The document discusses conventions and elements commonly found in gangster films. It describes gangster films as focusing on criminals operating outside the law through violent acts like murder and theft. Key elements include organized crime, weapons, drugs, violence, car chases, and tough male characters. Gangs typically aim to gain power and wealth through escalating criminal acts. The costumes are usually suits and long coats, and settings involve crime scenes and police confrontations. Several gangster film openings are then analyzed in terms of their use of mise-en-scène elements like costumes, props, lighting, shots, and sound.

1. Conventions of a gangster
Film

2. Conventions of a gangster films
• The specific sub-genre that I intend to work in is a mob gangster film. Crime and
Gangster Films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters,
particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate
outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life.
• http://www.slideshare.net/Parasko/media-gangster-conventions-task-2?related=1

3. What makes a gangster film a gangster
film?
• Organised Crime
• Weapon’s and Guns
• Drugs-Cocaine,Heroin,Ecstasy
• Men acting tough
• Car chases
• Blood/Killing
• Violence at most corners
In most gangster films, a lot of the time there is a particular person who wants to
become rich and powerful possible, and they will do as much as they can until
they can get to that. They mainly start at low key crime and then work their
way up to big drug deals and so on. The main people are normally close
friends or close family. In most gangster films, there are a lot of bloody and
violent scenes and also car chases and police shootouts. The costumes are
normally suits or other smart clothing and mainly long coats and hats.

4. Mise en scene
• Modern Gangster:
• Younger
• Rich
• Jeans
• Jewellery
• Knife/Guns
• Bowler Hats
• Traditional Gangster:
• Commonly Male
• Black Suit
• White Shirt
• Black Tie
• Knife/Guns
• Cigar/Cigarettes
• Bowler Hats
Here is an
example of a
Modern Gangster
Here is an
example of a
Traditional
Gangster

5. Scarface Opening Analysis
• In the opening of Scarface there is a lot of ideas of mise en scene. The immigrants are wearing
scruffy clothes that you would normally see in that day and age and the gangsters are wearing the
usual suits or long coats and bowler hats. They use different props for different characters, the
police officers or soldiers all have guns and bags and some of them have speaker phones as well.
The immigrants all have suitcases or bags because they need their belongings for their new life. The
setting is at see and on boats because it is showing the immigrants arriving in the us. There is
different uses of different types of sound. There is non-diegetic music that’s starts from the opening
titles and carries on throughout the opening. After the titles finish and the scene starts there is
some diegetic sound of boats and people shouting that go with what we see in the scene and this is
over the top of the non-diegetic sound/music. When the films kicks in/the opening finishes, the
non-diegetic music increases in volume to start the main narrative of the film. There is a bit of
editing in the opening, for example the titles are put in that say things like “A Martin Bregman
Production” and these are all in black background with red text. The footage itself is mainly edited
using quick cuts to different angles of the scene of a different scene. There is a range of different
shot types and camera movements in the opening. Mid-shots, longshots and establishing shots are
used to show people. Movements such as tracks, zooms, crab movements and pan across are used
when filming the boats and people that are moving around so need a camera movement to follow
them/stay with them.

6. Scarface Screenshots
Close Up – Showing emotion
Camera Pan Across
Props – Guns and Speakerphone
Costume – scruffy clothes and army outfit
Prop – Flag + Pan Across
Editing – titles in black and red

7. The Godfather Opening Analysis
• In the godfather opening, there is a lot of use of mise en scene. The characters
costumes are smart; suits or long coats and hats. The lighting is low level which
links in with the scene because gangsters do dark/bad work so the dark room
helps create that atmosphere. They use props like glasses with drink in them and
also weapons. These weapons help portray the fact that they are gangsters. The
set is a small office/study to show that the things they are talking about need to be
away from people and kept private. For the opening credits there is non-diegetic
music to go with the titles about the producers and actors. When the actual scene
starts the music stops and there is just diegetic sound of the men talking, the
glasses on the table and the cat purring/meowing. There is editing in the scene,
like the titles that have been put in to tell the audience who is in the film and so
on. These titles are a black background with white text. This looks smart and also
links with the film because they all dress smart. The scenes are edited using fades
and cuts. There is different uses of camera shots and movements in the opening.
For example, zooms and pan across movements are used to follow characters or
get a closer view of there facial expressions. There is use of mid shots and close
ups to get closer up to the character and see there reactions or facial expressions

8. The Godfather Screenshots
Titles – Black and White
Close up
Zoom out from close up to mid shot
Over the shoulder shot
Lighting – low level in a small room
Prop – Glass of drink
Costume - Suits

9. The Goodfellas Opening Analysis
• The opening of Goodfellas uses a lot of ideas on mise en scene. The costumes of the characters are
smart suits or coats. They uses props like guns, knifes and keys. The guns and knifes link in with the
fact that they are gangsters. The lighting in the scene is dark like other openings. This dark lighting
helps create the atmosphere of a bad thing that is going to happen. The setting is in a car/on a road
at first and then it is on the side of the road where most of it happens. There isn't many people
around which again links in with the fact that they are gangsters and go to remote places to do their
dirty work. There is different uses if sound types, firstly when the opening titles of actors names
and directors are coming up there is use of non-diegetic sounds. When the titles finish and the
scene starts there is diegetic noise/sound of cars driving and then the gangsters speaking in the car.
There is also sounds like a gun shot and tyre bursting that were probably enhanced to sound louder.
There is a voice over towards the end of the opening which gives the audience a bit of information
to help them understand the scene. There is a bit of editing like putting in the titles like “Warner
Brothers Film” which is a black background with white text. Also quick cuts between outside the car
and inside, and a camera track when the gangsters walk around to the back of the car to open the
boot. There is a variety of camera shots including close up and mid-shots of the gangsters when
they are driving and also the man dead in the boot. There s also a long-shot/establishing shot to
show the gangsters when they get out of the car and show roughly the kind of place they are at.
There is a extreme close up of the gun because it is an object of significance in the scene. There is a
pan across/track camera movement that follows the gangsters when they walk around.

10. The Goodfellas Screenshots
Titles – Black and White Camera track/follow
Mid shot/two shot Establishing/long shot
Camera track as they walk Zoom in on boot
Long shot + props – gun, spade
Costume – suits/ blazers Object of significance - gun
Freeze-frame for voice over

11. The Gangster Squad Opening Analysis
• The Gangster Squad opening features a lot of ideas on mise en scene. Firstly the
characters use props such as guns to help with the gangster look. The costume at
the beginning is boxing gear but then smart suits or dinner jackets and coats. Also
bowler hats when they are trying to keep a low profile. The lighting in the scene is
dark which helps create an atmosphere of bad things. It tells the audience that the
people in the scene are bad or something bad is going to happen, like pathetic
fallacy. The set is mainly in the city in a remote area so the gangsters can do bad
things and get away with it. There is different types of sound within the opening
such as non-diegetic music that is intense to go with the scene where killing is
happening, then there is cheerful music when it cuts to a different day and
nothing bad is happening. There is diegetic sounds of dogs howling and the
gangsters speaking to each other. There is also diegetic sounds of car engines and
chains rattling to go with what we see in the scene. There is editing in the scene
like all the titles saying things like “A Warner Brothers Production” . There is a
flicker from the titles that then goes into the start of the film which is good
because it keeps the film flowing. There is camera effects like slow motion to build
suspense or allow sounds to be heard more clearly. Also there is a range of shots
like mid-shots and close-ups on the characters so we can see there expressions or
action more clearly.

12. Gangster Squad Screenshots
Titles – Black and White Camera track/follow
Mid shot/two shot Establishing/long shot
Camera track as they walk Zoom in on boot
Long shot + props – gun, spade
Costume – suits/ blazers Object of significance - gun
Freeze-frame for voice over