Jack Peagam - Short Film Analysis

Mud Boy

Writer & Director: Nic Penrake
Date of Production: 2009
Where found: BBC Film Network - http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p009d657

Mud Boy is about a young girl who escaped to the end of her garden, as a result of her mother and her boyfriend arguing. During her presence in the garden she accidentally discovers and un-earths her dead brother's corpse, and 'make-believes' that he is still alive. When the police arrive, they find dead Jamie (her brother), who they have been looking for. However, in Mina's mind Jamie is still roaming free in the garden.
I find that this is a very 'chilling' and shocking short film, as the narrative is most definitely not what you would expect from the start of the film, and therefore throughout, keeps the audience wondering. One thing that I find very interesting about this film is that there are no bright, vivid colours used. This is definitely a factor that contributed to the films gritty-ness and helps create that specific atmosphere that they were looking for.

Representation

• Gender could possibly be a social group that is represented in this film. The two character's are represented in a very contrasting way. The way both the mother and boyfriend are represented is quite traditional, for example, the stereotype of a male is to be dominant and we can evidently see that he is the dominant person in the relationship. As well is this he is also very aggressive, which is also another common traditional stereotype of masculinity.
• These representations of the boyfriend are very negative, and so therefore these are being portrayed so that the audience can automatically be turned against him straight away. This additionally makes us, as the spectator, to take the mother's side in the argument.
• The representations of the mother however, are rather positive. She is the one who is portrayed as caring for her children. She's obviously very worried about her son and she protects her daughter. This representation is created at the start so that the spectator is able to sympathise with her at the end. This emphasis we feel for her is created through unrestricted narration, as we as the viewer know that the boy is dead, and in fact, we never see her find out that he is. 
• This film could be classed as a 'social realist' film as its plot contains domestic characteristics, as well as showing signs and clues that could give connotations of domestic violence. Or for this films' instance, child abuse/murder.

Narrative

• The story is chronological, however the plot is not necessarily. The story has been made linear so that the spectator can gain an understanding of the situation that the girl is in. For example, her reason to run outside is to escape from her mum and her boyfriend arguing, and then the story continues from there. 
• The plot has also been used very effectively in a non-linear way to contrast with the story. One example of this is that the spade's importance is noted straightaway in the film as it slowly tracks from a low level (the garden) up to the house. This is giving the audience clues that this spade may well have something to do with the plot. In addition to this, at various points throughout the film the camera keeps going back to a shot of the spade, so therefore keeps it in the forefront of our minds. 
• Additionally, this short film does not conform to the conventional narrative when the girl (protagonist) finds the body. When the protagonist finds the dead body, seeing as she is a little girl, her reaction is very different to what the audience may expect. Instead of screaming, she in fact runs to go fill up some water to clean the body. This twist within the straightforward plot, makes the film seem much more innovative and draws the plot to a very surprising and suspenseful closure. 

Genre



Audience 

• I do not feel that there is a specific audience for this film, however I feel it might appeal to those in a similar situation, e.g domestic violence., which it may therefore be relatable to them. 
• Due to it having quite graphic content I feel it may not necessarily be suitable for younger demographic to watch as the images and language is quite harsh that may only be suitable for the older demographic.
• This film has also been screened on 'BBC HD Film Shorts'. On the internet it has been categorised as a 'drama'. I feel that this is a very brief categorisation as it contains various aspects that could slip into different categories. For example, the films' description tags online are 'abuse' and 'murder' and obviously this is not exactly what a usual 'drama' categorised film may necessarily contain.

Media Language

• This is the very first shot of the film. It is a tracking forwards shot going past a spade stuck in the ground. This shot fades in from the title 'Mud Boy' and obviously, a spade is related to mud etc. This is giving out enigma codes that this specific object (the spade) may well be a very an important factor in determining the plot/storyline. 
• There is also a very subtle focus pull from the spade to the house, and this is again further emphasising the fact that they may well be connected to each other in some way. 
• In addition to this there is also diegetic sound used, which is the voices of the mother and boyfriend arguing. This some what connotes that the spade could be used as a weapon or may also fit in with the domestic violence that is happening inside the house. With the use of the parallel editing, the spectators are able to hear the diegetic sound from outside the house right at the end of the garden, and then continually inside the house, which has once again, created enigmas that the spade is most definitely connected in some way to the house/people inside the house. 

• This is a high angle shot of the girl at the end of the garden - it's a handheld shot and it therefore gives a feeling of somebody spying/looking over her. 
• This shot makes her seem very small and therefore exaggerates the level of vulnerability that she is experiencing at that time. 

• These two shots make it seem as if she's being spied on, as the camera has been positioned behind certain things, the first one being hidden in a bush, and the second one behind the spade that we saw in the beginning.
• With the spade shot this raises enigma codes as the spectator already knows that this certain object may be a very important contribution to the film, as mentioned above, and this will make the spectator think that something may be about to happen. 
• Both of these shots may be possibly suggesting that this is a place where the girl must not be, and so fourth somebody spying on her. Possibly her brother?

• This is a low angle shot of the girl while she is playing with her toys. By doing this it is putting the spectator in the perspective of a child, and so therefore helping the audience enter the mind of a child as they watch her play. As a result of this it is is allowing the audience to understand how she feels throughout, and most importantly, at the end of the film. 

• This is a tracking shot of Mina while she runs through the garden. In addition to the previous screen grab this is again putting us in a perspective, of Mina. The camera follows Mina running to the end of the garden and the handheld camera makes us seem as if we're escaping with her, and additionally this will also emphasise the impact the story will have on the spectator. 

Throughout this whole film the non diegetic music corresponds to what is happening in the film, and as a result of this it will enhance the impact it has to the spectator. For example, when Mina starts to dig up the mud there is non-diegetic 'eerie' music used which forebodes the discovery she makes. 

Themes, Issues and Ideologies 

TIME

Writer & Director: Kris Dayne

Date of Production: 2012

Where found: Virgin Media Shorts - http://www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/film/3497/time

'TIME' is about a suicide bomber who enters a busy cafe. The film explores the different reactions of the innocent people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Throughout the sequence we are given a unique and disturbing insight into how each customer reacts - each from different walks and stages of life - thrown together in this life-changing situation. This short film is very different to a usual short you would see; there is no dialogue, and most of it is not in real time, it is either sped up or slowed down. Therefore it certainly has creative and intriguing elements about it, which is why I chose it. 

Representation

• There are many social groups represented within this film, and most of which are stereotypical representations. There are various social groups such as the builders, the family, group of teens, and a couple, most of which being created through costume and the specific characteristics that they have. 
• I believe that they used as many socially realistic stereotypes of people so that the spectator would really be able to relate and it would be very easy to put themselves in that situation, and therefore enhancing the excitement/fright upon the spectator. 
• These are mainly positive representations of the customers inside the cafe. They have done this so that the spectator will emphasise with the locals, knowing that they are completely innocent due to the positive images that they are portraying. As a result of this it will build the suspense even more when the audience know that these customers may well die. Furthermore this also creates a negative representation of the protagonist. While all of these customers are sitting with each other interacting, he is sat there on his own and is being portrayed as looking very agitated and is shown to be sweating, and so therefore, even before he is shown to be a terrorist bomber, has gained a negative representation. 

Narrative

• The story is about a terrorist bomber going into a cafe, and this could be related to real life events that people may have either experienced, or most likely heard about. This story may therefore be very predictable to the spectator due to having knowledge about known events in their life time. However, the plot is this film may tell otherwise. For example, the closure of the film is very significant as we do not see the outcome - we will never know if he did or did not set off the bomb. 
• This film takes on a chronological linear narrative to a certain extent, however the time is very manipulated. For example, we can see this with the use of slow motion and sped up footage, as well as the fades which emphasise the time passing. 
• However, in some aspects it is not very linear. Right at the start of the film we see the clock ticking, while fading into the shot of the man walking (most likely to be the protagonist). The clock is in fact a dominant object that is focused on later on while inside of the cafe. 

• According to Todorov's narrative theory there should have been a reinstatement of the equilibrium, which in this films' case would be if he did blow up the cafe or not. However we do in fact never find this out. In fact, the film ended with a protagonist having a flashback and we can see that the very last shot was the faded clock ticking, and is exactly the same time as we saw it at the start. So therefore this leads me to think that the film's narrative might be very non-linear. It leads me to think that it might not have been flashbacks, it may have been visions that the protagonist is seeing himself. 

Genre

• This film has been defined as a 'Drama' online, however I feel it is very difficult to define it as this due to the broadness of this genre, and also the length of this film. This film adopts many different aspects of different genres, such as thriller for example. This is evident as there are many elements of enigma within the film, leaving the spectator to feel sympathy for helpless people. There are elements such as terrorism and suicide, and maybe even psychological disabilities that have been explored heavily within this film which will all make it fall into the 'Thriller' category.
• According to Neal's genre theory 'film is reflective of the culture when it was made'. This therefore backs up the point that the film is based upon real-life events in that time so that the spectator's can relate to it. 

Audience 

• Seeing as I found this film on Virgin Media Shorts, I would say that anyone may be expected to watch this film (preferably not the younger demographic). It would possibly attract an audience that can relate to it, and evidently this would be a wide audience seeing as there were a various number of different people that were represented within the film. 
• This film has not been screened anywhere else, apart from other internet websites such as YouTube. This could possibly give an idea to the type of people who come across this film; avid internet users, and most possibly aspiring film makers e.g. students. 
• By looking at particular themes and issues of this film, the psychographic is definitely important to consider such as the culture of the audience, in which particular individuals may find that this short film comes across as offensive to them as it does portray specific stereotypes, and most importantly the stereotype of the protagonist. 

Media Language

• This is a short in which I find particularly interesting. It is an extreme long shot showing all of the customers in the cafe. It is being used to define the contrast and separation between the innocent customers and the suicide bomber. At the end of this shot it fades into the next passage of time, which is being used to emphasise the amount of time that it passing by, while the protagonist is ultimately making his decision. 
• Mise en scene has also been used within this film, which was in fact one of the most important aspects of making these film seem relatable, and like a real-life situation. For example, the waitress' costume, the builders, and most importantly the suicide bomber's costume. This is showing that mise en scene has been a very significant aspect in determining the different types of people in the cafe and how their characters are constructed. 

• The use of the switch back to the clock is very effective as each time it is showing that time has barely moved, however with all of the fades, it is making out that time is moving very slowly. This in a way puts us in the perspective of the protagonist, as he's struggling to make his decision time is going by very slow.
• In addition to this, we are also put into the protagonist's perspective through the use of camera work, which has been achieved through the use of a POV handheld shot. These shots are representing what he is looking at, and who specifically. Slow motion has been added to these shots to maybe emphasise the fact that the bomber is really taking his time and is hesitant about what decision to make, and as well as this it adds further suspense to the film. 

• I also feel that the close up shows have been placed in very appropriately. For example, when he decides that he is going to take his jacket off and threaten the cafe, there is straight away a close up of his eyes. This is being used so that the spectator can really focus on his facial expression and how he is feeling. Can they see fear? This close up shot of his eyes is then used again at the very end as a reaction of what we see the waitress says, however cannot hear due to a lack of diegetic dialogue. These two shots can therefore be contrasted, the spectator is able to compare his feeling and expression to when he takes the jacket off and then compare his expressions to his reaction to what the waitress says to him. Could have it in fact changed his decision? She could have possibly been his guilty continence throughout. In addition to this, this is further emphasised with the back and fourth shots between the waitress and the protagonist. 

Themes, Issues and Ideologies