Narrative Ideas

After watching multiple crime/thriller trailers, it is clear that most of them follow a similar pattern, but each have a different twist or core storyline, which separates them from the others. We would thus have to follow this pattern but slightly change our storyline to make it original. The normal structure most crime/thriller trailers goes as follows:

1. establishing shots and introduces main characters.
2. usually introduces 'antagonist' and shows disruption, which causes eventual conflict.
3. fast-paced montage bringing it together.

'Gangster Squad' is slightly different in that it introduces the 'antagonist' before the protagonists but it nonetheless works in creating a similar effect.

'Memento' is also different in style in that the trailer is more one continuously long act instead of three separate acts. This style worked well in conjunction with the storyline of the film itself and was an interesting influence for us. Pearce's character is off influence to us as we have been looking into this idea of having our main character as one with psychological issues.




Possible ideas for storyline:

• Similar to storyline in 'welcome to the punch' - we could have a detective cop who is after a criminal who has eluded him for years. Something causes the seemingly 'un-catchable' criminal to return and become vulnerable. 
• Similar to 'Hummingbird' - Something in the characters past has caused him trouble. He needs to over-come this but the only way is through crime? An event causes him to enter the world of crime in order to solve his problems? 
• Perhaps a love-interest is kidnapped or murdered and the seemingly normal man tracks down his love-interests killer? Revenge story? (Law Abiding Citizen, Taken). 
• Similar to 'Gangster Squad' - a team is assembled to take down a powerful criminal? perhaps just one 'everyday' man has to take down the powerful 'mob boss'?

Crime/Thriller films in the low-budget section have a less structured trailer in terms of the three act rule. Memento is a good example as aforementioned. As our film will not be high-budget we have been strongly influenced by the lower-budget crime/thriller/psychological movies as well as their higher budget counterparts. The lower-budget films are more character based as seen in 'memento' and rely more on the use of clever shots and interesting locations instead of just guns and expensive cars. We would like to replicate this, but deploy some of the techniques used in higher budget films as they are more available to us, due to the fact that it will be set in London. Location is something we are looking to take full advantage off as their are so many possible filming locations scattered all over the city. We are looking to incorporate techniques from both ends of the spectrum in order to create the desired effect.

MT