Heist Films
Heist films usually consist of groups of main characters of varying sizes. Heist films involve a group of people, somehow connected, not just one person. These characters are the main focal point in the movie and frequently set up heists to steal from either a villain or perhaps a bank.
Within the main group of characters there is always a leader, the leader that sets up whom to steal from and gets them all together ready for the job. The storyline usually consists of some kind of big job that will land them all with millions. The heist will mean they all get so much money they can retire happy and wealthy. The heists usually goes well and they often get away with it unpunished.
Heist films have an element of suspense will they get caught? Even though they rarely do the audience is always still on the edge of their seat because we are on the side of the con artist, as they are usually bringing down someone who is a bigger villain.
In the past probably because of the ‘Hays code’ (created in March 1930) most or all of the members involved in the heist would wind up caught, or dead. Although, more recently, we see heist films in which the heist members get away with the goods, unpunished and always come off as the heroes while the police are left giving the impression they are not important.
A good example of this is in the film Fast and Furious 5, where the main group of characters all split up to escape. The police chase them but are constantly sent crashing into other cars during chase scenes. Although the police are being injured the audience do not react to the seriousness of what is happening. This is because the way the characters in the main group are portrayed as ‘good’, almost like a Robin Hood type character. In these films, though, the target of the heist is portrayed as ‘bad’, being corrupt and being of low moral standing- i.e. Casinos, corporations, rebel gang members, or having betrayed the people performing the heist (as is the case in the Italian Job)
The props in a heist movie in modern times are usually a lot of advanced tech that is not available to the audience. All the characters in the main heist group carry walkie talkies and specialist equipment, the equipment they carry is often to do with the job they have. For example the techie would have a computer; the lock breaker has lock picks and stuff to help break open safes.
Plots and narrative
The main plot usually consists of a 3 section plot with many twists. First the group makes plan, then the group carries out plan, and finally the group gets the goods. These kinds of film will have the ‘nemesis’ character, either an authority figure (‘Tower heist’, 2012), large bank or casino boss (‘Oceans 11’, 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone), or former partner who previously betrayed group or one of group’s members (‘Italian job’, 2003). Elaborate schemes are made for the heist, using innovative technology location to be robbed is revealed, alarm system is unveiled. The modern heist film can be set anywhere where you can place a bad guy or group/corporation to steal from. For example in ‘Tower Heist’ the film is set in the middle of New York, and the bad guy is a millionaire hotel owner.
In contrast to Fast and Furious which is set in Brazil, and the bad group that is stolen from is a rich gang leader that also controls the police. In the original heist movies, such as Oceans 11 the characters would rarely get what they set out to. In Oceans 11 the characters end up burning the money they worked so hard to get, but this is not the case in modern day heist films. ‘Takers’ is a good example of a film that has not stuck to the ‘Hays code’.
The modern day impression given off by heist films is that it is cool and quite a desirable thing to do, to steal. In the film ‘Takers’ the characters that steal are also the ones living the great lives with expensive cars and homes, as well as always ‘getting the girl’. The older generation of heist was that it was still against the law and would not necessarily give the audience the impression that they could go and do the same and get away with it. This is because the classic heist film has completely changed over the last fifty years. You can get away with doing things nowadays that perhaps would have been greatly frowned upon fifty years ago. Although this is true, heist films have always had that three plot system as well as the specific characters and their individual traits.
Characters
Quite typical iconography of characters is each member of the heist group has a specialty i.e. ‘the techie’; they are the one who breaks into unbreakable security systems and does all the technical stuff. ‘The charismatic leader’; is the guy who leads the group in a heist that he usually made the plan for. ‘The lock breaker’, is the one that is always opening bank vaults and breaking into buildings. There are usually two main groups within the members, the ones (including the charismatic leader) who search locations and build up relationships (visible characters), and the ones who do all the shady work, (including the techie) like rigging cars, handling explosives, hacking into confidential software, etc (invisible character). If you lose any character such as the ‘techie’ the whole plan would not work in a heist film. This is because there is never anyone that can take the place of another member.
Camera angels and shots
(Takers) This is a very common shot in high action heist films because it not only establishes the scene but it shows the main group of characters in a powerful light. It can also show the characters and there individuality. The person in the middle is clearly identifiable as the leader; this is because he is in the middle of the walking group, and he looks quite charismatic along with authoritative. The clothes they are wearing are quite different to the normal heist film. This is because most heist films have a shot of all the characters like this but in the same clothes usually a suit. This is because it keeps the audience seeing them as a group, rather than individuals, such as in ‘Oceans 11’, although that is what made the film quite distinctive, because all the characters are very much different but all still one group.
A group shot is the most commonly recognisable when it comes to a heist film. This is very frequently used as it allows the audience to see the group of characters together and show the close relationship they always have. As a group the characters can become much more enjoyable to watch in a heist film as the characters can all play off each other. The lighting in this is effective when it comes to shots like this and a common lighting tool is filters. The filters are used to create and set a tone to each scene. For example if the scene is taking place in a casino the lighting would be bright but with a tint of yellow or green. Another example is if the scene is when they are making the plan it is usually darker lighting creating a lot of secrecy and privacy that the scene needs.
Editing and post production
The editing done in post production is to make the scenes flow and look more realistic. When the editing is done for the main heist scene there is a lot of cross cutting from character to character. The whole group is never really seen together in these scenes because it is important to show the audience each character doing there individual job. Otherwise it would be hard to make sense of how they got the vault open for example. The cross cutting is always of each character in the group doing his or her job, and it mixes and matches to show the whole plan unfold before your eyes. A good example of this would be in the original Oceans 11, where you see one character cut the power in the casino that opens the cages , whilst it then cuts to another who steals the money.
Heist films usually consist of groups of main characters of varying sizes. Heist films involve a group of people, somehow connected, not just one person. These characters are the main focal point in the movie and frequently set up heists to steal from either a villain or perhaps a bank.
Within the main group of characters there is always a leader, the leader that sets up whom to steal from and gets them all together ready for the job. The storyline usually consists of some kind of big job that will land them all with millions. The heist will mean they all get so much money they can retire happy and wealthy. The heists usually goes well and they often get away with it unpunished.
Heist films have an element of suspense will they get caught? Even though they rarely do the audience is always still on the edge of their seat because we are on the side of the con artist, as they are usually bringing down someone who is a bigger villain.
In the past probably because of the ‘Hays code’ (created in March 1930) most or all of the members involved in the heist would wind up caught, or dead. Although, more recently, we see heist films in which the heist members get away with the goods, unpunished and always come off as the heroes while the police are left giving the impression they are not important.
A good example of this is in the film Fast and Furious 5, where the main group of characters all split up to escape. The police chase them but are constantly sent crashing into other cars during chase scenes. Although the police are being injured the audience do not react to the seriousness of what is happening. This is because the way the characters in the main group are portrayed as ‘good’, almost like a Robin Hood type character. In these films, though, the target of the heist is portrayed as ‘bad’, being corrupt and being of low moral standing- i.e. Casinos, corporations, rebel gang members, or having betrayed the people performing the heist (as is the case in the Italian Job)
The props in a heist movie in modern times are usually a lot of advanced tech that is not available to the audience. All the characters in the main heist group carry walkie talkies and specialist equipment, the equipment they carry is often to do with the job they have. For example the techie would have a computer; the lock breaker has lock picks and stuff to help break open safes.
Plots and narrative
The main plot usually consists of a 3 section plot with many twists. First the group makes plan, then the group carries out plan, and finally the group gets the goods. These kinds of film will have the ‘nemesis’ character, either an authority figure (‘Tower heist’, 2012), large bank or casino boss (‘Oceans 11’, 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone), or former partner who previously betrayed group or one of group’s members (‘Italian job’, 2003). Elaborate schemes are made for the heist, using innovative technology location to be robbed is revealed, alarm system is unveiled. The modern heist film can be set anywhere where you can place a bad guy or group/corporation to steal from. For example in ‘Tower Heist’ the film is set in the middle of New York, and the bad guy is a millionaire hotel owner.
In contrast to Fast and Furious which is set in Brazil, and the bad group that is stolen from is a rich gang leader that also controls the police. In the original heist movies, such as Oceans 11 the characters would rarely get what they set out to. In Oceans 11 the characters end up burning the money they worked so hard to get, but this is not the case in modern day heist films. ‘Takers’ is a good example of a film that has not stuck to the ‘Hays code’.
The modern day impression given off by heist films is that it is cool and quite a desirable thing to do, to steal. In the film ‘Takers’ the characters that steal are also the ones living the great lives with expensive cars and homes, as well as always ‘getting the girl’. The older generation of heist was that it was still against the law and would not necessarily give the audience the impression that they could go and do the same and get away with it. This is because the classic heist film has completely changed over the last fifty years. You can get away with doing things nowadays that perhaps would have been greatly frowned upon fifty years ago. Although this is true, heist films have always had that three plot system as well as the specific characters and their individual traits.
Characters
Quite typical iconography of characters is each member of the heist group has a specialty i.e. ‘the techie’; they are the one who breaks into unbreakable security systems and does all the technical stuff. ‘The charismatic leader’; is the guy who leads the group in a heist that he usually made the plan for. ‘The lock breaker’, is the one that is always opening bank vaults and breaking into buildings. There are usually two main groups within the members, the ones (including the charismatic leader) who search locations and build up relationships (visible characters), and the ones who do all the shady work, (including the techie) like rigging cars, handling explosives, hacking into confidential software, etc (invisible character). If you lose any character such as the ‘techie’ the whole plan would not work in a heist film. This is because there is never anyone that can take the place of another member.
Camera angels and shots
(Oceans 11 original)
Update
A group shot is the most commonly recognisable when it comes to a heist film. This is very frequently used as it allows the audience to see the group of characters together and show the close relationship they always have. As a group the characters can become much more enjoyable to watch in a heist film as the characters can all play off each other. The lighting in this is effective when it comes to shots like this and a common lighting tool is filters. The filters are used to create and set a tone to each scene. For example if the scene is taking place in a casino the lighting would be bright but with a tint of yellow or green. Another example is if the scene is when they are making the plan it is usually darker lighting creating a lot of secrecy and privacy that the scene needs.
Editing and post production
The editing done in post production is to make the scenes flow and look more realistic. When the editing is done for the main heist scene there is a lot of cross cutting from character to character. The whole group is never really seen together in these scenes because it is important to show the audience each character doing there individual job. Otherwise it would be hard to make sense of how they got the vault open for example. The cross cutting is always of each character in the group doing his or her job, and it mixes and matches to show the whole plan unfold before your eyes. A good example of this would be in the original Oceans 11, where you see one character cut the power in the casino that opens the cages , whilst it then cuts to another who steals the money.
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