Conventions of a gangster Film

Conventions of a gangster films• The specific sub-genre that I intend to work in is a mob gangster film. Crime and

Gangster Films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life.

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What makes a gangster film a gangster film?

• Organised Crime• Weapon’s and Guns• Drugs-Cocaine,Heroin,Ecstasy • Men acting tough• Car chases• Blood/Killing• Violence at most corners In most gangster films, a lot of the time there is a particular person who wants to

become rich and powerful possible, and they will do as much as they can until they can get to that. They mainly start at low key crime and then work their way up to big drug deals and so on. The main people are normally close friends or close family. In most gangster films, there are a lot of bloody and violent scenes and also car chases and police shootouts. The costumes are normally suits or other smart clothing and mainly long coats and hats.

Mise en scene• Modern Gangster: • Younger• Rich• Jeans• Jewellery• Knife/Guns• Bowler Hats

• Traditional Gangster:• Commonly Male• Black Suit• White Shirt• Black Tie • Knife/Guns• Cigar/Cigarettes • Bowler Hats

Here is an example of a Traditional Gangster

Here is an example of a Modern Gangster

Scarface Opening Analysis• In the opening of Scarface there is a lot of ideas of mise en scene. The immigrants are

wearing scruffy clothes that you would normally see in that day and age and the gangsters are wearing the usual suits or long coats and bowler hats. They use different props for different characters, the police officers or soldiers all have guns and bags and some of them have speaker phones as well. The immigrants all have suitcases or bags because they need their belongings for their new life. The setting is at see and on boats because it is showing the immigrants arriving in the us. There is different uses of different types of sound. There is non-diegetic music that’s starts from the opening titles and carries on throughout the opening. After the titles finish and the scene starts there is some diegetic sound of boats and people shouting that go with what we see in the scene and this is over the top of the non-diegetic sound/music. When the films kicks in/the opening finishes, the non-diegetic music increases in volume to start the main narrative of the film. There is a bit of editing in the opening, for example the titles are put in that say things like “A Martin Bregman Production” and these are all in black background with red text. The footage itself is mainly edited using quick cuts to different angles of the scene of a different scene. There is a range of different shot types and camera movements in the opening. Mid-shots, longshots and establishing shots are used to show people. Movements such as tracks, zooms, crab movements and pan across are used when filming the boats and people that are moving around so need a camera movement to follow them/stay with them.

Scarface Screenshots

Close Up – Showing emotionCamera Pan Across

Props – Guns and SpeakerphoneCostume – scruffy clothes and army outfit

Prop – Flag + Pan Across

Editing – titles in black and red

The Godfather Opening Analysis• In the godfather opening, there is a lot of use of mise en scene. The characters

costumes are smart; suits or long coats and hats. The lighting is low level which links in with the scene because gangsters do dark/bad work so the dark room helps create that atmosphere. They use props like glasses with drink in them and also weapons. These weapons help portray the fact that they are gangsters. The set is a small office/study to show that the things they are talking about need to be away from people and kept private. For the opening credits there is non-diegetic music to go with the titles about the producers and actors. When the actual scene starts the music stops and there is just diegetic sound of the men talking, the glasses on the table and the cat purring/meowing. There is editing in the scene, like the titles that have been put in to tell the audience who is in the film and so on. These titles are a black background with white text. This looks smart and also links with the film because they all dress smart. The scenes are edited using fades and cuts. There is different uses of camera shots and movements in the opening. For example, zooms and pan across movements are used to follow characters or get a closer view of there facial expressions. There is use of mid shots and close ups to get closer up to the character and see there reactions or facial expressions

The Godfather Screenshots

Titles – Black and White

Close up

Zoom out from close up to mid shot

Over the shoulder shotLighting – low level in a small room

Prop – Glass of drink

Costume - Suits

The Goodfellas Opening Analysis• The opening of Goodfellas uses a lot of ideas on mise en scene. The costumes of the characters are

smart suits or coats. They uses props like guns, knifes and keys. The guns and knifes link in with the fact that they are gangsters. The lighting in the scene is dark like other openings. This dark lighting helps create the atmosphere of a bad thing that is going to happen. The setting is in a car/on a road at first and then it is on the side of the road where most of it happens. There isn't many people around which again links in with the fact that they are gangsters and go to remote places to do their dirty work. There is different uses if sound types, firstly when the opening titles of actors names and directors are coming up there is use of non-diegetic sounds. When the titles finish and the scene starts there is diegetic noise/sound of cars driving and then the gangsters speaking in the car. There is also sounds like a gun shot and tyre bursting that were probably enhanced to sound louder. There is a voice over towards the end of the opening which gives the audience a bit of information to help them understand the scene. There is a bit of editing like putting in the titles like “Warner Brothers Film” which is a black background with white text. Also quick cuts between outside the car and inside, and a camera track when the gangsters walk around to the back of the car to open the boot. There is a variety of camera shots including close up and mid-shots of the gangsters when they are driving and also the man dead in the boot. There s also a long-shot/establishing shot to show the gangsters when they get out of the car and show roughly the kind of place they are at. There is a extreme close up of the gun because it is an object of significance in the scene. There is a pan across/track camera movement that follows the gangsters when they walk around.

The Goodfellas Screenshots

Titles – Black and White Camera track/follow

Mid shot/two shot Establishing/long shotCamera track as they walk Zoom in on boot

Long shot + props – gun, spadeCostume – suits/ blazers Object of significance - gun

Freeze-frame for voice over

The Gangster Squad Opening Analysis

• The Gangster Squad opening features a lot of ideas on mise en scene. Firstly the characters use props such as guns to help with the gangster look. The costume at the beginning is boxing gear but then smart suits or dinner jackets and coats. Also bowler hats when they are trying to keep a low profile. The lighting in the scene is dark which helps create an atmosphere of bad things. It tells the audience that the people in the scene are bad or something bad is going to happen, like pathetic fallacy. The set is mainly in the city in a remote area so the gangsters can do bad things and get away with it. There is different types of sound within the opening such as non-diegetic music that is intense to go with the scene where killing is happening, then there is cheerful music when it cuts to a different day and nothing bad is happening. There is diegetic sounds of dogs howling and the gangsters speaking to each other. There is also diegetic sounds of car engines and chains rattling to go with what we see in the scene. There is editing in the scene like all the titles saying things like “A Warner Brothers Production” . There is a flicker from the titles that then goes into the start of the film which is good because it keeps the film flowing. There is camera effects like slow motion to build suspense or allow sounds to be heard more clearly. Also there is a range of shots like mid-shots and close-ups on the characters so we can see there expressions or action more clearly.

Gangster Squad Screenshots

Titles – Black and White Camera track/follow

Mid shot/two shot Establishing/long shotCamera track as they walk Zoom in on boot

Long shot + props – gun, spadeCostume – suits/ blazers Object of significance - gun

Freeze-frame for voice over