1. Shedule
2. Codes &
conventions applied
Mise-en-scène
Setting: To create contrast for the comedic element, the “crime” takes place in a normal, everyday environment, starting from their house and extending to nearby locations. The abandoned house further enhances the humor, as the protagonists are scaredy-cats and clearly not skilled. The task locations: such as the café, nursery, and lamppost, have no real connection to each other, which adds to the peculiar setting and emphasizes the unserious nature of the situation.
Costume and Makeup: Often, when criminals are portrayed as unskilled and ordinary people who have accidentally stumbled into a situation, it is important that they look like their everyday selves. These characters are not anything special, so Haseeb and Abu Bakr are shown wearing only one outfit each that reflects their personalities. Haseeb wears a black button-up shirt to convey his reserved nature, while Abu Bakr wears pajamas to highlight his carefree attitude and disregard for societal norms, completing all the tasks in them. They are two unemployed men in their twenties, so there was no need for makeup.
Technical codes
Lighting: As lighting in such films is often ambient, we decided to rely on natural light. Most of the shots take place outdoors, so we utilized daylight for the day scenes. However, for the abandoned house scene at night, we used our phone flashlights, which worked effectively.
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Sound: We recorded the dialogue using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone and later extracted the audio during editing. This helped create verisimilitude and worked well in maintaining realism. For the comedic effect, Aisha and I chose slower-paced or operatic music to build suspense during editing, which enhanced the humour.
Editing: For editing, it was important to ensure that we had multiple takes of the same joke with slight variations in acting. This allowed us to choose the most effective version to ensure the joke landed well. Although this process was tedious, it provided us with several options during post-production, making the editing process easier. Timing was also crucial in a crime comedy, so we focused on using natural pauses to enhance realism. However, in faster sequences such as the task montage, we used quicker cuts to maintain pace, while in slower moments, like Abu Bakr dropping the briefcase in the abandoned house, we used longer shots to build suspense.
Camera Work: To create a sense of viewer involvement, we used a lot of handheld shots and close-ups to capture the protagonists facial expressions. This helped make the scenes feel more immersive and engaging. We also included a transition from day to night to enhance the comedic effect.
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props
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​TV (playing MrBeast)
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Remote
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Cardboard box
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Black bag (Hamna)
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Burner phone – Nokia (Aisha)
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Printed instructions (Filza)
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Cigarettes
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Lighter / Machis
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Red hat
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Board marker
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2 torches
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Cereal
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Bowls
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Spoons
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Printed paper (new text)
To create a sense of normalcy, we decided to have MrBeast playing on the TV to depict typical men in their twenties. We also included a scene of them smoking on a bench, further showcasing their relaxed and laid back demeanor.
The burner phone is used as a means of communication with the criminal masterminds who are assigning them tasks. Additionally, the use of a black bag and everyday items helps portray a crime taking place within an ordinary setting.
3. Behind
the scenes
4. Camera
work
5. Recounting the entire production process ;]