Short Film Analysis | a-levelmedia

Short Film Analysis'

Soft

At the beginning the camera movement is hand-held, this creates suspence and uncertaincy to the audience and makes them wonder what is going on. This hand-held shot includes medium shots and close ups. There is an establishing shot of the house with diegetic sounds, these sounds include birds singing and cars in the distance. This creates a peaceful atmosphere. This shot shows us where the main character lives and the 'normality' of the area with the sounds. This also suggests that most of the film will be shot here. There is a medium close up of the dad to give the audience a clear view of the character before he acts in the scene. As the dad goes to the shops there are a range of shot sizes such as long shots, medium long shots and medium shots so the audience know who the character is and where he is going. This connotes that this scene is important, and maybe something important is about to follow.

More hand-held movement of the mobile phone video creates more suspense and uncertaincy. The camera follows the character with a tracking shot as well as the characters in the mobile phone video. This makes the audience feel as if they are part of the scene and are following the characters movements. As the character is moving back to the scene where the film began, diegetic sounds of him walking are heard in the scene. This creates a fearful atmosphere, as we are unsure where he is going and what is happening next. Close ups in the house help the audience feel the characters fear and emotion. Medium two shot shows the relationshop between the dad and the son is broken and isn't very close or strong. Extreme close ups give even more detail to how the character is feeling. As the gang approach the house, the son and dad are shown in close ups to again show the fear they are feeling.

Long shots and wide shots are used when the characters are outside as it shows the audience setting and where the action is taking place. This also gives the audience a full view of what all the characters are doing. Diegetic sounds of the characters fighting is heard in the scene. An establishing shot ends the film as this is where the film started and ended and also where most of the action takes place.

Stained

At the beginning there is an ident of the film companies name which is the UK film council. A close up of a prison guard then follows which diegetic sounds of him opening the prison door window. This follows by the title of the film ‘Stained’ which is presented in capitals and in a broken/ruined font. This connotes that the film will be violent and unpleasant as it is held in a prison. A hand-held shot of footsteps suggests that this film is from another persons point of view. A over the shoulder shot of the prison guard and a prisoner then follows with diegetic sounds of them talking. This shot shows the audience clearly how the person is feeling as their facial expressions are clear. A medium two shot of them both shows the mise en scene of the costumes and props which shows the audience who these people are. For example the prison

guard is wearing black and white and a tie and the prisoner is wearing a plain white t-shirt. A long shot of the prison guard walking shows us the setting, which includes white walls and metal floors.

Throughout diegetic sounds such as talking, gates opening and keys are present. This sound is ambient and gives us a sense of what this scene sounds like. A long shot of the prison guard walking towards the gate and opening the lock shows the large sense of security. The colours in these scenes such as white, black and cream suggest that this setting is dull and boring, there are no colours included. A medium two shot of a prisoner and guard together then follows by them walking past the main protagonist (one of the prison guards). An over the shoulder shot of a man in a suit shows his authority and how important he is to the prison, the other guards have to obey and take his orders.

An establishing shot enters and shows the audience where this place is set and what it looks like. This is when colour enters of the blue sky, suggesting that the outside world is a better place. Diegetic sounds of birds are present in this scene. A high angled shot of the prisoner shows how inferior the prisoners are compared to everyone else in the film, it also shows how vulnerable they are inside. This scene cuts to a scene of a little girl in a house, watching TV which is presented to the audience with diegetic music. The main protagonist enters the house in a medium shot and the new characters are also presented in a medium shot.

There is a close up of a prisoner that shows the audience the distress he is in and how bad conditions are inside. It then switches to a medium shot of 3 prison guards which suggests that they are the cause for the prisoners current emotions. This continues until the end where the main protagonist turns into a prisoner. There is a close up of him, to show his emotions clearly. The effect of showing the main protagonist at the start and at the end is that we can identify who he is and what his role is. The change in uniform shows the change in this persons character which is important as this is the twist to this film story. The film ends with credits.

The Last Man On Earth

At the beginning of the film there is an establishing shot of the street with the main protagonist walking down it. The camera pans from an interior shot to an exterior shot in the next scene which is a long shot of a pub. This follows with a medium shot of the main protagonist at the bar. The camera zooms towards the main characters face which is a close up. There is a medium shot that zooms in to him recording his voice. There is a close up of his face which shows the audience his emotions and how he feels being the last man on earth. After little cuts there is a last scene of him looking at his phone to see that he has recieved a text. The long scene before this is used for suspence and is used to highlight how eerie and unusual being alone really is.

During this shot there is a diegetic sound of his phone recording and his voice which echo's. This signifies that the room is empty and that he is alone and anchors him being 'the last man on earth.' In the background there is diegetic audio of wind which signifies that he is not only alone inside but also alone outside. Diegetic sound of him talking into his phone fast suggests the character is in panic and is frightened of what will happen to him next. The character is afraid as he is alone. There is diegetic sound of him breathing heavily which also signifies he is frightened. Other ambient sounds such as him picking up a bottle and placing it back down is heard. As well as his phone recieving a text, which is the final sound heard in the scene.

The mise en scene includes lighting which is mainly dull but includes little light to show the character and his surroundings. The character is wearing grey t-shirt which looks worn in and he is unshaven. This suggests he has been here for a while. There are bottles on the table which suggest he has been drinking, suggesting he is struggling and finding it hard to cope without anyone around him