Ellen 101
This is a great project! However you do it will be great.
I will make a suggestion for your consideration. Film Noir was a Hollywood style that was extensively lit with hard lights.
Fresnel Spots etc . The best pictures ever made of trades people and shop keepers were Irving Penn’s , collected in his ‘Small Trades series’. All done with single large source (window light ) in his Paris studio.
It could be beautifully adapted to your location portraits. The other Photographer that did brilliant work was August Sander.
In both cases the person is portrayed with great dignity and simplicity.
Noir lighting sort of calls attention to itself.
But these are your pictures if you still want to go after the Hollywood glamour/ film noir look, look up George Hurrell
Good luck with your project.
Ps you can get a lot of the Penn look ( large single light source and a reflector) with subtractive lighting. Store or open sky lighting tends to be flat , by using the black side of a large reflector above an to one side, what is left of the ambient lighting becomes your main light