Full length treatment

I decided to re-jig the treatment and made amendments to the cutting of character Dave.

Treatment: Feature film


Film: The Gallants

Duration: 90 Minutes

Audience: Those who are interested in British style gangster thrillers.

15 age rating for imitable behaviour, drugs, violence and strong

language.

Possibly suited for those interested in crime thrillers.

synopsis: Frank is threatening William (Easter) and his gang to get back the money they owe him. They plan to steal a Lowry painting from a local rich businessman. Sergei a Russian criminal and his gang both plan to steal the same painting. Both unaware of the others plans they turn up at different times at night and a gangster war begins to claim the painting. A gigantic blood bath begins where Micky loses his life.

Easter and the rest of the mob begin to plan revenge. They create a trap by paying some other gangsters to lead Sergei's gang to their downfall. Unaware that the police are listening in, Easter’s plan backfires and he gets jailed. His gang plan to get him out. They break him out and have a narrow escape from the police.

Easter and his mob find Sergei’s hideout they trash the place and warn them their days are numbered. A big shoot out occurs in the suburbs of London. Easter his own gang turn against him to steal the painting and get the money. They kill Easter in a gruesome fashion. A final bloodbath occurs for everyone to try and claim the painting. Only Sergei alone becomes victorious. However whilst trying to escape Frank kills him learning the whereabouts of the painting which he claims for himself.

Suggested Elements:

a) Flashback to Sergei killing the real guest

b) Special Effects for guns shots and violence.

c) Unexpected twist at the end of the story.

d) Filmed in local British locations.

e) Narration by lead character

Shooting script- exterior bookies scene

Only 1 shot will be used, this is a establishing long shot which will only last a few seconds.

Shooting script- Office scene

This is the shooting script of the office scene in which Frank is on the phone to Easter.

1. Close up of graph
2. Pans to inside the office towards table
3. Medium close up
4. Close up
5. Freeze frame
6. Medium close up
7. Close up of cup
8. Camera movement on cup
9. Close up
10. Medium close up
11. Close up phone
12. Close up of cup
13. Camera movement of putting cup down

Note: all shots will be in high angle of Frank to show his power.

Shooting script- Last scene (Dark room)

These are the shots that will be used in the final scene of the film with Sergei and Dunc.

1.     Medium close up of Sergei

2.     Close up of him picking up drink

3.     Camera follows the glass as he drinks it

4.     Close up Dunc pouring drink

5.     Medium close up

6.     Panning shot of dunc walking to table

7.     Close up of putting drink down

8.     Medium shot of Dunc talking

9.     Shot reverse shot

10.   Medium close up showing newspaper

11.   Close up

12.   Shot reverse shot

13.   Medium close up

Note: all shots of Sergei are in low angle and shots of Dunc in high angle to show that Sergei is employed by Dunc.

Shooting script- pub scene

1. Establishing shot of pub
2. Long shot of Easter in the centre of the shot
3. Panning long shot of Easter walking to the table
4. Medium-close up shot of Easter sitting down
5. Close up of Mickey speaking
6. Medium shot showing both Easter & Mickey- to show Easter's response
7. Shot reverse shot Mickey and Easter speaking (give time to show Easter's facial expression after Mickey finishes speaking)
8. Medium close up of Easter still speaking
9. Close up to show Mickey's facial expression
10. Medium close of Mickey reading newspaper
11. Close up of Mickey reading out from the newspaper
12. Shot reverse shot of Easter's expression then back to Mickey still speaking
13. Medium shot of Easter
14. Close up of Easter reaching for his pint
15. Medium close up of Easter drinking pint
16. Close up of Easter putting down his pint.

Script: Pub scene

Due to a character being cut, amendments needed to be made to the script.  Here is the result of the adjustments:

Title sequence storyboard

This is the storyboard of our title sequence. They will be still frame animated images, which move along introducing each character in the film.

This is the first image, a medium close-up shot of a firing gun.

The second image introduces the title of the film, a bullet moves across the scene from left to right.

This is a medium close-up shot of Sergei with a flickering background. The bullet still moving across the screen.

This is another medium close up of character Dave.

Medium shot of characters Dave and Mickey.

Medium close up of character Frank

Medium close up of character Easter.

Fade to black background before the film begins.









Additional notes: The bullet continues to move through the different characters, as if the screen following the bullet to introduce the different characters of the film.

Location: Small room

Location will be in a small room, possibly quite dark or poorly lit.

We chose it to be fairly dark to add suspense to the scene and to give the effect that something is not quite right.

Props needed for filming:

Table
2 chairs
Bottle of vodka (filled with water)
2 glasses
Pictures of artwork on walls
Newspaper
Pictures of music i.e. bands

Counter

Lights (used to adjust lighting)

Location: Office

Location will be of an available office or room made to look like an office within the Honeywell building site.

This is the room we will be using as Frank's office.

Props needed for filming.


Desk

Cup
Telephone

Whiteboard

Charts
Plant

Chair

Title Sequence ideas

This is the title sequence from Smokin' Aces, I liked the idea of the colours used and the way the names of the actors appeared. I may consider incorporating similar ideas into the title sequence of my own film.

Title sequence from Blown Away, this is similar to the Smokin' Aces title sequence. I like the idea of switching to different characters and the movement of how they switched. Also, the close in and zooming out greatly interested me and maybe something to consider in my own. As well as, it was made more intriguing by the way that all the characters were in action poses.

This is another interesting opening sequence from the film RocknRolla. I like the idea of the characters seem to be separate from the background and the images are moving. I like the 2D cartoon-like effect very much and intend to use something similar in my own title sequence.

The Gallants-Script

This is our first draft of the script. Amendments may be needed, depending on whether the film runs over the 2minutes or is less. Also, improvements may be added at a later date, this all relies on whether or not we are happy with the current condition of the script.

Script inspiration: Snatch

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Snatch.html
I looked at this script to influence me on how to write my own and how to set it all out.

Character Profile: Dunc

Full name Duncan Cocker. Dunc is not really a main character, but he is used as a plot device to introduce Sergei and reveal his character more. He is an art enthusiast and employs Sergei to steal the Lowry painting for him. Dunc has great knowledge of of art and often paints his own pictures. As an adolescent he went to art school, but was excluded due to his drug addiction. He now uses his various links as potential buyers who do not ask any questions. He does not get involved in the 'dirty work' due to him being physically being thin and lack of imposing threat. He was born into a middle class family, or upper lower class in the intake of Sheffield. Despite his fairly high status, he does have a strong Yorkshire accent.

Appearance wise he is tall, thin and appears unkempt. He has messy hair and has a beard and wears thick framed glasses. He is a smoker and often experiments with various drugs, mainly pills, but he has an addiction to heroin.

Character profile: Sergei Ivanov

Sergei is 24 years old. Nobody really knows a great deal about this character, which adds to his mysteriousness and makes him seem more dangerous. He is often referred to as 'the Russian' usually due to an inability by other characters to pronounce his name. Born in the outskirts of Moscow and to a poor family, he quickly learned tricks of the streets and was alreadt a skilled thief by the time he was 14.

He is a very quiet character and rarely speaks, but when he does it's something usually surprising and eloquent. He does not actually speak within the beginning of the film. He is employed by famous paintings collector Dunc, because of his expertise in large scale heists in his homeland, Russia. These heists involved organised bank robberies and stealing large amounts of illegal drugs, mainly cocaine.

Due to his intelligence and ability to pose as people of higher class (i.e. pretending to be a rich business owner), defines him as a very successful conman and thief. Though unimpressive in appearance, thin, pale, and of average height-perhaps even below and scruffy, he is extremely dangerous and can have episodes of psychotic behaviour. This usually happens when drunk or under the influence of
drugs. He has often caused great physical harm to people and has killed 7 people in such events.

He is an occasional smoker and user of narcotics, he is an avid whisky drinker and he is very often in bars. 

Character Profile: Will Easter

Full name William Easter, but known to his friends as 'Easter'.

He is in his late 20s, approximately 27/28 years of age. Technically he is unemployed but makes his money selling stolen good and pharmaceuticals. Despite this illegal activity he has never been sentenced to jail, however he has served a few community services mainly when he was a teenager for joyriding and selling pills to schoolmates.

Easter is realistically the leader of the group, he is also the narrator of the beginning of the film and main character. He is more or less the anti-hero of the film, but struggles to fulfill this criteria due to his many flaws, thus leads to his downfall without really achieving a great potential. He is cleverer than his friends, which leads him to be the leader of the group, though he is not an official leader and should not be confused as their boss.

Easter would have probably achieved more in life it hadn't been his gambling problem and occasional drug use. Being an avid gambler has led to the situations he has got himself into with crime-lord Frank, who Easter owes money to. This gambling addiction ultimately leads to his downfall.

Treatment

Treatment: Feature film

Film: The Gallants

Duration: 90 Minutes

Audience: Those who are interested in British style gangster thrillers.

15 age rating for imitable behaviour, drugs, violence and strong

language.

Possibly suited for those interested in crime thrillers.

synopsis: Frank is threatening William (Easter) and his gang to get back the money they owe him. They plan to steal a Lowry painting from a local rich businessman. Sergei a Russian criminal and his gang both plan to steal the same painting. Both unaware of the others plans they turn up at different times at night and a gangster war begins to claim the painting. A gigantic blood bath begins where Micky loses his life.

Easter and the rest of the mob begin to plan revenge. They create a trap by paying some other gangsters to lead Sergei's gang to their downfall. Unaware that the police are listening in, Easter’s plan backfires and he gets jailed. His gang plan to get him out. They break him out and have a narrow escape from the police.

Easter and his mob find Sergei’s hideout they trash the place and warn them their days are numbered. A big shoot out occurs in the suburbs of London. Easter his own gang turn against him to steal the painting and get the money. They kill Easter in a gruesome fashion. A final bloodbath occurs for everyone to try and claim the painting. Only Sergei alone becomes victorious. However whilst trying to escape Frank kills him learning the whereabouts of the painting which he claims for himself.

Suggested Elements:

a) Flashback to Sergei bribing Easters gang.

b) Special Effects for explosions and violence

c) Unexpected twist in the story

d) Filmed in local British locations.

Characters

Much time was spent trying to think of suitable names to call each of the characters, we decided that there would be approximately 5 to 6 characters. However, one of the characters is never introduced and is only used as a plot device to introduce another character. So realistically there are only 5 main characters, but there will be 6 actors within the film.

William Easter: The main character. Usually reffered to by his surname.
Frank: The gangster.
Mickey: Best friend of 'Easter'. Sees him as a brother.
Dave: Friend of Mickey and Easter. Part of the heist.
Sergei: Russian guy, plans to steal the same thing as Mickey, Easter and Dave.
Unknown man: Fills Sergei in on the details, but name is not revealed in the 2minutes.

Title of film: The Gallants

There was much thought considering a title name. As this is the first thing an audience sees, it needs to stand out and capture the audiences imagination, or at least their interest. A title can determine the success or failure of a film, so it's a pretty important decision. Usually, a film has a title that is relevant to it's genre or story. Although, this is not the case and a completely irrelevant title or ironic titles are used, to add a twist or a sense of suspense to the film.

 I decided it would have to be relevant to the object that will be stolen in the story. The task made more difficult by the fact that we had not yet decided what would be stolen. Most common heists include; banks, jewellery, famous paintings, and other valuable antiques.

Diamonds would possibly be an objective. However names involving Diamond, i.e. "Diamond Chase"may seem a little cheesy or cliche.

Other title names could include the word "Crime". However, this is regularly done, thus making it more attractive to opt for the word "criminal" involved in the title. An instance of "criminal" involved in the title would be "Ordinary Decent Criminal".

I find the idea of using an ironic title quite intriguing, though the only problem is that it's not relating to the genre of the film. Though in many films the title does not relate to the actual film, or doesn't give a clear indication to what the film is about. I like the idea of naming the film "The Gallants" as gallant means to be noble or of great dignity, this being ironic as the idea of planning a heist and the likelihood of crime within the film is definitely not noble.

After reviewing many ideas I decided that my favourite would be "The Gallants".

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

Film ideas

We have been looking at numerous opening sequences for a Gangster Thriller. The ones we took most interest in were Snatch, Lock stock and two smoking barrels, Reservoir Dogs and Goodfellas. We plan to make a British Gangster Thriller so naturally Lock Stock and Snatch will be looked at most.

Here are the opening titles to Snatch:


I believe that Snatch has a very good opening title sequence, I like the idea of the freeze frame on the characters with their names and I will try to incorporate a similar idea into the project. I also like the graphic matching and I will look into and aim to use this idea in my own film if possible.