Research Time

        It is about that time to start my research on our film's genre; a crime drama (with comedic elements) specifically under the sub-genre of a film-noir. First and foremost, what exactly is a crime film? I found online (https://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/crime) that a crime film is a genre that surrounds the action of a criminal mastermind, often revolving around his rise and fall. Some crime films tell a story, while others will follow the character in pursuit of the criminal. The criminal's character is typically male, middle aged and the victim is female, however these roles can be reversed which will be seen in my film opening. Also, it is typical for this genre to be mysterious, either through the plot or the characters themselves.

        Here are some examples of crime films:

• Fargo- A car salesman is in debt and orders two men to kidnap his wife to collect her ransom money
•  The Silence of the Lambs- An FBI agent forms a relationship with a serial killer to find another serial killer
• Reservoir Dogs- a group of professional criminals are brought together for a robbery that fails   

Within the crime genre, there are a few sub-genres that exist (which I will list and briefly explain below) however, my film opening falls under film-noir so I will focus my research more into that specific area. Here is where I found all of this information: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FilmNoir

• Film Noir: a stylistic 1940s and 50s crime genre that is characterized by a black and white visual style and stark lighting effects. The main character is typically a cynical hero and various flashbacks are used to explain the plot. Common plots include murder investigations, heists, and innocent men/woman wrongly accused of crime. Cigarette smoking is a common element of the mise-en-scene seen in these films as well, which is what Alex and I want to show. In addition, camera angles are often unique and unusual, heightening the viewers sense of unease, adding to the atmosphere. Finally, protagonists in film noir are often normal people who get involved in crime because of psychological or personal motivations, not social or circumstantial. Example: Sunset Boulevard

Other sub-genres of the crime genre!

• Neo-Noir: A modern film that takes on the characteristics of the film noir with modern updates in terms of visual and media elements. Themes are updated to fit with current society. Example: Sin City 
• Crime-Thriller: incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. This sub-genre's plot centers on a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. It is unique to crime films because the storyline focuses both on the criminal and protagonist. Example: Fugitive     

Buffam, Noelle. "Crime." The Script Lab. The Script Lab, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

"Film Noir." TV Tropes. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.