Gangster Research

Names

After we were happy with all the work we had done of the storyboard and our research etc we decided it was about time we pay attention to other elements in our film such as the names we are going to use for our 'Gangsters'. Although we didn't dislike regular names, these would simply not fit in with the genre of our film. Creating a Gangster name wasn't as easy as we initially thought but it deemed to be quite enjoyable as we were able to explore our imagination and build the characters personality around their name.

  As I want our film to reflect our hard work and ability i did some research in my own time into Gangster names by researching on the Internet the reasoning behind the gangster names, the top 10 gangster names and also the names used in films such as The Godfather etc.

1) Think about your characteristics. Many people create a name based on a characteristic or habit that people commonly know them by. For example, if you're known to be cheeky and daring, adding "Dirty" or "Crazy" to the front of your name is a good idea. Using this method means that your name gives people an idea of what kind of person you are, and also makes it easier to come up with ideas. However, we have to be careful that we remain clear, and don't choose something that may give our target audience the wrong idea before they've met our characters.

2) Consider adding an inside joke or story. A lot of gangsters get their names from background stories and histories, or an inside joke. In the movie 8 Mile, the main character gets the name "Rabbit2, because when he was a baby he looked like a rabbit. Another character was called "Future" because people considered him the future of music. Although these names may not seem very gangster or "cool", they grow popular easily and often convey your personality easily.

3) Think about length. Some gangsters have three or four individual names that merge together, and others simply use one word. It depends on you, your gang and your style. If you're looking for a more expressive and traditional name, you will find it more convenient to come up with a longer name. If you just want something different for people to call you by, you can look at just one or two names.

4) Choose your style. There are various styles to gangster names. One popular style is Italian gangster names, which are often quite long. Other gangsters simply go for short, blunt names that are self explanatory. Once you select a style, you'll get a bigger understanding of what exactly you want. You don't have to abide by the rules, though creating your own style and rebelling on the traditions will probably make you considered more gangster, anyway.

5) Consult your gang. If your gang all have names that seem to follow a theme, you may draw inspiration from there. You can also ask people what they picture calling you, aside from your regular name. Asking them generally what they think would be a good gangster name for you may not come up with a specific name, but probably will give you some good ideas.

I am more than confident that these steps will help us a lot when it comes to creating the appropriate names, it will also allow us to build up the attributes as personality traits of our different characters as well as their rank in the gang.

Story Board

Making a story board is the starting point of creating a story board, it enables us to pieces together all of our ideas and put them in a specific order. It helps us understand our intended message as well as what we are trying to show. By creating a script or storyboard it ensures we as well as the audience understand our intent.  Whilst making our storyboard it is vital we keep in mind the 5 W's - Who, What, When, Where and Why as this will help us fill in the main body of the story. In addition we must also keep in mind other elements such as the protagonist, antagonist, plot, dialogue, setting and point of view etc.

  By creating a storyboard it makes it easier for us to plan out the whole concept of our plot. It allows us to pre-visualise each shot, each line of dialogue, each beat of soundtrack and imagine other elements such as editing, background and special effects. There are many advantages when it comes to making a story board such as:

- Programming skills are not required

- It is rather vague meaning the audience will pose questions

- It is a quick way to sketch ideas

- It does not require artistic skills

- It helps the audience pre-visualise

- It allows us to see certain elements that are missing

In my opinion making a storyboard before filming is very beneficial as it is something we are able to refer back to. It isn't very time consuming and will prevent disagreements within the group as it allows us to combine all of our ideas into one and see what fits best. It is also easy to edit a storyboard whether it means taking parts out or adding them in. My group and I have created a rough story board with the vital information such as the non/diegetic music, actions, transitions etc along the side. Creating it wasn't particularly hard yet we had to ensure we added all of the information necessary. We found that as we were creating it we were developing our ideas and writing them down quickly before we forgot them, therefore we will need to do a neat, detailed version of our storyboard in order for us to understand it. Once we have done this I will then upload a picture of the final version.

Film Noir

What is Film Noir?

Film Noir is a term used by French critics to describe a type of film usually of a detective/crime genre. Film noir movies are marked by a mood of menace, pessimism, fatalism and cynical characters. The characters tend to be corrupt or desperate. Film Noir is a term used to describe crime dramas, particularly those that emphasise moral ambiguity. The films are characterised by low-key lighting and grim, bleak urban settings. Film Noir is the point of view, mood or tone of the film.

History of Film Noir

The earliest Film Noirs were around about the 1940s. The first detective film to use the shadowy noir style in a definitive way was ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and since the 40s Film Noir has developed and further progressed into a much loved part of the industry.

Themes

The main moods of film noir are desperation, guilt, moral corruption, ambiguity and bleakness. The protagonist character in Film Noir tends to be morally ambiguous low lives that belong in the dark and gloomy underworld of violent crime and corruption. The general story line tends to be elliptical, twisting and non-linear. The narratives are frequently complex and usually told with background music, witty dialogue, flashbacks and often a first person voice over. The dark inhumane side of human nature is expressed thematically through Film Noir. They emphasise the cynicism, doomed love and the brutal, shadowy, sadistic side of human experience. An oppressive atmosphere of futility, menace and defeat are stylised characteristics of film noir.

Characters

The typical characters in a Film Noir crime genre tend to consists of heroes or anti-heroes, corrupt characters and villains. They also include conflicted, hard-boiled detectives, police officers, gangsters, socio-paths or killers, petty criminals or murderers etc. Distinctively they are tarnished, obsessive, cynical, disillusioned, menacing, frightening and insecure characters struggling to survive and in the end ultimately losing. The protagonist in the film noir are usually driven by their human weakness or their past to repeat former mistakes.

Visual Style and Setting

Film Noir films are marked visually by depth of field camera work, deep focus, expressionistic lighting, juxtaposition of elements, jarring editing, ominous shadows, skewed camera angles and unbalanced compositions.  Settings often consist of low-key lightning and dark, claustrophobic gloomy appearances. Story locations are usually set in murky and dark streets, dimly-lit and low-rent apartments and abandoned warehouses.

Narrative Devices

Narrative devices are used to create a relationship between the story and the plot. Flashbacks and voiceovers are persistent stylistic narrative elements of Film Noir. The narrative allows time and memory to come together leaving the audience in suspense what will occur/has occurred in the flashback story. The protagonist’s voice over is used to update the audience and progress of the film.

Iconography

Certain elements the audience expect to see in a film noir film are police, detectives, criminals, seductive females, murder and corruption. Items and settings that the audience expect to see are props such as guns, knives, dark dingy scenery and false love.

Sound

 A defining innovation of Film Noir was the sophisticated use of soundtrack. The main characters voice is often used as a voiceover for the film; this technique is used to present two versions of a single character simultaneously.

Institution Company

After researching into Institution companies I found that Paramount is often associated with films such as ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Untouchables’ which are both Crime and Gangster films. Paramount is also associated with rather light hearted films such as the new film in cinemas now ‘Hugo’ and rom-coms such as ‘I Love You, Man’ which are rather family orientated. In my own opinion I would associate Paramount with rather light-hearted, innocent films therefore this may not be the best institution and I would like something a little more Crime and Gangster based  for our film yet it is still a possibility yet I will still do additional research. Last year in our AS film opening we used Columbia Pictures as it was relevant to the time era our film was set in therefore I will research further to see which institution company would be appropriate.

SKA films, formed by Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn, is known for producing Gangster & Crime films and is recognised for films such as ‘Snatch’ and ‘Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’. This would be a really good company for us to consider for our production as we are creating this same genre. I also researched into institutions such as Screen Gems, Summit, MARV Films and Sony Picture Classics. I also found that Warner Brothers was considered the gangster studio par excellence when it came to early Gangster films.

Background of Gangster Films

The first Gangster film to be shown on the screens was ‘Dreams and Deadends, an American film which was set in Chicago in 1912. Surprisingly the film itself didn’t become a massive hit when it was first released in the cinema in America as the audience were unsure what to make of the film. The film was the beginning of the Gangster & Crime genre and as it created a dark, unusual and rather stylish film genre which began to grow in production as well as popularity.

Genre Generics

Crime and Gangster films began to flourish between 1920-1930s when the traditional stereotypical gangster was presented as being a well dressed New York ‘Gangster’ who is known for robbing banks. They also tended to use the traditional ‘Tommy gun’ which progressed throughout the years yet still kept the dark stylish physique and fashion. These films were later known as ‘noir films’ after World War II. Noir films were a category or sub-genre which didn’t just apply to Gangster and Crime films but any film set in black and white whether it was a Romance or Drama Film.

How It Appealed To the Audience

During the American depressing Crime and Gangster films became huge hits as they related to the dark, dull side of America and reflected the struggle. Films during that time also used real characters such as Al Capone and Don Calalony. Between 1920-1950 the appearance of a traditional gangster was a semiotic. They symbolised hate and greed which was an element commonly used in the majority of Crime and Gangster films also the use of the traditional appearance of an American gangster between the years 1920. The use of real characters, which actors would play the part of, remained consistent later on in the century as it made the plot seem more realistic. 

How a Crime Genre Is Conveyed To Target the Audience

Originally Crime was a genre that attracted young adults and middle aged people specifically targeted at men as they were able to relate to the dark, dull struggle during the depression in the early 20^th century in the USA. The Crime genre attracted their attention as it was something they were able to relate to in the financial struggles and dark atmosphere which the films at the time where usually about gangs and gangsters in America. The films were known for being very dark yet stylish in the early years of the Crime genre, known as ‘Noir Films. The crime genre had significantly changed in the 60’s and both the target audience and generic conventions had differed. The target audience had then changed to attract a younger viewer and also suited a female audience due to the less dark and depressing vibe it gave off.

The Progression and Growth

After the Crime and Genre ear between 1920-1950 the ‘Noir Film’ style of Crime and Gangster film had faded and wasn’t as recognised and related to as it use to be, the gangster image had now changed to the cop image during the 60’s.. However this wasn’t an end to the Crime and Gangster films there was just a slight change in style. The genre of Crime and Gangster films originated from America and later spread to Europe and the UK meaning the  gangster figure became additionally versatile and the traditional New York gangster became less threatening and less of a powerful semiotic.

Target Audience

As a group we designed a questionnaire to determine the appropriate audience for our film. After researching into films we aspire to such as ‘Public Enemies’ and ‘The Godfather’ etc we were aware that the typical target audience were males aged 18-30  due to the violence and bad language therefore the certificate has to be suitable. We are aiming our trailer to audiences who enjoy Crime & Gangster films but would like to attract a wide audience due to the fact it can be enjoyed by any genre film lover. We aim to target both genres but are mainly targeting men age 18-30 as that is the typical audience for this genre of film. The physcographic profile for our audience isn’t that specific but aims towards people who wish succeed and achieve. As we are hoping to attract a wide range of audience I feel that our specific audience will fall into most of the JICNAR scales except for E on the scale as I feel that state pensioners would not appreciate nor be interested in our genre of film.

 

  We made the questions for our questionnaire specific so we were aware of what we were aiming for, we also made the questions unbiased regarding genre as we wanted to get the best results and be able to apply this to our trailer to get the greatest outcome. We handed the questionnaire out to 20 people and plan on putting our results into a graph, possibly a bar or pie chart, and use them to develop our plot further. Although we have a rough idea these results will definitely help us finalise our ideas and inform us if we are reaching the demands of our consumers. We have printed these questionnaires and are going to give 10 to a group of boys and 10 to a group of girls to ensure our results are fair and reliable.

Trailer Analysis

Snatch Trailer

In the trailer for snatch the use of non-diegetic music is consistent, yet there are two different songs, which are used. The first song is very fast which reflects the theme of action and builds the tension.  

The opening shot is of a man wearing a vest full of guns and we, as the audience, can immediately categories the genre because of the props being used. It is a common convention for this genre of film that the opening shot immediately drops the audience into the middle of the action. This is a good way of showing off the conventional props, in this case the guns, and we will be able to take this idea and reflect it in our own way into our work.

  I like the use of the low angle shot when Vinnie Jones opens the boot of the car as it expresses his aggressive characteristics; it also portrays him as a stereotypical character to this genre as the ultimate bosses tend to have tall intimidating, hostile looking men do their physical work for them. As the angle is positioned facing up it makes him look superior and dominant and as the audience we feel a little vulnerable looking up at him. I really like the idea of the camera being place into the trunk of the car and think this idea would work especially well in our film trailer we would also be able to manipulate and edit this specific clip for example adding a transition to make it look as if the camera is someone opening their eyes etc.

In the trailer there is a two person close up of the actors Jason Statham and Stephen Graham with an anguished look on their face which is another typical convention in a Gangster & Crime genre allowing the audience to know something has gone wrong and their lives are going to take a turn for the worse.  I really like this specific shot as it has a comical factor to it and takes away the harsh edge of the genre by putting a twist onto it, i also like the way its a two person shot and would very much like to, again, reflect this idea into our film trailer as it sends a message out to the audience, that something has gone wrong, without having to go into detail to explain it keeping to the timings of the trailer yet skills explaining the story line.

There is also a mid shot of Brad Pitt which shows the lower class which is also a typical convention in a Gangster & Crime film. The main focus is on the ring leader, Brad Pitt, who is backed up with the unknown factor of his gang; again this genre of film stereotypically represents different social classes/groups. This shot enables the audience to get a clear understanding of the dividers in the socials groups and i think we need to be really strickt on our costume to ensure we are portraying the correct and appropriate social classes.

  

In my opinion this is a very clever POV shot which shows off the cards in a high stakes game to the audience. This represents the class of the character and shows his skills when it comes to a card game as he has 3 Jacks. The audiences attention is purposely drawn to the cards as the lighting is relatively dark, the mise-en-scene is also fairly simple again emphasising the cards, as the actor is wearing sunglasses is conveys a mysterious vibe. I would really like to use a shot like this in our trailer as again you would be able to play around with it when it comes to editing such as using a focus pull or even manipulating the image itself to add emphasis to it or possibly a zoom effect.

 The music then changes to a Wild West sounding song, which again makes the pace even faster and reflects the tension, this then leads on to the characters being introduced. There is a range of different characters and a majority of them are in suits, the men in suits are the people who are after the 86-carat diamond so almost as if it’s a race to see who can get it first.

  The props used in snatch play a vital part, there is a use of guns and violent fighting scenes, which doesn’t give it a ‘family feel’ at all therefore this determines the target audience which will be the same as our, boys/men ages 18-30 but also attracting a female audience due to the good looking actors. As Snatch is a British Gangster film there are a variety of different gangs for example the gangs after the diamond include Avi and his gang, Brick top and his gang, two boxing promoters and a Russian.  The generic conventions you see in Snatch are guns, diamonds, betting cards, fighting and men in suits.

  This particular trailer has a clip that interlinks two clips this includes an effect to make it look as if the camera has zoomed in particularly quickly. This adds a faster pace to the clips building the excitement and making the audience want to go and see the film, it also compliments the music well.  This is a British Gangster film therefore it contains lots of action with a variety of gangs whereas American films focus on the story of one gang and their rise to power.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Trailer

 The trailer for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels has non-diegetic music running consistently throughout like the Snatch trailer yet this particular trailer consists of four different songs. The music begins relatively slow whilst the main groups of four friends are all being introduced the music begins relaxed and slow as it is a representation of the events currently taking place, it also portrays the first impressions of the characters yet the audience are aware there is more to come. The music then changes at a card game to a fast pace which reflects the tension and creates a buildup portraying the importance of the card game. The sound of the card being put down has purposely been exaggerated again straining the apprehension. The music again changes to something more high pitched foreshadowing the ghastly events which are about to take place.  The music then changes to an upbeat song complimenting the events taking place and insinuating they make be able to get the money they lost back. The upbeat song also reflects the violence in the film and is a typical convention of a Gangster & Crime genre. One of the characters then says ‘were on’ and again the music changes to reflect their celebration and success.

  As the audience we then see the generic conventions of the Gangster genre such as drugs, money, alcohol, suits, women, guns and cars. The clips start off being relatively long as they are introducing the characters making them feel as if they are in control until they lose the card game and the clips then shorten. There isn’t any fade transitions used between clips; this ensures the cuts are fast. Like Snatch there are lots of people after one item, in this case it is the money, yet you are aware of which group you are following. Again this is a British Gangster film so it is packed with action and has a range of different gangs.

 This title shot is relatively powerful as it is in a vivid yellow bold font. The background also plays a vital part as it consists of the typical conventions such as bullets from a gun, this portrays a connotation of death, violence and danger which are all included in this film. I'm really fond of the way this title is really simple drawing the audiences entire attention to the title, i also like the use of yellow as it is an extremely eye-catching colour and isn't typically red.

 This clip of the film shows a credit which is explaining a specific event which is taking place in the film, almost labelling the prop being filmed. The bold red font also highlights the fact that the money is a key element in the film, the use of red font is also interesting as red is symbolic for blood and death. The background of this clip plays a vital part as it is piles of money it could connote high risks either involving the law or other gangsters etc. This would be a good technique to portray in our trailer as it takes away the harsh edge of the genre.

 This extreme closeup immediately informs the audience there is violence to come and the gun is symbolic of this and shows the audience they are dangerous. This media convention is often used in Gangster trailers to excite the target audience and make them want to see the film. I would like to use close ups in our trailer as i think it would be a good shot to include into fast cuts, i also think it gives the genre away incredibly well and means our trailer would include a variety of differnt shots and angles.

 This particular shot portrays the genre of the film extremely well as the intermediating man is on his knees with his hands up and in danger. The guns gives off a huge representation of the film and the clothes worn also represent not only the time era but also the social class of the men. This would be a good shot and angle to use as it enables the audience to know what is going on and who has the authority at the time of the event. The clothing will play a vital part in our film trailer.

The agressive expressions on the actors face and the kewlerry he is wearing is sterotypical representations of a 'gangster'. This particular shot also expresses the motion of the punch about to be thrown refelcting his dangerous characteristics, typical for this genre. The camera angle is low making him look intimidating and whoever he is punching to be vulnerable portraying his strength to the audience. I like the way the camera angle has been used to emphasis his movement and would very much like to reflect this in my own work.



This low angled shot represents the character as being the holder of power, intimidating and strong, shots like these are often used in this genre as the audience will be fully aware of who has control at which times and who is vulnerable. This shot also shows off the conventional props for example in this picture it is the gun, although it has been blurred on the camer we, as the audience, are still aware of what weapon he is holding yet our main focus is on the man. This would be an ideal camera angle to use in our film as again it adds to the variety and also shows off the conventional props, a shot like this would also be ideal when it comes to editing as we would be able to manipulate it such as adding a focus pull etc.

Film Magazine Research

This cover of Empire magazine clearly has a them of 'X-Men' as 'Wolverine' is the central focus. The masterhead of this magazine 'EMPIRE' is situated in the top quarter of the magazine cover, its use of bold red font not only emphasises the theme but makes it a main focus point drawing in all the initial attention, it also juxtaposes with the dark background. The centre of the masterhead is partially covered by the image of 'Wolverine' yet it is still readable which shows the magazine already has a well established readership.

  In my opinion the magazine appears to be relatively cluttered with a variety of writing yet if you look closely it is actually separated with thin white lines almost as if they are boarders. The selling line it 'THE WORLDS BIGGEST MOVIE MAGAZINE' which gives the audience the impression that the magazine consists of different information regarding films and genres. At the very top of the magazine it says 'Wolverine has returned for...' the name 'Wolverine' is displayed in a larger font than the rest of the tag line, this makes it incredibly eye-catching as it emphasises its importance.

  The picture of 'Wolverine' that is featured on the front cover looks as if it has been taken from the film with an impressive background complimenting the main character. The background is a good choice as not only does it contrast with the title but it also allows the white and black fonts to be seen. On this specific magazine cover the main character is featuring as their character/stage name, the main character has blades appearing from his knuckles and big muscles, his stance and facial expressions also show that he is ready for action which is a real give away of the genre. This picture of "Wolverine" is an example of the intra-diegetic gaze as he is not looking out towards the reader but seems to be looking at something behind it above the audience.

  On the right hand side of the cover there are 4 cover lines in black and white font and have white lines separating them. The cover lines on the left hand side appear to be bigger than the ones on the right this is because the ones on the left need to be visible to attract the attention of readers when it is in shops and competing with other magazines. On the left hand side of the magazine there is also 4 cover lines yet although they use the same font as the ones on the right these are larger. Again these also vary between black and white with the white lines separating them, the colour scheme is kept consistent to make the front cover more appealing and eye-catching ensure the audience will be influenced to pick it up and be interested.

  Finally the date and price is placed in between the 'M' of the title in small white writing, this is perfectly clear however it is not the most important piece of information the other typical conventions include the issue date, issue number and bar code, empire also advertise their own website under the title. Overall I am really fond of how 'EMPIRE' layout their magazines, I like the fact the actor on the front is able to cover some of the letters from the title and the simple colour scheme. I think that the red masterhead would relate to our genre well as it is symbolic for death and danger the use of red and black would also compliment our ideas well as we are keen on the idea of using silhouettes so they limited colour palette would work well as magazines tend to use three different colours. I would also like to use a variety of different sized font yet keep the font style consistent so the magazine looks professional, I am unsure on how the group and I want the stance of our main character to be and how and where we want them to be looking yet we must portray an element of mystery.

The front cover of a film magazine is primarily used to market current films. 'Total Film' has wisely chosen to feature Megan Fox to advertise the film 'Jennifer's Body'. After looking at the picture in more detail you are aware of the blood dripping from

her right hand. Like the 'EMPIRE' magazine she is also posing as her character, we are able to tell this from the mise-en-scene as she is wearing a cheerleaders outfit that shows a lot of flesh, attracting the male gaze. I also thought that Megan Fox's stance was very powerful as she is looking directly at the camera which could appear intimidating to some; this is a great example of a direct address (extra-diegetic) as she is looking out of the frame straight at the reader.

  The masterhead of the magazine 'TOTAL FILM' is partially covered up which again indicates that the magazine is well established with its readers, the master head covers around a quarter of the page and is situated in the top 3rd giving it more recognition when

on the shelf. The three main colours on this issue are red, white and blue with some use of black. The white almost acts as a canvas to place the storylines over and the use of vivid red contrasts well making it stand out to the audience. Red, white and blue also happen to be the colours of the American flag. I would very much like to use this technique in my own work so the colours also symbolise a specific mise-en-scene as well as representing the theme for example using red, black and blue to symbolise violence and injury or even red, white and black to symbolise the gangsters attire etc. which is something we can look into.

  The magazine selling line is 'OUR BIGGEST PREVIEW EVER' the bold sans-serif font enables the selling line to stand out due to its boldness and as 'BIGGEST' is in a different colour it draws in the audiences attention even more so making them feel as if this magazine is something they definitely don’t want to miss out on. The top right hand corner shows 3 images of films that are featured within the magazine. The images are placed in individual grey boxes which have been manipulated to appear in different angles making it more appealing to the eye. On the left hand side of the magazine there is an arrow that is pointing directly at Megan Fox which is made up of the consistent colour scheme being grey blue and white, the arrow has 'THE FUTURE 100' written across it in American football style writing which conforms well with Megan Fox's cheerleading outfit. Large numbers have been used all over the cover: 100, 59, 53, 94, and 128 this creates the illusion that the magazine is full. 'PLUS' also stands out well as not only is it positioned on a space white canvas yet it is also the same colour as the masterhead and of a similar font.

  The issue number, date, price and magazine web address are positioned between the top of the 'M' similar to the layout used on 'EMPIRE'. The web address is the largest of these and reaffirms the name of the magazine. The bar code is situated in the bottom right hand corner and is possibly the least important thing on the cover. By analysing this magazine cover I have learnt that keeping it simple is really effective and makes the reader want to read all of the information on the cover, I was also really fond of the way the word 'PLUS' was in the same colour as the masterhead and the use of the other 3 picture previews of films. Although I am not aware of this particular film it is not the same genre of our yet I was really fond of the subtle use of blood which as a member of the audience I didn’t recognise at first. I also admired the way the font in the arrow related to the font of Megan Fox's top so there was some kind of relation throughout the magazine cover.

'The Gaze'

Theorists have identified a number of different forms of 'The Gaze' not only in film but also photography, television and forms of art.

- The direct address (or extra-diegetic) to the viewer: the gaze of a person (animal or object) shown in the text looking ‘out of the frame’ as if at the person watching the film or reading the magazine.

- The intra-diegetic gaze: a gaze of one person (animal or object) at another within the world of the text - this is often portrayed as a point of view shot in film and television.

- The spectator’s gaze: the gaze of the viewer at an image of a person (animal or object) in the text.

- The look of the camera - the way that the camera itself appears to look at the people pictured.



Jonathan Schroeder states ' to gaze implies more than to look at - it signifies a psychological relationship of power in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze' and 'Film has been called an instrument of the male gaze, producing representations of women, the good life, and sexual fantasy from a male point of view' The media constructs the actor's/actress's body position for the pleasure of the audience. Often this is in a sexual manner as people feel less ashamed of doing so in a cinema as the people surrounding them are not aware it is happening.

The Gaze on British Women’s Magazines:

Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.

Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.

Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.

Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification created to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

 

Male Facial Expressions in Women’s Ads:

There are fairly direct parallels with the above - the carefree, practical, seductive, comic and catalogue. The other two male expressions selected as types - the thoughtful and the self-reliant - have similarities to the female introverted and cool, though the thoughtful is far less introverted and the self-reliant more smug than aloof or reserved, but there are no counterparts to the narcissistic or kitten like.

This research will definitely help my group and I determine exactly how we want our actor to look on the front cover and we will be able to adjust his stance by reflecting back on this information. We do not want our actor to look innocent or sexual we want him to look quite the opposite and to come across as being tough and someone not to be messed with so the majority of male expressions I have stated will be avoided yet this information was still of use as we know what not to use and where we should be heading to get the appropriate outcome. The aim of the magazine will be for it to be sold so we will have to go for a carefree yet practical look and inject a smug effect to portray the characters attributes and role in the film. I also think it would be good to use the direct address (or extra-diegetic) to the viewer for it to come across as being almost intimidating to reflect our genre and make it really effective.

Coursework Discussion 5 - 23rd November

As the past few lessons we have been splitting up in order to divide the tasks we thought it would be a good idea if we were to work together today. We mainly focused on developing our music for the trailer, although this proved to be quite challenging considering we are unaware of a definite trailer structure therefore we made a rough version so we would later be able to come back to it to edit and add to if necessary. We gained a lot of inspiration from the song used in the trailer of 'Public enemies' by 'Otis Taylor - Million Slaves' We needed to ensure our soundtrack was relatively upbeat and pacey to reflect the theme. We also made a list of blogs we needed to do so we were up to date as a group, to ensure there is no confusion or conflict and also blogs we need to do in the future such as looking into our target audience and determining a specific group, we could back up these results by creating and sending out a questionnaire.

Coursework Discussion 4 - 21st November

As a group we learnt about magazine front covers which was a great chance for us to pick up ticks and take note of the 'do's' and 'don'ts'.  We also gained knowledge of what the general focus needs to be for example, the main characters of the films, usually there is never more than one person on the front cover which we will have to put a lot of though and effort into creating as we are hoping to have 5-6 gangsters but stereotypically in groups there is a leader, who will be our main character.This proved to be really helpful and we were able to take ideas away with us and conform them to our own. We then as a group looked into a number of different magazines covers so we were able to get an idea of an appropriate title and layout. 'Empire' magazine specifically caught our eye as we found the bold red font emphasised the genre of our film, especially as red is symbolic for death.

V for Vendetta - Film Narrative Presentation

As a group we had to do a presentation of the narrative in the film V for Vendetta, I focused on the Levi Strauss Theory

Typical Gangster Plot

Typical Crime and Gangster films are established around their sinister actions of criminals, usually they are seen breaking the law through violent and ruthless behaviour murdering their way through life so they are able to achieve their goals. this specific genre often highlight the life of a crime figure or their victims.Often they glorify the rise and fall of a specific criminals typically gangs, bank robbers, murderers and lawbreakers experiencing personal power struggles or conflict with law and order figures, a competitive colleague, or a rival gang etc. Typical roles in this genre consist of crime reporters or real life gangsters to create headline-grabbing situations. The usual settings are locations such as large crowded cities which provide a view of the secret world for a criminal gangster. Streets with neon signs and dark nightclubs also tend to be stereotypical along with fast cars, stacks of money, contraband, big houses or seeding living conditions. 

  Stereotypical gangsters tend to be street smart, immoral, materialistic, megalomaniacal, and self-destructive. A significant gangster plot characteristic is rivalry with other criminals in gangster warfare. Crime plots typically include questions, for example how the criminal will be apprehended by police, special agents or lawful authorities, or mysteries such as who stole the valued object or who slaughtered the victim and how. They rise to power with a tough cruel facade yet show an ambitious desire for success and recognition, although underneath they can express sensitivity and gentleness. The background of a gangster is usually poor immigrant families meaning gangster characters often fall prey to crime in the pursuit of wealth, status, and material possessions such as clothes and cars as their normal avenues to the top are unavailable to them. Although they are doomed to failure and inevitable to a violent death, criminals can sometimes be portrayed as the victims of circumstance, as the stories are told from their point of view. 

Typical Gangster Clothing

Our earliest film being ‘The Godfather’ released in 1972,  we thought it would work to our advantage if we did some research on the background, specifically the 1950’s, of where the typical gangster clothing originated from so we were able to not only get a better understanding but also reflect this into our own work. In the 1950’s Gangsters were often features on Television and in films which made their distinctive fashion well known. However, most Gangsters in the 1950’s portrayed an image of a stereotypical business man because of their formal attire. Typical gangster clothing was extremely similar to the usual outfit worn by a large majority of men in the 50’s enabling them to blend in. This kind of outfit consisted of included a slim-fitting suit, fedora and a skinny tie with a simple design.

Fedora

In the 1950s, men's fashion was dominated by conformity. A distinguishing feature of gangsters in the 1950s was their hats, which was commonly known as a fedora. The gangster fedora originated in the 1930s and came in a range of colours. Gangsters were looked upon negatively and stereotyped as thieves and murders; yet a majority of gangsters conveyed an image of a typical businessman because of their formal attire.

Skinny Necktie

Another distinctive feature of gangsters in the 1950s was the skinny necktie. The 40s and 50s was a brilliant time in history for the classic necktie, especially for fashion aficionados or men with money. However, there was much advancement in the men's necktie, which became an essential for the '50s gangster. Men acted and dressed less conservatively after WW II so tie designers were able to expand their necktie lines. In the late '50s, ties became very narrow and were decorated with simple designs. Many gangsters wore the skinny up until the early '60s when neckties became wider and more colourful.

Slimmer Suits

In the 1950s gangsters dressed very similar to the common businessman, not only because of their fedora, but also because they wore suits. The style of men’s suits in the '50s remained conservative and didn’t change an awful lot from the '40s styles. Suit trousers typically hid the cuffs and normally the pleats. The suit jackets were much slimmer than they are today and classically had two to four buttons. Wool was one of the most popular fabrics used for suits, while sharkskin was sometimes worn by wealthier men. Usually the suits were sold and paired with a fedora style hat and a skinny tie.