does not really show many conventions. However, they are dressed in an old looking suit and is shown to look professional. The stage and background contained many hidden details that follow the genre and conventions of detective movies: an example of one of these details is the car that Jessie and James use to get to the crime scene that is shown in several shots of the film: a Corvette Stingray. The Corvette Stingray was made in the 1960s, which provides the audience with some sort of indication of how long ago the events of the film took place.

Not only does the car provide the audience with an indication of the time, but it could also hint more about the characters' personalities: Considering that Jessie is shown to be hard-working and professional, and James being presented as a rich joker that acts unprofessional could infer that James owns the car, as Jessie asks him if he is driving to the scene of the crime as shown in the rushes.

Another detail that hints at the time the film is set in is the missing posters: Although it is a minor detail, it can be mentioned that the poster had been printed in black and white and appears a bit scratchy and ruined with a few printing errors, such as the distorted and blurred last name, blurred face and illegible words.