Evaluate how you product used, developed or challenged the forms and convention of real media products.

Predictions

• It is clear to the audience that this is a heist film but the audience are left wondering what the team are up to (will they rob a bank? Will they kidnap someone?)
• Not giving too much information out in the first 2 minutes helped us gather the right audience reaction as the audience may be intrigued to finding out what type of heist film this will be.

Contact sheet

1. Title 

 

• The use of red and white could be a way of symbolising our type of heist film.
• The colour red is usually used to make something stand out or look dangerous. For example. Stop signs and blood. The red in the title symbolises the danger the heist team being.
• On the other hand the white is normally used as a symbol of peace for example. a white dove. This is to symbolise that even though the people in this film are dangerous the audience will feel they’re the good guys.

2. Credits

 

• The credits are in red and yellow as these are eye catching colours.
• The credits are made through the use of animations and effects. It is intended to bring more excitement into the film and make it surreal as it aims to make the audience imagine what they would do if they switched places with the actors.
• Typical of heist films as they tend to have a strong stylistic look

3 & 4. Characters

 

• Heist films are almost like an opposite perspective to what we see in real life. And by this I mean in real life if a group of people were to perform a heist, they will be hated and seen as criminals but in film they are seen as good guys no matter the crime they do.
• Characters used in heist film are from different backgrounds or different location so they bring a sense of individuality in to the group.
• They are often middle class people or even working class, this is so they don’t drive attention to themselves.
• Our main character are males and from different backgrounds.
• However they are from a middle class/ slightly higher class group. This is as I said not to draw to much attention at them as you wouldn’t really stereotype people wearing suits as people who will performed a con.
• The age of the actors in our film is a breaking genre convention as they are much younger than you might expect.
• The main actor is made obvious as in our film; he is given the most dialogue and screen time. This is normally the case in other heist films as it is a way used for the audience to bond with the actors.
• The con artists in our piece are stereotypical of what you would expect a real heist group to do which is to meet as one almost in a gang way to plan the heist.
• The actors being from different background show they all have a certain role to play (E.g. Weapon specialist, computer hacker) within the group.  These are conventional characters in a typical heist film, as to accomplish a mission you would need a group of people with different talents to make it work.

5 & 6. Mise-en-scene

 

• Normally, Heist films are set in either a run-down location where no one would go to or a place in the public but private for example, a hotel room.
• The main characters are usually dressed in a sophisticated way, such as a suit.
• In heist films, the use of weapons, like guns or knives makes it look more realistic and believable that this is a real heist group. It also creates a sense of potential danger.
• We used 3 main locations to make our story look fast paced as we kept moving from one to another. This was to make it more realistic as the stereotyping of heist group is that they are known to keep switching locations so they don’t get caught.
• Our first location is used to show how quite the environment was. This was to indicate the group were meeting up in a secretive way.
• The second location was in a rooftop. This is to also show that they are planning something big and they cannot risk anyone finding out. Rooftops are almost like a run-down environment as no one would expect people to meet up on a rooftop.
• The final location is behind the bank. This is almost like an alley way and stereotypical of where you would normally find a gang together.
• The costume of the main actors make them fit in to the public as they are dressed in a distinguished way. It also makes them look more professional in what they are doing. The use of suits helps show their power in a financial perspective.
• The main characters were an all-male cast. This is typical of heist films such as in “Takers” where all the cast are all male as well.
• A gun was part of our props. Apart from the boss, the gun was there to make it obvious to the audience, who the other strength of the team was. It also gives the hint that something dangerous will happen later in the film as it is a guns they will be using.

 

7,8 & 9. Camera work

 

• In the beginning of the film we used a no head shot. This was there to try and engage the audience and make them wonder ‘why is there a man walking?’ Or ‘where is her going?’.
• We mainly used a group shot. This was to show their relationship as being one as a unit.
• This can be typical in heist films as it is important to highlight who the heist team are and how their close/ far their relationship between one another is.
• Group shot is extremely important in heist film because it’s the moment the audience are informed in what actions the characters are planning on undertaking. For example, the rooftop scene, the audience are given an idea that there is a plan as the boss asks the rest of the team if they know what their jobs are.
• We also used shot reverse shot when the boss was talking to Sean. This was to show Sean’s an uneasy between the two characters as the boss was warning Sean not to do what he did again.
• Shot reverse shot is often used in all types of films form all genres. It is mostly used during conversations. When being used there is commonly an equal screen time for each of the characters involved in the conversation. It is also used to show their reactions to the other characters dialogue.
• In the rooftop scene we used a low angle shot for the boss. This is a way to show his position in the group as being the dominant and powerful figure.
• Tilt shot is used at the ending of the two minute. This was to almost make the characters look like heroes as it slowly moves from their leg to showing their who body. This was also used to show their status and power. It also creates the illusion of them being larger and more imposing.
• At the end of the two minutes we used a hero shot which was basically a long shot in slow motion from a low angle - a classic heist / gangster shot which made the cast look heroic. This illustrates that even though what they are doing is wrong, they are still seen as heroes to the audience and if anything happens to anyone of them the audience is likely to sympathise with them

10. Editing 

 

• The most screen time was given to the boss. This was a way to show how important he is as this mission will not go to plan if they didn’t have a leader. It also allows the audience to bond more with him. Common in opening sequences to use this technique whatever the genre.
• We also used slow motion at the ending of the 2 minutes. This was there to make the characters look more heroic. and to signal the end of the sequence and the start of the film proper. Music is often used in this way.
• Colour filter is also used at the end of the two minutes. This is to emphasise the hero shot and also show surreal this film is and indicates to audience that this is not real life.
• Match on dialogue is also used. In the roof scene we see the boss warning Sean and then it cuts to Toni saying “I don’t trust Sean ,boys”. This is a way we used to hint to the audience that Sean is not what he seems. This is usually the case in heist films as most of the time there is a character that is part of the group that will end up betraying them.
• We used still images at the end of the two minutes. This allowed us to give casting information about the characters to the audience. This is a stylistic device often seen in heist films where the freeze frame has become popular.
  

11 & 12. sound

 

• At the start of the two minutes we used non-diegetic sound which was there to create awaiting / anticipating atmosphere. This reflect the heist genre as most heist films are fast paced and creates a ‘What’s going to happen next’ feel.
• I believe it was a Synchronous sound as it matched what the audience could see.
• The back ground music we used was a fast paced. This was because the character was mysterious and was going somewhere mysterious. This helped create a sense of anticipation form the audience. This also indicated to the audience that this was going to be an exciting and jumpy film.
• Additionally, the background music we used at the end was appropriate as it help create the illusion that the heist group were almost like heroes even though what they were doing was wrong.
• The type of dialogue we used is typical of a heist film as other heist films try to engage the audience by letting them figure out what the heist will be like through the dialogue.