Visual effect - Snow - Jack and Mia

Seeing as we want to create a 'Christmassy' effect we think it would be appropriate to have some shots involving snow. However, obviously we cannot predict the weather and so therefore we will be creating our own snow within visual effects.
Here are some examples that we have researched of the type of snow effect that we would like to create:

House Location-Frankie and Ella

The exterior of the house.
This is going to be featured in our film numerous times, to give an idea of the setting and to portray parts of our narrative. We decided to use this particular location as we thought it looked quite traditional, which is key to our narrative.

The Living Room.

This will be the main room in which most of our shots will take place. This is where the key event will happen. Once again, we thought this room had the traditional feel that would create the right tone for our film. We will be adding some of our own Christmas decorations to this room as we want it to look really over the top, and will also be putting the Christmas tree next to the t.v, so that it is in a key position.






Christmas Tree.

This is obviously a key feature to our film as the theme of our narrative is Christmas! We will be using this prop in a number of shots. We plan to move it into the living room (see above).



The Dining Room.

We will be using this room for out final scene, where the family will be having Christmas dinner and our final twist is revealed.  We thought that this would be a good room to use as it has a big dining table that we plan to fill up with Christmas food and have the family sitting around, creating the ideal Christmas image.

Test Shots- Ella and Jack

Here is a sequence that we filmed, primarily so that we could test out the snow effect, however we were also able to test the cropping of 2:35 that we will be placing on the film. We feel that this crop gives the film a much more cinematic look. Additionally, we also feel that changing the colour balance to a more 'cold' feel will give the scene a much more realistic effect. Below are some examples in which we adapted the colour balance, framing and cropping that we wish to be apparent within our film.

With colour correction
No crop filter

 

Close up shot
With colour correction
With crop filter - 2:35



 

 

 



Mise en Scene- Mia and Jack

In order to emphasise the Christmas theme, we think using the typical colours of; green, red, gold, and silver, would be particuarly effective in signifying the event and the mise en scene around Christmas. We want to ensure that these colours are in most of the shots so the theme of christmas is conveyed throughout the film.

 

This image is obviously very Christmassy and We think it is important that the theme is emphasised as much as possible as it also reflects the family's thoughts and feelings towards the event - which are evidently positive. The young girl, in particular, is very excited for christmas up until the event of 'Santa' kissing the mother. We want to ensure that her positive attitude towards Christmas is portrayed throughout the film so the shock of the kiss shared between the mum and 'Santa' is dramatic and shocking for the child.

Screen grabs- Frankie and Ella

below is a screen grab from a short film found on the website Vimeo, a website that features short videos and short films, entitled 'Happy holidays'. This shot particularly intrigued us due to the set up of the room and the lighting. firstly the layout of the room instantly tells the audience that it is Christmas, due to the key props, such as Christmas tree, Christmas lights, stockings and the presents. We intend to use similar props and layout in our living room of our setting. The lighting in this shot almost makes the scene look magical, this links with the theme of christmas as it is known to be a magical season.

Also in this film i have taken a few screen grabs of a sequence that i thought was a nice idea, that portrayed the young boys excitement for christmas morning. This is represented by his body language as he runs out of his room, slides and runs down the stairs in excitement.

 Again we liked the mise en scene of this scene, the little details of tinsel around the stair case ect. the lighting in this also looks like they have used a orange filter over the main lights to create a warmth to the room. the young boys outfit also portrays christmas with the colour of red on his pyjamas, it also represents the young boys age.
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 Another film found on Vimeo, entitled Snowglobe, has some nice examples of shallow depth of field using snowglobes. Below is the shot we intend to use the insperation taken from the taken sceen grabs.

This is an example of how shallow we would like our depth of field in the shot below.

 

Animatic - Mia, Jack, Frankie and Ella

Animatic with voiceover

Silent animatic

Soundtrack Ideas- Mia and Jack

We have looked at a number of different soundtracks which we would like to include in our film as both diegetic and non-deigetic sound. We have decided that we would want multiple soundtracks in order to fit in with the different contexts.

One example that we have found is a soundtrack called 'All The Family Together'.

http://francescodandrea.bandcamp.com/track/all-the-family-together

We think this would be appropriate for the opening sequence of the film, which includes the opening shot of the house, and introduces the family who are initially decorating the Christmas tree. We feel this would be apparent because the sequence is very gradual and up-beat which is parallel to the soundtrack.

Another example is a a song by Mantovani & His Orchestra which is a cover of Jingle Bells:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-8NHPasVlo

We would also like to include a traditional Christmas song which will be well known to a wide audience as we would like to emphasise the traditional Christmas events so that the spectator will be able to relate. However to create a more modern twist to the sequence we would like to use the traditional songs but covered by a modern artist.
Here are some examples of the covers:

This is a collection of different royalty free Christmas music. We think that some of the songs would be good to use over our short film as they are upbeat, and create the right mood for our narrative.

Camera Equipment- Jack, Ella and Frankie

Canon 550D

We will be using our own camera to film throughout the short. We have chosen to do so, as this camera is very high quality as it is extremely high resolution giving a more realistic image. The camera is also lightweight and therefore travel friendly, this is important as we will need to carry it from different locations.

We will also be using a tripod to help steady our camera in some scenes. However most of the film will be shot handheld

Accompanying the camera we will be using the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens. we have chosen to use this lense as it delivers sharp images and produces produces a very effective shallow depth of field. Shallow depth of field will be useful as it will allow the spectator to focus on the specific subject that we have chosen to focus on. However the problem with this lens is that it is 50mm meaning that it is very cropped (zoomed in) which will limit the amount that we will be able to have differentiating shots. 


As well as this, we will also be using the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. This lens will allow us to shoot well in low light which will be essential for the night time shots within our film, for example the night shots when the daughter and mother visit the Christmas market. Additionally this lens can also produce very shallow depth of field, more than the Canon 50mm as it goes down to an F stop of 1.4 which will allow the spectator to focus on the subject even more. Seeing as the lens is also 30mm this means that it is not as cropped (zoomed in) as the 50mm and this will give us a lot more flexibility within differentiating the different types of shots. 

First Ideas on Sound- Frankie and Ella

In our short film we have minimal dialogue, therefore our audience will be relying on the diegetic and non diegetic sound, that will be produced in editing, to set the mood. To produce our non diegetic foleys we will be using the programme Garage-band, on the Mac computers. As for the non diegetic Christmas music throughout the film we hope to produce a few, however we may take a few off of the website 'Incompitech', these are non copyrighted music soundtracks - some of the soundtracks may also be diegetic as the character may be listening to them on the buildup of Christmas.

Experiment- Advent Calander Shot- Frankie and Ella

In our film we plan to incorporate an advent calender as it is a key part of traditional Christmas. Originally, we had planned to buy an old-fashioned wooden advent calender,as it would look more traditional.

However, we realised that this would be expensive to buy, and difficult to film as we wanted to create a really interesting shot. So we then decided that we would use a more basic advent calender, that we plan to buy from a supermarket.


To create the shot, we are going to cut into the advent calender, and film from behind it, therefore we will be able to create the image of Jennifer opening the window and will be able to see her from inside the calender.


Here Are The Test Shots: Mia is acting as Jennifer, and the paper is acting as the advent calender. The camera will be behind the calender, looking at Jennifer through the window.

Lighting- Frankie and Ella and Mia

We will be using LED lighting, for the effect of natural lighting and to provide a well lit shot for the shoot. We have experimented with different filters to give the appearance of different lighting.

We will be using our own studio light kit for a more accurate colour representation, it allows us to repositioning the lights in location, height or angle.

Above we have an experiement of the yellow filter- we wont be using this filter as it tends to age the film for a more sepia effect.

Above we have the yellow and orange fliter combined, this creates a very strong 'orangey' effect, that is possibly too bright for our film, and we want a softer tone of warmth.

Here we have used a purple filter, this makes the scene look colder. We may use this filter when we shoot the scene with the young girl at the window, to show the change of the weather which represents the days going by.

This is an example of the red filter, we will be using this in when shooting, as it gives a subtle yet very effective warmth to the shot, and adds to the 'Christmassy' feel of our story.

Costume Ideas- Frankie and Ella

Costume Decisions

 

 

Our film features 3 main characters:

• Mother
• Father
• Jennifer

The costumes for these characters will be fairly normal, as we want to portray social realism in our film.


Mother:
The mother will be wearing causal clothes, typical for a woman in her thirties. She will probably be dressed in jeans and a top for most of the film, however she will also need winter clothes for the 'market scene'.






 Jennifer:

Jennifer will be wearing a range of costumes throughout the film. For example on Christmas evening, she will be wearing a cute onesie, and in the market scene, she will be wearing warm clothes as we will be filming her mother wrapping her up.









Father:
We will be needing a father Christmas outfit for the father character. Below is a screen grab of us buying the full set.

Key Concepts Of Our Narrative - Frankie and Ella

Representation:
In our film we will be representing age, as our narrative features a young girl and her parents. We will be attempting to portray a traditional representation, as we want to emphasis the traditional elements of the Christmas season. However, our film also features modern representations, as at the end of the narrative, the young girl finds out that father Christmas isn't real. Overall, our film highlights the traditional feel of Christmas and the build up to Christmas day, and then shows a modern twist on the 'perfect christmas'.

Genre:
Our short film resists being put into a genre category, however it does have elements of social realism. We will attempt to portray this through different features of mise en scene; for example, the costumes that we plan to use will be realistic to the characters (see costume post). Furthermore, we will be using camera shots such as close up's to show our characters, and long shots to establish our location, all to highlight the realism of our narrative. I think that the realistic nature of our film will make it more appealing, as it allows the audience to connect with the characters and the story, as it is believable.

Audience:
The target audience for our short film will be a range of different ages, as older people will be able to relate to the parent characters, however younger children (aged 10+) can relate to the young girl. Although young children will not be able to watch the film as they will still believe in Father Christmas and our narrative may upset them.

Narrative:
Our narrative will be linear, to keep the plot clear and easy to understand, as there is a lot going on. You can apply Todorov's theory to our narrative, as there is an equilibrium, when the girl is looking forward to Christmas and enjoying the festive season, then the disruption when she see's her mother and father Christmas exchanging a kiss and a watch, but finally a new equilibrium, as she see's the watch on her father, and realises that it was her dad all along. Levi Strauss narrative theory can also be applied as our film shows binary oppositions, as the mother and also the father are considered 'good', however father christmas becomes to be considered 'evil' as he is seen kissing the mum, but then we find out that father christmas and the father are the same so they are both considered to be 'good' again.

Media Language:
We plan to use tracking shots and long shots to show the setting of a homely, christmassy house. One interesting technique we plan to use, is filming from behind an advent calender, and filming the young girl from inside it. We will be using a filter over the lights to create a warmer tone, therefore emphasising the Christmas feel.

Risk Assessment - Ella and Frankie

We will be discussing the activities to be taken, hazards and risks we may encounter. We aim to overcome the following hazards with a safety brief before hand so that all the students and actors are aware of the possible dangers which will enable them to take more care.

Walking to and from filming location;

• Traffic- Being knocked down
• Uneven Paths- Slip/Trip/Fall
• Other Pedestrians- Bumping into others and fall

We must be especially careful with our young actor, make sure she is always being looked after and behaving safely.

Filming in the car;

• Must wear seat belts.
• Be aware of pedestrians around whilst the car is moving.
• The driver must also have a valid driving licence.
• The driver will not be filming, no distractions.
• if we are using lighting within the car we must make sure it docent dazzle the driver or any passers by.

Filming equipment;

• Theft- Continual awareness.
• Keep young actor away from all equipment.
• we will be using a tripod, when we do so we must ensure we place it in a suitable place and that we don't trip over it.

Short Film Synopsis - Jack, Ella, Mia, Frankie

The narrative is based on a young girl’s excitement and emotions during the build up to Christmas. She will be enjoying the traditional Christmas events with her family, as Christmas day gets closer. By Christmas Eve, she is extremely excited and struggling to get to sleep. Whilst lying in bed, she hears a noise coming from downstairs, and sneaks to the banister in hope of seeing Santa. However, to her surprise she witnesses her mother and whom she thinks is Santa, eating the treats under the tree, swapping gifts (a watch) and sharing a kiss. In shock, she runs back to bed and attempts to get to sleep.

Christmas morning has arrived, and the girl does not feel much excitement following the night’s events. Her parents call her downstairs to open her presents from Santa, however she looks at them in disgust.  Christmas lunch comes, and she is still not happy. However, as her father reaches for his drink, she notices that he is wearing the same watch that her mother gave Santa the previous evening. She looks confused, and shouts “SANTA??”.

Location, Jennifer's room - Mia

We have decided to use my (Mia Foden) room because we have access to it any time and is a typically 'girly' room which would not need much changing in order to create it into a 6 year old's bedroom besides from taking my photos down and a few other belongings which suggest it is a teenager's room. The desk especially will have to be rearranged and as will my Audrey Hepburn canvas as a 6 year old would not necessarily have that on her wall. We will make a decision as a group, however, as it is important that we agree on how we would like to rearrange my belongings in order to create the most realistic mise en scene as possible. In order to create this mise en scene we would need plenty of props such as toys which I can also provide. It also has plenty of space to set up the tripod and plenty of space for other equipment such as lighting etc so we believed my room was the best location to film in.

Location Survey - Ella and Frankie

Undertake and document a location survey                       Element 2.3.1

 

Location to be surveyed:   Address: 11 Portsmouth Lane Lindfield RH161SE   Tel: 01444456990   Contact name:     Isaac Hodgkin

Nearest hospital:        PRH      Police station:        Haywards Heath Police Station      Local taxi firm:        Road Runners      Train station:        Hhe      Bus link:    Country Liner

What technical facilities are there?    Power, storage and space for equipment ect

Environmental factors that may affect the location:  Weather when filming outside.   Health & Safety regulations to be considered:  Young child- be careful in kitchen and with equipment. (be aware of what she’s doing.)

Cast & Crew facilities:  Kitchen, toilets, room to dress in ect

Ella Marcham- Short film analysis.

Mixtape, directed by Luke Snellin in 2009. Found and watched on Virgin media shorts as it was the grand prize winner of 2010.                                                    

Mix tape is about a little boy and his fathers records. When he wants to catch the attention of the girl next door, he decides to flatter her with a mix tape. This film caught my eye because Bill Milner stars in it, after watching it i loved it because it was a cute childhood romance story. I also liked the 90's britpop soundtrack that is featured throughout.

  Representation 

• ·         Featured in the film are the roles of males and females. The boy represents a young fickle boy that has a crush on his next door neighbor  His manners and his well spoken accent tell me that he is perhaps middle class  I know he isn't upper-class because we see his and next doors London twin houses. As he rings the door bell we can also see that they are flats.

• ·         The social realism I identified was a realistic portrayal of British society. I picked this up from his well spoken London accent, the way he is dressed in a shirt and most of all the music he listens to, which is associated with the 80s era of British culture.
• ·         It’s not clear whether he’s an Eighties kid or a modern child reluctant to get with the technological programme.

• ·         The main character is a young boy named Ben, who is obviously very fond of the girl next door, our first stereo type. Just like most romances it is the boy that chases the girl by offering her a gift. The gift being his dad’s music, this is typical of a young boy in envy of his father perhaps. Once he hears Lily, on the other side of the wall, listening to his mixed tape he is thrilled, I know this being of the big smile on his face. Another way that Ben represents his masculinity is in the dancing scene, he seems to jump up and down rather than twirl like lily does.
• ·         Our second main character, Lily, is stereotyped in the sense that her mother said she is out dancing, which is associated with femininity. She is represented as being a traditional female, when we see her listening to the mix tape, her posture in lent in a ‘dreamy’ way against the wall, hugging her pillow, stereotypical of a young girl. We also see her dance; this is different from bens way of dancing as she spins and twirls. Lilies clothing also represents her femininity, not only is she wearing a skirt but it is also pink.

    Narrative

• ·         The narrative used relies upon archetypal characters, the shy young boy in love and the girl next door. Due to the short amount of time the film has to communicate the narrative to the audience, the audience has to be absolutely sure on each character's purpose immediately.
• ·         The narrative also covers a short amount of time and is shot in two settings, representing a 'vignette' in the lives of the two characters; this high level of focus on the protagonists communicates to the audience that they are to be sympathized with, this is also supported by camerawork  

Genre

• ·         Iconography that I gather from this film is the boy and girl. This leads me to believe that the genre of this film in a romance. However, categorizing media texts can prove quite difficult, as categories are not fixed and in most cases films that belong to more than one genre, are called hybrids.
• ·         I believe Rick Altman’s theory applies to this short film. Rick uses the semantic and synthetic approach, this means the genre is based on iconography, symbolic and repeated props, moreover the common narrative features that are typical plot development. For example with this short film the boy typically fancies ‘the girl next door’ and attempts to woo her, in this case he gives her a mix tape.
• ·         The appeal of using genre codes and conventions in short films, is simply the fact of the director doesn’t have very long to tell the story to the consumer, therefore by adding common iconography this helps the audience to understand the type of film so that they can enjoy.
• ·         However where no specific genre is identifiable, based on content and style, this is where Steve Neale’s theory, from 1980, he concluded that genres are ‘instances of repetition and difference’. What was meant by this was, codes and conventions in common, however new genres are discovered that have similar elements.

Audience

• ·       Mixtapes unique selling point is the boy starring in the film, is played by Bill Milner of Son of Rambo; this draws audiences that enjoyed other movies he was in to watch this short film.
• ·        I found the film in the 2012 shortlist on Virgin Media Shorts. It says ‘Championing undiscovered talent’. This suggests that the website is for new film developers, for people such as students, or just generally people who are interesting in making a career out of film making. Virgin Media Shorts seems to look like a starting point. Therefore, I would expect the audiences of these films to be new film makers looking for inspiration and ideas. On the other hand some films are viewed by audiences in picture house cinemas.
• ·        Age – I wouldn't say there was a particular age for this film as it would appeal to many audiences. Young children, however, may not understand this, and from the ages of the two characters, I wouldn't expect it to be aimed at an elderly audience.
• • Gender- In my opinion I think it is more of a women’s film as women are typically known for enjoying romances more than men are. Many men, however, may enjoy this, but I think it is more aimed at women.

• ·          Mixtape has won two awards. Firstly Mixtape went on to be nominated for a 'Best Short Film' BAFTA and picked up awards at Landcrab and Purbeck Film Festivals. High on the success of his debut film, Luke didn't waste any time getting his next short made with the UK Film Council. A sort-of sequel to Mixtape.

• ·         I also found Mixtape on http://vimeo.com/13617792, underneath it reads all of the above nominations and awards.

•  Media language

• ·         At the beginning of the film we see the boy listening to his mixed tape, we then have a close up shot of the tape with the directors name on it, i thought this was really creative and fitted with the theme well and proved very effective.
•  There are several interesting uses of camerawork, mise en scene and editing in the short film. Firstly, I feel the closing shot really emphasizes the narrative concept behind the entire film. It is a form of two shot, but covers two settings, encapsulating the relationship between the two. It also clearly highlights the body language of both characters and suggests that both are thinking of the other. I would like to include a shot like this in our piece as it is a simple shot to shoot yet effective and it contributes a significant amount to the narrative.
• ·         Sound also enforces the connection between Ben and Lily; after receiving the mixtape, Lily is shown singing to it, followed by parallel editing showing them both dancing to the same song - this creates the impression of their unity as they are both listening to the song at the same time.

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Coasting, directed by Federico Forcolini in 2010. Fund and watched on virgin media shorts as it won a award from them.

A comedy, featuring two old ladies on a quest for adventure, in the English countryside, with a comical twist. This short film meets and breaks stereotypes of the older generation; I loved it because of the unexpected ending that I found highly amusing.                                           

1.      Representation 

• ·         Featured in the film is a representation of age. The two main characters are females of the older generation possibly retired. At the beginning they appear to be stereotypical grandmas, discussing cheese sandwiches, using well-spoken educated language, and their costumes, grey hair, the tartan scarf and the glasses all portray the stereotype of ‘old people’.

·          

• ·         Their well-spoken language I identified as social realism of old English British society, as this is how the older generation would have been bought up.
• ·         Hillary’s role out of the two is the more serious. I distinguish this because she is promptly on time for the walk, she shows the audience she is anxious to get going and that she is waiting for someone by checking her watch with an unimpressed expression on her face and lastly the sigh of relief when Elizabeth comes round the corner. We can see she is the dominant character as she sets the pace when walking and hurries Elizabeth along and appears to stand for no nonsense as she want to be on time for something that we have not identified in the text yet.
• ·         Elizabeth’s role is more comical. Firstly she makes her entrance late and riding a bike in an unstable manner. Secondly during their walk I would describe her as tottering behind in contrast to Hillary.
• ·         I believe this is a positive representation of the older generation, as it represents them in a different light to how they are normal viewed, showing them as not just straight forward boring old people that go bird watching but in fact, are naughty and like spying on the young males changing. I believe the demographic shaped this representation as young people would find this comical and intriguing as it breaks a certain stereotype.

2.      Narrative

• ·         The narrative firstly shows archetypical characters, the older generation figure. However there is a twist that breaks the archetypical characters, I believe they did this to achieve a comical angle, to break the stereotype and to appeal to the younger generation.
• ·         There is a linear structure throughout this gives closure at the end. Roland Barthes theory applies. The story has its enigma code, questions are raised, and for example what are they late for? What are they going to see? And it also has a action code, a prediction by audience, for this short film it would perhaps be they are going bird watching.

3.      Genre 

• ·         Iconography- I can gather from this film is Elizabeth’s character. It is clear she is a comical aspect of the film, along with the series of events it leads me to believe this film is of the comedy genre.
• ·         I believe Rick Altman’s theory applies; his approach was the semantic and syntactic approach, a more sophisticated explanation of the codes and conventions. He found that films of a single genre have things in common with each other. The code in this film is the character that is considered daft, and the stern character, we see a contrast between the two. clearer
• ·         However I also believe Steve Neale’s theory applies as he concluded genres are “instances of repetition and difference”. He argued that ‘difference’ is essential to the ‘economies’ of genre; audiences pleasure in genre depends partly on getting what they expect and partly on getting something surprising and new. This applies to the genre as firstly we believe they are going bird watching and then the difference is that there is a funny twist that portrays the grandmas as peeving on younger males. 
• ·         The appeal of using film codes and conventions in short films, is simply the fact of the director doesn’t have very long to tell the story to the consumer, therefore by adding common iconography this helps the audience to understand the type of film so that they can enjoy.
• ·         It was nominated for The Newcomer Award at Rushes Soho Shorts last year & for the Best Female Character Award at last year's London Short Film Festival. It has also been shortlisted for various other awards but this is the first one it has actually won.

4.      Audience

• ·         I found the film in the 2012 shortlist on Virgin Media Shorts. It says ‘Championing undiscovered talent’. This suggests that the website is for new film developers for people such as students, or just generally people who are interesting in making a career out of film making. Virgin Media Shorts seems to look like a starting point. Therefore, I would expect the audiences of these films to be new film makers looking for inspiration and ideas.
• ·         Age, In my opinion I would say that it appeals to all ages. I believe younger generations would find it amusing because it breaks the normal stereotype of their grandmas that are commercialised to be good and proper. In contrast I also believe the older generation would find it amusing also because the two main characters are of the same age group and are representing them.
• ·         Gender, I believe it could be more of a females film as most females, whatever age, can relate to the film. I also think that the fact that the main characters are females that this may also appeal to them more.
• ·         I also found ‘Coasting’ on http://vimeo.com.

5.      Media language

• ·        Personally this was one of my favourite shots. The long shot is taken from point of view, where they finally reveal what they have come to watch. To add to effect there is almost a frame around the image to make it appear as we are looking through the woman’s binoculars. 

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Signs, directed by Patrick Hughs in 2009. Found and watched on virgin media shorts.

An Australian production, a simple short film about communication.

Representation

• Roles of both male and female social groups are represented in the film. The main characters are represented as shy; I believe this because throughout the whole film there is barely any dialogue and non between the main characters.
• The film deals with the issue of social realism. The male character, Jason, is represented top feel alienated in the big city. The picture above is a medium shot that captures Jason’s facial expression representing him as timid and shy, he looks this way as he has just been caught looking in a woman direction. Costume wise he appears smart, however the grey suit and the dull facial expressions throughout says he is bored and lonely.
• The two main characters are a young male and a young female, who work in opposing buildings. The female is represented in a tradition way as she dresses typically feminine, for example her dress and long hair. However has more modern traits; she makes the first move and introduces herself first, moreover she is working in an office, and therefore a modern representation as traditionally a woman wouldn’t be represented as equal to a male.
• Jason, the main male character isn’t represented in a traditional way, in fact quite the opposite, he is represented as timid and quiet, perhaps hence why there is no dialogue, furthermore he doesn’t make the first move.

Narrative  

• The narrative is a typical love story, which relies upon the stereotypical, boy meets girl storyline.
• Despite the short only lasting for 12minutes by the end of it we feel that we have overcome all the ups and downs a 2hours love story would and it is still as effective.
• Jason, is a shy character that appears isolated in the big city. Whilst at work he comes across a woman working in the opposite building. The two love struck characters meet eye contact and begin to write one another messages from each of their buildings. However during the middle of the film the female moves offices, Jason dreads the thought of not seeing her again; this is a representation of Todorov’s theory, as this is the disruption, however he does see her again.
• I think they used the chronological order in the short film so that the audience can make more of a connection to it, the fact that we see their romance unfold is effective. We also get to know our male character a little bit before we meet the female; this builds up our emotional attachment to him.

Genre

•  Genre is a clear romance, which is prominent throughout the boy meets girl story line.
• Rick Altman’s theory of semantic and syntactic applies as the story is based on iconography, symbolic and repeated props, furthermore the common narrative features that are typical the romance development. For example, the loves at first sight approach.

Audience

• The film was part of the Schweppes Online Film Festival, an ad campaign
• I believe the audience this love film would relate to are females that might find the idea of fate and the idea of love/romance endearing, which can result in them watching the film and falling in love with the likable characters.
• I believe the age this film would appeal to is 16+ as they will be able to relate to the main characters.

Media language

• Firstly what I thought was extremely effective was the timing of the takes. At the beginning where we first see Jason, the takes are long and slow, this represents Jason’s dull life. The takes then become progressively faster as Jason engages in the relationship with Stacy, representing his sudden excitement that builds and builds until he thinks that she has gone, were they become long once again to represent his emotions.
• The limited amount of dialogue is very effective as it almost represents Jason’s shyness. Setting the mood is relied upon by the non diegetic music that represents the characters thoughts and feelings throughout.
• The first shot we see of him is the id-shot of Jason lying on his bed; with an alarm noise over the top that represents his routine every morning. The shot is looking down on him, this makes him appear as if he isn’t of much importance and therefore not a traditional powerful man with status. We later go on to see that this is an accurate representation of him.

•    Jasons moods were represented well throughout. Shot in narrow depth of field, Jason is the only one in focus which draws the audiences attention to his depressive sad state.

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The Black Hole, produced by Philip Sansom and Olly Williams that together are called “futureshorts” in 2008. An ordinary office worked stumbles across a black hole whilst photocopying and uses it to his advantage.

Representation

•  The social realism relevant to the film is the powerful message that it sends out about the danger of greed.
• The mise en scene represents the main and only character as a stereotypical worker, due to the costume, shirt tie etc. his body language and facial expressions tell us he is bored of his job and wants something new to happen. the grey tones throughout the film, which is based in an office, represent the dull atmosphere.

Narrative

• The narrative firstly shows archetypical characters, the stereotypical office worker, which is fed up with life and is longing for a miracle to happen and sure enough his miracle happens in the form of a black whole. However it brings out his dark side and uses it for greed. The film ends with an effective cliffhanger.
• Todorov’s theory can be applied in this short, the equilibrium at the start, where the man is using the black hole to his benefit, ends up inside of a locker and different equilibrium to the first.

Genre

• I don’t believe there is a particular genre that it comes under, however I do think It is partly a thriller because of the eerie sound effects and fast pace clips.
• Steve Neale’s theory can be referred to in this short as the thriller genre is repeated and the difference is the narrative; Neale argued “instances of repetition and difference”
•    Often films that don’t fit into a particular genre category are class as sub-genres

Audience

• Age and gender-  I believe there is a huge age range that this film would appeal to, firstly older males will have a instant connection with the character as they may feel the same at their work place and secondly most I’m sure can relate to what the character did with the black whole. Secondly I believe younger boys will enjoy this as the film uses CGI which is like heaven for younger boy’s imagination.
• http://vimeo.com/15759511
• http://shortsbay.com/film/the-black-hole

Media Language

• I found the editing interesting in this short; by cutting the takes to determine the pace, they could use them to represent the mans thoughts and feelings. For example at first the cuts are very long, representing the mans boredom, after he find the black hole the cutting pace become much faster showing his excitement.
• Another aspect I found intriguing was the sound effects. The eerie noise that appeared every time the man came in contact with it would have the audience on edge. I also thought the sound of the photocopier in the background was effective and added to the setting of the office.
• The opening pan intrigued me as the man appeared isolated, I also thought it was effective as we had a good view of the setting, the typical grey office environment.