Researching The Chosen Genre

Action/Comedy - Heist Films

In a typical heist movie, all the action stars are dressed in suits and look very smart. A few of the actors also have small weapons like handguns and very mechanical weapons / gadgets which are quite high tech. In many heist films  they do not have knives or other sharp objects as the audience does not expect a 'bloody' ending. The story line usually involves some kind of a robbery or a kidnap (criminal activity). Most of the story goes as they planned but some films makes it dramatic by adding some misleading information to the narrative. Most of the time one of the group members die or break up from the group. Almost all the heist films have a happy ending. In many films they act as a group and look like they are very close friends.

Actors in the team - group shot (typical hero shot)

Typical iconography of a heist movie includes police paraphernalia and people with guns. The iconography tends to be crime related - stolen money, safes, security systems etc.  The common locations presented in heist films tend to urban places - big cities, banks, large corporate buildings. In most of these films they have a traitor in the group, a computer/ techie person, a weapon expert, and a leader who plans the whole operation.


Actor who dies - the hero - with a light weapon

The group shot - the lighting is very effective in this shot

The most common setting a city/urban area where there are lot of people and cars. The main characters usually dress smartly (suits) and look like gentlemen to fit in with the wealthy people that they are hoping to con. Almost all of them look like they have good jobs and earn good money. Lighting enhances the scenes and tends to be bright and well lit (if the action takes place outside). It is very rare when the action takes place in a soft lit environment. When inside, the room looks full of light, but there is also effective use of low key lighting to create shadows, which suggest nystery and secrets.In terms of camera angles, there are many panning shots and tracking shots to follow the characters as they carry out the heist, and shot /reverse shots are commonly used as these filns tend to be dialogue-heavy as characetrs explain their plans and what is going well / has gone wrong.  Close-ups to show the reactions of the main characters, mid shots to set them in a context while still seeing their emotions and group shots are also very common.

The Plot/Narrative Structure 

The standard heist plot is to plan and succeed a robbery or a kidnap. This is often 'one last job'. This usually involves weapons but tends to rely more on brain work and trickery than violence. Comedy is involved and there are humorous moments as well as tense ones. Action sequences are very common throughout the movie, cross-cutting ebtween the different characters as they carry out their section of the plan. This mix between tense and funny moments and the overall slick style gives heist films their distinctive feel. Most of them also include romantic moments, although this is usually a sub-plot and female characters aren't very rounded - they tens to just be the 'love interst' for one of the male characters. In several cases, one of the team members dies or betrays the group - there needs to be emotional tension within the group at some point. A good example of this kind of plot device is seen in the  film called 'Takers'.

There are lot of cars around which shows that it is an urban area. Also note the suits and the way the relationship between the two characters is established to create an emotional connection.

Sound and Editing

There are lot of non-diegetic sounds involved during editing. Music is important to set the style and often has a jazz feel. Other sounds need to be added in post-production such as gun shots, explosions etc. The film also includes lot of ambient sounds like foots steps and door shutting sounds etc. Dialogue is crucial to explaining the plot to the audience, so thought has to be given to making scenes of exposition inteesting, often by filming from slightly unusal angles - this is something we need to think about carefully when we are planning our own dialogue, also the style of speech as this has to fit with individual characters.

During the video editing we may have to do lot of matches on action to create a sense of pace and movement and matches on dialogue to transition smoothly between scenes and to operate as a kinf of exposition - introducing a character or situation by something that was said before. Cross-cutting sequences help keep track of the characters and transitions present the movie in an interesting way and stylised way that keeps within the non-transparent, tongue-in-cheek feel of these kinds of films. We are also planning on a 360 shot which we may have to enhance during editing, as these are also common to establish a sense of wonder / awe / confusion as the con is carried out.

We have decided to display our titles and credits over the sequence rather than on separate blank title slides that come up between the action. This means that during filming we may have to leave some space for credits and will need to take account of this in our planning. The title will be displayed at the end of the two minute sequence with the conventional low angle slow motion 'hero'  shot. We will be using hip-hop music which is less old-fashioned than jazz but will still give the right laid-back and stylistic tone and also creates an urban and 'hero' vibe.