Storyboard

uploaded by Josh. Drawn by Lewis

Props and costume list

Costume:
Detective John Sullivan- Long black coat with old fashioned hat and black gloves.

The jab - Cheap sportswear often associated with chavs.

The one royal gang member (Harold) - Wearing posh upper class clothes like brand knitted jumpers and white trousers.

Props:

Knife - Used as a weapon by the lead member of the jab

Magnifying glass- Used by detective Sullivan to inspect evidence

Notepad and pen - Used by detective Sullivan to note down evidence

Filming and editing schedule

Filming schedule:

Tuesday 8th of november and Thursday the 10th november.

We will film the sequence of Sam Evans playing John Phelps the detective investigating the clues on the tuesday. On thursday we will film the chase sequence between the jab and the single Royal gang memebers.

Editing schedule:

Thursday 10th november to the friday 2nd december.

During editing i will choose the clips i wish to use in my opening sequence and begin to make them go in the correct order. Then i will add in some copyright free music and sound effects to make it look more professional. I will use a white transition effect between the detective and gang member sequence with a flashback sound effect. Finally i will add titles to show who is playing what character and what the film itself is called

DVD and Poster analysis

I have been looking at both the poster and DVD cover for the crime film, American gangster. The poster is the siloete of a male whom is wearing a suit with a white shirt. This is slightly similar to how we intend our film to be as this suit is some kind of uniform for the gang that this gentleman belongs to. Another clever part of the poster is that the place that this film will be set in, America, is shown across the middle of the poster. It is positioned in the area that the heart would be on this male this could be intended to mean that this city is close to his heart and he is proud to be from there and all that he wants to do is protect the people. The man has a gun in his right hand which follows the convention of gangster films as most gangster films have this weapon which is associated with the genre. The title of the film is written in simple text which means that the person that is looking at the poster isn't distracted from what the producer of the film want them to see. The title is part of a very small amount of text that is included on this poster as there are only a few of the actors names and the names of the people and place that helped to produce the film along the bottom. This is what most posters that are created for films have. However some do have the names of actors that the producers think will help to bring the audience in in bigger writing. Overall this poster shows that simplicity can be very effective as it is also slightly mysterious and make the audience want to go and watch the film.

The DVD cover is very similar to the poster however there are a few difference's. The similarities that the DVD cover has with the poster are, the text that is used for the title of the film. This means that the person buying the DVD is able to recognise the film from the poster that they would have seen whilst the film was being marketed before release in the shops. Another similarity is the man in the black suit is still the main focal point of the cover. However this time he has been joined by another male who is wearing a white suit. This could mean that he is member of the rival gang or is the sole rival of an entire gang or this lone gangster. The differences that this contains include the fact that the names of two of the actors, "Russel Crowe" and "Denzil Washington" have been added to the DVD. On the DVD cover there is the age rating of the film this is both so that the person or shop selling the DVD are aware that they would be committing a criminal offence if they were to sell this to any person under this age, but also to allow the audience to anticipate what the film could contain as the age limit normally gives a good idea of what the film will be like.

Josh

Initial Planning

What do the Audience want?
violence
The unexpected
Male characters
Detective
A compination of the hero and villian.
Rating of 15
Crime

How will we give them this?
Corrupt detective.
Gangs
big twist
qucik cuts to build suspense
fighting

Existing film production company research

20th Century fox is one of the six major american film studios as of 2011. They were founded in 1935 which was a time of great economic failure in the USA until the second world war when the economy recovered again. This production company has produced many tv franchises as well as films making them well known to millions, maybe billions across the planet. The company was completely independant until 1985 when it became a shared news corporation. They have produced many genres of films with different age ratings from U to 18. One crime film produced by 20th century fox is die hard which is a crime film worth analysing to look for conventions and ideas to apply to our own.

Iconic sounds connected with the crime genre

In the crime genre many iconic sounds are there for the audience to remember and associate them with crime films.

one of the most common sounds associated with crime films are police sirens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enMYEFsgQXI

Another common sounds in crime films are gun shots which are the police and criminals main weapons used against each other
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBefCcsAyrA

Swear words a often associated with crime films and are often used by the criminals to express their aggresive emotions towards others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_mDTLphIVY

Synopsis

The film will be based on two opposing gangs who at the start will be all out of harm each other. This will be reflected in the opening sequence. Which will be of a single gang member from one of the gangs, royals, turning up to conduct a deal with what he thinks will be just one member of the jab but three of them will turn up bearing a weapon. This sets the tone for the whole of the film as there are going to be some deaths and alot of fights between the gangs. All of which will be investigated be cheif detective, detective John Sullivan, who over time becomes frustrated with this and takes matters into his own hands. This leads to him joining the gang that he thinks are most likely to change, royals, he tries to make them change in a number of ways. One of which is bribary, he pays the gang to stop causing so much trouble. All that happens when he does this is he funds the gangs "business of drug dealing. They buy themselves more supplies whicht they use to make more money to buy weapons and threaten the other gang. The next tactic that Sullivan takes is to steal stuff that he believes could be sold to make money for the drugs. This makes the leader of the royals, Harold angry so he along with others lock Sullivan in a shed for 72 hours, without any form of food or water.Sullivan is discovered in a dreadful state by members of the Jab who suspect that he had been trying to find some of there weapons that happen to be hidden in the same shed. Harold and the Royals turn up at this point which leads to a tense stand off where after 30 seconds they agree that Sullivan will be killed and that neither gang will ever take the credit for the death. Sullivan is then hit over the head with a baseball bat. The two gangs go in the seperate ways and only ever come across eathother when they need help with a deal.

Josh

Nine frame analysis of opening scene

The Dark Knight

Here we have the warner brothers title in dark blue suggesting a somewhat cold and evil atmosphere.

Here is the legendary pictures title again in dark blue to suggest some themes to the audience.

This is the DC comics title in dark blue again, DC comics are the company behind the story of batman as they created him in comic books and own the rights to his character.

 Here is the main title of the film 'the dark knight'. You can vaguely see the batman symbol in the fire smoke in again the blue colour.

 Here is the the first true shot in the film of gotham city based on new york. This establishing shot shows this film is set in a urban environment which is a hotspot for organised crime.

This still shows 3 men wearing clown masks to hide their identity and loading weapons so they are preparing to do something against the law. The vehicle they are in is a small van with bags inside that are likely to be used in some way with the crime they are about to commit.

 This still shows the men in masks terrorising everyone inside the bank so they are scared and will give into theyre demands. This is shows by the robber throwing a innocent looking man across the table to show they are a violent bunch.

This still shows one of the robbers hoarding all of the pilled cash due to his greed into a large bag. This still is a very iconic image of crime showing that criminals will steal very large sums of money for their own pleasure.

This final still shows one gang member aiming a gun at another (the joker) planning to kill him and keep the money for himself as a form of deception. Then the joker already thought this through because he is a criminal mastermind and planned for the bus to come crashing through and kill him.

Still frame analysis

This still frame from the untouchables (1987) shows a furious looking man pulling out a tommy gun from inside his jacket. The film is based on the crime family of al capone and this character has a suprised/frightened look on his face suggesting he is about to shoot someone who could be aiming a gun at him in a attempt to defend himself. In the top right of the frame you can see a film poster and behind the character is doors so hes likely to be outside a cinema. This character is likely to be a gangster based on the suit he is wearing probaly earned out  criminal pay and also because he has a plaster on his nose suggesting he got into a fight being the criminal he is.

He pulls out a tommy gun from underneath his coat suggesting that it was well hidden and easy to carry weapons around public places like cinema without being noticed. The tommy gun itself is a very iconic weapon of the 1920s gangsters in america and straight away implies the man holding it is likely to be gangster. The fact that one second he looks like a ordinary citizen at the time then he suddenly pulls out a gun suggests that almost anyone could be a gangster creating much suspicion.

Our prouction company name.

Our production company will be called LJR Productions. We decided on this name as it is a combination of the three of our christian names which we thought was the most catchy.

Josh

Conventions of the Crime Genre

There are many conventions that need to be applied to films that are within the crme genre. Most of which we will be sticking to within our opening sequence. The first that we will be using within our opening sequence is that the gangsters or the people that are involved in the film normally have a uniform of some description. We will have a uniform for our detevctive. This uniform will be what is stereotypically associated with an old style detective such as let's say sherlock holmes. The detective will be wearing a long coat and a flat cap. Along with some props; a magnifying glass and a notepad of some description. However in order to stick with another convention of the genre this detective will be corupt and have some dealings with the crime as well. This is shown in more detail within the synopsis.

Conventions that we will be sticking to with the two gangs that we are using for the film will be that each of them also have a uniform of some description. With the jab (lower class gang) wearing hoodies and tracksuit bottoms, as well as having props which in recent times due to the publicity that it they have recieved from the media includes having a weapon, which in our film will be a knife. The royals (upper class gang) will tend to wear suits on the large part of the film.

There will also be the theme of violence that will run throughout the flm as this isn't only a typical convention but also what we discovered that the audience would expect to see from a crime film. Other conventions that our audience told us that they were expecting were for the character to be male. For this reason the entire cast of the opening scene is male.

Josh

How do films get classified?

The British Board of film classification.

There are five different commonly used ratings for films in British cinema.

Firstly there is the lowest rating, universal, which is normally referred to as U. All films with this rating must comply to strict guidelines. These films should be suitable for all people. The guidelines are as follows:

There mustn't be any discriminatory language or behaviour unless it is shown as being wrong.

There can't be any reference to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are being used in a way to show a anti-drug message.

Scary sequences have to be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety for young children.

No potentially dangerous behaviour that young people are likely to copy.

Rare use of very mild bad language.
Occasional natural nudity.
There may only be very mild sexual content such as kissing and the infrequent reference to "making love"
Only mild violence. Occasional mild threat or menace only.
As a group we don't see this to be a suitable for our genre as from the survey that we have conducted there must be violence which we wouldn't be allowed to do if we were to rate our film as a universal.


The second rating in terms of having the strongest guideline is parental guidance often called PG.
This means that any child is allow to go and view it alone. The content should disturb childeren over the age of eight. Parents should know that the content could disturb younger and sensitive childeren. The guidlines for this classification are as follows:

Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context.  Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is normally acceptable.

References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.
Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.
No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No promotion of realistic or easily accessible weapons.

Mild bad language only.

Natural nudity, with no sexual context.

Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.

Where more serious issues are featured nothing in their treatment should condone unacceptable behaviour.

Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context.

As a group we don't see this to be a suitable for our genre as from the survey that we have conducted there must be violence which we wouldn't be allowed to do to the extent required if we were to rate our film as a PG

The third rating is 12 or some times refered to as 12A. This means that childeren under the age of twelve may find these films slightly disturbing. Only people that are aged twleve and above should watch this alone. 12A's may not be watched by children under the age of 12 without guidance of an adult over the age of 18.

Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.
Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.
Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Dangerous behaviour for example suicide should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free.  Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language for example ‘fuck’ must be infrequent.

Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.

Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification

We don't feel that this is approriate for our film as we intend swearing to be more frequent and our target audience didn't recommend this.

The fourth rating that I will explain is 15. This means that no one under the age of 15 can got to a cinema to watch the film nor can they buy or rent the D.V.D.

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest  terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceotable.

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

We think that this is suitable for our film as this fits most of the criteria that we intend to use in our film and it is also what the target audience recomended.

The final rating that I will explain is the highest rating used in cinema, 18.

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence

where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault

where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films.

We don't feel the need for using a rating the need for a rating this high. Our target audience didn't sugest this either.

By Joshua Mugridge

Crime film : font of title analysis

This image of mario Puzo's the godfather shows the font in a complete white with a total black background along with a hand controlling puppets. the font colour emphasises the darkness and evil of crime that will take place in this film and the hand controlling the puppet strings may suggest some sort of manipulation or deception that could possibly take place. The font style is presented in old italics giving the audience a indicator that this film isnt likely to be set during the modern day period and more likely during the 1920s- 50s when gangsters were more common.

History of the crime genre

The first truly popular crime fiction series was sherlock Holmes which is a detective series about 2 partners who solve the mystery behind the crimes commited. The Sherlock Holmes books were created around victorian times by scotsman Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes was a instant success when the first books about it were published and viewed to the public. The series introduced most of the public into the crime genre for the first time and the public wanted more of it because they found it interesting and thrilling.

During the 1920s the film industry boomed with many different genres of films being created and shown the live audiences in the cinema. The one crime / gangster film that stood out most during this time period was Josef von Sternberg's gangland melodrama underworld. It received the first oscar for original screenplay due to some very iconic scenes within the film. This film developed the crime genre to audiences showing how thrilling and scary they can really be.


Before 1972 the crime genre was slowly developing and to some audiences becoming somewhat boring but when Mario Puzo created the godfather in 1972 it amazed audiences worldwide. The godfather became a hit worldwide to millions of people due to the fantastic story and cinematography. The godfather had a massive influence on the crime genre adding and emphasising many new and existing conventions like bombs, death, deception ect.

Another film which had a heavy influence on the crime genre is scarface starring al Pacino who had already previously starred in the godfather creating his name. Scarface focused more extremely large scale crime and corruption that is happening without normal citizens even knowing about it. It contained large amounts of violence and action unlike another crime films before.

Today crime films are very popular among audiences with films like the dark knight and the modern sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey jr. These films I have selected show the development of the crime genre during that time period. Crime films have many sub genres as well like gangster and detective and crime itself goes along well with action adventure eg the dark knight. 

The Survey that we conducted

Here are the results that we achieved from the blog.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurvey_Responses.aspx?sm=JqwDwLDAV3Tk40rIGFrahNeZ3DF2HjBY2KbCMnUrYc4%3d

Each of out URL'S for the blogs

Joshua Mugridge
mugridge1995-media-studies.blogspot.com

Lewis Whitworth


Ryan De Almeida
ryan.dealmida.blogspot.com