Wednesday 23 October 2013

Hostage's, Heists & Abductions

Film Research 

Hostage, Heist and Abduction situations in crime thriller films are no coincidence. I’m hoping that my film incorporates both a kidnapping and a hostage situation. I chose this type of crime because I felt that a lot of narrative and emotion can be structured around a kidnapping especially if its involving a young girl. I have taken into consideration the construction and setting of my film and I have decided that my film will be based on an abduction. However here are a few subgenres’ that involve crime and innocent people, which I was contemplating. The research into the conventions from all 3 of these is something that I really want to incorporate into my film.

Heists 

A heist film has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with prominent comic elements are often called caper movies typically, there are many twists in the plot and the film focuses on the characters' attempts to formulate a plan, carry it out, and escape with the goods. There is often a villain that must be either a figure of authority or a former partner who turned on the group or one of its members. Such examples of this include inside man, the town and the killing. Such themes in these films center on finical through such a crime. Even to the Hollywood of today, the genre still remains promising, as does films such as Oceans 11 and The Italian Job . Examples of the diversification of the heist film can take shape through comedy heist film such as the lady-killers; war heist films such as the monuments men and three kings and contempory heist films such as The Town. 




Hostages 

Some of the best hostages films have been made over the past 30 years. Hostage films usually do well in the box office. Hostage films that have been produced in the last 20 years have made 700 million dollars. This shows the demand and market for films that involve high-octane action, explosions and sharp tension. Such films include Argo, Captain Phillips, Speed and Collateral as well as others. Robert Egbert the famous American film critic stated that films such as speed belong in what he calls the “bruised forearm category.” His comments are very much suitable for the type of film that speed is as it grinds out tension and generate a manic exhilaration.  



Abductions

As cited before my opening sequence and overall film will feature the abduction of a teenage girl. Having seen Taken and Man on Fire I see these two films as my influences for the type of atmosphere that I am trying to create. Both Taken and Man on Fire have both grossed nearly $400 million. User reviews from sites such as Imdb have given positive reviews of both films as they offer something new and fresh to the thriller market and overall genre. Generally the up rise in films that see abductions taking place have a protagonist preferably a ex government agent of some sort trying to find the victim using there skills set. Like heist films film's involving abductions and kidnappings can diversify into smaller subgenres such as alien abduction, which is seen in films such as Super 8.    





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