Research and Planning (Reservoir Dogs)

Another film I looked at was Reservoir Dogs. I felt that the organized crime genre has some parallels with the drug genre that we are looking to create. This is a still frame from the film:

This frame is from when they have a cop in the boot of their car. One thing that I found interesting about this was the choice of costume. They are all in suits which brings a sense of status to their characters because people with suits are generally dressed up to look smart for important events. When criminals wear clothing like this, it makes them seem important and as if their crime is something more of a big deal than petty theft that a regular person may commit. I might look to wear smart clothing in my clip to make my characters look like they are high status criminals, which is more interesting to watch.

Another aspect that is interesting is the fact that they are all smiling. This aspect of the actors' performance builds the idea that they are very casual about their crimes and the morality of it. This could imply that they have committed many crimes like this in the past and as a viewer it helps you build the picture of them as cold criminals. A nonchalant attitude towards crime is certainly something I want my characters to have and this aspect of performance could be a way to achieve this.

The fact that you can see Mr Blonde's gun clearly is a sign that he is quite open about his crimes. Whilst in America owning a gun isn't a crime, the fact that it is in plain sight shows that he is ready to use it at any moment. The use of props in this scene helps build an idea of their characters and appropriate props will be helpful for me in my prelim task.

Another part of this frame which adds to the genre is the POV shot of the man in the boot of the car. It creates a low angle shot on the criminals in the scene which makes them seem more powerful. Additionally the fact that you are placed in the eyes of the victim makes you more aware of what the criminals are doing and makes you more empathetic for the victim. This builds the image of the criminals as bad people even further. If I were to take any of the conventions of camera work from the this frame it would be the use of low or high angle shots to accurately create the sense of status I want certain characters to have.