HI my name is Tom, I go to Windsor Boys school where I take Media Studies at A-level, this blog will be used for research purposes, and also to chart me and my groups progress as we make our two minute film for our coursework, :)
(Wide panning shot,
from almost behind the hedge to )
Man comes out of a
house holding what looks like a folded up rug. He puts the rug down in order to
close the front door. As he does this we can see it takes considerable effort
to get the rug off his shoulder, giving the viewer a clue that there may be
something or someone hidden in it. The
panning shot begins, following the man slowly as he walks across to a car
parked on the far side of the drive.
(Medium/close-up)
When he reaches
the car and opens the boot, the wide pan cuts to a medium close up from the
inside of the boot of the car, looking up at the suspicious man. He pauses and
looks down at what we can now assume is a body because of the bloodstains on
his face.
(Panning shot)
This shot follows
the man as he closes the boot till when he gets in the car.
(Close up from outside the windscreen of the car and from the passenger seat) These next two
shots will run in conjunction as the man sits in the drivers seat. One camera
will film from the outside of the car looking in on the man, and the other will
film close-up from inside the car perhaps from the passenger seat. The man
looks contemplative and almost regretful, he then receives a phone call from which
we can assume to be his boss. He chats casually to this man conveying that
whatever has been asked of him has been done.
(Medium Shot)
The last shot of
the scene is of the car as it pulls away.
For films such as Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas and Harry Brown, curiosity and intrigue around the content of the films, stems from the modern audiences need for insight into the macabre and dangerous world of the proffesional criminal.This escapism is matched by the similarities shown for example in Pulp Fiction with normal everyday people, this countertypical representation of organised criminality is refreshing and attractive for the audience, and made this particular film a resounding success. Goodfellas displays another equally attractive presentation of the gangster lifestyle, by documenting the life of an authentic crook called Henry Hill. This adds reality to the peice, and instantly shocks the audience, as all content in this film in believed to be historically accurate. This is also the case to an extent with Harry Brown, that portrays a real London council estate and the dangerous inhabitants. The harsh reality of the gang-run estate is horrifying to the viewers but at the same evokes a morbid curiosity. The target audience for films such as these is very wide, and can be relevant and entertaining for absolutely all ages. This is because despite developments in society, crime and particularly organised crime, is viewed with the same mystique and awe as it was during its peak. Therefore the target audience has relatively no boundaries apart from the minimum age should be 15-18. And although many will take an interest in these films, the audience will naturally be more male, as the type of action, majority of the characters and narrative are all designed for a more masculine audience, and women will find it hard to relate to.
Whilst studying and analysing films such as "Pulp Fiction", "Goodellas" and "Harry Brown" I have been inspired to create a film in the same Gangster style and genre. What strikes me particularly about "Pulp Fiction" is the way in which casual conversation is used to comedic effect. The content of the conversation clearly gives them away as career criminals, but their calm nature and measured approach to the planning of the robbery is counter typical of the stereotypical criminal/gangster. This makes the characters intriguing and funny to the viewer and sets a precedent for the rest of the film. I will try and replicate this use of dialogue and acting in my film for this same effect, in order to bring an element of comedy to an otherwise serious and quite dark film opening. Whilst drawing inspiration from Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas represents the darker, more unforgiving side of the gangster world, one where the use of knives and guns as a means of protection or indeed persuasion is commonplace. In order to incorporate this into my film, I will use minimal lighting and dark incriminating costumes for the actors, to create an imposing atmosphere for the action to take place in.
The rough idea for the plot so far is that two first time gangsters have just killed someone, but have no idea how or where to discard the body. A discussion follows and using their knowledge of gangster movies, they eventually come up with a solution. I am currently in the process of scriptwriting for this peice, this will be posted as soon as it is finalised.
This is the opening scene of Harry Brown; this film clip is relevant to my research as it is of a similar genre and style. The film opens with footage shot from a camera phone of some boys in the underpass of an estate, forcing another younger looking boy to undertake a gang initiation, which involves smoking drugs and holding a gun. This instantly gives the viewer information about the characters and types of people that will get involved with Harry Brown, whom we already know is an elderly, peaceful old man, thus setting the tone in a foreboding style.
After beginning the clip in this way, the truly criminal and chaotic nature of the estate is revealed when the same boy who was smoking drugs in the first scene is shown riding on the back of a moped whilst a friend steers it, both are quite obviously still under the influence of drugs. The camera is close up and wobbling right in front of the boys faces and cuts between them as the moped journey through the estate continues, these blurry wobbly close-ups show their insane expressions, which are mix between ecstatic laughter and great anger. After they come down from the apartments of the estate, the boy on the back gets a gun out and whilst still going at speed starts firing it across a park. The camera shots are still shaky and blurry, almost as if one the culprits are holding it whilst on the moped. The most shocking part of this clip is at the end when the two boys notice a woman walking her baby in a pram, they begin shooting in her direction despite the presence of the baby, and after a short burst of fire the boy on the back shoots her in the head which kills her. The boys on the moped then attempt a getaway across a busy London road, but are run over by an oncoming a lorry.
The setting within this clip is used very effectively, as it shows the reality of the surroundings we presume the main character will inhabit. The unsafe, un-predictable environment creates tension for the viewer immediately, causing us as audience to instantly empathize with the dead woman, and any other innocent residents of the estate. The camera phone footage adds a juvenile element to the scene, and shows how casual these men/boys are towards crime, violence, and drug use. This is an attitude that would shock and disgust most viewers, as the violently provocative image of the mother being shot in the park is a result of this attitude.
The costume is typical of the type of area it depicts. At the start of the scene all the characters wear black hooded tracksuits, and some cover their faces with bandanas and hat, this style also carries on to the moped scene. This is typically representative of the street gangster, all extrovert and loud attempting to intimidate and pressurize. The way that the first scene is lit also adds to the intimidating atmosphere the characters in shot create. The lighting is dark, and shadow like, but suitable to the scene, because these street thugs would be looking to conceal their criminal activities and identities.
Finally there is minimal sound used in the clip, as the only noise heard is dialogue from the characters, nearby traffic noise or sound from the moped.
