Research- Short Film Textual Analysis

Title: Beyond Words
Director: Armand De Saint-Salvy
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJlVNxBbrU8&feature=channel

Micro

Ø  Camera angle, movement and positionAt the start of the short film the camera is positioned looking at the main characters body, the camera then goes up into a medium close up of the main character before quickly cutting to a medium shot of the main characters back looking in a mirror so we see her reflection. I think it has been positioned there as a way of introducing her, we find out what kind of person she is straight away. She does sign language to herself meaning that she’s deaf. A lot of the shots are from behind the main character such as medium shots, close ups and over the shoulder shots. This could be done so that we see everything from her prospective. Camera movements are very slow and calm matching with the scene and giving the signal that an event is building up although nothing has yet happened. A narrow depth of field is often used blurring out the background putting all our focus onto the main character.

Ø  FramingThe rule of thirds has been followed and is used quite a lot as the main character is placed slightly to the right in most shots, this means that we can see the location and what is going on around the character.

Ø  Editing and special effectsEditing has been used to make clean cuts between different sections, it works with the sound as when the editing cuts to a new scene the sound changes with it. Not When a man attacks a women towards the end of the short film the editing makes a dramatic change as there are quick cuts between each shot creating fear.

Ø  Mise en sceneIt is set within some sort of gym and then leads into a car park. The location of the gym is where the film starts, when it is carried through to the car park it creates atmosphere as its dark and no-one is around. It is also a very typical place for people to get crept up on in stereotypical films. Props and costumes aren’t used obviously in the short film, all we are told is that it is set in the modern day by what the characters are wearing and what the surroundings look like. The lighting is quite dark throughout the short film; none of it is bright and colourful. By having the whole of the film quite dark it gives it a serious feeling, like a message is trying to be put across.

Ø  SoundThe film starts with non-diegetic sound of a sort of humming/buzz but like it is supposed to be seen as diegetic. As there are cuts in the editing and there is a quick flash of black the sound changes to diegetic sound, which is just people talking and the noises we would be hearing if we where there. This symbolises what the blind man in the film can hear, in contrast to the woman being able to see but not hear therefore there is no sound in these parts. It is then more obvious that we are supposed to be hearing what the main character who is deaf can hear and then cut to the actual sound happening around her which is what the blind man can hear, this is very effective and is what the whole film is about and revolves around. There is no voiceover or narrator so we can’t get inside the main characters head, we just have to get a feeling of what they feel. There is a very small amount of music, when the main character women gets attacked by a man and there is a section of very fast cuts, this is built up by the changing of silence which the women hears and the actual noise outside. Music is added to the noise outside making it more dramatic and scary, as we hear music which is then quickly cut to silence which also creates tension. There is a little amount of dialogue where the main character talks to the man who is blind, the only dialogue in the six minute short film is when these two characters talk, this is because they both have disorders which affect them in different ways but this doesn’t stop them communicating together which is the plot of the film, and when they are together we can hear the surrounding noise and see what they see therefore thier two abilities have come together.

Ø  ScriptThe script explains the whole of the short film to us and the meaning of it. It affects how the audience interprets the film as it is all explained at the end with the small amount of script between the blind man and the deaf women. I think they have chosen not to put any script till the end of the film so that we know how it must feel for the woman who hears nothing going on around her but still finds a way of communicating with people and living life like everyone else, and so we know how it feels for the blind man who can see nothing but still hear everything going on around him.

Ø  Titles/Institutional ReferenceThe font type of the title is very simple, it is white which could symbolise innocence and exactly what the main characters are like. The title stays on for just five seconds but the blue background stays there for around 12 seconds which is quite a long time for just a plain blue screen. I think this is to give a dramatic and dark start to the film.

Macro

Ø  NarrativeThe narrative is told from the female main characters perspective, as many of the shots are from behind her so that we see what she sees and the sound matches what it is she would be hearing. But it can also be said that it is shown from the blind man’s perspective as there are sections where the screen is blacked out and we see nothing but we can hear everything that he can hear. This makes the audience understand what it is these characters are feeling and relate themselves with them.

Ø  Representation(s)The short film is set in the present and we can tell this by looking at the costumes and the surroundings throughout. The micro elements such as the framing of the main characters and how innocently they are portrayed by the use of sound and what we see represents what deaf and blind peoples life’s are like. All the small factors build up the characters as individuals so we know what they are like. There are no stereotypes in the short film as the two main characters (the deaf women and the blind man) are shown as individuals and this is what the short film is about. The short film follows Todorov’s theory as everything is as it should be at the beginning (equilibrium), this is then disrupted by a man trying to rob the women (disequilibrium), a man then helps the woman and brings her to safety (new equilibrium). The twist on the short film is how the women is blind and the man who rescues her is deaf. The audience are asked to identify with the characters mainly through use of sound as it is this element which helps us understand the woman as when the sound cuts off and we don’t understand what’s going on this is what she is facing.

Ø  Audience
There is no particular target audience with this short film as it is to try and make anyone understand others around them. The film is constructed to appeal to everyone as we are put in the shoes of the main characters and can easily relate to them through this short film. The audience will respond in a very sensitive way as unless they are deaf themselves it can be hard to relate yourself to a lifestyle you don’t have.

Ø  Themes/MessagesIn my opinion the theme of the film is communication between people. It is trying to teach us about different lifestyles and individuals, it also makes a point about how

some people can’t communicate in the same way as others e.g. the woman had to see the person’s lips who’s talking to her before she can understand.

What I will take from this short film:

I have learnt from the construction of this short film that sound plays a huge part in a short film and how it can affect how we view a character in a film. I also like the ideas behind this short film as it has been thought out very well with the use of how people communicate with one another.

Research- Short Film Textual Analysis

Title: Strangers
Director: Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpjHSiQLPmA

Micro

Ø  Camera angle, movement and position
The camera is positioned in a various amount of places in a tube station, the whole of the short film is based in this small area.  Lots of different shot types are used, mostly close ups which could be a way of trying to show the tension between different characters. Camera angles are used to show character representations by having the same medium close up on the main two characters at the start of the short film, this could be a way of showing that they are equal before we find out the plot of the film. Camera movement is quite slow towards the beginning whereas in the middle and end it becomes very fast showing how the tension has built up and become an action type short film. Most shots use a wide depth of field so we can see everything going on, a couple of shots use narrow depth of field showing the importance of each individual character.

Ø  FramingThe location is framed from the beginning when the shot fades in from black to a single light shining onto a platform, it’s very dark which creates a tense start. As it is only a small part of the platform it gives clues and this has been done to keep the audience guessing and question where the scene is set and what the short film is going to be about. A fast tube then goes through which breaks the still scene of the platform and starts the short film off well, it also tells the audience where the scene is set. The rule of thirds is used when the audience are introduced to the two main characters, but a few minutes in this stops and the rule of thirds is challenged as the characters are centre framed, this could be for a number of different reasons. It could be to show the seriousness and make it more dramatic.

Ø  Editing and special effectsEditing has been used to create meaning by a lot of cutting being done to make it fast paced and exciting. This is done in contrast to the beginning of the short film where a fade in is done on the first shot which is very slow. There is then an over the shoulder shot where we meet the first character flowing into a reverse shot of him stepping onto the tube. One minute into the short film there are a various amount of shots cutting between two characters, this introduces the audience well to the two main characters but there is still the question of what is going to happen. The sound isn’t matched with the editing as the sound is just the sound of the tube running, until half way through the film where a strong beating sound starts meaning something is about to happen. This creates meaning as the beat continues and builds up a strong scene.

Ø  Mise en sceneThe short film is set in a tube. The location creates atmosphere as in a tube people are trapped and there is nowhere to run which creates a bad atmosphere, also mixing with the noise of the tube which is very rough and unpleasant. There are two props used to link two strangers sat on a tube, one is an Arabic newspaper which one of the characters is reading, the other is a necklace with the Jewish symbol on it. By using these two props in links the two characters together although they don’t know each other. We can tell that the short film is set in the modern day by the modern day casual clothes they’re wearing. Lighting is a strong part of this short film, as it starts in the dark with just a small amount of light creating a dark and scary atmosphere.

Ø  SoundThe film starts with diegetic sound of the tube running, halfway through the short film non-diegetic music starts which is added for a dramatic effect and to build up what is going to happen in the scene. The music creates meaning as it is a very strong beat to begin with, this then turns into a more upbeat tune as the two main characters are running away from a big group of men, this music then stops as soon as the two characters have got away. There is no voice-over or dialogue used making the meaning of the short film less obvious to the audience. The use of no dialogue makes the audience really look into any clues such as the two props, the necklace and the newspaper.

Ø  ScriptBy having no dialogue it has a big impact, as it is only a short film the audience has to concentrate for that short amount of time to figure out what’s happening and pick up on all the small details.

Ø  Titles/Institutional ReferenceThe font type is very plain and straight forward, this could be a way of representing the storyline. The title is in the middle of the screen in plain black and white, this makes it very bold and straightforward sticking to the same ideas as the font. The film institution is fox searchlight pictures who specialise in independent and British films. The titles at the beginning of the film stay on the screen for 12 seconds, they’re meant to be obvious as they are black and white and very bold.

Macro

Ø  NarrativeThe narrative is told by little clues being given at a time, music then builds up to the main scene. Two strangers sit on a tube, they both have religious props including a newspaper and a necklace, this links the two characters together. A group of stereotypical big bold men then come and sit next to the man with the more obvious prop, the Arabic newspaper. They then spray a Nazi sign on the back of this newspaper to be racist against them. We see the short film from the perspective of the two religious men. The audience will understand the narrative as it becomes very obvious in the middle of the film as to what is happening.

Ø  Representation(s)The short film is set in the present, this is obvious by what the characters are wearing. This impacts the whole idea of the film, showing how people are still very racist although it was just an innocent man minding his own business sat on a tube. The two main characters are represented as the victims through the use of close ups on the fear shown in their face and how they’re shown alone in a shot whereas the big group of men are shown together outnumbering the two main characters. Stereotypes are followed as the big gang of men are shown as big with muscles, shaved heads, tattoos and piercings. The short film follows Todorov’s theory as everything is as it should be at the beginning (equilibrium), this is then disrupted by the gang of men (disequilibrium), the two main characters then escape to safety(new equilibrium). Religion is represented in the short film by the gang of men painting a Nazi sign on the Jewish newspaper. The audience are made to understand the characters as the main character with the newspaper was shown at the beginning minding his own business and shown as completely harmless.

Ø  AudienceThere is no particular target audience apart from the age of 15+ maybe to be able to understand the short film but it’s targeted at everyone to show what still goes on in the world to innocent individuals. The audience should respond to this film by stopping to discriminate against people and see everyone as their own person.

Ø  Themes/MessagesThe short film is making a strong point about what goes on in today’s society even though many people aren’t aware of it and trying to teach people that it’s not right. It comments on today’s society in a bad way, and how there are so many victims out there. The intended meaning is that it isn’t right and it isn’t fair on innocent people.

What I will take from this short film:

I have learnt from this short film that it doesn’t take long to get a very strong message across to the audience. I could apply some of the techniques used in this short film in my own film by having the idea of no dialogue and it only takes a few small clues to get across to the audience what the short film is about and what it’s trying to say. I found the way the title was on its own in bold black and white successful in this type of short film as its very serious and dramatic, although I don’t think this type of title layout would be successful in many other genres

Research

As part of my research I have analysed three short films from all different genres which have strong contrast and I have looked at the different approaches used in the genres of these media products.

I have chosen to analyse:

§  Strangers- A short film with a strong meaning

§  Beyond words- A short film with a complex narrative

§  Paparazzi- A music video which has been created into a short film

I will be looking at MICRO and MACRO elements:

MICRO-

§  Camera angle, movement and position

§  Framing

§  Editing and special effects

§  Mise en scene

§  Sound

§  Script

§  Titles/Institutional Reference

MACRO-

§  Genre specific elements; codes and conventions

§  Narrative

§  Representations

§  Audience

§  Themes/Messages

I have also looked at eight other short films in less amount of detail.
By looking into so many short films it will give me a general idea about all the MICRO and MACRO elements I should use to create a successful short film.