3iortingagonists may have head, resulting in this life of crime.nnotes the shady aura of the location, as lots of crime ch theseGeneric Conventions

Mis-en-Scene - Costume:Characters in gangster films are most commonly seen wearing suits and ties, or other formal attire, along with jewellery. This connotes the luxury lifestyle, in which they live, as well as the power, riches and sophistication of these men on screen. Women in this genre are also usually dressed formally; regularly seen wearing dresses, makeup and expensive jewellery just like the males. A film that does not follow this tradition however is Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, as although its characters are usually wearing formal shirts, and sometimes even suits suits and ties are not a common outfit throughout the movie. This connotes that these men are not involved in organisations such as the mafia, like in most American gangster movies, such as the Godfather. Props:The most commonly used throughout the gangster genre are drugs, money and guns. This connotes the organised crime in which these men are frequently involved in, as well as the danger they may experience living this life style. These props are regularly used as denotations to tell the story of the film.

Setting:Movies of the gangster are usually set in an urban area of a big city, such as New York or London. This connotes the shady aura of the location, as lots of crime occurs in these areas. The housing estates denoted throughout these films connote the hard upbringing the antagonists may have head, resulting in this life of crime.

Lighting:The lighting in many gangster films is usually low-key. Blacks and greys are common. This signifies that most of the organised crime in which these gangsters commit is done during the night time, allowing them to easily escape in the shadows. Red is commonly seen as part of a scene in the mis-en-scene, as this connotes many themes, such as blood and danger, further signifying the risky lifestyle in which these men live.

Sound:Sounds in gangster movies are usually loud and diegetic. This includes guns, police sirens and dialogue. These will be synchronised with the action on screen. However there may be some non-diegetic sound also. This could include a voice over describing the events, signifying the scenes we are seeing are a flashback from the narrators memory, with the speech synchronous to the images. The non-diegetic soundtracks of the movie may be classical or old fashioned, this connotes the era in which many of these movies are set in.

Editing:Steady cams are used frequently in the gangster genre to record action scenes. This is effective when recording shootouts or car chases, possibly between a gangster and the police. The Zolly shot was first used in Goodfellas, as two characters are shown in a mid shot at a diner. There are a lot of low angles in gangster movies, connoting the power of the gangsters as the audience is made to look up them, feeling inferior. These may be POV shots from a victims vision. Establishing shots are used to show the urban settings.