Mood Boards
After deciding that the genre of my film will be crime, I researched existing films that fell under this category. The reasoning behind this was to establish the typical codes and conventions, but in doing this, I also found that it inspired ideas for what I could use in my opening sequence.
It is clear from this series of images that the mise-en-scene usually features dull colours such as greys and blues. This is further reinforced by the fact that male characters often wear dark coloured suits, rarely featuring brightly coloured costumes. The lighting is usually fairly dull, or scenes are filmed at night or during the winter to create a more sinister tone.
Famous locations and busy cities are also popular places for crime films to be set. This is because crime rates are often high in these areas, and criminal activity can be more easily disguised in a large, busy city in contrast to a small town. For example, The Wolf of Wall street is set in the infamous banking area of New York, and is a familiar location to many people.
Another convention is that the main roles are almost always filled by male actors. This is because, stereo typically, men are perceived as being stronger and more macho, meaning they are not only placed in dominant roles within the police force, but are also tough enough to be a part of a gang, as it is seen to be manly to show no fear. Many directors would therefore choose to use male characters in crime films in order to maintain excitement within the film, and not confuse the audience by breaking stereotypes.
I also chose to include images from TV series in my mood board. Despite the fact they are fundamentally different, I included pictures from Top Boy, Breaking Bad and The Killing as they still include the same genre conventions as a crime film would. The main difference however, is the fact that series have slower narratives (as they have more time to develop different strands of the story), however they also often start with the same opening sequence each time, and end on a cliff hanger. For this reason, I will not look at crime series when focusing on the conventions of opening sequences, however it is helpful for establishing genre.
In addition to looking at typical crime films, analysing the sub genres of crime films was also helpful. For example, I chose to look at comedy crime and action in detail, however there is a wide variety of sub genres that include horror, spy, murder, and gangster crime.
The series of images on the left are all comedy crime films, that show a clear pattern of using brighter and more lively colours in order to remove the layer of seriousness that would be typically associated with crime films. To reinforce this, most scenes are shot during the day to add to the more upbeat feel.
In contrast, action crime films feature a lot more weapons and violence in order to generate excitement. Car chases and fast paced scenes are also a common convention as it keeps the audience on their toes as such scenes can be very tense (especially with the added fear of danger through the use of weapons).
Famous locations and busy cities are also popular places for crime films to be set. This is because crime rates are often high in these areas, and criminal activity can be more easily disguised in a large, busy city in contrast to a small town. For example, The Wolf of Wall street is set in the infamous banking area of New York, and is a familiar location to many people.
Another convention is that the main roles are almost always filled by male actors. This is because, stereo typically, men are perceived as being stronger and more macho, meaning they are not only placed in dominant roles within the police force, but are also tough enough to be a part of a gang, as it is seen to be manly to show no fear. Many directors would therefore choose to use male characters in crime films in order to maintain excitement within the film, and not confuse the audience by breaking stereotypes.
I also chose to include images from TV series in my mood board. Despite the fact they are fundamentally different, I included pictures from Top Boy, Breaking Bad and The Killing as they still include the same genre conventions as a crime film would. The main difference however, is the fact that series have slower narratives (as they have more time to develop different strands of the story), however they also often start with the same opening sequence each time, and end on a cliff hanger. For this reason, I will not look at crime series when focusing on the conventions of opening sequences, however it is helpful for establishing genre.
In addition to looking at typical crime films, analysing the sub genres of crime films was also helpful. For example, I chose to look at comedy crime and action in detail, however there is a wide variety of sub genres that include horror, spy, murder, and gangster crime.
The series of images on the left are all comedy crime films, that show a clear pattern of using brighter and more lively colours in order to remove the layer of seriousness that would be typically associated with crime films. To reinforce this, most scenes are shot during the day to add to the more upbeat feel.
In contrast, action crime films feature a lot more weapons and violence in order to generate excitement. Car chases and fast paced scenes are also a common convention as it keeps the audience on their toes as such scenes can be very tense (especially with the added fear of danger through the use of weapons).
What kind of tone do your boards suggest? Are there any recurring things such as low angles, confrontation, collaboration, violence etc?
ReplyDeleteClassic crime films typically have a serious tone to them as a result of important events often occurring and the close association with death - which is a very sombre topic. Although low angles are commonly used to portray powerful characters, the majority of shots are often eye level so that the audience can connect with the characters better; this is important because verisimilitude is key to crime films. Collaboration is also a key feature, and can be seen in all areas (e.g. within the police force, amongst gangs, between governments and other countries). Partnerships can also be a source of corruption and violence as the actions of certain characters can result in the collapse of a collaboration.
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