Mix Tape is a Short Social Realism film written and directed by Luke Snellin. The main character is a young boy, possible early teens and we see a young girl and her mother.
The themes and issues adressed appears to be young love, which is portrayed in a humours way because the characters seem mature for their age, eg. reading a newspaper. The boys room is adjacent to hers, which is shown through diegetic music from the tape that she is playing that is also heard through his room.
At the beggining we see a boy who has made a 'mix tape' which generally, is made for a partner or given to someone you are fond of, so theres an immediete indication that there is a girl involved.
The film uses the social realism style uniquely because it shows the positive elements of the characters childhood, as apposed to many films that focus on the negatives. It is inspiring because it represents the characters feelings towards each other without expressing it verbally.
The film uses the short film format to purely illustrate the characters feelings and it is successful because it gives as much information as needed, leaving the viewer to finish the film wondering what would happen next. The use of shots and editing, such as slow motion and close ups contribute to the portrayal of the characters feelings, useful to not in planning my own film.
The sound used in the film is both diegetic and non diegetic, a soundtrack is played parallel to the slow motion shot in order to highlight the atmosphere at the start which then stops as there is dialogue which puts focus on it. The same song is then played again, but this time in a diegetic form which indicates its importance.
As previously mentioned, the film seems to be about young love, the audience can relate to the characters and their situation, whatever age they may be. The view of the subject matter is contraversial, perhaps people find it cute or slightly humours, however most people are most likely to feel positvely towards it. It almost goes against childhood stereotypes that they would posses such strong feelings at a young age which is why the film works.
Sunday 17 January 2010
Thursday 14 January 2010
Joyride (Gillespie) 1995
Joyride is a clear thriller as it creates suspense and keeps the viewer on edge throughout the whole film. The setting is outside and at night along the main road beside a woods, an immediete sense of the bewilderness, not many people around. Minimal lighting would have been used in order to see the setting, but maintaining a sense of reality. The costumes used are normal, with the kidnappers in traditional dark clothing and the police officers in uniform as they would be in real life.
Its themes and issues represent a male character who is held hostage by two other males and the film shows the struggle that takes place. The appropriate props have been used in order to create the right atmoshere that are relevent to the film, such as two cars, an electricity pole and weapons. The characters who kidnap the man portray qualities that fit in with the role correctly which is to clearly seem threatening and dangerous, their facial expressions and body language come across as fierce and serious which gives the viewer an immediete judgement on them.
The sound used is mostly diegetic, for example the car engine and rain, but a non diegetic soundtrack is used to create suspense throughout most of the film, it changes tone when the main action is over to a more slow, neutral sound. The rain acts as pathetic fallacy, it contributes to the unnervy atmosphere and is typical of thrillers/horrors.
The film uses genre/style conventions uniquely as a lot of it is shot whilst moving (in a car) which can often be hard in order to keep the camera steady. There are several shots in the boot of the car which is also impressive as it may be diffuclt to film in such a small space. I find it inspiring that the film is highly entertaining, it keeps the viewer on edge as they do not know what is going to happen, the narration is restricted.
The advantages of the short narrative are that there is little build up, the action takes place straight away and the viewer is engaged throughout. The film itself possess's the qualities that make it a successful thriller such as the setting, sound and characterisation which is inspiring for me in creating my own thriller.
It seems to follow the typical thriler film conventions and although the victim is saved, we are suprised that the film still ends on a low, the character gets killed through getting set on fire which is perhaps different from other thrillers that often end on a high.
Although as viewers we are unaware whether the victim is innocent or not, we sympathise with him and almost put ourselves in his position. The film overall is a successful short film thriller and maintains engagement throughout.
Its themes and issues represent a male character who is held hostage by two other males and the film shows the struggle that takes place. The appropriate props have been used in order to create the right atmoshere that are relevent to the film, such as two cars, an electricity pole and weapons. The characters who kidnap the man portray qualities that fit in with the role correctly which is to clearly seem threatening and dangerous, their facial expressions and body language come across as fierce and serious which gives the viewer an immediete judgement on them.
The sound used is mostly diegetic, for example the car engine and rain, but a non diegetic soundtrack is used to create suspense throughout most of the film, it changes tone when the main action is over to a more slow, neutral sound. The rain acts as pathetic fallacy, it contributes to the unnervy atmosphere and is typical of thrillers/horrors.
The film uses genre/style conventions uniquely as a lot of it is shot whilst moving (in a car) which can often be hard in order to keep the camera steady. There are several shots in the boot of the car which is also impressive as it may be diffuclt to film in such a small space. I find it inspiring that the film is highly entertaining, it keeps the viewer on edge as they do not know what is going to happen, the narration is restricted.
The advantages of the short narrative are that there is little build up, the action takes place straight away and the viewer is engaged throughout. The film itself possess's the qualities that make it a successful thriller such as the setting, sound and characterisation which is inspiring for me in creating my own thriller.
It seems to follow the typical thriler film conventions and although the victim is saved, we are suprised that the film still ends on a low, the character gets killed through getting set on fire which is perhaps different from other thrillers that often end on a high.
Although as viewers we are unaware whether the victim is innocent or not, we sympathise with him and almost put ourselves in his position. The film overall is a successful short film thriller and maintains engagement throughout.
Conversation Piece (Stewart) 2009
The genre of this short film is social realism whilst employing elements of comedy. There is no narrative structure due to the continious sound track so technically we are unaware what the characters are saying, although at times the viewer can guess what is being discussed.
The setting is simplistic and the characters are dressed in average, slightly old fashioned clothing. We interpret that they are a married couple. The body language and facial expressions of the charcters is important as we cannot hear them speak, so we can attempt to gather what their mood is through their reactions.
The piece is unique because we cannot hear any dialogue, the soundtrack is both diegetic and non diegetic , it dominates the film which has obviously been done so that the viewer can raise their own questions about it. It is rare to find a film like this because it is hard to create such a film that the audience will still be able to understand without any diagloue.
The advantages of the short narrative is that it doesn't bore the audience and often leaves them wanting more. In this case, we are totally unaware of what happens before and after the short scene so it is highly contraversial.
I am inspired by the film because it entertains the viewer without much action taking place, containing slight humour. It proves that their does not need to be much diagloue to be successful and get a point across which is a factor i may want to consider in my own film.
The setting is simplistic and the characters are dressed in average, slightly old fashioned clothing. We interpret that they are a married couple. The body language and facial expressions of the charcters is important as we cannot hear them speak, so we can attempt to gather what their mood is through their reactions.
The piece is unique because we cannot hear any dialogue, the soundtrack is both diegetic and non diegetic , it dominates the film which has obviously been done so that the viewer can raise their own questions about it. It is rare to find a film like this because it is hard to create such a film that the audience will still be able to understand without any diagloue.
The advantages of the short narrative is that it doesn't bore the audience and often leaves them wanting more. In this case, we are totally unaware of what happens before and after the short scene so it is highly contraversial.
I am inspired by the film because it entertains the viewer without much action taking place, containing slight humour. It proves that their does not need to be much diagloue to be successful and get a point across which is a factor i may want to consider in my own film.
The film seems to be about a couple (married or not) engaging in coversation. The woman at first confronts him about a broken glass to which he doesnt seem to awknowledge until she leaves the room where he glues the piece back together. Then, it seems as though she is making sexual advances on him, or some form of effection as she lifts up her skirt slightly.
The social group represented by the film is middle-upper class and this is shown through the costume and decor of the house. However, it is diffcult to stereotype the characters as we cannot be sure as to what they are saying.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Wasp (Andrea Arnold) 2003
Wasp is a short film (roughly 25 minutes) with the genre of social realism. It is evident of this in the first few minutes due to the setting and characters. The characters are clearly lower class due to their accents and clothing; the setting is also an estate, which is most likely consisting of council houses/flats.
The film deals with real themes and issues that happen all over which the audience can relate too. The mise en scene is fairly simplistic to maintain the sense of realism, for example the lighting is most likely natural and the props are limited, except from the scene in the flat. The lack of food again suggests that the family are poor.
Social realism films are often unique because it is hard to create what is percieved as 'real' however 'Wasp' represents the themes and issues that occur within lower class communties and how, stereotypically they may deal with these issues.
I find it interesting because it is so shocking that a mother would leave her young children alone for hours, however it is clear she cares for them and we sympathise for the children as they clearly have had tough upbringing. The film is unique because it shows the realism of a single mother on a council estate which is not often seen in films, more documenteries. It is insipiring for my film because it represents a modern day setting with real issues which i can relate to.
The short film narrative is effective because it gives the viewer enough to establish the plot and the characters way of life in a short amount of time. I think that if the film were to be extended than the viewer might find it tedius and repetitive so its the right length.
The camerawork uses a lot of close ups of props and facial expressions so that it can place focus on certain things. The soundtrack is mainly diegetic, with the background ambient sound often being cars passing by, children laughing and music. In the scene at the pub, music is played loudly which is parallel to the theme and the characters, it represents a lively and loud atmosphere that the director is trying to create.
The film overall is about the issues that a single mother goes through as she tries to balace motherhood and her social life. It is clear that she is lower class and therefore lacks the parenting skills that most people would expect. However, many of us may sympathise as it is clear she is struggling finacially. Her character is stereotypical of a mum living on a council estate, which is why the viewer can relate to the story as they have probably made these accosiations of such people before.
The film deals with real themes and issues that happen all over which the audience can relate too. The mise en scene is fairly simplistic to maintain the sense of realism, for example the lighting is most likely natural and the props are limited, except from the scene in the flat. The lack of food again suggests that the family are poor.
Social realism films are often unique because it is hard to create what is percieved as 'real' however 'Wasp' represents the themes and issues that occur within lower class communties and how, stereotypically they may deal with these issues.
I find it interesting because it is so shocking that a mother would leave her young children alone for hours, however it is clear she cares for them and we sympathise for the children as they clearly have had tough upbringing. The film is unique because it shows the realism of a single mother on a council estate which is not often seen in films, more documenteries. It is insipiring for my film because it represents a modern day setting with real issues which i can relate to.
The short film narrative is effective because it gives the viewer enough to establish the plot and the characters way of life in a short amount of time. I think that if the film were to be extended than the viewer might find it tedius and repetitive so its the right length.
The camerawork uses a lot of close ups of props and facial expressions so that it can place focus on certain things. The soundtrack is mainly diegetic, with the background ambient sound often being cars passing by, children laughing and music. In the scene at the pub, music is played loudly which is parallel to the theme and the characters, it represents a lively and loud atmosphere that the director is trying to create.
The film overall is about the issues that a single mother goes through as she tries to balace motherhood and her social life. It is clear that she is lower class and therefore lacks the parenting skills that most people would expect. However, many of us may sympathise as it is clear she is struggling finacially. Her character is stereotypical of a mum living on a council estate, which is why the viewer can relate to the story as they have probably made these accosiations of such people before.
Monday 11 January 2010
"Lou-Lou Lives Here" Hazel Grian 2003
This short film (roughly 3.40 long) is a thriller created in 2003. Its conventions are of a traditional thriller including tense music, close ups and fast shots at times.
The film is set in the day time and in a woods which would imply that no one would be around, so creating tension. There is minimal props, merley a scarecrow, van and a dog toy which contributes to the sense of realism. The lighting is most probably all natural as well due to the outdoor setting.
The film causes contraversy, it is implied that the character of the little girl is infact a dog, which is also shown in the film. This idea is backed up by the black and white theme that is used throughout, dogs see in black and white so this could mean that we are seeing it through the dogs eyes. I find it most interesting that the film has a hidden meaning which is inspiring for me as i may want to consider using this technique in my own film.
It is unique because although it is short, it still possesses typical conventions of a thriller and builds suspense in the short amount of time. The advantages of having such a short narrative are that people can engage fully throughout the whole film, they are not likely to miss any important shots that may be relevent to the plot. The narration is restricted, the characters know more than us.
The film uses a variety of different shots and editing transitions such as dissovle, circle effect and point of view shots. It also uses a shaky effect and blurry focus to increase the intensity and realism.
The film opens with the little girl alone and portraying qualities of a dog which immiedetly hints to the reader of the hidden meaning. It ends with the dog running home which also gives it away and leaves the reader with unanswered questions.
The sound is interesting in this film, there is a sublte soundtrack which is used at the build up towards the action which is tense and mennacing, it builds suspense. However a lot of the sound used is diegetic such as the helicopter sound, dog barking and the wind howling. All these build up the scene and add to the theme.
The stereotype of the male character would be that he is a peodophile as he has a white van and is following the little girl. However it is clear by the end that he is not which suprises the viewer. We sympathise with the character of the girl as she appears vulnrable and lost and we assume that the male character is a villian, however we never find out the true nature of the characters.
The film is set in the day time and in a woods which would imply that no one would be around, so creating tension. There is minimal props, merley a scarecrow, van and a dog toy which contributes to the sense of realism. The lighting is most probably all natural as well due to the outdoor setting.
The film causes contraversy, it is implied that the character of the little girl is infact a dog, which is also shown in the film. This idea is backed up by the black and white theme that is used throughout, dogs see in black and white so this could mean that we are seeing it through the dogs eyes. I find it most interesting that the film has a hidden meaning which is inspiring for me as i may want to consider using this technique in my own film.
It is unique because although it is short, it still possesses typical conventions of a thriller and builds suspense in the short amount of time. The advantages of having such a short narrative are that people can engage fully throughout the whole film, they are not likely to miss any important shots that may be relevent to the plot. The narration is restricted, the characters know more than us.
The film uses a variety of different shots and editing transitions such as dissovle, circle effect and point of view shots. It also uses a shaky effect and blurry focus to increase the intensity and realism.
The film opens with the little girl alone and portraying qualities of a dog which immiedetly hints to the reader of the hidden meaning. It ends with the dog running home which also gives it away and leaves the reader with unanswered questions.
The sound is interesting in this film, there is a sublte soundtrack which is used at the build up towards the action which is tense and mennacing, it builds suspense. However a lot of the sound used is diegetic such as the helicopter sound, dog barking and the wind howling. All these build up the scene and add to the theme.
The stereotype of the male character would be that he is a peodophile as he has a white van and is following the little girl. However it is clear by the end that he is not which suprises the viewer. We sympathise with the character of the girl as she appears vulnrable and lost and we assume that the male character is a villian, however we never find out the true nature of the characters.
Tuesday 5 January 2010
First Post
Lessons learnt from last year-
Last year i feel that i could have achieved better results in our final thriller film. We seemed to have lacked certain elements that a thriller should possess, such as fast shots, appropriate props and a tense tone. Our build up was too long and i have learnt that it is important to engage the audience from the beginning. I found it useful doing a thriller film last year as i can use my skiils gained from the task in helping with our next task which will be another thriller.
Last year i feel that i could have achieved better results in our final thriller film. We seemed to have lacked certain elements that a thriller should possess, such as fast shots, appropriate props and a tense tone. Our build up was too long and i have learnt that it is important to engage the audience from the beginning. I found it useful doing a thriller film last year as i can use my skiils gained from the task in helping with our next task which will be another thriller.
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