Researching the Chosen Genre

Action/Comedy - Heist Films

In a typical heist movie the main actors are usually revealed to the audience in a dramatic way. They are also dressed in a way which makes it obvious to the audience that they’re up to something. Some are dressed in prison uniform which automatically gives the audience the thought that they will be broken out soon. Some are also dressed in suits and look extremely smart.

In a lot of heist films the story line involves a group of people teaming up to rub a bank or an extremely rich person. There is also usually a person in the group that becomes greedy and turns against the team and leads them into a trap. In most heist films, some members of the group lose their lives or get seriously injured in the process of doing the mission. This is to let the audience see the danger in what the team are doing. Also there is usually a happy ending in heist films by them getting the money but in the process they may lose an important member.

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In a typical heist film, there are always people in the group that are there because they have a talent in what is needed to rob/kidnap someone. There is also a leader, he looks authoritative and automatically stands out to the audience, and he also looks like a guy that can do a work himself but get other people to do it for him. In heist film there are different types of high-tech weapon and stuff are usually blown up to so the audience realise the danger in the film.

Mise-en-scene

The lighting in the location of where the teams meet up is usually a low key lighting.  Even though they’re revealing the plan to the audience, the environment makes the audience engage with the characters as if they’re keeping their secrete as well. The costume of the bad guys is normally the same and boring so they don’t create an attachment with the audience. For example if they’re killed the audience would not take notice of it but on the other hand if one of the main characters is killed, the audience will feel a sense of sympathy for them.
 

In heist films, there is also lots of machinery props used, e.g. cars, guns, explosive. In most films the cars are usually the most import gadgets as it is what is used to finally get away after performing the con.

The most common setting is in city/urban area this is probably to show the reason why they’re performing the con there because cities/urban locations are usually thought to be rich areas.

The most iconic of the characters are individuals in the team about to perform the con. The main actors in a heist film have to have the ‘look’. It helps the storyline fall into place and makes the film more believable to the audience. The main characters in a heist film are usually dressed in suits to look professional and not draw attention to them.

The Plot/Narrative Structure

The most common type of heist plot either involves something to do with robbery or a kidnap. Additionally, a plot normally is going to plan and something really wrong happens that changes the storyline the audience were expecting. This is used to keep the audiences interest in the   film and keep them excited to know what will happen next. Sometimes comedy is also added to make the film not just intense all the time. Depending on the characters in the film, there is usually a sense of romance going on between two characters. Most of the time there is a happy ending but a character loses his life in the process of completing the mission.  

      

Sound and Editing

In most heist films there is usually a voiceover on a scene, it is mostly used when the leader is describing what each individual will have to do. There is also a lot of non-diegetic music used, this is to establish time period, atmosphere, character and emotions. The non-diegetic sounds are

Silence is mostly used when there is an explosion. It expresses how tense the moment is. And it also lets the audience know the impact of the explosion. Silence is very powerful and it creates a real sense of emotion, especially when used with slow motion. It also forces the audience to concentrate only on what they can see. Dialogue is essential in a heist film as it helps tell the story and allow the audience to understand the film more. A lot of mid shot and close ups are usually used in a heist film to show the characters change in emotions when an action has occurred