Research

First press

Made by: Jonathan Brookes

Plotline: A new recruit finds out if he has what it takes to join an elite gang.

Camera: It opens with a tracking shot to show who the character we are focusing on is, and a medium close up of his face to get acquainted and see his very serious slightly nervous facial expression setting the tone for the forthcoming scene. There are medium close ups of each character in the room he enters so that we get to know each character and a little bit of what they are about. Over the shoulder shots expresses the manner in which each person in the room speaks to the main character.

Sound: It opens with a voiceover of the main character telling us what he is going to do before the tone is set on entering the room with stern and slightly aggressive voices directing him. A tense piece of music is played is played as they all stare in silence to give the act he is about to do a sinister feel.

Mise en Scene: The setting is always an empty dark room or street, giving off the feeling that they are alone and anything could happen. All the characters are in appropriate attire for a cockney British gang, all in suits.

Edit: To change setting a unique edit is used, a fade of colour until the screen is black giving the impression the cameras eye has closed and it reopens to a new scene.

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Jacked

Made by: Earl Palmer and Rico Suave

Plotline: A boy is beaten up for his phone, but he wont give up. He embarks on the brave journey of getting it back.

Camera: A series of midshots and medium long shots tells the story of him getting beaten up and retracing his steps. An over the shoulder shot sets the scene of what he is about to do and who his target is. Then the chase scene is captured by an array of long shots, extreme long shots, birds eye view shots, tracking shots, action shots and close ups of the face to create a tense faced paced sequence, capturing the panic of the moment.

Sound: The sound in this short film is all very much based on the image you area seeing on screen, for example the retracing of steps is a magical tingling noise as you try to understand what is going on. There is a heart beat like beat as we close up on the character about to steal his phone back, getting faster, and faster until a fast paced backing track accompanies the chase. Soundtrack accompanied film.

Mise en Scene: The short film is shot in an estate with few other residents or pedestrians included to give off the sense they are alone. The good character is shown in a white t-shirt in comparison to the thief who is dressed in a black hoodie with his hood up, and black trousers and shoes showing the difference between good and bad. Clearly portraying each characters role.

Edit: The edits used in this clip are all straight cuts as it is all one long chase. The only other edit used is when a character runs or jumps over or past a camera triggering a change of shot.

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Made in England

Made by: Sadek Miah

Plotline: A crime boss introduces his crew of right hand men.

Camera: It starts with a tilt up from the feet of the four characters slowly until they all in view but it is only their silhouettes until they walk toward and past the camera in to the light. Lots of extreme close ups are used to show what each character is doing, and tells us something about them. Low angle shots are used to show power and status of each individual gang member.

Sound: The sound to this whole short is borrowed from an actual film. There is a running narrative throughout introducing us to each character and telling the story. This is accompanied by music to add a mood and set a pace to the film.

Mise en Scene: A lot of different settings are used to give the film and each character in it an identity as to who they are, and the type of film it is. Various props are used to give off hints of the kind of life they live.
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Codes and Conventions of 'The Gangster' Genre and how these mirror my own short film, 'The Initiation'.

1. This story takes place in the big city - London.
2. The protagonist is a product of his violent neighbourhood and the people in it.
3. The gangster can only gain power by taking it. It is survival of the fittest.
4. Success is measured in material goods. The protagonist is made to go through an inititation process where he is forced to steal a boat; this highlights the idea of wealth and status being measured through the possession of material goods.
6. The hero's antagonist is the society he lives in, and the enforcers of the law.
7. The end justifies the means. The protagonist goes through an Inititation process in the film to join the gang, and by the end of the film he is accepted into it.

Although I have sourced off Wiki Answers, I have also added some codes and conventions which I feel are used and devloped more explicitly in my film.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_codes_and_conventions_of_the_gangster_genre
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Audience Survey

To define my taget audience I have created an audience survey which I have handed out to a number of student and adults, both male and female.

Below I have included a small selection of the audience survey feedback that I revieved. This will help me decide who I am aiming my film to.

Although most of the females who took my survey said that they liked the sound of my film, they agreed that the target audience of the film should be boys aged between 16-24 because boys stereotypically like the gangster genre. Furthermore, the protagonist is a boy aged around 20 so this character would also appeal to this age group.