Embedded Files
Mise-en-scene in Crime Genre
Lighting & Colours
Mostly the colour plated is often very dark, for example using greys and blacks are most common
The colour red especially is also used very often, as red represents a variety of themes, for example dearth, blood and love or romance.
Low level lighting is commonly used as well, especially for the opening start of the film, as it creates tension and mystery which keeps the audience engaged to understand what is going on.
Shadows are also used as well because it can create an intense atmosphere through characters and sets the mood and theme This can also help distinguish what type of characters there are, and can help character development.
Setting
The setting in Mafia/Gangster films is almost constantly in Urban/city locations, more specifically rundown areas and industrial estates are regularly shown. Housing estates are also shown sometimes.
Colour Palettes
Peaky Blinders Costumes
Costumes & Makeup
The most common costume in more traditional Mafia/gangsters movies tend to be formal outfits like suits and dresses, However in more modern era the costumes tend to be more baggy tracksuits with jewellery.
The colour red again (often on ties) tends to have a combination with the costumes as well.
Makeup in gangster/Mafia films generally typically consists of blood and scars.
Props
The most generally seen props in mafia/gangster films are guns, cigarettes, drugs and money, this normally ties into the storyline and theme
Mafia Film Evaluations
Lock, stock and two smoking barrels (opening): The first opening scene is a man selling stolen jewellery to a group of people. It starts with a mid shot, framing the man, who we can assume is the main character in a coat. The other man working with him is also wearing a very similar coat. This is not traditional for a gangster film, as in most films suit and formal clothing is seen.This suggests that they are not as associated with gangs and groups, but rather smaller, less serious offences.
The opening is set in a rundown estate, initially outside a garage. They then proceed to run through a warehouse and down some graffitied stairs. This is traditional with the gangster film genre, as they are often set in urban, occasionally rundown areas.
Non-diegetic music is used in the opening when they start running. This is also followed by a non-diegetic voiceover by a narrator. This provides a bit of backstory to the film.
Layer Cake (opening): At the start of the film there's a man walking down the street at night, before turning into a house. He is wearing a suit, a very traditional outfit for gangster films.The he gets in a car with another man, wearing a shirt and trousers. These formal outfits already show that they’re part of a mafia/gangster gang. During the first scene, there's a voiceover,which provides a brief summary of what’s happening. There is also non-diegetic music playing in the background. The clip the cuts to a scene of the car driving through what appears to be a golf course and towards a large building, Which is not a common setting for a gangster film, however it does suggest that the men and more specifically the man they meet with, are quite wealthy.
Sound & Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK8JlTlhnjw. This type music (Melancholy Jazz) creates a slow paced, quiet, rainy-day atmosphere in a mafia type film. This can be used to change the atmosphere, For example a scene in a bar where people are drinking and smoking cigars in expensive suits, or on the other hand a romance scene. The main purpose of this is to create a pensive and gloomy feel, to demonstrate the mood of the film to the audience.
Silence in Mafia/Noir films can be used in many ways: To build suspense, to highlight the significance of an event/give something meaning. Creating a numbing effect during a scene packed with action, For example the fight scene in Fight Club. Halt the happiness in a film, For example all of a sudden everyone stops cheering. A follow up to a loud moment creates dramatic effect. The importance is to keep a balance between silence and sound, to use it when something important happens, e.g. a character dies, or all hope is lost etc.
Off-key music creates a disjointed effect and it serves a similar purpose as melancholy jazz. This could be used to connote the menacing society in the film, or the pessimistic view on the world, that everything is wrong and out of order.
Sudden sound works in line with silence; it tends to be used for jump-scares or sequences of action scenes. This is taken to create a sense of fear in the audience and to intensify the emotional reaction to a scene.
Voice overs are employed to narrate the plot or introduce the cast and their characters.
Ambient sound is used to resemble the setting and time of the narrative. In Mafia/Noir films tend to be pubs, bars, or busy streets. Noir narratives often involve gangsters or some form of antagonistic characters. It's usual for these types of characters to be found in a bar or pub, creating some kind of conflict with other characters.
Foley sounds are more of a post-production part of a film production, but if something doesn't sound quite good enough, then you can re-record it or create something that is better. Foley sounds tend to be small things suck, like creaking doors, breaking glass, screams, footsteps etc.
I Fall In Love Too Easy - Miles Davis (1944)
Bill Evans Melancholic Jazz by Vasil Nikolaev
Camera Techniques
High angled/birds eye view - This type of shot is mostly used to make an effect of whatever is being looked down on,making appear to look powerless and vulnerable. This is typically used in horror and thriller films.
Close up shot - This camera shot is normally used to show what the character's reactions are to whatever is happening in the film and to capture how they are feeling in that moment. It also can be used to capture detail closely in a scene that is important in a film.
Tracking or panning - This shot is typically used in horrors and thrillers to create the look that one of the characters is being followed or watched. This also helps the audience to have a full view of the scene and what's happening, But can also help build suspense and tension as the audience does not know what's going to be shown next.
Reverse - These types of shots can be very successful as it can show consequences of characters actions or what would happen if they went back in time. This also shows the character's realisation and the suspense is therefore built up. This shot also works better when flashbacks are introduced.
Tilted angle - These shots expand dramatic tension to the scene and sometimes signal supernatural beings pushing or moving the camera. This also can be used to act as though the camera is the character/victim looking up at the villain, showing the audience seeing what they are seeing.
Extreme long shots or long shots - This shot is to help the show what an area looks and feels like to set the atmosphere. This shot again is typically used in horror/thriller films.
Low angle shots - This type of shot is often used in thrillers to emphasise how powerful and intimidating a villain/antagonist is. This can also be used to make the audience feel weak and insignificant.
Point of view shots (POV) - This shot primarily shows what the character is seeing. This can help create the audience become more emotionally attached and scared, as it feels like whatever happens to the character, is happening to the audience.
Zoom shots - This shot creates suspense and fear of not knowing what is going to happen next. It's casually shown in these types of films to zoom into something gory or gruesome, or to see something you may have missed before zooming in.
Over the shoulder shots - This shot is very well known and one of the best ways to build up tension and suspense. It mostly is seen around mirrors and reflection so the audience can see everything at the same time as the character. For example this often shows a figure standing behind a victim.
Mise-en-scene in Comedies
Lighting & Colours
In comedy films, the lighting and colour plate tends to be quite brighter to reflect the mood and tone of the film; brighter, the happier.
Setting
The setting in comedies can be set almost anywhere, however the most typical setting is suburban areas in places such as schools and bars.
The areas tend to be set usually in happy, sunny towns or neighbourhoods.
Legally Blonde Colour Palette
Jim Carrey in 'The Mask' (1994)
Costume & Makeup
The makeup that’s normally shown in comedy is also usually more clean and colourful as opposed to the gritty, darker coloured makeup.
This makeup technique is also used to set the tone, making it seem more light hearted and positive.
The costume designs in comedy films can vary. Although the films don’t necessarily require certain shades of colours in order for them to be a success, some comedy films do use bright colours with lots of vibrancy in order to portray a sense of tendency. For example a great example would be the clothing and makeup used on Jim Carrey in the film, “The Mask”.
Props
Props in comedy films can tend to vary in accordance to the tone of the film.
The most common kind of props are usually whacky or wild-seeming to add to the “crazy” theme that may be involved with the film.
Sound
Sound tends to be a very important part of the comedy genre, especially in the sub genre, slapstick. In slapstick, non-diegetic sound effects. Corresponding with this, sound effects are used to show the emphasis on a particular aspect of the scene.
Digetic is another important factor in comedy due to its often the dialogue that's making the audience laugh.
Camera Techniques
The Push (way too Far) in - This push in shot shows a lot of things. It can bring the audience into a more intimate environment, It can make the viewers literally get closer to the action, and also it can highlight the importance of what we’re seeing. But when the push just keeps going, It breaks all that therefore shows the viewers that they're watching a comedy movie. Since it's also not a zoom shot, but actually a movement, The camera physically gets in the way of everything. For example Mel Brooks uses this alot in his films.
The Pull (way too far) out - A pull out shot achieves the complete opposite of a push in shot. It offers an overall context to the scene and usually allows the viewers to know that what is being shown now isn't the whole picture. It can also just keep going and going until it's excessively long.
The Wait for it… - This is a type of shot where the camera is typically stationary, allowing a joke to transpire over more time or with a sudden change. Most of the time, We expect it to happen based on the delaying camera’s movements. For example, When a character goes off screen but we know the camera was supposed to follow the character, or they come back to interact with that scene some more. This can also involve cuts, But the main purpose is that the camera’s position does the setup, because therefore the viewer will know something is about to happen.
The Reveal - For this camera movement, the camera starts in one shot and ends at another, revealing the joke. This could be by a zoom or push or pull or dolly shot ( any moving shot works), But the point of this is to build up into a reveal or continuously reveal throughout the entire movement.
The Comparison shot - This shot relies on similar or nearly identical shots being shown at different points in a film, with their direct comparison creating the comedy. This is an especially difficult shot and takes a lot of planning, but viewers will continue to appreciate all the differences the more they watch it and notice the subtleties. For example a director that's a master at this shot would be Edgar Wright. The one caveat to this shot is that, whilst the camera can create the joke with a matched or mostly matched frame, the jokes can also be shown by visuals within the frame. This also doesn't have to have any camera movement for it to work.
The Camera Bump - Much similar to the push in shot, the camera interacts with the subject or character for the joke. However, the difference in this case is that it's being affected by something happening to the scene, and not the other way around.
The Quick Zoom - This shot is like a push in, but keeps the camera stationary and uses a zoom instead. This builds a creative higher energy level and a speed that you can’t with a slow movement, and is used in westerns, Kung Fu movies, or action films. The gain in comedy is that this shot is mostly used on the funny characters and/or their faces (as in Wayne’s World 2), insignificant objects (Shaun of the Dead’s many quick zoom sequences), or to underwhelming results of comedic dialogue.
The Perspective Shot - Arranging the camera to vary the perspective or show a difference in size throughout the two subjects as commonly a fairly easy practical effect to get right. For example Lord of the Rings trilogy, Elf, Big Fish etc, have all used this technique.( Elf used this as a joke to show that Buddy the Elf was not actually an elf, but there are other ways to use the forced perspective as a punchline.) Another joke that relies on perspective is when either the subject or camera is obscured by an object in the frame. For example in Arrested Development they often moved the camera to obscure the actors mouths when they say a curse words ( this is more of an inside joke than an actual joke), But the best example for this shot would be from Austin Powers.
The “Look Over There!” - This shot is not exactly a common technique, but typically it’s when a character is already breaking the fourth wall and is taking straight into the camera, Then a character states to look somewhere (or it looks on its own). The camera follows the request and we’ve learned something new. In a comedy, the joke is the camera looking at or the action/reaction that occurs during/after the camera movement.
The Step Back - The step back shot is more of editing technique, However the camera’s differing positions between the two shots is what makes them comedic. The main, more intimate and intense angle progresses to a wider angle. This creates an intense, intimate scenario that seems less intense.
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese was born on November 17, 1942 in Queens, New York City. He was raised in the neighbourhood of Little Italy, which later provided the inspiration for several of his films. Scorsese earned a B.S. degree in film communication in 1964, followed by an M.A. in the same field in 1966. During this time, he made numerous prize-winning short films and directed his first feature film, “Who’s Knocking at My Door”.
Goodfellas Soundtrack
Style
Visual Style
Scorsese has a clear visual style that has evolved over the decades. He mostly consists of long tracking shots,freeze frames and slow motion to add a unique and dynamic visual flair to his films His use of colours and lighting is precise, and he often works with very skilled cinematographers to complete the desired feel and atmosphere of every scene.
Music & Sound
Music in Scorsese’s films plays an extremely crucial role. He has an exceptional skill for picking music that complements the narrative and enhances the emotional impact of a scene. From rock ‘n’ roll in Goodfellas to classical pieces in The Age of Innocence, Scorsese’s films soundtracks are cautiously presented to provide an emotional depth that resonates with the audience.
Editing & Pacing
Scorsese is an expert of editing and pacing. He often collaborates with long-time editors Thelma Schoonmaker to shape the layout of his films. Their partnership is renowned for creating a rhythm and momentum that keeps the audience occupied. The use of jump cuts, quick edits, and montage sequences is a signature element of Scorsese’s storytelling style.
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in a New York suburb in a creative, supportive Italian-American family. Francis graduated with a degree in drama form Hofstra University, and did graduate work at UCLA in filmmaking. Francis over his career has won 5 Oscars and 55 other awards with 54 nominations as well. He's well known for the films: The good father trilogy, Apocalypse Now and The Conversation. The first Feature film Francis was involved in was a variety of script collaborations, including writing an adaptation of “This Property is Condemned” by Tennessee Willams and screenplays “Is Paris Burning?"
Style
Visual Style
Coppola’s visual style is defined by its versatility and innovation. He takes on a whole range of cinematographic techniques, From intricate framing and innovative camera movements to experimenting with lighting designs. Coppola’s films are known for their striking visuals that endorse the thematic depth of his narratives.
Shot Division
Coppola uses a diverse range of shots to give the emotional and narrative touch to his stories. Coppola uses close-ups to capture the raw emotions of his characters and wide shots to establish the impressiveness in his cinematic mind.
Blocking
Blocking in Coppola’s films is extremely well choreographed to give the power dynamics and interpersonal relationships between characters. His knowledge of character movements adds even more deeper meanings to pivotal scenes.
Coppola in 'The Godfather'
David Leitch
David Leitch born November 16, 1975, is a billion dollar film director, actor, stuntman, writer, producer and a stunt coordinator. He’s co-directed John Wick (2014) and has directed Atomic Blond (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018) and Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw (2019). David was also a stunt double for Brad Pitt five times and Matt Damon multiple times as well. David also has a degree in International Relations and Education, He then chose to take a teaching job and opened a martial arts school right out of college.
Bullet Train & Atomic Blonde
Bullet Train (2022)
Bullet Train (2022)
Style
Visual Style
David's films often have a sleek and stylish look, with a concentration of dynamic camera work and striking visuals. He frequently employs unconventional camera angles and movements to add flair to his scenes.
David's uses of colour truly set the tone of his movies, For example in “Atomic Blonde” has a distinctive 1980 feel, with the neon scheme that enhances the film’s gritty, Cold War-era setting.
David’s directorial style is exceptionally immersive. In Bullet Train, when the core characters were fighting inside the eponymous vehicle, This can create a feeling for the audience, making them almost like being there with the characters in this enclosed train.
Pacing & Editing
David is very creative when it comes to editing, His background in stunt coordination and action direction lends itself to creative editing choices, With quick cuts and precise editing help to amplify the impact of his films.
David's Pacing tends to have a fast-paced rhythm, especially during action sequences. This keeps the audience engaged and adds urgency.
Over-The-Top Action
David likes to go over the top with his action films, for example, Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films have all been action-pack and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, so Daivd is experienced overseeing the crazy, iconic, physics-defying action of the Fast & Furious franchise.
Christopher Nolan
Colour
Nolan is known for using cool and muted colour palettes in his films. This choice contributes to the overall tone and atmosphere of his works. Cool colours, such as blues and greys, are often associated with a sense of melancholy or intensity, creating a distinct visual style in his films. This approach enhances the emotional impact and complements the cerebral nature of his storytelling.
Naturalistic Lighting
Nolan often employs naturalistic lighting in his films, using practical sources to create a realistic and immersive visual atmosphere. This technique contributes to the film's overall authenticity and complements his penchant for grounded, relatable narratives. The emphasis on practical lighting enhances the visual storytelling without sacrificing a sense of realism.
Abrasive Sound Design
Sound plays a crucial role in Nolan's films. He collaborates closely with sound designer Richard King to create immersive and impactful auditory experiences. Nolan's films are characterised by intense and abrasive soundscapes, including deep bass tones and piercing effects. This emphasis on sound enhances the tension and emotional resonance of his narratives.
Context
Economic
Economic context I have shown in my research through mise-en-scene to portray the socioeconomic classes in comedy and noir/mafia films, with comedy’s it's more towards lower, on the other hand noir/mafia films tend to have a mixture of classes. Moving specifically towards elements in these genres, In noir films the cinematography tends to be quite powerful and intense shots, For example low angled shots or tilted shots, However in comedy it's very exaggerated and sometimes breaks the fourth wall for insists: the push (too far) in or the camera bump. Another part of this would be sound. In comedy films the sounds tend to be non-diegetic sound effects for emphasis, In contrast to this in noir films, the use of Jazz music or sudden sound, this is because this help creates a sense of mystery and tension of a noir film, I have specifically picked these important elements to experiment and use as a tool in my final project although I will try to use much more from both genres to incorporate my research into the final film.
Geographic
Geographic context in my film will follow the root towards the mafia/noir theme, for example Urban/city places, however I am also going to use a forest to make it feel secluded to show a suspicious setting, Although this interlinks with comedy theme as sometimes there set in suburban places therefore making this very contrasting and flexible between both genres.
Historical
The time period for my film will be set in the modern day but with a traditional mafia feel and theme, But to juxtapose the noir setting the characters will dress almost like cartoon characters to make it more comedic and modern for the audience. I’ve decided to go towards the modern day setting because I want it to feel almost like a reliable town/neighbourhood to the audience.
Political
Gender diversity in Mafia Roles are typically male, Therefore I’ve decided that changing the traditional male-dominated roles to a more diverse cast is a strong and modern choice. This allows me to explore themes of gender dynamics, power struggles, and the breaking of stereotypes. Subverting expectations with female-led mafia characters, consider how this shifts the typical power dynamics. Explore themes like leadership, loyalty, and ambition from a new perspective, challenging the audience's preconceived notions.
Technological
Diving into technical context, In this final project I will be recording at 4k with a ratio of 16:9 on a Sony A7 mark 3 as this is my own camera which I'm familiar with, I also will be filming in LOG format. I’ve decided to use a stabiliser and tripod as well to get the least amount of unnatural movement. Additionally to get the most sound as possible I will be using a boom mic to capture the actors and the surroundings. Furthermore for lighting as all the filming is at day time and is outside I will be using a reflector. Continuing on, For editing and colour grating I will be using premiere pro this is because I know Premier Pro the most compared to all of the other editing softwares. As I am working with one of my classmates we have decided to create two edits of the film, therefore both will be unique.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Websites:
History of Mafia movies -
Willow Green | Published on 24 10 2016 et al. Promotion: A history of mafia in the movies, Empire. Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/promotion-history-mafia-movies/
Understanding the crime and Gangster Genre -
Hellerman, J. (2023) Unlocking the crime and gangster genre in film and TV (definition and examples), No Film School. Available at:
https://nofilmschool.com/crime-and-gangster
How to make your own film comedic -
How to write A comedy screenplay: A guide to writing a comedic screenplay that will make audiences laugh - 2024 MasterClass. Available at:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-comedy-screenplay-a-guide-to-writing-a-comedic-screenplay-that-will-make-audiences-laugh
Book -
Sarría, L. (2015). The influence of camera angle in film narratives . pp.41–43.
Journal article -
Yilmaz, M.B. et al. (2023) ‘An embodiment of the cinematographer: Emotional and perceptual responses to different camera movement techniques’, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17. doi:10.3389/fnins.2023.1160843.
Lecture -
‘Kill the Hollywood jews: The prewar origins of Film noir,’ lecture by Steven J. Ross (2022) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DML2ap3MWgY.
Cinematography in crime films -
mcgarryfqegs10 (2016) Research into the crime genre – camera techniques, Finlay McGarry’s A2 Media Studies Blog. Available at: https://a2mcgarryf.wordpress.com/2016/10/04/research-into-the-crime-genre-camera-techniques/.
Cinematography in comedies -
McAfee, R. (2019) 10 comedic camera techniques every filmmaker should know, Pond5 Blog.
Available at:
https://blog.pond5.com/16424-10-comedic-camera-techniques-every-filmmaker-know/.
Comedy mise en scene -
Unknown (1970) Genre conventions - mise en scene - comedy, Genre Conventions - Mise En Scene - COMEDY. Available at: https://callummclaughlin.blogspot.com/2015/09/genre-conventions-mise-en-scene-comedy.html.
Camera angles in thrillers -
Camera angles used in thrillers Windsor girls school Media. Available at: http://windsorgirls.weebly.com/gemini-productions/camera-angles-types-in-thriller-films.
Codes and conventions for comedy -
Codes and conventions of comedy (2015) SlideShare. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/hhsalexanderwatson/codes-and-conventions-of-comedy.
Sound conventions for noir films -
Osinski, H. (2017) Film noir/Horror: Sound conventions, GoConqr. Available at: https://www.goconqr.com/slide/7305124/film-noir-horror-sound-conventions.
Mise En Scene in Mafia type films -
Conventions of the gangster film genre (2013) SlideShare. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/LukeAkers/conventions-of-the-gangster-film-genre .
Directors:
David Leitch -
Written by: Kevin Reviewed by: Angad et al. (2024) 5 amazing attributes John Wick director David Leitch will bring to Jurassic World 4, FandomWire. Available at: https://fandomwire.com/5-amazing-attributes-john-wick-director-david-leitch-will-bring-to-jurassic-world-4/ .
IMDb David Leitch | Director, producer, stunts, IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500610/.
Martin Scorsese -
IMDb Martin Scorsese | Producer, director, actor, IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_6_nm_1_q_Martin%2520Scorsese%253A%2520.
Francis Ford Coppola -
Find IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/find/?q=Francis+Ford+Coppola&ref_=nv_sr_sm.
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