This document is an evaluation of the author's opening scene for a media production on gangster genre conventions. The opening uses conventions like violence and guns as props common to gangster films. It also draws on specific films for inspiration - the low lighting and dark tone of scenes from The Godfather, and the unexpected setting of a scene from The Dark Knight. The author analyzes other film openings but avoids replicating them directly. Universals' opening sequence is included as the production company associated with gangster films. The evaluation shows how the author's opening both employs and challenges gangster genre conventions through influences from referenced films.

1. By Alicem Meter
EVALUATION

2. My genre is gangster and the conventions or the norms in Gangster movies is usually
involves a lot of violence and the props are usually guns or knifes and in my opening I
used a gun as a prop. Gangster movies usually have mafia bosses which operate a
group of a family like in The Untouchables, The Godfather and Goodfellas.
My opening is also like many other gangster movies where binary opposites are used its
good versus evil and one character trying to explain himself.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR
MEDIA PRODUCT USE,
DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCTS?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJU2cz9ytP
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHH
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http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=KYa1IsxG
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http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=a_z4IuxAqpE

3. I analysed the opening of RockNRolla, Gangster NO.1 and Lawless which really
helped me with my opening because I didn’t want my opening to be like any of them.
Lawless takes 7 minutes to get to the title and the opening for the first 3 minutes
shows the scenery then it gets into action I wanted to get straight into the action.
RockNRolla is mainly animated and there isn’t any actual acting going on.
In Gangster NO.1 there isn’t many acting as well but you can hear dialogue and they
cut away to a black background to show credits. The openings I analysed showed me
what I didn’t want to do for my own opening.
I used universals opening in the my opening sequence this is because they are one of
the movie production companies I analysed that would produce gangster movies.
QUESTION ONE
CONTINUED…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sim6Bxt_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRTymVjdLNQ

4. I looked at the Godfather’s first scene and the dark lighting set the tone and I wanted to use
that in my first scene. I looked at the Joker scene with the mob in Batman and its set in the
kitchen of a restaurant which is unexpected so I started my first scene in the back of a shops
stock room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K3E5tLoa
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPTAjNVv
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5. I tried to use low key lighting as well in my opening but we
only had a small lap available so we used it somewhere
where it would look dark and the only place that its
actually bright is when your right next to the light. The
Godfather even though the whole room is light up its still
a dark and gloomy place creating an atmosphere which
you find in other gangster movies.

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXCMz340
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The scene in American Gangster and my opening there is a similar scene because the guy asks
for his money and when he doesn’t get the money straight away shoots him in the head and in
my scene the Eren shoots the guy that’s been hired to get him straight away when he is called a
snitch.