Research Overview

A Research Overview

What I have learnt from my research is firstly that I have chosen to work in a genre that is really quite difficult and also a little out-dated. Because the title genre of crime film is an umbrella term it has a lot of aspects of things like film noir and the idea of old fashioned crime families that operate on a system of honour. As I continued to research I realized that a more modern form of crime film one that would appeal to a more modern audience is the idea of the undercover detective who would go into the world of terrorism.

My favourite opening scene that I researched was the Godfather as it is a sequence could capture the audience with just the first words and the first shot of the man. The scene is not only brilliant at the beginning but the way it develops it also incredible it has an air of theatricality about it. You find yourself holding your breath and trying to guess what is going to happen. It is also a film that is about the fear that you build up yourself it is about how the audience appreciates the action that is taking place.

I also realized that the kind of crime I lean towards more is the kind of aspect of political thrillers which are meant to evoke a reaction in the audience. A lot of political thrillers also seem to want to prove to the audience that the protagonist is also the antagonist. They are not often people that the normal person can relate to. They live in such a far removed world from that of the real person. It is the idea of much removed verisimilitude.

Another aspect of most crime films especially the more political thriller kind is that they are very dark. The image can often seem like a movement of shadows and when it is the secret service this is what they would want to show the audience that they are not a shining light they have to take on the role of evil to allow good to prevail.

The camera work of the film is that there needs to be a lot of close ups on the characters faces so that the audience can see their reaction to show the audience is that there is some kind of humanity that surrounds the characters. The camera does not try to show a lot of establishing shots because usually there is not that much to show what is going on in the scene is not about where they are it is a lot about what is happening. Another feature of the films is that there is a lot of over the shoulder shots or people shown in profile or half-light again to reflect the nature of their character.

Music used in these kinds of films is also often very subtle and leans towards a classical style of music rather than using electric instruments. There is usually some kind of solo piano type of piece and this is because the film relies heavily on a good script and good acting. The film is all about the character and their perceptions and not so much about everything else. For example the film the “J. Edgar” is all about his key line which is “My side of the story” but as the film continues the audience is shown that Edgar’s side of the story is wrong it is all exaggeration and made up. Therefore the films use a lot of voice over especially in the opening scene. Or the film might show the audience the scene and let them be a part of a conversation that the audience can’t see happening straight away but they can hear what is happening. I think this is to give the audience an idea of what the topic of the film is.

These kinds of films have a very large focus on the idea of character the film centres on the character but they are often characters who the audience don’t know a lot about they are hard to relate to and they are often very introverted characters. Also there is the idea that the film is about the story so or the uniform and they are trying to define the people by their job which is the idea of an erased sense of individuality but it is ironic in the end because their collective ideals are what make them all so different because these people are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get what they want.

The “Good Shepherd” is a good example of this idea that the protagonists are actually the antagonist when the main character goes to visit a criminal and has a conversation with him and this man tells him the protagonist “you’re the guys that scare me.”

Another common aspect of these films is that they often start with a flashback and have a juxtapostion of time throughout the film.

So I have decided that as a result of my research I am going to make my opening sequence about a man who is preparing to go undercover in a terrorist organization….. (more to follow)