Our own film

Our group focused on the following for our film;

• Mise en scene
• Costumes List
• Props List

1. Mise en scene

Locations scouted are;

Jo Richardson Community School by the "Egg"

Garages near Francesca's house

2. Costumes List

Tracksuit (hoodys and bottoms) with a cap

Suits - shirts, trousers and shoes. (Black and white)

3. Props List

• phone
• van
• cardboard boxes
• guns
• box for guns
• balaclavas
• cigarette box (cigars)
• bags (duffle)

New film research

After our group changing our genre from horror to british gangster, i had to do some more research on films within this genre.

The first film i watched was Green street.

At the start of green street, he hands over some money to people at the airport to pay for his flight. As background noise is a non-diagetic sound, music, playing. This means the character cannot hear the sound that the audience can. There is a mid shot on him and as this shot is happening, there is a voice over of him, telling us a brief explanation of him. He then gets onto a train and goes onto the underground.

• In most gangster films, i have realised that there is nearly always a voice over. (the non-diagetic music in the background is still being played but quieter)
• Titles are being played over the shots of the man.
• There is a lot of close ups on him as well as long shots.
• There is an establishing shot of him when he arrives in the other airport, walking down a slope.
• There was a close up on a piece of work that he had done. (This suggests that it is an important document which the audience needs to see

I have to do some more research on other britsih gangster films to get a better understanding and more clearer view on the genre.

Second film research

The second film we watched was Creep.
The following is the description of the opening sequence;

• Dark tunnel, (scary because all you can see is torch lights)
• In the sewers i believe (dark and not very pleasant)
• Lots of fast shots on the attacker (so quick you can't see it)
• Train station late at night (nobody is there, just the woman

4 Key Areas

1. Camera

In the opening sequence is an establishing shot. You can clearly see the surroundings as well as the two men in the shot.

There is quick, snappy shots of the attacker. This is used so the audience dont see who it is and makes the attack much better.

2. Sound

A non-diagetic sound on the thing that attacks the two men.

A diagetic sound of the dripping of a pipe. This clearly sets the scene.

3. Editing

When the creature attacks the men. It quick snappy shots. This has clearly been edited to make this effect.

When the woman cannot get out of the station, there is a shot in which has the closed doors in the foreground whereas the shot is focusing on the woman. The shot was clearly filmed at the same time and just edited to be shown again after a few other shots.

4. Mise en scene

Set in a dark tunnel. This creates a scary atmosphere because it is very dark and all you can see is torches from the two men.

Torches. These are used for dark places. These were appropriate props for the atmosphere.

First film research

One of the films i have watched as part of my research was IT.
The following is going to be a description of the opening sequence;

• it started off in a neighbourhood in which it was raining (this creates a gloomy atmosphere)
• The clown was behind the clothes line in which you could hardly see him very clearly (this creates suspision to who this character really is and how important he is)
• Once the murder had been taken place, when the ambulance took the body away, it was pouring down. This clearly suggests something bad has happened because rain symbolises a horrible atmosphere in general
• In the woods (this creates a scary atmosphere because usually the woods is a quiet place and not a lot happens. Its scary especially in the dark

4 Key Areas

1. Camera

Theres a lot of whole body shots of the characters other than the clown.

The clown genearlly had a lot of extreme close ups, focusing on his face.

There was a low angle shot on the little boy, this suggests he is not of as much importance as the clown.

2. Sound

There was a lot of old creepy music within the opening sequence.

There was a lot of creepy noises too which you would expect to create tension.

There was someone playing a piano and it went from diagetic into non-diagetic

3. Editing/SFX

When the clown was behind the clothes line. In one shot he was there and then next he wasn't. This is a classic example of Editing being used.

4. Mise en scene

• It was as a whole, dark and gloomy.
• Rain
• In a local neighbourhood (which could easily be thought as being friendly, whereas in this film it is being used
• Little children being aimed at (the clowns victims)

Screenplay

TITLES.
RED (PHONECALL)
OI, we gonna sort this out FRANK
(PAUSE)You better turn up.

(10seconds)


EXT. STREET, VAN – EVENING – DAY 30

VINNY Opens van door
VINNY
Load it up then
RED emerges from driving seat

RED
Fuck off, you’ve got hands

VINNY
Shut up, I’ll cut your fucking hands off if you’re not careful.

VINNY and RED laugh. RED gets out the van, marches over to VINNY. They load the van with the bags and boxes.
(20seconds)
CROSSCUTS to garages

EXT. GARAGES – NIGHT – DAY 30
Several gangsters arrive outside gates. Open the gates and crowd around outside the garages. Gangsters are dressed in Suit trousers and shirts. Stand waiting looking at the time constantly. No one talks. Just looks that the gangsters give each other. (10seconds)

EXT. STREET, VAN – DAY 30

VINNY and RED both get in van. In van the voice over of VINNY about how their life has been ruined. Driving and voice over comes on.
VINNY (Voice over)
We lost everything, everything we possibly gained.
Our reputation, our friends, family, love.
But most of all we lost each other.
We got fucked over and lost the high life we led.
Our houses, cars, girls.
Arrive at garages. Both look at the other gangsters.

They fucked us over.

(20seconds)
INT. FOYER, BANK – NIGHT – DAY ONE
Flashback to bank robbery- RED and VINNY are running out of the bank. FRAN runs round the corner with the bags and falls. the doors shut.
VINNY and RED take of their balaclavas.

RED
For Fuck sake.

VINNY
Were fucked.

(20seconds)


EXT. STREET, VAN – DAY 30
VINNY

There here.
VINNY places a gun in the back of his trousers.

Both look at each other

RED

Time to go.

Both get out the van and walk over towards the gangsters in the garages.

VINNY
It’s time to settle this.

Feels his pocket discretely to see if his gun is still there.

FRANK
You’ve gotta earn my respect before I accept Peace of you VINNY
What you going to do for me now then?.

VINNY.
I aint doing anything for you FRANK
VINNY and RED realise FRAN is standing with the gangsters.
RED.
FRAN what are you doing!?
FRAN
It just weren’t working.


FRANK
You fucked with the wrong guys VINNY.

RED

You made us lose everything.



VINNY and RED pull the guns out their pockets.

Queue for FRAN to pull out her guns and the two others. VINNY pulls out a box of cigarettes.

FRAN pulls out her guns from her back pockets. See all three pointing guns toward the gangsters.

FRAN
Revenge is good now isn’t it FRANK,

(25seconds)


INT. FOYER, BANK – NIGHT – DAY ONE
VINNY and RED start to panic.

VINNY
We can’t leave FRAN

(5seconds)

I watched the beginning of two films. It and creep.
At the start of it, the setting is in an American neighbourhood. The atmosphere is really dull and not what you would expect when your usually looking at this type of scenery in another film. When the little girl was outside it began to thunder. This suggested that something bad was going to happen. When the audience find out that the girl has been murdered by the clown it begins to rain. You don’t usually symbolise rain with good things, you usually symbolise it with bad things. This could be useful when deciding to film our video if we wanted to film in the rain to have that negative effect. In the background, old creepy music was being played. This has a good effect on the audience because there is tension and makes the audience feel like something is going to happen real soon.
At the start of creep, the setting was in a dark wet tunnel. The atmosphere was quite scary to start with as the picture on screen is really dark and there is a long shot on the miners who you can’t clearly see. There is no background noise which adds suspense to the scene. Meaning nothing is going on. When the old man is attacked, the camera is on the attacker for a split second which makes the audience try and think who it is or what it is. This could also be another good thing to add to our piece which adds extra tension as well as the spooky music. Together the two elements will ensure you have a well planned out piece of filming and editing, resulting in a good film in the end.
After watching both films, it is easy to compare the differences between the two. The obvious big hitter is the villain or bad guy. There is always one of these in a horror or gangster film because that’s the convention of the film. Another feature I noticed is the background music. In both of the films the music was very similar in the way that both sets of music was creepy in a way that makes the audience believe that something dodgy is about to happen around the corner. This is a good feature to have because it creates a lot of suspense and tension.