Short Films Expectation and Analysis

 

Short films

Expectations from the titles

Echo

Echo suggests that there could be a recurring theme during the film as derived from the word echo. It could also be the name of someone or something of importance in the film. 

Operator

The name of this film suggests to me that it will be a film that follows someone who is operating a human in the sense that they are guiding this person to do a task hence being the operator. The name could also suggest that it follows someone who is operating a machine.

Over

Over suggests that something could be ending and that it follows a story which ends in this short film

Slap

This title has a comedic undertone as it can be related to the word slapstick or the film could be more serious and it could be about someone who experiences a slap in the face and perhaps a slap in the face.

The arrival

The arrival suggests that the film will follow someone of importance in the film who is arriving or it follows the events which surround the arrival of this person or object.

The Ellington Kid 

The title of this film has an echo of western titles so it may follow a story of cowboys and/or gangsters

The Fly 

This film may follow a creature which can fly or learns to fly

Tight Jeans 

The title has remnants of romantic comedy as tights jeans are often related to something that someone might wear in the 2000s which is around the peak of Rom Com films.

 

Analysis of Short films

The Ellington Kid

It is a like an urban myth a story which could be true theoretically but is very unlikely to be true. This ties nicely with the ending as it’s left to our imagination but the way Beefy spits out the burger and how it pans to the shop owner smirking. When it cuts back to Nathan and Beefy it keeps us in suspense as we want to know what happens next. It switches between a comedic and sinister setting polar opposites. The opening scene sharpening the knife sets the theme for the film, it acts as something which draws you into the film and it creates tension, the cutting of the meat feels intimidating. Ever since the stabbing the sinister music plays throughout which creates tension.

The fly

The kuleshov effect is used through out the film to build an obsession of the fly by the man, the relationship that is built is of a rival manner.

During the film they cut back to the door of the bank where sound of a robbery plays which represents where the source of the man’s anxiety comes from. The fly is a physical representation of the mans angst throughout the film.

No diegetic sound just the car engine rumbling which has been added in post. 

The pull focus of the mask which he smushes against the wind screen to try kill the fly

The toothpick foreshadows that something will likely go wrong as he moves sporadically and has a sharp object in his mouth

The show don’t tell where they cut away for the scream it leaves it to our imagination until it shows us, the cutaways also remind us that there are things happening out of this moment

Non-diegetic sound of the sirens and helicopter getting louder 

The use of slo-mo on the robbers who look at the man extends the shot

Slap

The film's visual style captures a naturalistic atmosphere, accentuating the authenticity of the story. The protagonist's self-reflection in the mirror breaks the fourth wall, allowing the audience a glimpse into his hidden life that no other character in the film shares. The use of handheld camera movement employed in the opening scene, as it establishes a close connection between the audience and the character.

The performance and characterisation play a vital role in conveying the protagonist's emotions. Joe Cole's portrayal highlights the protagonist's care and significance placed on applying makeup, revealing a gentle side to his personality. Archie's apprehensive glances towards Connor suggest a deeper attraction, which culminates in a powerful kiss. Through subtle hints of smiles and the pride displayed when Archie reveals his makeup collection, Cole effectively conveys Connor's profound relief at Archie's acceptance of their secret.

The Arrival 

This film is just one long take, which helps us as viewers create a connection with the character as we are stuck with them whether we like it or not for the duration of the film. This connection allows us to enjoy the film as we want to know what happens and how her thoughts evolve. The camera very slowly panning in represents the spiral of thoughts in which the character is going through and the ever growing stress. 

Operator

The message of the film is about regulating your emotions, about professionalism and the importance of staying calm in a stressful situation.  At the end of the call with the young woman in the burning flat, when the line cuts dead, the silence of the static shot on the operator is incredibly powerful in achieving this message.

 

The naturalistic mise-en-scene, the protagonist's LFB logo polo shirt and her regional Scottish accent give the film a gritty, realistic an almost documentary feel.

 

In the opening, we can hear someone typing on a keyboard, office sounds, other operators talking, and these diegetic sounds create the feeling of real yet sterile workplace for the viewer.  The intensity of the voices on the other end of the line contrasts with the calm, almost sterile atmosphere in the call centre.

 

The camera pans slowly across and behind the different desks, allowing the viewer to take in the different aspects of the operators; their posture, their body-language.  The camera movement feels unsure, it is not certain where the focus should be, so it hovers around, close beside the operators as if we are eavesdropping, as if we're not supposed to be in the room, listening to these private calls.  We are somewhere we are not supposed to be, and the framing of the film, especially when we see the protagonist through the gap between two monitors, is constrictive, creating the effect of spying and establishing an atmosphere that is intense and claustrophobic, mirroring the drama on the phone. 

Over

Establishing shots of the suburban street and diegetic sound of birdsong, cars, and a police siren create an atmosphere of peaceful typically English suburbs. The weather and architecture establish setting and time period.

 

The camera angle and framing position the viewer as a far away spectator as if we are watching through the lens of a stationary CCTV camera. 

 

The conversation between the couple is conventional and foreshadows the death as we hear the woman say “looks like someone has died”. We only hear little snippets of conversation and are never directly involved in conversation.  

 

The shot of the black cat tailing behind is representative of bad luck.

 

The shot of the flowers on the curb with the sound of cheering people in the background creates an unsettling effect. 

 

In the opening minutes of the film, the distance the viewer is placed from the action creates the sense that we are just passing-by, we are bystanders, not directly involved in the events unfolding.

 

The pacing is intentionally slow to manage the enigma of what actually we are seeing. 

 

The first shot is the same as the last shot of the film, bringing events full circle, to represent the idea that life carries on as normal despite a tragedy.

 

The film uses juxtaposition to establish an unnerving atmosphere.  The subject matter of the film is very dark, but presented in a normal, everyday way.

 

We never see a close-up of any of the character's faces because none of them matter; they are secondary to the climax of the film.

 

The reverse chronology of the film establishes the enigma code but also highlights the fact that even after the tragedy, it is as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

 

The sequence of crime scene photos are clues for the viewer to piece together using our schema - we assume the nature of the crime committed.

 

The film normalises death.

 

The unexpected shock of the body dropping out of the sky towards the end of the film acts as one of the final pieces we need to put the puzzle together, the sense that anything could happen at any time.

 

The overhead sound, then sight of a plane overhead, gives the audience the final piece of the puzzle - how and why the man died.

 

Echo

The repeated sequence of the film’s narrative underlines the traumatic loop the teenage protagonist is stuck in.

The ending is ambiguous – has something actually happened to her father, or is she a highly manipulative young woman, or both?

The protagonist’s targets are parent-aged, which references the young woman’s issues.

The young woman’s performance is compelling, realistic.

Cinematography – the camera rotates 360 around the young woman to emphasise her suffering and isolation. 

The busy streets are full of diegetic, ambient sounds, the locations are real – shops, taxi, bedroom, garage, suburban streets; they surround the protagonist with reminders that her everyday life is empty and meaningless.

Canted, low camera angles, close-ups create a sense of claustrophobia, of imposing – the young woman seems harassed, the film is tense, in-your-face, it doesn’t allow the audience a clear view of what is going on.

Many of the background locations and extras are not in focus to emphasise the fact that the young woman is alone, oblivious to the world.

Tight Jeans

A big part of the short film Tight Jeans is the emphasis placed on dialogue over story. The short film follows three young black teens who are waiting for a lift from a friend. The dialogue appears to be lighthearted and comedic, but touches on issues such as race and culture. The costume of the teens allows us as the viewer to make a few basic assumptions about what they are like, for example the costume tells us that they are young and fashionable. 

The conversation begins with an innocent question of "how can a man wear jeans that tight?" However, throughout this conversation, there is an important underlying subtext. Following the innocent question, the discussion shifts to the three teens joking about "dick size." This joking starts to provoke questions of race when the boy in blue comments that he thinks "when they (white women) have a mixed-race child, they think that's their ticket to the black community."

The conversation further deepens into a discussion of race when the central boy brings up slavery. It starts comically, with the boy suggesting that black people were made slaves because white people were jealous of their penises, but then it evolves into a conversation about the origins of humanity. Although the boys are unsure if it is true, they discuss how black people populated the planet. Sub-textually, this conversation holds truth, as life originated in Africa.

Their conversation is interrupted as the friend they have been waiting for finally appears just to tell them to wait another 5 minutes. This abruptly ends their conversation as they are overruled by frustration from being let down by their friend. Following this another white man walks past and he is wearing a very tight white shirt which the boys of comment on, this repeated

commentary creates comedic effect as the film comes to a close.