For my short film there is a hitman who is played by a 21 year old. My friend pointed out how it's he's too young looking to play one. But it seems that a 21 year old could be a hitman. I read in the paper about a pimp who was arrested who was only 12 years old, employed by a gang. So if a gang has no problem employing a 12 year old pimp in real life, why is it so hard for audiences to believe in employed youth criminals in the movies?
Are audiences skeptical in believing in youth criminal characters?
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Here's the thing Harmonica, There ARE 21 year old hitmen. There might even be 16 year old hired assassins in some part of the world. HOWEVER, most of the short films that students make have young people in the cast so a 21 year old hitman in a short film will look like a "student" actor not a real hitman. HOWEVER #2 if you can explain why this hitman is so young. (He's an apprentice hitman or whatever) then I think you at least have a so called "justification" for the young casting. Make sense?
Look at the movie Kill Bill. The character O-Ren Ishii played by Lucy Liu was an assassin at an early age. She was portrayed in animation, but the main thing is the actor has to "sell" the role.
The movie The Big Hit has a bunch of young hit men. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120609/
But as stated below the actors and the material really sell it! This might be tough to pull off.
But as stated below the actors and the material really sell it! This might be tough to pull off.
Acting is easy, so is filmmaking, editing & sound ??? HOWEVER do what you know you can pull off. Just Do It !
Well I can't explain the hitman's young age now that the film is already shot. He is only in one scene anyway. Two of the actors are 40-60 though, so will that help make it look like it's not a student film?
There is really no such thing as hired "hit man" who sits by the phone waiting for a phone call, that's a Hollywood invention. There are people with sociopathic personalities that are not bothered by killing, and there are people in criminal organizations who are, for lack of a better term, designated hitters (who tend to be sociopathic personalities), but they do other real "work" for their parent organization. It is not too terribly unusual that these criminal organizations to "trade" guys who do a hit so that they are out-of-towners and harder to trace (guy from NYC goes to Philly, for example).
And there are the religious fanatics who blow themselves up (not-so-smart bombs - sorry) but they are only one-time assassins.
It's a well-known secret that many of the most hard-core drug gangs use murder and other forms of terror as "enforcement" and even initiation. So yes, a 21 year old could be a "hit man." Your biggest issue is scripting a believable rationale that the audience will accept and an actor who can pull it off.
BTW, FYI, the word "assassin" derives from the word "Hashshashin" (hashish). In Persia (Iran) there was a sect of Islam who were probably the first documented assassins, although they were more soldiers in the sense of Jihad as a theocratic military action, almost akin to modern-day special-ops groups. They would smoke hashish to give them a vision of Paradise before they left on their mission. Of course, the use of drugs is totally against all Islamic teachings....
And there are the religious fanatics who blow themselves up (not-so-smart bombs - sorry) but they are only one-time assassins.
It's a well-known secret that many of the most hard-core drug gangs use murder and other forms of terror as "enforcement" and even initiation. So yes, a 21 year old could be a "hit man." Your biggest issue is scripting a believable rationale that the audience will accept and an actor who can pull it off.
BTW, FYI, the word "assassin" derives from the word "Hashshashin" (hashish). In Persia (Iran) there was a sect of Islam who were probably the first documented assassins, although they were more soldiers in the sense of Jihad as a theocratic military action, almost akin to modern-day special-ops groups. They would smoke hashish to give them a vision of Paradise before they left on their mission. Of course, the use of drugs is totally against all Islamic teachings....
Okay in order for me to know how to handle this, I have to know why the audience needs 21 explained. Like I said 12 year old pimps in real life, and 21 is an intelligent enough age, to go around murdering people, and being smart enough to cover your tracks. It's not like he would be under 18 and hasn't reached that level of intelligence. Plus a lot of gang members are young anyway. I don't get why in the movies audiences feel that criminals have to be old, when it is completely plausible. And that's what I need to know before I can continue on that with young actors. I mean why aren't audiences smart enough to realize that gangs have no problem using men in their early 20s as enforcers? It's hard for me to sell plausibility if the audience is just going to be naive anyway.
I love developing characters, but if it's just a one scene role, even in a feature, I don't think I should have to develop a whole cameo character, just so the audience believes it. explaining why the character is a hitman insults the supposed intelligence of the audience. In Die Hard they did not have to explain why every minor thug was a robber. And if they did I am sure a lot of us would have felt it was unnecessary. My next script calls for a hitman to sneak into a house and kill someone. That's his only scene and he is not a main character. How do I explain why, so the audience will get it, if he has no one to talk to, and has to be quiet while killing?
I love developing characters, but if it's just a one scene role, even in a feature, I don't think I should have to develop a whole cameo character, just so the audience believes it. explaining why the character is a hitman insults the supposed intelligence of the audience. In Die Hard they did not have to explain why every minor thug was a robber. And if they did I am sure a lot of us would have felt it was unnecessary. My next script calls for a hitman to sneak into a house and kill someone. That's his only scene and he is not a main character. How do I explain why, so the audience will get it, if he has no one to talk to, and has to be quiet while killing?
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In your script is there a reason why the hit man has to be young? Or is it because you are having trouble casting?
Movies have nothing to do with reality. The audience, despite their intelligence and knowledge, at a gut level associate youth with innocence. That's why young criminals always seems to shock people. Spend some time watching the news; youthful offenders make a good story for precisely that reason. (Just recently a 16 year old girl was convicted and sentenced (life plus 30) for the "thrill kill" of a nine year old girl; that story got LOTS of air time.)
This is when wardrobe and makeup, combined with some clever writing and shooting, can explain a lot. Have your character with lots of tattoos dressed in gang colors get out of a car driven by another gang banger; use the clichés and stereotypes to your advantage.
Movies have nothing to do with reality. The audience, despite their intelligence and knowledge, at a gut level associate youth with innocence. That's why young criminals always seems to shock people. Spend some time watching the news; youthful offenders make a good story for precisely that reason. (Just recently a 16 year old girl was convicted and sentenced (life plus 30) for the "thrill kill" of a nine year old girl; that story got LOTS of air time.)
This is when wardrobe and makeup, combined with some clever writing and shooting, can explain a lot. Have your character with lots of tattoos dressed in gang colors get out of a car driven by another gang banger; use the clichés and stereotypes to your advantage.
The short film I just made, the hitman was originally suppose to be older but the old actor left, and all I could find was a 21 year old, while the other actors were still available. But for this new script, I am inspired to do a 21 year old one, just for a change of scenery in a hitman. I know movies have nothing to do with reality, I was just using real life to compare to what would convince and audience. But apparently audiences are unwilling to accept 21 year old hitmen in a fictional world as well.
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I dont know, If he acts Like a pro (using silencer, camouflage, stealt, speed and his mind) I will believe it. If he just walks in the house using a big knife, I dont.
Dont do this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP6ceGMpJh4
Do this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riyC8AJNQZs&feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ddGyaBQ7wo&feature
Its al in the acting...
Also remember this....
Dont do this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP6ceGMpJh4
Do this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riyC8AJNQZs&feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ddGyaBQ7wo&feature
Its al in the acting...
Also remember this....
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Feutus, I now have that Ninja Power tune stuck in my head. Im going to go for an hour walk smoke something and if it does not clear..Im gonna blow my brains out. Thanks for destroying my fragile mental condition
Is there any way to not show his face in editing. This is probably a challenge. But maybe worth a shot. Depends on the footage. Maybe you can re-shoot an insert?
Actors age has nothing to do with student film. It's the actual production quality that separates pros from amateurs/students.
By quality I don't mean HD video, but quality as in Clean crisp audio, colors, framing, smooth conscious edit, etc.
Your production will reflect how well you ve prepared. And te only way you can prepare well for the shoot of you are making movies.
See the cycle?
All of your film problems should have been covered in preproduction. But you simy didn't know that you will have location issues, continuity issue, prop issue.. you learn how to deal with it and for your ext production you say "ok, I know now that I should have several locations available" or "for the knife scene I should have several knife props" etc.
Remember how everyone told you to shoot your movie quick, slap it together and move onto to next project??? That's because during your first film project you run into MAJOR issues that you don't have an experience dealing with: missing actors, unavailable locations etc.
All of these things are learned through practice. Shoot shoot shoot, run into problems, learn YOURSELF how to deal with it and that wi make your movies better.
By posting on indietalk.com for any little problem that you encounter is doing more harm to you, because you aren't learning anything.
Anywys, just my 2 cents.
By quality I don't mean HD video, but quality as in Clean crisp audio, colors, framing, smooth conscious edit, etc.
Your production will reflect how well you ve prepared. And te only way you can prepare well for the shoot of you are making movies.
See the cycle?
All of your film problems should have been covered in preproduction. But you simy didn't know that you will have location issues, continuity issue, prop issue.. you learn how to deal with it and for your ext production you say "ok, I know now that I should have several locations available" or "for the knife scene I should have several knife props" etc.
Remember how everyone told you to shoot your movie quick, slap it together and move onto to next project??? That's because during your first film project you run into MAJOR issues that you don't have an experience dealing with: missing actors, unavailable locations etc.
All of these things are learned through practice. Shoot shoot shoot, run into problems, learn YOURSELF how to deal with it and that wi make your movies better.
By posting on indietalk.com for any little problem that you encounter is doing more harm to you, because you aren't learning anything.
Anywys, just my 2 cents.
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Great points on this thread! But I think an audience judges a big studio production differently then a small indie film. If an established network TV show has Doogie Howser, M.D. the kid doctor, it's cool and interesting. If you do a small movie and your injured hero is suddenly visited by a teen doctor, the audience views it as a flaw. Audiences watch small films expecting flaws, we want to NOT fulfill these low expectations. That being said, if it's already shot and nothing you can do it's a great learning experience, so no biggie. 
Have you ever heard of "Billy The KID?"
His youthful age took bank tellers ad law men by surprise. He is a real life youthful villain.
Why not write a supplimentary script with a younger actor and build a backstory? You can add it tto your footage.
Assasssins can come in all shapes and sizes. Are you familiar with Le Femme Nikita? An organization recruits teenage criminals from jail to train them for a life of being an assassin.
Your assassin can also be the son of an assassin who learned the trade from a parent who was a highly paid assassin.
His youthful age took bank tellers ad law men by surprise. He is a real life youthful villain.
Why not write a supplimentary script with a younger actor and build a backstory? You can add it tto your footage.
Assasssins can come in all shapes and sizes. Are you familiar with Le Femme Nikita? An organization recruits teenage criminals from jail to train them for a life of being an assassin.
Your assassin can also be the son of an assassin who learned the trade from a parent who was a highly paid assassin.
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If you can convey what you say here in your film then people will
accept it. If you cannot, then people will not accept it. A 21 year
old hit man is not common just like a 12 year old pimp is not common.
In a movie when you choose to do something that is "real" but not
common it needs a bit of explanation. Movies are not real life. If you
show a 12 year old pimp you will need a bit of explanation. And that
explanation cannot be the filmmaker saying, "But there are 12 year
old pimps in real life." If you have a 21 year old hit man you need
to offer some explanation because what you are doing is not common.
It may be "real" but it is unusual.
If the only reason your hit man is 21 is because you couldn't find an
older actor, you will need to offer something to the audience. And
since you cannot be with every, single viewer and say, " 21 is an
intelligent enough age, to go around murdering people, and being
smart enough to cover your tracks." you need to offer some explanation
in your movie.
You know this. I have read posts from you asking "why" this and "why"
that about movies you don't quite understand. That means the filmmaker
didn't do a good enough job and you have to ask. In your movie if you
do not do a good enough job explaining a 21 year old hit man, people
may wonder "why?" You cannot justify it here on the boards - you must
justify it in your movie. Even if YOU know it makes sense and YOU justify
it to yourself, the people watching the movie may need to know why the
hit man is so young. Otherwise they are going to ask themselves, "why?"
In all the examples given - unusual or uncommon or unexpected hit men
there is an explanation so we (the audience) do not have to wonder. We
will buy anything as long as you (the filmmaker) tell us. If you just leave
it - people will wonder.
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Okay well for my new script here's how it goes. This woman is under police protection. The hitman is assigned to sneak in, kill her along with the cops, cause they will get in the way of course. The hitman gets killed, and fails, but almost succeeds. This is the hitman's only role, and there is no time for an explanation. He's not going to to talk to his victims, and explain his age, so the only option would be to have a flashback after he appears or something, which could get in the way of the moment of suspense.
I don't think it would be a good idea for him to have any scenes with him in beforehand, because then his character is no longer a surprise, when he appears at the scene to assassinate.
I don't think it would be a good idea for him to have any scenes with him in beforehand, because then his character is no longer a surprise, when he appears at the scene to assassinate.