Title: Wrong Side of the Bed
Director: Daniel Lucchesi
Source:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR_PzFZgsHU&p=0D36A7F92CFD977F&playnext=1&index=15
The whole of the short film is done using a mirror image, one side showing a man on a good day and the other side showing the same man but on a bad day. There are lots of close ups which emphasised the good and bad day. Without using the technique of a mirrored image it would change the short film and the difference wouldn’t be as clear or entertaining. It is very simple throughout and this matches with the use of simple cuts. The short film opens with a classic stereotypical alarm clock which is non-diegetic telling the audience that it is the morning. The music has clear changes in it to emphasise between the good and bad day. The man is represented as an everyday man with an average house and an everyday work suit. The theme of the film is that everyone has good and bad days depending on how you wake up in the morning. Personally I think the idea of the split screen is very clever and a good way of showing two different things happening but I don’t think it would work in a lot of situations and has to be very well thought out for it to become successful. I also think the shots where very well thought out in this short film for example when the man was having a bad day the camera looked down on him showing he had no control. I will use this in my film to show which character is in control and carefully plan each shot so we know how different characters are feeling. 
The short film opens with an establishing shot which sets the scene and as it is very wide it also shows isolation, this focuses then blurs to build tension and suspense. There is a pull focus between a man and a crow as the crow is seen to be the witness and the only one who can see the man. It is shown from the man’s point of view to keep the plot of the story a secret which builds up suspense. The man is mostly in the centre of the frame which tells us that he is the main character. The mise en scene has been very thoroughly thought out with props which make the audience have an immediate reaction that something bad has happened for example rape as the first thing shown is a phone, some money and underwear with blood on them on the floor. As the film starts off very dark with tension building up it isn’t until the end when we understand the story line that the sun comes out and changes the look of the entire scene. The crow that is featured in the short film throughout is a connotation of bad things going to happen with a mixture of the harsh sound it makes. The sound is very important as there is very little dialogue which keeps the suspense in the audience going. There is also a creaking of a sign post at the beginning of the short film which is a horror convention, the sign also has the number 13 on it which is known as an unlucky number. When we are shown the props of the phone money and underwear at the beginning there is also a woman screaming in this shot which automatically makes the audience jump to conclusions, to add to this tension there are long tense violin chords playing in the background. Love field is very clever in the way that the suspense is built and lots of small clues are given to the audience of what’s happening but it isn’t until we see the ending where a baby has just been born and the man we have been introduced to is just a friendly farmer who has helped a woman give birth that we understand the plot, and the clues which make the audience jump to the conclusion that a woman has been raped all make sense and fit together. There are many representations shown and stereotypes are challenged in this short film as the man shown at the beginning is shown with a tattoo of a skull on his arm and blood on his hands making him look evil, whereas when the sun shines on him at the end he is shown as just a very helpful farmer. It can be said that the audience is represented through the crow as we are the only witnesses to what is happening when watching love field and we all jump to conclusions such as when the crow makes all of the negative noises. The audience will respond positively to love field due to the happy ending. The theme/message of the short film is not to judge a book by its cover and everything isn’t always as it seems. Personally from this film what inspires me is how the audience is shown small parts at a time before knowing exactly what is going on, but I also think this way of creating a short film depends of what genre the film is as this works very well for horror.
The short film starts with lots of close ups on all of a man’s material possessions which straight away tells us that he can fit the whole of his life into a bag. This then cuts to a long shot of a road which represents the journey he plans to face. The whole of the plan is in black and white representing that it is simple and the man’s life plan was simple. During a chase scene half way through the short film there is a dolly shot around the man showing how isolated and alone he is. The shots are all very fast paced at the beginning as a way of showing that all the decisions the man takes are very fast paced and not thought out. Towards the end the shots change to a little slower paced meaning he’s a little bit lost and hesitating on what decisions to make. The main prop used in the short film is a film camera which is one of the small amount of possessions he takes with him on his journey, this represents how he is capturing the moments in his journey. The lighting starts off very overexposed and bright, as the short film comes to an end the lighting gets a lot darker making the scenes very black and dull. A voice over is used to start the short film which explains the narrative straight away to the audience, there is also a non-diegetic soundtrack playing which is very upbeat with the pace of the plan. The titles are shown like handwriting as a way of representing that he has written down what his plan of life is. The audience could be anyone but it would be aimed typically at young adults going through a midlife crisis and the typical idea of going to Vegas and betting your whole life. Inspirations I will take from this short film is the use of colour to represent situations, such as the use of black and white to show that it is very simple. I think it adds a lot of emotion to the short film and makes it become very simple but amazing.
Title: The Exam
Director: Matthew Kalish
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HC1ANf4L6s The short film opens with an extreme close up of one of the characters meaning we are going to get personal with this character, this is followed by medium shots introducing the other two characters which could be a way of showing that they take a backseat and the character introduced to us with the extreme close up is the group leader. There is then a long shot of all three characters together telling the audience that they are friends. Later on in the short film when we are introduced to the professor there is a tilt shot looking up at him, showing that he has power over all three of the men. The framing is used a lot as a way of showing the importance of each character in each shot through who is closer and further away from the camera as well as where they are positioned. The editing is fairly simple with straight cuts and shot reverse shots during conversations between characters. The Mise en scene in the short film plays a huge part as it tells us about the characters and the lifestyle they live, there is always a lot of alcohol representing young people and this is followed by them having a rundown cheap car and them going to a university to sit an exam which explains that they are typical students. There is a lot of diegetic sound with music playing in a bar and in the car they own. There is also non-diegetic sound during the exam the three students sit at the end to build tension within the audience. There’s dialogue throughout the whole of the film so we understand the characters and I think this is needed in a short film which is meant to be very comical. Audience expectations are satisfied due to the comical end which was not expected. Stereotypes are followed a lot during this film with the use of students drinking a lot and thinking they can get away with anything. The other typical stereotype is the old professor who comes across as a push over but he will always have power over the students. The titles of the film are shown in an exam font which ties in with the whole theme. The theme of this film is that life doesn’t come easy. From this short film I love the comical side and the stereotypes shown with a catch.
Title: For the birds
Director: Ralph Eggleson
Source: Monsters Inc DVD The camera is positioned directly square to the shot, this creates simplicity and adds to the humour of the short film. All of the little birds are introduced with an eye level shot, the other big bird is introduced using a low angle which makes the other bird look even bigger and more out of place. The framing is very minimal and there is a lack of any detail, this is simple humour. The rule of thirds is compromised because of all of the birds. The editing is chronological and continuous making it very easy for children. Shot reverse shot is used with the two different sets of birds. The short film is set in the country side which is very typical. All the birds have identical looks apart from one other big bird which is a part of the subtle humour. The lighting is very bright and natural which is classic for a happy child friendly film. There is no dialogue meaning any age and language can understand the short film, the non-diegetic music is very bouncy which matches audience expectations. The first title shown is ‘PIXAR’ which is a very well known company meaning the audience automatically set high expectations. The title of the film is very simple but bright like the film. The short film follows genre conventions and is humorous for all ages. Without the outcast of the odd big bird there would be no humour. The short film strongly follows Todorovs theory. Although the short film is very simple it shows that discrimination still takes place although it can be unintentionally. The short film has a very broad target audience although it is mainly aimed at families and children.
Title: Massive Attack- Angel
Director: Walter Stern
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaef2NgwqHY&ob=av2e
During the short film the focus is played with a lot and indicates which character to look at in each shot. Also by doing this is puts everything else in the dark to keep the audience guessing. There are also a lot of close ups which show the characters individual feelings. There are a variation of shots including long shots so we are set in the scene and tracking shots to feel a part of the action going on. The short film uses continuity editing which results in a very steady flow, towards the end the editing becomes very fast which flows with the pace of the music. There is no diegetic sound due to the music being played, although this makes it very dark and fits in with the whole mood. It is set within a car park which are very stereotypical dark and gloomy places. Also as the character goes up levels on the car park, the narrative progresses which fits in with the steady flow. The clothes on all the characters are very plain and dark meaning we don’t know what they are like and have to figure them out. The narrative develops using peoples dark fears meaning it is very self explanatory on how you take the short film.
Title: New Boy
Director: Steph Green
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdeioVndUhs
The genre is drama/comedy and a real life situation. The short film starts with an over the shoulder shot showing the back of a boy’s head facing a full class room, this shows the new boy is very alienated from the class. The camera then faces the new young boy called Joseph as the class are introduced to him, he is shown as very vulnerable. The camera then zooms in on Joseph as he goes into a daydream of his old school and life in Africa. The depth of field carefully puts certain characters in focus. There is mainly only the main characters in each shot in focus so that the audience know exactly who to focus on. The editing is continuity giving it flow, other edits include match on action when the children fight. And editing and sound are used together, especially with the use of sound bridges. There are two main locations in the short film, a primary school in Ireland and a primary school in Africa. These are portrayed very differently with the use of costumes and props; in Ireland they have a very plain but smart uniform whereas in Africa it’s a lot more laid back and casual. In Ireland they use school books whereas in Africa they use small blackboards. Through the costumes and general mise en scene the school in Africa is shown as very bright and colourful in comparison to the school in Ireland, this reflects Joseph’s feelings on the school. The sound is non diegetic when the credits are played, this then goes into a sound bridge of children playing and laughing which indicates to the audience where the film is set. There is a full script throughout the short film which develops the whole of the narrative. The regional dialect used in the school in Ireland singles new boy Joseph out even more. The short film follows conventions and the sound reflects the overall mood. The narrative is told from 3rd person as it follows his thoughts. We learn about his past as when he day dreams the narrative cuts to the past, meaning the short film has a non-linear structure. Strong stereotypes are shown with the different characters, the new boy being an outcast and desperately trying to fit in, the school boys who are typical trouble makers, the strict teacher and the geek. The target audience would be 15+ due to bad language. The themes are racial prejudice, tragedy, loss, bullying and acceptance.
The short film opens with a fading shot of the ocean which is a symbol for peace and tranquillity. The end shot is then the same but the main character man is stood in the centre of the shot showing isolation and loneliness. As we are introduced to the woman she is out of focus and dreamlike, it is also in slow motion which creates disorientation. The mise en scene has been thought out very carefully as the use of the beech is very stereotypically known as very romantic. Lighting is also used very cleverly to show divides between the two characters. There is non-diegetic sound with a music track playing but there is also diegetic sound with the waves of the sea crashing. The script tells the audience the story line very slowly and carefully. Genre conventions are followed with the typical romance scene of the beech and a sun set. The narrative uses a foreshadowing technique, and is non-linear due to the use of flashbacks in the man’s head. Representations are shown as the man is very alone as he looks out to sea hopelessly. The short film is aimed at anyone who likes romance films. The theme is love, loss, denial and a journey.
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