Conventions of a Gangster Thriller

To ensure the film is an effective piece of work I researched the rules of a conventional Gangster thriller film...

I looked at many well known films (some mentioned in previous posts) to gain ideas and see what is common in the films. I soon realised that most Gangster Films involve some kind of heist, revenge, or other personal gain, if not involving all these aspects. I also noticed that the "villain" (the gangster), would suffer a violent comeuppance, i.e. "Bricktop" from Snatch.

Other story conventions include a hero who dislikes his low status in life and wants more, more often an anti-hero, or either they're in some kind of trouble and need to make money in order to pay the debt. This debt is usually owed to the Gangster, and if they do not pay it back then they will be killed.

There are also common methods in which the films are made, which includes editing lighting, specific angle/shot types and the audio. I also noticed that when something fast paced such as the heist at the start of Snatch occurred, then there would be a lot of cutting, which is something I will pay attention to. Long shots or medium to long shots should be used to give context to the surrounding, close ups when necessary to show expressions and force the audience to focus on just the character speaking. Shot-reverse shot will be required and it is a necessity to stick to the 180 degree rule to keep the film fluid.  A classic Gangster film would use little lighting and would be dark, however a modern day one wouldn't be as dark, but it is important to not be too bright as it deters from the genre, low contrasting should be used.

Another idea is using cut to black, this allows shooting in a different location without having to show the characters traveling there, or doesn't seem like random cutting making it more fluid. It is particularly effective near the start of Reservoir Dogs when they cut from the cafe to walking to their cars. This is an iconic scene as it introduces the actors and gives a close up of them. This is another thing I will look into when scripting/story boarding the film.

 Image of the scene where it cuts from the cafe to the car park, this shows all the main characters.














 Link to the scene...
Reservoir Dogs-walking intro