CREATIVE APPROACH
Opening sequence, titles and Inciting incident.
EXT. It’s night time on a quiet road. Girl steps out of her friends car, wide shot showing the vehicle. Close up on the girls face as she exits. Mid close up on her friends face when she asks “Will you be okay?”. Close up, showing the emotions on the girls face before she replies, “I’ll be fine.”.
Camera hidden in the forest, narrow depth of field looking at the car pull away from the girl. We know someone is watching her. Creepy music begins to play - long tense violin notes as the girl exhales a breath, the mist visible, before beginning her journey home. We now notice she’s wearing white - innocent.
She walks down the pathway, montage of shots showing her walking - some behind the bushes from the stalkers POV. She hears a branch snap - the camera has a extreme close up on her eye as she releases a shaky breath - we know she’s scared, the music increases suspense. She begins walking faster, the pursuer follows close behind. She girls stops again, match on action as she turns around to look behind her. She starts to pull out her phone and dials a number, close up on the phone showing her about to press the call button. POV shot from the pursuer as he comes up behind her. He opens up a pen knife, specific markings are on it. He taps her shoulder, she drops her phone - fast tilt as we watch the phone hit the ground. She whips around, slow motion, all that’s heard now is the music, mid close up. Her eyes make contact with the camera, as if she’s looking at her pursuer and she screams. The screen goes black as the scream echoes.
Black screen - white titles - MISSING.
Progressive Complications.
A whole montage of shots showing missing posters with the girls face on them lasts for approx one minute and a half. Posters in many different places - on lampposts, someone putting one up in shop windows, someone looking through their post and receive one, the camera tracks a row of cars, seeing the posters under their windshield wipers - maybe handheld as if from a passer by’s POV. Finally, a poster on the ground as someone steps on one - the camera is high up looking down. Throughout the montage, the rest of the credits come up - director, cast, etc.
A detective sits in his office - profile shots- an almost spotlight on him. 360 degree pan of the man as he stares at a white board with all the information on the kidnapping. He runs a frustrated hand over his tired face - extreme close up here as he sighs. The clicking of his pen can be heard as he looks at a missing poster - as if from the posters POV, camera at a low angle, looking up at the detective giving him a sense of power. Dialogue- “Where did you go?” He says to no one.
His partner, seemingly appearing out of darkness, enters the room - neutral level camera. “We found nothing.” He mutters while looking at the whiteboard and putting a red cross over some information - over the shoulder shot. “I thought so.” The detective replies sadly- profile shot again.
Crisis.
The phone rings - close up on the telephone and the detective’s hand as he picks it up. Close up on his face as he receives the news that they’ve found the girls body. He sighs and scrunches his eyes shut - extreme close up on his eyes. He says “Thank-you. We’ll be there soon.” And hangs up. He hangs his head down, rubbing his neck. The other detective watches with scrutiny - profile shots. “She’s dead?” He asks knowingly. The head detective nods while standing up and putting his coat on in a fluid motion - wide shot to show the both of them - music picks up.
Scene cuts to the forest alleyway where forensic police in white overalls pass them by - over the shoulder shot as if we’re following the detectives. They walk along in silence, going under some ‘DO NOT CROSS’ yellow police tape - camera in front of them now, watching them arrive - zoom in to show the head detectives shocked face. The other detective merely looks away - close up when he does this. The head detective talks to the lead investigator who talks about the average guess of time of death and causes for death. Slow pan as they talk - shot reverse shot afterwards. The camera switches to a wide shot, farther back and then lowers. The body isn’t in focus but you can just see her shoulder, the camera looks up at the men talking as they look down on the body. The music picks up again.
Climax
The head detective sighs again and looks down, profile shot of him and his partner - the partner acts suspicious. As they go to walk away, from the body’s shoulder POV again, the other detective smiles slightly and then follows his partner. We follow behind them, the music all you can hear now - Suggested songs “Sleep” by The Dandy Warhols and “Lux Aeterna” by Clint Mansel - they go to tell them parents. They get in their car, and the head detective runs a hand over his face - the camera is at a neutral level - pans over to his partner who stares out the window with a slight smirk on his face.
Scene cuts to them arriving to the parents house, they step out the car - everything is in slow motion from now on. The camera at a low angle looking up at the head detective as he walks to the house. His partner lingers - taking out his pen knife and cutting down a poster that’s held up by string outside their home. The camera zooms in to see the markings on his blade - the audience is now aware that he is the killer. He full out grins as the poster floats to the ground - camera at his POV now as it lands next to his shoes. He steps on it. He joins his partner by the front door and he knocks. The head detective closes his eyes in sad anticipation - extreme close up. His partner smiles evilly - extreme close up.
Resolution
Still in slow motion, The mother opens the door, camera in-between the detective’s shoulders looking at her, just by the looks on their faces, the mother breaks down crying - the father comes and holds her so she doesn’t fall. Music is now full volume - you cannot hear the mothers cries. Extreme close up on the head detective who is also trying hard not to cry at this awful sight. Neutral shot of him stepping inside the home and following the devastated parents. His partner follows him, turning around to close the door.
He makes eye contact with the audience, the camera is at his eye line height and positioned outside, lighting is dark, he smiles sadistically before closing the door slowly.
Titles - 'Fin.'
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
My short film idea - Concept and synopsis
CONCEPT
In today’s society, are we safe at all? Can a young girl walk home without being in fear? Or is there always someone lurking in the shadows?…..
How far would you go to find the one you loved? Can you trust the people who surround you? The person you think you can trust, may not be who they say at all, is everyone a stranger? Is everyone in danger?
In ‘Missing’, a five minute short film, we tell the story of a young girl’s disappearance and her family’s desperate search to find her.
SYNOPSIS OF STORY
A young girl gets out of her friends car, bidding her good-bye. She begins her walk home, sunlight has already faded and its getting dark. She cuts her journey short by walking through a pathway in the middle of a forest.
Someone is watching her.
The man follows her, watching her from the shadows. She knows someone is behind her, she tries to get out her phone. The man pulls out a knife - significant marking on the blade. A hand reaches out and touches her shoulder, she exhales a breath and turns. You hear her scream as the screen goes black.
Posters of the young girl with the bold caption ‘MISSING’ are seen in lots of different areas. On a lamppost… In a shop window… Under car windshield wipers…
A detective staring at the picture of the young girl on a white board looks stumps. He receives a phone call, we found out his name is Jenkins. He receives the news that they found her body, you can tell from his facial expressions.
Another detective joins Jenkins and the walk down the forest pathway and under some ‘DO NOT CROSS’ yellow police tape. They pass a man in a white overall - forensics. The detectives exchange talk - when they found the body, how she’d been murdered, etc. Jenkins runs a hand over his face in frustration. The other detective watches him almost angrily. They make their way back to his car to go and tell the girl’s parents. They drive in silence.
The arrive at the parents house. .Jenkins exhales a shaky breath. He looks close to tears as he see’s a missing poster held up outside their home. The other detective takes out his pen knife and cuts it down.
We now know the detective is the killer. The markings on the knife are the same.
They walk up to the house and press the doorbell. The parents answer.
Just from the looks on the detectives face, the mother instantly breaks down as the father holds her. They walk inside, the detective/killer stepping on a missing poster as he walks inside.
He turns and grins evilly, making eye contact with the audience before closing the door.
In today’s society, are we safe at all? Can a young girl walk home without being in fear? Or is there always someone lurking in the shadows?…..
How far would you go to find the one you loved? Can you trust the people who surround you? The person you think you can trust, may not be who they say at all, is everyone a stranger? Is everyone in danger?
In ‘Missing’, a five minute short film, we tell the story of a young girl’s disappearance and her family’s desperate search to find her.
SYNOPSIS OF STORY
A young girl gets out of her friends car, bidding her good-bye. She begins her walk home, sunlight has already faded and its getting dark. She cuts her journey short by walking through a pathway in the middle of a forest.
Someone is watching her.
The man follows her, watching her from the shadows. She knows someone is behind her, she tries to get out her phone. The man pulls out a knife - significant marking on the blade. A hand reaches out and touches her shoulder, she exhales a breath and turns. You hear her scream as the screen goes black.
Posters of the young girl with the bold caption ‘MISSING’ are seen in lots of different areas. On a lamppost… In a shop window… Under car windshield wipers…
A detective staring at the picture of the young girl on a white board looks stumps. He receives a phone call, we found out his name is Jenkins. He receives the news that they found her body, you can tell from his facial expressions.
Another detective joins Jenkins and the walk down the forest pathway and under some ‘DO NOT CROSS’ yellow police tape. They pass a man in a white overall - forensics. The detectives exchange talk - when they found the body, how she’d been murdered, etc. Jenkins runs a hand over his face in frustration. The other detective watches him almost angrily. They make their way back to his car to go and tell the girl’s parents. They drive in silence.
The arrive at the parents house. .Jenkins exhales a shaky breath. He looks close to tears as he see’s a missing poster held up outside their home. The other detective takes out his pen knife and cuts it down.
We now know the detective is the killer. The markings on the knife are the same.
They walk up to the house and press the doorbell. The parents answer.
Just from the looks on the detectives face, the mother instantly breaks down as the father holds her. They walk inside, the detective/killer stepping on a missing poster as he walks inside.
He turns and grins evilly, making eye contact with the audience before closing the door.
My short film ideas - Research - Similar products
RESEARCH
Similar products for my short film ideas
- The theme of my film would be a hybrid genre of drama/thriller.
- I want the audience at the end of my film to be shocked and surprised.
- My film is intended for entertainment and educational purposes. I hope my film would point out how unsafe modern day society is and hopefully educate people to take more precaution.
- Similar products to my film, including genre, theme and narrative are -
1) ‘Taken’ [2008]
Directed by: Pierre Morel. Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace.
Genre: Drama/Action/Crime/Thriller. Synopsis: A former spy relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade.
Tag line: “They took his daughter. He'll take their lives.” 
2) 'Don’t Say a Word' [2002]
Directed by: Gary Fleder. Cast: Michael Douglas, Sean Bean.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller. Synopsis: When the daughter of a psychiatrist is kidnapped, he's horrified to discover that the abductors' demand is that he break through to a post traumatic stress disorder suffering young woman who knows a secret...
Tag line: “You want what they want, don't you... I'll never tell... any of you.”
3) 'Trapped' [2002]Directed by: Luis Mandoki.
Cast: Charlize Theron, Kevin Bacon.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller.
Synopsis: When their daughter is kidnapped by experienced nappers, the Jennings' turn the tables on this seemingly foolproof plan.
Tag line: “Fear Strikes Back.”
4) 'Cellular' [2004]
Directed by: David R. Ellis
Cast: Kim Basinger, Chris Evans.
Genre: Thriller/Crime
Synopsis: A young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. The catch? The woman claims to have been kidnapped; and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next.
Tag line: “If the signal dies, so does she.”
My short film ideas
SHORT FILM IDEA’S
1. Journey/Human Fear
A man in a dark suit sits in a train carriage staring out of the window. A close up on his face, half in the shadows as the green scenery dashes by. Stacks of newspapers sit next to him - the headline stands out - ‘EUROPEAN SERIAL KILLER STRIKES AGAIN!’
Montage of a man killing different woman - He holds a knife behind his back, you cannot see his face, just a smiling woman. Pouring poison in a drink then handing it to a glamorous looking woman, lots of different ways. You only see a tattoo on the killers hand every time.
The man on the train throws the paper to the floor, laughing the entire time. Low angle shot looking up at him. A train assistant, a woman, comes and asks if he needs anything. The man smile evilly before introducing himself and shaking her hand. She falls for his charms and smiles back.
You only see the tattoo on his hand before it fades to black.
2. Me/Identity
A girl wakes up, she’s home alone. She gets dressed, puts her make-up on while looking in the mirror. She smiles - she’s happy, has a positive mood. Narration goes along with montage of shots of her getting ready to go out. She gives her dog a pat on the head while leaving the house. She walks the short journey to the train station and stops at the platform. The narration explains why she’s so happy. A boy - he’s listening to music - completely oblivious to her. The narration continues to explain that the girl has been in love with the boy for over a year - she’s just too shy to do anything about it.
She sits on a seat, two rows behind the boy, telling the audience what little information she knows about him. She wishes she knew more, but as said before, she’s too shy. The train pulls up at her platform, she jumps up and takes a long last sad look at the boy before walking past him and off the train.
The boy looks after her, a sad but hopeful smile on his face. His own narration starts like the girls - “So there’s this girl that I’m in love with.”
It turns out they both really love each other but are too afraid to admit their feelings.
3. Me/Identity - Reflection on society.
A woman steps onto a train platform dressed in a power suit - she looks sharp, business attire. Reading glasses - she’s smart - don’t mess with her. She passes a homeless man who is sleeping. She see’s him everyday and smiles softly in his direction before waiting for her train.
Two youths come up to the homeless and start going through his things, shouting at him, pushing him. They begin taunting him. The woman, seeing this marches up to them and tells them to stop, they begin to gang up on her.
She pulls out pepper spray and aims it at them before telling them to get lost. Not wanting to have their eyes burned, they scamper off. The homeless man stands up and thanks her. He tells her if people stood up for the weak like she did, the world would be a better place.
1. Journey/Human Fear
A man in a dark suit sits in a train carriage staring out of the window. A close up on his face, half in the shadows as the green scenery dashes by. Stacks of newspapers sit next to him - the headline stands out - ‘EUROPEAN SERIAL KILLER STRIKES AGAIN!’
Montage of a man killing different woman - He holds a knife behind his back, you cannot see his face, just a smiling woman. Pouring poison in a drink then handing it to a glamorous looking woman, lots of different ways. You only see a tattoo on the killers hand every time.
The man on the train throws the paper to the floor, laughing the entire time. Low angle shot looking up at him. A train assistant, a woman, comes and asks if he needs anything. The man smile evilly before introducing himself and shaking her hand. She falls for his charms and smiles back.
You only see the tattoo on his hand before it fades to black.
2. Me/Identity
A girl wakes up, she’s home alone. She gets dressed, puts her make-up on while looking in the mirror. She smiles - she’s happy, has a positive mood. Narration goes along with montage of shots of her getting ready to go out. She gives her dog a pat on the head while leaving the house. She walks the short journey to the train station and stops at the platform. The narration explains why she’s so happy. A boy - he’s listening to music - completely oblivious to her. The narration continues to explain that the girl has been in love with the boy for over a year - she’s just too shy to do anything about it.
She sits on a seat, two rows behind the boy, telling the audience what little information she knows about him. She wishes she knew more, but as said before, she’s too shy. The train pulls up at her platform, she jumps up and takes a long last sad look at the boy before walking past him and off the train.
The boy looks after her, a sad but hopeful smile on his face. His own narration starts like the girls - “So there’s this girl that I’m in love with.”
It turns out they both really love each other but are too afraid to admit their feelings.
3. Me/Identity - Reflection on society.
A woman steps onto a train platform dressed in a power suit - she looks sharp, business attire. Reading glasses - she’s smart - don’t mess with her. She passes a homeless man who is sleeping. She see’s him everyday and smiles softly in his direction before waiting for her train.
Two youths come up to the homeless and start going through his things, shouting at him, pushing him. They begin taunting him. The woman, seeing this marches up to them and tells them to stop, they begin to gang up on her.
She pulls out pepper spray and aims it at them before telling them to get lost. Not wanting to have their eyes burned, they scamper off. The homeless man stands up and thanks her. He tells her if people stood up for the weak like she did, the world would be a better place.
Short film analyses
Short Film Research
“Wrong Side of the Bed” - Sarah
Framing - has been made so split screen is in a mirror image.
Simple cut editing.
Sound - opens with alarm clock. Music changes to emphasize bad luck.
Mise-en-scene - lighting is darker for bad luck and brighter for good luck. So you get the context of time straight away.
Representation - average man, average home - smartly dressed.
Themes and messages - “You can’t change your luck.”
Lady Gaga music video - “Paparazzi” - Gemma
Genre: Music video/Drama
Camera - high angle, looking down with the newspaper headline “Lady Gaga hits rock bottom” - contrast to ending shots. Lady Gaga is always in focus as she’s the main focus point.
She’s always centre frame.Close camera angles - intrusive - we’re seeing what the media wants to see.
Editing - lots of quick cuts/edits - in time with the music - picks up on the chaos of her famous life style.
To show the passage of time, fade transitions are used.
Sea and blue colour connate peace - contrast to the end of the film.
Many different forms of media, e.g. paparazzi, camera, newspapers.
Music - calm in the beginning, major scale on the piano - changes to a minor scale, foreshadowing events to come.
Titles - comic, pop art - in keeping with Lady Gaga style.
“Purple teardrops I cry.” - The lyrics match visually with the ending sequence with police mug shots being taken. Purple, in Italy, is the colour of mourning.
“We’re plastic, but we still have fun.” - The lyrics show what the media has made her.
Lady Gaga at the beginning is shy and afraid of the camera’s, always in constant need of reassurance of her boyfriends love. Severe contrast to the ending, she’s calm and happy when she calls 911 and playing up to the paparazzi cameras.
Audience - with the sexual nature of the video, the audience wouldn’t be suitable to younger people.
Representation - portrayal of disability - glamorising it - erotising it. Positive reaction/effect.
The video shows how the media and the star are dependant on each other.
Intertextuality references - representation of the media.
“The Plan.” - Eilish
Genre: Adventure
Whole film in black and white - matches the simple narrative idea.
Editing - the shots are fast paced and short showing his quick decisions making.
When he loses at the casino, it’s edited into slow motion.
His camera plays an important part - recording his journey.
Lighting - reflects his mood - optimistic.
Voice over - crucial - introduces characters and narrative.
Music - non diegetic music - childish bells when chase sequence occurs.
Diegetic phone ringing - constant reminder of his past life.
Titles - black and white - simple.
Conventions of a non static camera are used - linear narrative.
Representation - man is shown as feeling unfulfilled in life - clothes are plain (white t-shirt). Woman is shown as very relaxed - takes camera, very childish/immature. Piercing shows she’s outgoing and very confident as she can make conversation with strangers.
Makes audience think about their own life.
Themes and messages: Be spontaneous.
“INSiDE” - Ali
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror
Camera - shows isolation from the world. Camera tilts down showing his low status. Long shot to show characters are mirroring each other, long shots also shows how bad his multi-personality disorder is. Close up on the man’s face creates sympathy because it shows he’s lost within himself. Camera goes out of focus, makes us think of when we’ve first woken up or are delusional. Tracking shots creates confusion for the audience.
Framing - Upward tilt - man in lower half of the frame with woman towering above him, shows her dominance.
Mise-en-scene - points out that it’s a mental institution. Also shows that the room resembles that of a police interrogation room. The colour of the clothes on the different personality people represent emotions in man, e.g. shouting man in red shirt represents anger and young girl in pink dress with bows in her hair is the child/immaturity within the man. Woman doctor controls the man’s mind, dressed in white showing authority.
Editing - works well along with sound to create fear of the unknown in the audience.
Sound - dialogue helps us discover the narrative - especially when they speak at the same time. The use of silence is effective - you can focus on the other elements that don’t make sense yet.
Titles - small in size on screen - showing isolation. Also, the name of the short film is spelled : INSiDE - with a lower case ‘I’, this doesn’t look right and makes you uncomfortable from the start.
Audience Expectations - happy with product, meets genre conventions - unexpected twist at the end adds more satisfaction. Age: 16+ due to the fact it takes a more mature mind to understand. Helps you keep an open mind because you are the interpreter - audience will understand the narrative. Close ups help us relate to the character. The twist at the end completely revamps the film.
Representation - Stereotypes are challenged, also challenges theory - e.g. the way he behaves, we don’t know if that is typical to the mental illness. Male and female have similarities (curly hair) so it makes more sense in the end - she controls him the most so she looks the most like him.
Theme - Mental disorders are much deeper than they may appear. Things aren’t always what they seem.
“The Exam” - Liv
Sound - non diegetic sound in the bar. In the exam there is tension building until all is revealed.
Titles - Look like someone has written them - relating to the exam.
Representations - Follows stereotypes closely. Geeky guy with glasses and proper clothes. The main jock wears a jacket and acts relaxed about everything. The professor has a typical big beard, glasses and stuffy attitude.
“Beyond Words” - Cammie
Camera - movements are slow. Slow pans and tilts. Use of the reflected surfaces is effective.
Framing - The two disabled characters are kept in the main frame as She/He is the main focus and also so you can see other characters.
Sound - Non diegetic low buzzing - it’s what the woman can/cannot hear due to the fact that she is deaf. You can only hear dialogue when the man is around. Script/Narrative - Told from woman’s POV. No dialogue until the end so we can find out what the characters are like - also so we can observe what life is like for them.
Representation - No stereotypes. Disability. Todorov’s theory.
Mise-en-scene - Props such as a walking cane represent disability better. Props also put the film into context - such as the car show it’s present day.
Audience - The audience would feel a little shocked and understand a little better how people with disability live.
Themes - Communication.
“Strangers” - Matt
Camera - Based in tube station. Close ups show tension. We know they’re equals before we find out the narrative.
Sound - non diegetic fast music when the action kicks in. Diegetic train noises. There is no dialogue between the characters. The use of music tells us something is about to happen.
Representation - Shows society is still racist. Stereotypes are closely followed - the evil characters have shaven heads and tattoos.
Themes and Messages - Teaching people that racism is not right.
“For the Birds” - Charlie
Camera - Angles are simple for the simple joke. Small birds are met at a medium shot - neutral level.
Representation - Low angles looking up at the big bird - stereotypical new kid trying to fit in with the popular crowd.
Audience - Can be viewed by anyone. Anthropomorphic - human characteristics in animated characters.
Massive Attack music video - “Angel” - Ben
Genre - Music video/Thriller
Camera - Focus is played around with a lot. The protagonist is usually in the dark. Close up of man’s face to show emotions.
Framing - Use of rule of thirds is challenged to show other people in the shot.
Editing - Long continuity editing. Continually gets quicker as song moves on.
Sound - Obviously the only sound is the song played throughout. The song compliments the pace of the video - sometimes the shots are in slow motion. The film comes to a climax when the song does.
Mise-en-scene - Abandoned car park - usually a convention of horror - challenging the stereotype. Every time he walks up a level, more people start to follow him as the film progresses. Fear is created from props, e.g. the STOP sign. The lighting is dark but mostly bright when over the protagonists face. All dressed in black.
Representation - You get closure at the end. He overcomes his fears. Shows his fears are following him - warping him.
Audience - Mainly fans of the artist.
“New Boy” - Rebecca
Genre - Drama/Comedy. 2007. Steph Green.
Camera - Positioned behind Joseph (main character) shows he’s alienated from this new world he has been put into. Medium shot to introduce character. Close ups are intimate - showing the facial expressions more and the emotions. Camera zooms in on Joseph as he day dreams. Long shots show us the locations and how they differ. Low angles show us who has the authority and power. Depth of field is important and played around with. Framing - Main characters are in the middle of the shot with the background out of focus. Rule of thirds have been followed. Simple cuts with match on action.
Editing and Sound - Sound bridges are used. Transitions are simple cuts. Editing and sound work crucially together e.g. when Josephs father is shot, you can hear the gun fire but the scene cuts to when Joseph is hit with milk by his school peers. Mainly diegetic dialogue - sound of children before anything visual happens. Soft music plays for when Joseph daydreams, almost dream like. Regional dialogue - every person is Irish - it singles Joseph out even more.
Mise-en-scene - Locations are Ireland and Africa. Uniforms are completely different. Josephs father wore a bright yellow t-shirt - teachers knickers are yellow. Props show the difference in countries. Lighting - reflects Joseph’s mood and each location.
Titles - The letter ‘B’ in ‘Boy’ is larger than the other letters which could represent Joseph being isolated. Black and white writing - like on a black board. Follows most conventions - tragedy, confrontation. Deals with racial prejudice.
Narrative - Being told from Joseph’s POV, we learn through flash backs about Joseph’s past. Linear structure.
Representations - Set in present day. Joseph - typical new boy, nervous. Teacher - strict, has authority but is also caring. Naughty school boys - un-tucked clothing, so it follows stereotypes. Todorov’s theory of equilibrium is followed. Gender and status are represented - girls are good and boys are bad. Joseph - name has a biblical meaning.
Audience - Would be able to relate and understand. 15+. Realistic and sends out an important message. They would react positively.
Theme - Teaching us to be more accepting. Shows our society needs to change.
“Finite” - Charlotte
Camera - Characters are in the middle of the frame - loneliness - Kept in the right of the frame. Zoom out at the end to show isolation.
Framing - In the shot together but framed apart - there is a light barrier between them. Pull focus between the man and the woman. Editing - montage of quick, short cuts to reach conclusion and climax of film - flashbacks show he can finally let her go.
Mise-en-scene - Beach: calm and romantic atmosphere. Light is used as a barrier between the man and woman shows the divide between them. Woman also wearing light colours.
Sound - Diegetic dialogue. Sea waves. Running water. Non diegetic soundtrack - soft music.
Script/Narrative - Keeps audience guessing. Characters don’t have any physical contact in the present time.
Genre specific codes and conventions - Backdrop of fading sunset. Couple holding hands. Stereotypical for a romantic film.
Representation - Isolation, death - looking out into the sea; alone.
Audience - aimed at a younger audience. Maybe more for women.
Themes - Love, loss, a journey, devotion, denial. Symbolic when the man throws the crystal into the ocean - he can finally let her go.
“Wrong Side of the Bed” - Sarah
Framing - has been made so split screen is in a mirror image. Camera - lots of close-ups - emphasizes the difference in luck.
High angles, looking down.
Editing - split screen - effective because the difference wouldn’t be so clear otherwise.
Shots aren’t isolated. Simple cut editing.
Sound - opens with alarm clock. Music changes to emphasize bad luck.
Mise-en-scene - lighting is darker for bad luck and brighter for good luck. So you get the context of time straight away.
Representation - average man, average home - smartly dressed.
Themes and messages - “You can’t change your luck.”
Lady Gaga music video - “Paparazzi” - Gemma
Genre: Music video/Drama
Camera - high angle, looking down with the newspaper headline “Lady Gaga hits rock bottom” - contrast to ending shots. She’s always centre frame.Close camera angles - intrusive - we’re seeing what the media wants to see.
Editing - lots of quick cuts/edits - in time with the music - picks up on the chaos of her famous life style.
To show the passage of time, fade transitions are used.
Sea and blue colour connate peace - contrast to the end of the film.
Many different forms of media, e.g. paparazzi, camera, newspapers.
Music - calm in the beginning, major scale on the piano - changes to a minor scale, foreshadowing events to come.
Titles - comic, pop art - in keeping with Lady Gaga style.
“Purple teardrops I cry.” - The lyrics match visually with the ending sequence with police mug shots being taken. Purple, in Italy, is the colour of mourning.
“We’re plastic, but we still have fun.” - The lyrics show what the media has made her.
Lady Gaga at the beginning is shy and afraid of the camera’s, always in constant need of reassurance of her boyfriends love. Severe contrast to the ending, she’s calm and happy when she calls 911 and playing up to the paparazzi cameras.
Audience - with the sexual nature of the video, the audience wouldn’t be suitable to younger people.
Representation - portrayal of disability - glamorising it - erotising it. Positive reaction/effect.
The video shows how the media and the star are dependant on each other.
Intertextuality references - representation of the media.
“The Plan.” - Eilish
Genre: AdventureCamera - close ups of material possessions.
Long shots of the road showing the journey he’s going on, physically and emotionally.
POV shots throughout the chase scene - childish game.
Framing - man framed in the left hand side (rule of thirds) of the screen when we meet the woman showing the space and distance between them. Whole film in black and white - matches the simple narrative idea.
Editing - the shots are fast paced and short showing his quick decisions making.
When he loses at the casino, it’s edited into slow motion.
His camera plays an important part - recording his journey.
Lighting - reflects his mood - optimistic.
Voice over - crucial - introduces characters and narrative.
Music - non diegetic music - childish bells when chase sequence occurs.
Diegetic phone ringing - constant reminder of his past life.
Titles - black and white - simple.
Conventions of a non static camera are used - linear narrative.
Representation - man is shown as feeling unfulfilled in life - clothes are plain (white t-shirt). Woman is shown as very relaxed - takes camera, very childish/immature. Piercing shows she’s outgoing and very confident as she can make conversation with strangers.
Makes audience think about their own life.
Themes and messages: Be spontaneous.
“INSiDE” - Ali
Camera - shows isolation from the world. Camera tilts down showing his low status. Long shot to show characters are mirroring each other, long shots also shows how bad his multi-personality disorder is. Close up on the man’s face creates sympathy because it shows he’s lost within himself. Camera goes out of focus, makes us think of when we’ve first woken up or are delusional. Tracking shots creates confusion for the audience.
Framing - Upward tilt - man in lower half of the frame with woman towering above him, shows her dominance.
Mise-en-scene - points out that it’s a mental institution. Also shows that the room resembles that of a police interrogation room. The colour of the clothes on the different personality people represent emotions in man, e.g. shouting man in red shirt represents anger and young girl in pink dress with bows in her hair is the child/immaturity within the man. Woman doctor controls the man’s mind, dressed in white showing authority.
Editing - works well along with sound to create fear of the unknown in the audience.
Sound - dialogue helps us discover the narrative - especially when they speak at the same time. The use of silence is effective - you can focus on the other elements that don’t make sense yet.
Titles - small in size on screen - showing isolation. Also, the name of the short film is spelled : INSiDE - with a lower case ‘I’, this doesn’t look right and makes you uncomfortable from the start.
Audience Expectations - happy with product, meets genre conventions - unexpected twist at the end adds more satisfaction. Age: 16+ due to the fact it takes a more mature mind to understand. Helps you keep an open mind because you are the interpreter - audience will understand the narrative. Close ups help us relate to the character. The twist at the end completely revamps the film.
Representation - Stereotypes are challenged, also challenges theory - e.g. the way he behaves, we don’t know if that is typical to the mental illness. Male and female have similarities (curly hair) so it makes more sense in the end - she controls him the most so she looks the most like him.
Theme - Mental disorders are much deeper than they may appear. Things aren’t always what they seem.
“The Exam” - Liv
Camera - extreme close ups - creates mystery. Medium shots. Tilt shots/POV shots gives more power to the characters.
Framing - Helps us realise who’s the most important.
Editing - Normal cut shots - faster when they students find out their teacher has tricked them.
Mise-en-scene - Cigar - stressed out. Crappy car shows the students don’t have a lot of money. Sound - non diegetic sound in the bar. In the exam there is tension building until all is revealed.
Titles - Look like someone has written them - relating to the exam.
Representations - Follows stereotypes closely. Geeky guy with glasses and proper clothes. The main jock wears a jacket and acts relaxed about everything. The professor has a typical big beard, glasses and stuffy attitude.
“Beyond Words” - Cammie
Camera - movements are slow. Slow pans and tilts. Use of the reflected surfaces is effective.
Framing - The two disabled characters are kept in the main frame as She/He is the main focus and also so you can see other characters.
Sound - Non diegetic low buzzing - it’s what the woman can/cannot hear due to the fact that she is deaf. You can only hear dialogue when the man is around. Representation - No stereotypes. Disability. Todorov’s theory.
Mise-en-scene - Props such as a walking cane represent disability better. Props also put the film into context - such as the car show it’s present day.
Audience - The audience would feel a little shocked and understand a little better how people with disability live.
Themes - Communication.
“Strangers” - Matt
Camera - Based in tube station. Close ups show tension. We know they’re equals before we find out the narrative. Framing - Rule of thirds is used effectively.
Editing - Lots of quick cuts - makes it fast paced - contrast with the slow beginning.
Mise-en-scene - Arabic magazine, Star of David necklace. Modern day due to clothing. Sound - non diegetic fast music when the action kicks in. Diegetic train noises. There is no dialogue between the characters. The use of music tells us something is about to happen.
Representation - Shows society is still racist. Stereotypes are closely followed - the evil characters have shaven heads and tattoos.
Themes and Messages - Teaching people that racism is not right.
“For the Birds” - Charlie
Genre - Comedy/Animated short film
Camera - Angles are simple for the simple joke. Small birds are met at a medium shot - neutral level. Framing - Lack of detail to create humour. Rule of thirds is followed.
Mise-en-scene - Ordinary country location. Everyone who watches the video has probably seen a telephone wire with gatherings of birds. Differences between the birds are obvious. The unfairness is intensified. Lighting is bright - convention of happiness. Simple sky background
Sound - Music played quietly throughout. No dialogue so any person can watch the short film. Editing and sound work critically together.
Titles - Audience expectations are high from seeing the Pixar logo.
Genre specific codes and conventions - humour can be followed by anyone. Challenges convention by having no dialogue.
Narrative - Lies of the opposite of many characteristics. Follows Todorovs theory. Representation - Low angles looking up at the big bird - stereotypical new kid trying to fit in with the popular crowd.
Audience - Can be viewed by anyone. Anthropomorphic - human characteristics in animated characters.
Massive Attack music video - “Angel” - Ben
Camera - Focus is played around with a lot. The protagonist is usually in the dark. Close up of man’s face to show emotions.
Framing - Use of rule of thirds is challenged to show other people in the shot.
Editing - Long continuity editing. Continually gets quicker as song moves on.
Sound - Obviously the only sound is the song played throughout. The song compliments the pace of the video - sometimes the shots are in slow motion. The film comes to a climax when the song does.
Mise-en-scene - Abandoned car park - usually a convention of horror - challenging the stereotype. Every time he walks up a level, more people start to follow him as the film progresses. Fear is created from props, e.g. the STOP sign. The lighting is dark but mostly bright when over the protagonists face. All dressed in black.
Representation - You get closure at the end. He overcomes his fears. Shows his fears are following him - warping him.
Audience - Mainly fans of the artist.
“New Boy” - Rebecca
Genre - Drama/Comedy. 2007. Steph Green.
Camera - Positioned behind Joseph (main character) shows he’s alienated from this new world he has been put into. Medium shot to introduce character. Close ups are intimate - showing the facial expressions more and the emotions. Camera zooms in on Joseph as he day dreams. Long shots show us the locations and how they differ. Low angles show us who has the authority and power. Depth of field is important and played around with. Editing and Sound - Sound bridges are used. Transitions are simple cuts. Editing and sound work crucially together e.g. when Josephs father is shot, you can hear the gun fire but the scene cuts to when Joseph is hit with milk by his school peers. Mainly diegetic dialogue - sound of children before anything visual happens. Soft music plays for when Joseph daydreams, almost dream like. Regional dialogue - every person is Irish - it singles Joseph out even more.
Mise-en-scene - Locations are Ireland and Africa. Uniforms are completely different. Josephs father wore a bright yellow t-shirt - teachers knickers are yellow. Props show the difference in countries. Lighting - reflects Joseph’s mood and each location.
Titles - The letter ‘B’ in ‘Boy’ is larger than the other letters which could represent Joseph being isolated. Black and white writing - like on a black board. Follows most conventions - tragedy, confrontation. Deals with racial prejudice.
Narrative - Being told from Joseph’s POV, we learn through flash backs about Joseph’s past. Linear structure.
Representations - Set in present day. Joseph - typical new boy, nervous. Teacher - strict, has authority but is also caring. Naughty school boys - un-tucked clothing, so it follows stereotypes. Todorov’s theory of equilibrium is followed. Gender and status are represented - girls are good and boys are bad. Joseph - name has a biblical meaning.
Audience - Would be able to relate and understand. 15+. Realistic and sends out an important message. They would react positively.
Theme - Teaching us to be more accepting. Shows our society needs to change.
“Finite” - Charlotte
Camera - Characters are in the middle of the frame - loneliness - Kept in the right of the frame. Zoom out at the end to show isolation.
Framing - In the shot together but framed apart - there is a light barrier between them. Pull focus between the man and the woman. Mise-en-scene - Beach: calm and romantic atmosphere. Light is used as a barrier between the man and woman shows the divide between them. Woman also wearing light colours.
Sound - Diegetic dialogue. Sea waves. Running water. Non diegetic soundtrack - soft music.
Script/Narrative - Keeps audience guessing. Characters don’t have any physical contact in the present time.
Genre specific codes and conventions - Backdrop of fading sunset. Couple holding hands. Stereotypical for a romantic film.
Representation - Isolation, death - looking out into the sea; alone.
Audience - aimed at a younger audience. Maybe more for women.
Themes - Love, loss, a journey, devotion, denial. Symbolic when the man throws the crystal into the ocean - he can finally let her go.
Short film analysis - 'LOVEFIELD'
Short Film Textual Analysis
Short Film Title: LOVEFIELDGenre: Horror/Suspense/Drama
Run time: 5mins 29secs
Year: 2008
Director: Mathieu Ratthe
Source (web address): www.youtube.com
Writer: Mathieu Ratthe
Producer: Mathieu Ratthe
Editor: Mathieu Ratthe
Sound: John Williams
Director of Photography: Yan Savard
Cast: Pierre Lebeau, Bianca Gervais
Funded by: Matt Ratt Productions
Brief Synopsis: Lovefield combines elements of HORROR, SUSPENSE and DRAMA to create a story that takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Micro.
Camera angle, movement and position
Establishing shot - iconic image of the wheat field - Camera pans lowers down to each strand of wheat - the focus blurs as it zooms in on each strand of wheat. Various depths of field.
Wide shots to show how far away from civilisation the film is set. No one could hear or help you.
Slow movements - slow camera rise showing crow sitting on welcome sign - creates tension. Camera at the same height of the wheat - is all what it seems?
Slow diagonal pan showing phone, money, etc - Gives the audience clues.
Pan up to reveal man. Pull focus between him and the crow showing that the man knows the crow is the only witness.
The manipulation of the camera only tells one part of the story, filling us with a sense of dread until all is revealed.
FramingThe man is usually in the middle of the shot - the focus is on him and his reactions.
Rule of thirds - When he stands up and looks around (for the police car), He’s in the middle of the screen to show how alone he is. No help is around.
The director has chosen not to put the woman in the frame, otherwise the plot of the short film wouldn’t be too interesting.
The wheat field location has been put in a wide frame - to show isolated the characters are.
Editing and special effects
Fade transitions, wheat image moulds into one another - slow to build the tension.
Editing and sound work crucially together - planned carefully - the spike of the violins matches when the foot goes still and the knife strikes the ground.
Mise en scene (including location)
Crow - connotation of bad luck, sign of danger - Mathieu Ratthe uses the connotation of the crow in other short film work he has done such as ‘The Talisman’.
Number 13 - On the ‘Welcome to Hedren Hill’ sign, it says there are 13 miles to Bishopsville, the number 13 is known as bad luck - a connotation of danger -there are numerous films based on this fact, ‘Fridays the 13th’, etc.
Location - wheat field. Iconic image - wheat field - from Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ - intertextuality.
Props - Phone - we know that someone has tried to make a hasty phone call. Money - we can see money on the ground, is the person being robbed? Pants - covered in blood - we can only assume that if she isn’t being robbed for money, she’s being raped. Bin bag - when we see the bin bag the man pulls out from the car boot, we immediately think it’s so he can hide/cover the body.
Clothes - Man wearing dungaree’s and baseball cap - already looks suspicious.
Make-up - Man looks dirty, greasy and sweaty - makes the audience think he’s a bad guy, when in fact he’s just delivered a baby after working on a tractor all day. Woman’s hair is wet with sweat from the stress of having a child.
Lighting - In the beginning, when we have the establishing shot, the sun is covered with clouds, creating a darker looking surrounding. This goes well with the narrative when the audience is still finding out what actually happens. Just after the baby is revealed, the sun comes out. In the ending shot, we can see the light reflecting off the police car’s windshield and the wheat looks shinier.
Sound
Non diegetic tense, long violin chords - builds tension.
Welcome sign creaking - Crow cawing.
Phone beeping - telling the audience it has no signal/the call failed.
Diegetic sound - Woman crying out in pain - Audience instantly thinks the worst.
Soft music composed by John Williams, famous for music in ‘Jaws’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Schindler’s List’, is played when the baby is revealed. Mathieu Ratthe has filmed a short demo scene based from the book ‘The Talisman’ by Stephen King with Cameron Bright starring. Steven Spielberg owns the rights to the script, Ratthe hopes to be recognized for his talent by the director. Spielberg has had a long relationship with the composer - Ratthe knew this and used William’s composition in his short film.
ScriptThe dialogue is important in this short film - when the man proclaims “It’s a boy.”, we know he is innocent. When the woman replies “Thank-you”, we now know he was only helping her.
No regional dialect.
I think the director wanted no dialogue at the beginning, only the woman crying out in pain, to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. You’re imagination got wild with ideas when there is no dialogue - you rely solely on what you can see within the shot - the director wants this.
Titles/Institutional Reference
Simple font - names in capital letters - doesn’t represent the film as such, it represents the man who made it.
Black screen, white writing - used in all Mathieu Ratthe’s work - title’s stay on screen for four seconds.
Fades in from the middle of middle word.
Macro.
Genre specific elements; codes and conventionsHorror - Creepy, suspenseful music. Black crow. Number 13. Sign creaking noises. A woman crying in pain. Blood. Knife. Skull tattoo.
Suspense - Music. Unrevealing camera shots. Build up in the narrative.
Drama - Child birth. Police intervention.
Narrative
The narrative is being told by the man. If it were told from the woman’s POV, we’d have a whole different story. But because it’s from the man’s POV, it looks like a completely different situation.
The concept of time is being represented by the field of wheat. The montage of shots that fade into each other show time passing by.
The characters play a vital part in moving the narrative along - the story centres around this man and what’s happening to him.
The audience will understand the narrative when the baby is revealed - all the clues piece together and you’ll be left completely surprised by the turn of events. You now know why he needed a knife and a blanket, etc.
The crow also plays a big part in the narrative - especially at the end when the man lowers the blanket - the crows beak is open, just like the audience’s mouths would be - he’s mimicking our expressions.
Representations
Context - obviously set in present day - tractors, mobile phones, police cars.
The micro elements build up The Man to look like a villain - the bloody knife, etc, when in fact he’s actually the hero of the story.
The film challenges stereotypes: The evil rapist is actually a helpful caring farmer.
Gender - Men have been represented, in the end, as kind helpful saviours.
Audience
The target audience of this short film could range from any age to any person - there’s no guidelines.
The audience would respond positively to the film because of the happy ending.
The audience are being asked to identify with the man because the narrative is being told from his POV. We won’t initially sympathize with him until the twist in the story is told.
The audience would also have to be computer owners with internet access, also have an interest in short films.
Themes/Messages
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Everything is not as it seems.
Ideas Generation/Reflection Area
Short Film Title: LOVEFIELDRun time: 5mins 29secs
Year: 2008
Director: Mathieu Ratthe
Source (web address): www.youtube.com
Writer: Mathieu Ratthe
Producer: Mathieu Ratthe
Editor: Mathieu Ratthe
Sound: John Williams
Director of Photography: Yan Savard
Cast: Pierre Lebeau, Bianca Gervais
Funded by: Matt Ratt Productions
Brief Synopsis: Lovefield combines elements of HORROR, SUSPENSE and DRAMA to create a story that takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Micro.
Camera angle, movement and position
Establishing shot - iconic image of the wheat field - Camera pans lowers down to each strand of wheat - the focus blurs as it zooms in on each strand of wheat. Various depths of field.
Wide shots to show how far away from civilisation the film is set. No one could hear or help you.
Slow movements - slow camera rise showing crow sitting on welcome sign - creates tension. Camera at the same height of the wheat - is all what it seems?
Slow diagonal pan showing phone, money, etc - Gives the audience clues.
Pan up to reveal man. Pull focus between him and the crow showing that the man knows the crow is the only witness.
The manipulation of the camera only tells one part of the story, filling us with a sense of dread until all is revealed.
FramingThe man is usually in the middle of the shot - the focus is on him and his reactions.
Rule of thirds - When he stands up and looks around (for the police car), He’s in the middle of the screen to show how alone he is. No help is around.
The director has chosen not to put the woman in the frame, otherwise the plot of the short film wouldn’t be too interesting.
The wheat field location has been put in a wide frame - to show isolated the characters are.
Editing and special effects
Fade transitions, wheat image moulds into one another - slow to build the tension.
Editing and sound work crucially together - planned carefully - the spike of the violins matches when the foot goes still and the knife strikes the ground.
Mise en scene (including location)
Crow - connotation of bad luck, sign of danger - Mathieu Ratthe uses the connotation of the crow in other short film work he has done such as ‘The Talisman’.
Number 13 - On the ‘Welcome to Hedren Hill’ sign, it says there are 13 miles to Bishopsville, the number 13 is known as bad luck - a connotation of danger -there are numerous films based on this fact, ‘Fridays the 13th’, etc.
Location - wheat field. Iconic image - wheat field - from Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ - intertextuality.
Props - Phone - we know that someone has tried to make a hasty phone call. Money - we can see money on the ground, is the person being robbed? Pants - covered in blood - we can only assume that if she isn’t being robbed for money, she’s being raped. Bin bag - when we see the bin bag the man pulls out from the car boot, we immediately think it’s so he can hide/cover the body.
Clothes - Man wearing dungaree’s and baseball cap - already looks suspicious.
Make-up - Man looks dirty, greasy and sweaty - makes the audience think he’s a bad guy, when in fact he’s just delivered a baby after working on a tractor all day. Woman’s hair is wet with sweat from the stress of having a child.
Lighting - In the beginning, when we have the establishing shot, the sun is covered with clouds, creating a darker looking surrounding. This goes well with the narrative when the audience is still finding out what actually happens. Just after the baby is revealed, the sun comes out. In the ending shot, we can see the light reflecting off the police car’s windshield and the wheat looks shinier.
Sound
Non diegetic tense, long violin chords - builds tension.
Welcome sign creaking - Crow cawing.
Phone beeping - telling the audience it has no signal/the call failed.
Diegetic sound - Woman crying out in pain - Audience instantly thinks the worst.
Soft music composed by John Williams, famous for music in ‘Jaws’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Schindler’s List’, is played when the baby is revealed. Mathieu Ratthe has filmed a short demo scene based from the book ‘The Talisman’ by Stephen King with Cameron Bright starring. Steven Spielberg owns the rights to the script, Ratthe hopes to be recognized for his talent by the director. Spielberg has had a long relationship with the composer - Ratthe knew this and used William’s composition in his short film.
ScriptThe dialogue is important in this short film - when the man proclaims “It’s a boy.”, we know he is innocent. When the woman replies “Thank-you”, we now know he was only helping her.
No regional dialect.
I think the director wanted no dialogue at the beginning, only the woman crying out in pain, to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. You’re imagination got wild with ideas when there is no dialogue - you rely solely on what you can see within the shot - the director wants this.
Titles/Institutional Reference
Simple font - names in capital letters - doesn’t represent the film as such, it represents the man who made it.
Black screen, white writing - used in all Mathieu Ratthe’s work - title’s stay on screen for four seconds.
Fades in from the middle of middle word.
Macro.
Genre specific elements; codes and conventionsHorror - Creepy, suspenseful music. Black crow. Number 13. Sign creaking noises. A woman crying in pain. Blood. Knife. Skull tattoo.
Suspense - Music. Unrevealing camera shots. Build up in the narrative.
Drama - Child birth. Police intervention.
Narrative
The narrative is being told by the man. If it were told from the woman’s POV, we’d have a whole different story. But because it’s from the man’s POV, it looks like a completely different situation.
The concept of time is being represented by the field of wheat. The montage of shots that fade into each other show time passing by.
The characters play a vital part in moving the narrative along - the story centres around this man and what’s happening to him.
The audience will understand the narrative when the baby is revealed - all the clues piece together and you’ll be left completely surprised by the turn of events. You now know why he needed a knife and a blanket, etc.
The crow also plays a big part in the narrative - especially at the end when the man lowers the blanket - the crows beak is open, just like the audience’s mouths would be - he’s mimicking our expressions.
Representations
Context - obviously set in present day - tractors, mobile phones, police cars.
The micro elements build up The Man to look like a villain - the bloody knife, etc, when in fact he’s actually the hero of the story.
The film challenges stereotypes: The evil rapist is actually a helpful caring farmer.
Gender - Men have been represented, in the end, as kind helpful saviours.
Audience
The target audience of this short film could range from any age to any person - there’s no guidelines.
The audience would respond positively to the film because of the happy ending.
The audience are being asked to identify with the man because the narrative is being told from his POV. We won’t initially sympathize with him until the twist in the story is told.
The audience would also have to be computer owners with internet access, also have an interest in short films.
Themes/Messages
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Everything is not as it seems.
Ideas Generation/Reflection Area
This short film completely blew me away. I was not expecting the twist ending at all. The man seemed totally evil but then it turned out he was the good guy! I hope I can somehow create something as thought provoking as this. It’s such a simple idea! This short film proves that you can make a well made product with a limited budget just as well as a massive Hollywood production. This film relies heavily on editing tricks, sound and camera movement and it definitely works out in the end. I hope to see more from this director soon, he is so talented, he’s an inspiration to me.
Short film analysis - 'Lou Lou Lives Here'
Short Film Title: Lou-Lou Lives Here
Genre: Drama
Year: 2005
Director: Hazel Grian
Source (web address): www.raindance.tv
Writer: Hazel Grian
Producer: Mark Parry
Editor: Yvonne Davies
Sound: Gemma Goldsmith
Director of Photography: Simon Jacobs
Cast: Hayley-Rose Puplett and Steve O’Halloran
Funded by: UK Film Council’s New Cinema fund in association with South West Screen.
Distributed by: Short Circuit Themes.
Brief synopsis: A dark story which parodies the anxieties of a ten year old girl walking home alone. Our worst fears for her happen when she is hunted by a sinister man but this little girl has a powerful secret
Tag line: “Why shouldn’t little girls walk home alone?”
Micro.
Camera angle, movement and position.
Hand held, shaky - showing disorientation. High angle - looking down - we feel shocked looking at the young girl - gaining sympathy. High angle while showing girl licking her wound - already a clue to the fact the little girl is a dog.
Long takes. Medium close up on faces. Narrow depth of field shots showing us that Lou-Lou can hear her owner calling her.
Quick montage of shots with the girl running away from the man showing the panic she feels. Close up on eyes when she changes into a dog. Fast blurred shots.
Framing Characters are in the middle of the frame - rule of three.
Locations have wide shots and character are main focal point.
When showing the dog running away, you see it framed with dark woods in the background - showing she’s wild and untamed - this is proved when she kills the man and runs back home.
Editing and special effectsTo begin with, the editing is in long takes showing the girl waking up but then as the short film progresses and the girl turns into a dog, she shots are short, not letting the audience see too much. A few fade transitions but usually cuts. The structure shows the audience that the girl is in fact a dog.
There aren’t any digitally enhanced special effects, but on the camera when the girl turns into a dog, the camera is in a fish eye lens and has almost a glass effect showing what the man would look like from the dogs perspective.
Mise en scene (including location)
Dirty clothes and unkempt hair - showing the girl doesn’t care for appearances.
Location - woods - wild and dangerous - proved by the man. Creates a tense atmosphere - you know something bad is going to happen.
Man in van holds a small toy hoping to entice the little girl.
Dead rabbit - in the same position the girl was in when she woke up - the animal inside her wants to touch the dead rabbit.
White van - danger.
Lighting - dark on man’s face. Shadows on girls face showing she’s second natured.
Sound
Non diegetic helicopter sounds, loud wind noises, dog barking referring to the girl being a dog. Man shouting. Van revs.
Diegetic sinister voiceover whispering “Lou-lou.”
Heavy breathing showing her panic. No dialogue.
The use of silence in this short film is crucial. It’s genre is drama leaning on to horror so the silence makes the short film more eerie. It also makes you question: does the girl even know how to talk?
Music - there’s a quiet, almost muted rumbling piece played along until the girl see’s the van is empty.
Script
There isn’t any dialogue between the characters in this short film, only the calling of Lou-lou’s owner.
I think the writer wanted the short film to be visually enough to satisfy the audience. The shots and narrative don’t need dialogue because they’re rather self-explanatory.
Titles/Institutional Reference
Titles are in the font ‘courier new’, and they fade in on a blank black screen, referring to the genre and mystery of the plot.
The titles stay on the screen for just over five seconds.
They are meant to be obvious because there is nothing else on the screen except the titles.
Macro.
Genre specific elements; code and conventions
Scarecrow - convention of horror - e.g. Jeepers Creepers.
Helicopter noises - convention of police - searching.
Man in a white van - dangerous - pervert.
Black crow - convention of horror.
Dead rabbit - symbol, foreshadowing events to come.
The audience’s needs have been met for the genre.
Narrative
The narrative is being told from the POV of the little girl/dog.
The concept of time is represented by the camera shots, you can see the light. Montage of shots show time moving quicker as the girl runs through the woods.
The man in the white van plays an important role in moving the narrative along because when the little girl turns into a dog to defend herself, we realise what the point of the short film is about.
Narrative structure - Girl wakes up - Girl walks down lane - Man stalks girl - Girl runs off - Girl turns into a dog to kill man - Dog runs home.
Representations
The short film is obviously set in the present - because of the Pylon showed at the beginning of the film.
The little girl at first is shown as being quite innocent - lying along in the middle of a field but as it moves on we see she’s not so child-like at all. She kills the man who was trying to attack her. And we see her turn into a dog. The camera and mise-en-scene subtly show us this - She licks her wound - She tries to pick up the dead rabbit - Her hearing is heightened - She see’s in black and white.
We don’t get a good look at the Man, we only see him briefly as he comes up behind the little girl. The camera by then is focusing on the girl’s reaction and her turning into a dog. The camera shows the man dropping a small toy therefore he witnesses the girl turning into a dog.
The little girl is challenging the stereotype of defenceless girl walking home alone because she in fact has a dark secret and can easily kill the man.
Todorov’s theory can be loosely placed in this short film. Equilibrium - little girl wakes up and walks along a lane. Disequilibrium - She’s see’s the van, runs through the woods and turns into a dog. New equilibrium - The dog runs back home; safe.
Male’s in this short film come off looking worse, like sexual predators. Age as well is represented as not being a big factor when fighting off an enemy.
The audience in this shot film are being asked to identify with the little girl. The man no one would have sympathy for and be glad he is killed but then there’s always the fact that the little girl/dog is a murderer.
Audience
The target audience for this film would be adults - children would be too young to understand why the man is following the young girl and why suddenly a dog comes along - adults would understand what the meaning to this short film is about, especially parents.
Themes/Messages
The main theme of the short film lies within the tag line: ‘Why shouldn’t young girls walk home alone?’. This film proves that danger lurks out there and little girls cannot turn into dogs to protect themselves.
Ideas Generation/Reflection Area
From this short film, I’ve learnt a lot, e.g. Think carefully about the mise-en-scene and sometimes dialogue isn‘t needed to create effect. It’s definitely motivated me and is the inspiration for one of my ideas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)