Task 1
Comparison of short movies
​
In all the short movies I have watched they all follow a simmer theme template. They start off with the introduction of new characters usually we are introduced to them as they are introduced to each other. They then proceed with the story usually revealing more about the characters as the story progresses, ether through actions or narration. However not all short films do this and a lot do have expedition told through the use of dialog. Most don't, however, because they have a limited time to do so and they want to be as efficient as possible so they can tell the story they want. They do this via sharp clear actions that can not be miss interpreted as if there is room for interpretation then they usually don't use dialog to clarify. An example of this is during the short film "New boy" there is a flashback scene where the boy's dad is taken by men with guns and we hear a shot. This tells us so much about the boy's backstory and gives insight into his life despite not having any distinguishable dialog.
​
From this task I have learnt that a director can take use a number of techniques to show the audience what the characters are thinking or when they are comunicating.
If the short films do not work use the links provided.
​
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsKghhQ41FM
​
Similarity
​
Both New boy and Post-it Love don't have the protagonists saying any dialogue. They also use a number of close ups to show emotion and meaning told through expression. They both also use music to tell the audience how to feel.
​
Differences
In Post-it Love there are only two characters that are in a shot for more than about 3 seconds however in New Boy there are many characters that build the story. New boy also has these characters seeking where as no one speaks in post it love.
From this task I have learned that a short film can say a lot and tell the audience a full backstory of a character without dialogue. I have also learned that in order to be a short film you can actually make one that is quite long. I have also learned that dialogue is not important and a story can be effectively told without it.
Analysing New Boy
New Boy
In the shot below we see a number of things the director has done to make it seem like the boy at the front is not in a comfortable environment. Firstly, the shot type is an establishing shot that gives us a view of the entire class. The angle if the shot is important because it is from a high angle above his head. This makes the audience think he is not in a position of power and he is weak. The harsh lighting off to the side shows the other children all in light and him more in shadow. This could represent his newness to the class. The placement of the new boy, at the front of the class, could be trying to tell the audience that he is afraid because almost every viewer knows what it is like to be there and can immediately relate to him.
In New Boy we follow a boy called Joseph and watch him on his first day at an Irish school having moved from somewhere in Africa. We see that at first some of the boys pick on him and give him a hard time for being new and by the time the scene changes and the characters move outside it has evolved so much that the Irish boys threaten and try to fight him. Fortunately the teacher steps in and now that the boys have a common enemy (for lack of better words) they start to get along. The audience is told that New boy is a drama though the use of dramatic music and key points and through the use of aggressive tones as well as facial expressions. There are also many ideas that are present that we associate with a drama like the character being in a new environment.
Post-it love
In the shot below we see that the two characters, who we assume to be the main characters, are doing the same thing separated by a wall. The shot we see is a two shot. This tells the audience that they are the two main characters. There is no significant angle that tells the audience anything significant. The costumes they wear are what we associate with people in an office and are not flashy thus we are told they are not important. The only thing we can gather from the lighting is that it is day so this further confirms the idea that they are at work. The props show the audience that they are almost like the same person. This is done through the printer being in the same place, a painting in the middle of the shot, a coat hanger towards the edge of the shot and a pink bucket towards the middle.
New Boy and Post it Love compared
​
The New boy is a short story that was released on YouTube on the 28th of November 2009. In the film we follow a boy called Joseph and watch him on his first day at an Irish school having moved from somewhere in Africa. At first two boys at the school give him a hard time and pick on him but by the end we see them start to get along. Because they are clearly in a school and they are young we get the idea they are probably about 9 or 10. The story in New Boy is a very relatable one and many of the audience members as almost everyone has been in that type of situation. What appeals to people in New Boy is the reliability of his situation because almost everyone knows that it is like to be new. The boy fits into Uses and Gratification theory under Personal identity, mostly. However, it is also arguable that it fits under escapism because some could argue it provides a window back into childhood.
​
Post it love is a short love story that was released on the 23rd of June 2009. We follow two shy adults in an office who express their love for each other in posit notes. The ages of the characters is not as obvious as New boy but we do get the impression they are in their early to mid 20s. The story presented in Post it love is also very repeatable, just like New Boy. However, it is different because while New Boy focuses on the cruel treatment of the Joseph where as Post It love is more on the positive Side.The story follows two people working at an office and we see them as they progressively care for each other more and express that through post it notes. People are likely to watch this for entertainment and relatability masterly to New Boy.
Analysing Nuit Blanche and Post it Love
I will be analysing two different short movies from the same genre and analysing the similarity and differences and how they approached the romance genre. I will be looking at the two short romantic movies Post-it Love and Nuit Blanche. uses a lot of slow, dramatic, unrealistic and long movement. The two characters are a man and a woman and they see each other from across the street. The character then slows down and we see them waking towards each other in dramatic faction to an eventual kiss before the camera cuts back to normal speed where we see that the things that happened while things were in slow motion didn't actually happen and as an audience the direct interpretation is that they were imagining it all. Post-it Love is much more of a contrast however as it is set in a much more realistic setting, an office, and uses much more realistic looking characters. Gone is the lavish looking model in a silk gown and the important business man in a well tailored suit as they are replaced by two normal looking almost insecure people dressed in casual work clothes.
As you can see in this picture the characters are not dressed in extravagant over the top cloths and they are not both amazingly attractive. They look quite normal. However, their close do change which signifies the passage of time and days passing. Also we only know it is a love story because of the mise en scene of the pink buckets. We get the idea that they may love each other from the pink, a colour sinonimos with love, and the fact that their actions mirror each other. One of the ways this could be interpreted as they are both two halfs of each other.
As you can see in the two shots above the two characters are set in an almost unrealistic way. This is because both are dressed up in cloths, most viewers, would not normally ware unless they were dressing up for a special occasion. This is in direct contrast with Posit love because just meeting at an office is a common thing for couples, where as seeing each other across the street and running to meet in the middle of the road is not.
Comparing structure
​
In film there are several different types of narrative structures.
Cyclical structure: This structure begins where it ends or end where it begins. It does this by telling us a story that has already happened through the use of a giant flashback. One very successful version of this is a movie called The Usual Suspects that was able to use Cyclical structure to tell a story with many time laps and because it is revealed that the one telling the story might have been lying so the movie may not have even happened. However, i have not seen many short films that have a Cyclical structure. This would seem to indicate it is not a very popular style of storytelling.
​
Linear structure: In story telling, be it film, story's or plays the linear structure is a common way of story telling though all. In order for a story to have a Linear structure they must be told in chronological order and have an overarching plot that each section of the story tells to make a completed version.
​
Episodic structure: Episodic structure is a structure that secretes from traditional story telling. A show with an episodic structure has each individual episode arranged as almost a stand alone story, they do not follow a linear timeline and each episode does not have to be placed in chronological order and have a stand alone plot and or setting.
​
After watching many short films most of them have a Linear structure and do not delve into the more non-traditional types of film. I would argue this is because it is easier to fit together once all the scenes have been filmed. It also might be more popular because it is easier for the audience to follow and understand thus makes it easier for the makers to convey the direct meaning.
Analysing No Country For Old Men
Sound
​
1) Slow eerie music, which is used to create feelings of suspense in audiences.
2) Dietetic sounds of breathing that puts ephesians on how quiet the scene is and creates tension.
3) Silence, which is sometimes used to make the audience feel uncomfortable or uneasy.
4) Heightened dietetic sound in general, making the audience pay attention.
Mise en scene
​
1) Antagonist Waring black colours, used to signify that they are the antagonist.
2) Generally dark colour pallets, to create unease and to let the audience know the themes.
3) Settings more often include isolated locations
4) Low lighting to create an atmosphere of suspense.
Thriller genre conventions
Camera movement
​
1) Tilled shots to make the audience feel uneasy.
2) High angle shots are used to tell the audience what characters have power over the others.
​
Stylistic codes
Analysing the clip from “No country for old men”
The shot opens on a high angle establishing shot of a petrol station. This immediately displays conventions synonymous with the thriller genre, giving us the idea that this is a thriller clip. We also get an idea of who this thriller clip is targeted towards from a number of scenes throughout the movie. The next scene in fact introduces us to our only two characters off the clip. Both are male and look to be from 35 to 50 years old. From this we can pick up that perhaps the target audience was men in that age range. Not only that but also the scene is very plain, yet ominous. There aren’t any radical movements or actions taken and the men speak very calmly and quietly. This lines up with the conventions of a thriller as well as movies targeted to older audiences.
Also from the setting we can eliminate younger audiences, because they are at a gas station and that is not relatable to young audiences so it is unlikely that's who the creator had in mind. In the same scene we see a man in beige, flannel shirt and overalls standing behind a counter before another man comes in, wearing black clothes, a code signifying an antagonist. The two men engage in low volume conversation where the shots pan back and forth over one another’s shoulders. In the shot the man in flannel is silhouetted in front of a window that shows the desert behind him, where as the man in black does not. This could be interpreted as another sign telling the audience who the antagonist is. We also know that the movie “No country for old men” was made by the Coen brother and they are known for creating some very good movies that are usually less focused towards young audience. The scenes are similar throughout the rest of the clip and the lack of any music conveys a sense of eerie quietness to the audience. However, about two thirds into the clip, when the man in black is telling the other man to call heads or tails on a coin toss, the camera zoomed in slightly and very quiet music is introduced. This subtle change raises the tension in the scene because so far the cameras have always been stationary and there has been no music. These are very subtle changes and this actually tells us the audience is older because younger audiences might not be interested enough to notice these changes. Also, subtle eerie music is another convention of the thriller genre, adding to our assumption that this is a thriller clip. Throughout the clip there are no engaging movements and the only dialog is in hushed tones that conveys a threatening meaning, something that younger audiences may be less interested in watching.
​