The Black Hole is a 2.5 minute short film which I found on YouTube. Though it is much shorter than the film which we are required to produce, I thought it was extremely memorable and shows how effective a short film based on a single controlling idea can be. Therefore, I have decided to analyse it for the benefit of our group.
The film begins with a shot panning across an empty office to the face of a bored, sleep-deprived office worker at a photocopier machine. The mise-en-scene of the office is reminiscent of the film Fight Club (2001, David Fincher), in that although is a bog-standard office, the colours are very bleak and dark - a Fincher trademark.
The camera settles on a close up of an office worker. His Non-Verbal Communication shows that he is extremely bored and possibly tired from long working hours. This is an instant hint that the events of the film could possibly be a figment of his imagination, and therefore anything could be possible within the film even if it is not physically possible in real life.
The next shot cuts quickly from a close up of the protagonist pressing the button on a photocopier machine to the expression of frustration on his face when it doesn’t work. He presses the button repeatedly and kicks the machine again demonstrating his frustration.
There is then a close-up of the machine printing off a large sheet of paper with a black circle on it. The shot lingers on this for a second, indicating its importance as the controlling idea in the film.
The film makes use of conventional shots and editing to mirror the mundane nature of the protagonist’s job. There is only the repetitive diegetic sound of the photocopier machine in the background.
After he has picked up the sheet of paper, looked confused and then set it back down on the machine, there is a telling shot from inside the black hole looking up at the worker. This is reminiscent of the trademark shots used by Quentin Tarantino when a character opens the boot of a car or a suitcase and the next shot is from inside. This gives a sense of mystery as it does not reveal what is inside, while showing the expressions on the faces of the characters.
There is also a faint and mysterious non-diegetic sound during the shot from inside the black hole. This adds a sense of mystery and strangeness to the whole scenario. There is a similar sound when the worker sets his cup down on the hole and it disappears inside, and indeed every time he touches the hole.
After he discovers the possibilities which the black hole opens up to him, his non-verbal communication changes from confusion to excitement as he looks over to the vending machine. The discovery which he has made affords him limitless opportunities, as he realises. At this point, the black hole represents many discoveries made by man. He has gone through the curious phase within seconds, and is now reaping the benefits of his discovery – a free bar of chocolate.
As he is eating the chocolate, a close up of his face shows his eyes fixing on something in the office. At this point his NVC changes to sheer greed, with the chocolate bar aiding in representing his gluttony.
A shot-reverse-shot between his face and a door marked “keep out” seal his fate. At this point, the audience knows enough to see that the film can only end badly for the protagonist who is about to abuse his discovery.
An effective shot from behind the door shows his silhouette approaching through the window, indicating that he is doing something he is not supposed to be doing.
As he reaches into the safe, we again hear the faint but foreboding noise from the black hole. As he pulls more and more cash out of the safe, the editing becomes rapid. This shows his desperation to get more money, and also suggests his guilt as he does it, looking around nervously all the time.
As he goes further into the safe, there is a faint sucking sound as he gets pulled all the way in. The noises all stop suddenly as the hole closes up and the paper falls off of the safe. It then cuts to cameras further away until it is a long shot of the safe from outside of the door, highlighting the fact that he now cannot be saved and he has sealed his own fate. We only hear the sound of the photocopier machine running ironically in the background, and the sound of him banging on the safe.
Prior to the process of shooting, the group collectively accumulated a collection of ideas, many of which were influenced by various films which members of our group have seen.
One idea we though of was to have a shot showing countryside rushing by through the window of a car. This would be reminiscent of the opening of The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick), in which the countryside represents the distance between the family and the rest of the world; showing their isolation. It also represents the ‘calm before the storm’ as it is serene and very eerie, especially with the non-diegetic music which fills the audience with dread. In our film it would show the character’s isolation from society.
One shot we came up with was to have a shot of a droplet of blood splashing into a bathtub of water. The camera would then pan up to reveal the main protagonist shaving. The shaving idea was inspired by Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982, Alan Parker), in which the main character, Pink, shaves off all of the hair on his body. This is an indication of his mental state. In the preceding shot, he is seen placing every item in his room into neat patterns across his floor and indeed, throughout the entire film he is mentally unstable.
This differs to our idea because the first shot in our scene will show the drops of blood, leaving the audience wondering where it is coming from. The sight of blood naturally suggests something altogether more grisly than shaving, so when it is revealed that he has simply cut himself it will be a surprise to the audience. A similar effect is achieved in the opening of American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron), in which red sauce is dropped onto a white surface. The audience is oblivious to the fact that it is actually food being prepared until the camera pans out. We like this idea of the blood droplet into clear water, as it suggests a loss of purity as with the red sauce on the plate.
We also decided would be extremely effective would be if we could find a split mirror for the shot when our protagonist is shaving. This is inspired by the shot in the film Garden State (2004, Zach Braff), where the protagonist is looking in a mirror. The split in the mirror divides his face into two images, reflecting his personality; as it is unstable and throughout the film he is on proscribed drugs.
The shot of the protagonist shaving also has connotations towards murder, as we intend on having him use a cut-throat razor. This is reminiscent of Sweeney Todd (2007, Tim Burton), in which Johnny Depp murders people by cutting their throats while he gives them a shave.
I have designed a thorough profile of our intended male – a typical person that our short film will interest and be aimed at. I will then explain comprehensively his life, where he studies, interests, social life among many other things, while always relating each interest and quirk back to why this person is part of our intended target audience.
Michael Rebowski is a 29 year-old, who was born in Surrey to divorced parents, before moving first to Yorkshire at age 5, before moving for a second time to Somerset at age 16. Because of his parents’ divorce when he was very young, he has learnt to fend for himself and be the subject of many arguments and disagreements. He was also the focus of many jokes and pranks at primary school and up until his move to Somerset, and this has allowed him to develop a thick skin. After graduating from Lincoln University with a degree in Film Production, he now works behind the scenes in many independent films, employed to help interest production companies to distribute the films. Michael lives in a fairly large flat overlooking one of the busiest streets in Somerset, next door to one of his best friends Sydney Hart.
In the future, Michael hopes to move on to bigger film companies and perhaps move to America to meet and work with some of his favourite actors and directors, which include Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Mike Leigh and Paul Thomas Anderson. From his experience in Film Production, Michael feels that he has the abilities to move on to bigger things and really make a name for himself, though he feels he would become very nervous should he become slightly well-known.
Now many years out of University, Michael has paid off his debts and is now making steady money in his job. Because of this, he can afford to go and see newly released films in the cinema and buy DVDs. He doesn’t describe himself as a ‘film fanatic’, as he believes he doesn’t view enough because of his work and doesn’t like all genres, particularly romantic films and ‘gore-fests’. He does enjoy going to HMV and browsing and purchasing films though, but they usually end up un-watched for a long time as he prefers to watch films when they are on television. His favourite genre is mystery thrillers, preferably with a very complex and non-linear narrative. When he does have a free evening and there are no films or DVDs to watch, he will usually watch classic British sitcoms such as ‘One Foot In The Grave’ and ‘Only Fools and Horses’. He also enjoys panel shows such as ‘Have I Got News For You’ and ‘Mock The Week’, and likes to read the paper to keep up with the latest world news.
His favourite films span many different genres, and his top ten list (which he frequently updates) currently includes award-winning ones such as ‘Magnolia’ (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999) and ‘Unforgiven’ (Dir. Clint Eastwood, 1992), smaller budget films such as ‘The Squid and The Whale (Dir. Noah Baumbach, 2005) and ‘Eraserhead’ (Dir. David Lynch, 1976) and psychological thrillers including ‘Twelve Monkeys’ (Dir. Terry Gilliam, 1995) and ‘Copycat’ (Dir. Jon Amiel, 1995). He also enjoys light-hearted comedies like ‘Accepted’ (Dir. Steve Pink, 2006) and also serious dramas such as ‘House Of Sand And Fog’ (Dir. Vadim Perelman, 2003). He enjoys music videos and short films as he believes that there are some hidden gems in those categories that people have yet to discover. He claims that one of his favourite things to do is to go on to YouTube and search for Short Films by budding, young directors.
Michael’s other interests include his love of music and snooker. After first discovering The Kinks at age 18, Michael became a big fan of 60’s music – his other favourites include Captain Beefheart, Traffic and Arthur Brown. He also enjoys some modern rock bands such as Alter Bridge, Kings Of Leon and 3 Doors Down, and appreciates classical artists, his preferred choice being Johann Strauss. Michael’s passion for snooker has been with him ever since he joined a snooker club after moving to Somerset. Though very average at first, he gradually became very talented and now has a range of his own cues and a half-size snooker table in his home. Though he is not able to play often, anytime he and his friends go out to a bar in the evening, he is the first one challenging people on the snooker or pool table, almost always winning.
Michael’s budget allows him to purchase CDs, though he prefers to just buy new releases. Any albums that he has not listened to via Spotify beforehand, he will illegally download via torrents. But his policy is that he will delete the album if he does not enjoy it enough, as his current IPod is only an 8GB Nano, an item that he has been meaning to upgrade for a while.
Michael’s social life usually consists of the cinema on average once every 16 days, and he will go to a bar in the evening with friends if he feels like a relaxing night away from films.
Michael Rebowski is a true representation of who we are aiming our short film at. Working in and around films means that he has a good knowledge of them, and appreciates and enjoys watching films as a social activity. He has enjoyed films for a long time and appreciates all kinds, including short films, which makes him a perfect candidate for our film.
Another helpful factor of Michael is that he doesn’t appreciate generic films that just use ‘directors-for-hire’ as he puts in. he likes creativity in films, something which we feel our short film demonstrates. Though he is making steady money, Michael is still awfully careful with his budget, which is why he enjoys watching films on TV and short films online. If our film is well distributed, or even just put onto video sharing sites like YouTube, there is a good chance that someone like Michael could find it, enjoy it and make other people aware of it.
Some of Michael’s favourite films are very dark in certain themes, something which our film establishes, hopefully encouraging his interest. His enjoyment of modern rock bands is also helpful, as some of them have very dark undertones and lyrics.
Once the group had determined the intended audience and institution, both Taylor and I decided to formulate visual representations of who we are specifically aiming our psychological/thriller towards.
Bestowed with the task of designing a profile for our intended female, I have conjured up a generic outline of said woman, and then plan on elaborating in depth as to where she has studied, her current occupation, her social life and many more aspects which draw out her personality traits, while always relating back to the chief reason as to why she stands at figurehead of our intended target audience.
Kate Lowlands is a 25 year old post-graduate of English Literature at Kings College University-London. Born and raised in the conventional nuclear family in Chelmsford, she has experienced the proverbial trials and tribulations of family life. As a direct result, she shares a diminutive flat with female friend (Sarah), who sporadically share lunch and meet depending on the situation at hand.
In the near future, she plans on accumulating more and more experience at schools, to eventually teach Literature seminars at University herself. Currently, she works as an intern at Camden’s MTV on the News department. Here, she has learnt to grasp a firmer understanding of the English Language and it’s many forms of diction, yet has decided that the company is too mainstream for her liking, and plans to resign by the end of winter.
On the whole, she is absolutely content with life. She stands as non-frenetic female, who can map the path of her own life. As a result, she reads Marie Claire for recreational purposes, along with the Independent to illustrate the fact that she belongs within a more academic demographic.
Due to extensive debt thanks to University tuition, Kate’s sparse budget means she cannot meet the expense of purchasing films regularly. Despite being an absolute film-fanatic, she has to compromise through digital television, and therefore watches Film 4 somewhat frequently, especially when the film is either independent, British or a Thriller-her favourite genre. If it just so happens that the films on Film4 do not meet her standards on the conventional evening in, she frequently flicks through the channels, and tends to settle on either Sky Arts or BBC 4, as she is known to thoroughly enjoy the occasional documentary or short programme concerning music or the film industry. If worse comes to worse, she will delve into the realms of the internet, and flick at irregular intervals through different YouTube Channels and Open film.
Her favourite films include a large variety of British Idependants, as well as modern classics such as “Fight Club”, along with generic classics such as “The Shining” or “One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest”. However, she can revel in such conventional female favourites as-“Titanic”, or “Bridget Jones Diary”.
Other pastimes would include her burning passion for reading and music. After conquering the classic Gothic Novels of Mary Shelly-Frankenstein at the tender age of 12, she has delved deeper into the gothic genre until today, where she frequently reads female authors such as Agatha Christie. Her favourite novel however, is King of The Castle, a psychological novel written by Susan Hill.
Some of her favourite contemporary bands would include Icelandic artists Sigur Ros, as well as Radiohead, ranging from the more solemn to Jack Johnson and John Mayer, completely dependant on her frame of mind.
As a result of Kate’s sparse budget and busy life, she finds it somewhat problematic at times to socialise within the confines of London, or clubs in general. However, she still enjoys the company of others and frequently invites family and friends round to her quaint flat for the odd drink and dinner. Times have occurred however whereby Kate has been so strapped for money that she has had to miss out on an enjoyable evening, and thereby delves into the world of the arts to pass the time.
Once writing this, I still hold the strong belief that Kate Lowlands is a true, visual representation of who we are aiming our five minute psychological/thriller towards. As she is a post graduate of Literature from a respectable University, she must have some knowledge on the basic narrative of film (possibly Todorov’s theory of equilibrium), and will thereby appreciate the complex narrative that our short offers.
The fact she lives in a small flat, practically living alone also gives her the absolute freedom to watch a film such as ours when the time is right for her. This is reinforced by the fact she is a current intern, who thereby has more time on their hands opposed to a university student or someone in a binding occupation.
The fact she belongs within a more intellectually demanding demographic would also suggest that she may also appreciate our short opposed to those who are used to the generic Hollywood Blockbuster. It also significantly helps that her favourite genre is the Thriller, despite the fact that our genre is a hybrid.
The fact that she has to pay careful attention to her budget would also suggest that this film is well suited to such a person, as our short is being exhibited on “OpenFilm”, an internet based website that exhibits short films for free.
There is no denying that our film is somewhat morose and bleak at times as well. This is only supported through Kate’s passion for psychological novels such as King of The Castle, as well as the genre of music she listens to. Her gentle, sometimes diluted enjoyment in light hearted music and film is also highlighted in our short as well however, as amid the grey, dismal life the protagonist leads, there is a slight inclination that through such darkness, this world is a wondrous place to live in.
For research on short films, especially ones of the thriller genres since our film places itself in that field, I have decided to analyse the short film ‘Black Button’ (Dir. Lucas Crandles, 2007).
The first image that is seen on screen is a quote from the Bible. This immediately tells the viewer that this film will most likely have some sort of dilemma involved in it. The faint ambient sound in the background is slightly intimidating, and as the image switches to the title of the film the sound heightens and changes smoothly to a sound not dissimilar to a clock ticking. In the very first moments of the film, without and characters or iconography being shown, the audience already knows that some sort of unsettling predicament will cling to a particular character.
The first shot after the opening images is a mid-shot of a man sitting in a large chair, looking directly into the camera. His first lines uttered are “Ah, Mr. Roberts...” Though the words are spoken softly and calmly, they have a very menacing feel to them, as if the man has been waiting for Mr. Roberts and already knows that he is complete control of everything that is about to happen. After the line is spoken, the audience realises that the camera is situated so they are looking through the eyes of Mr. Roberts himself. This gives the first line shot even more menace, as it gives the feeling that not only is this man talking to Mr. Roberts, but every person watching and is subconsciously telling them that they are in his shows and are in the same predicament that he is.
As the shot changes to a wide shot also showing Mr. Roberts sitting opposite the man in a smaller, flimsier chair (already showing the balance in power in the room), the audience sees that the whole room is white, and almost dream-like. There is no obvious ‘end’ to the room and no obvious way in or out. The man asks “where the hell am I?” and the audience is made to ask the same question, and wonder how the man got to this place at all.
The next shot-reverse-shots are close ups of either Mr. Roberts or the other man behind the desk. The man begins to explain why Mr. Roberts is here as he has difficulty figuring out how he got there after driving to work moments ago. As the explanation starts, a slow non-diegetic tone lurches in the background, like a panther ready to strike, waiting for the right moment to give Mr. Roberts and the audience a huge revelation.
Because of the blandness and ghost-like quality of the room there is not much iconography at all. This could turn out to be a problem in some films, but this film uses the plainness of the room to focus on the controlling idea, the black button situated in front of Mr. Roberts. The first shot of it is a close up that steadily zooms in, showing the audience that this is the most important object in the room and in the film itself.
The man explains Mr. Roberts’ dilemma and places the briefcase full of money on the desk. Mr. Roberts is exasperated and tells the man he’s leaving, but the door is locked. As Mr. Roberts stands up, the audience can see that he is wearing a white shirt that matches the colour of the ghost-like room itself, giving a clue to the audience of the revelation that Mr. Roberts is already dead himself.
The threatening nature of the man is heighted with the clever use of dialogue throughout his speeches. Without any back story, the audience can already tell that this man is well educated and used to getting what he wants. The use of phrases like “I’m a powerful man, a man that can change your life...for the small cost of someone else’s” and when Mr. Roberts whispers “my god” in a shocked tone, the man replies “Oh, he’s not yours Mr. Roberts”. This dialogue is threatening while laced with a hint of sarcasm and power behind every word, again telling the audience that the man has power of Mr. Roberts and them also.
The man shows Mr. Roberts the suitcase full of money that will be exchanged if he pushes the button that will kill someone, and also shows him the key that he can use for the door if he chooses not to push it. As he places the key on the table, the shot switches to a close up of the key as the man gently pushes it forward. The shot is very cleverly done, as the man pushes the key towards the camera, asking the audience to make the same decision that Mr. Roberts has to make. As the conversation continues, the man makes a comment to Mr. Roberts “eventually, everyone’s time is up”. The use of a close up and the slow way the words are said tells the viewer that the climax is coming and that everybody’s salvation may be coming to an end.
As the climax builds, the editing becomes more rapid, symbolizing the panic that Mr. Roberts is having trying to make this decision, and perhaps also symbolizing the enjoyment that the man is trying to hide from behind that behemoth of a desk. The close ups of the man also become closer, giving the impression that he is inside Mr. Roberts’ head and is manipulating him to push the button. The editing suddenly gets even more rapid as shots of the two men are mingled with quick flashes of the button, they key and the briefcase full of money, showing the alarm of Mr. Roberts and the urgency of the man behind the desk, especially as he punches the desk and yells “push it!”
Mr. Roberts then stands up and prepares to push the button. As he does this, a sound of an opera or a choir sounding like angles singing covers up the ominous non-diegetic sound. This angel-like noise gives another clue that Mr. Roberts is dead, and is as if the angels are already accepting him into heaven, or perhaps damning him to hell. As he pushes the button, a slight musical still cuts the angel noise short, and it is replaced by the sound much a like a gong. The sound is very bleak and gives the impression to the audience that Mr. Roberts’ fate has been sealed, though that fate is as yet unknown to the audience.
After the button has been pushed, for the first time in the film there is no diegetic sound. It is silent, yet there is still a feel of dread in the air. There is a sense that this moment, though less worrying that before, is the calm beneath the storm. But, as Mr. Roberts reaches for the briefcase the non-diegetic sound starts up again, though this time much more threatening and ominous. This time it feels less angel-like and more devilish and it starts getting faster, as if it wants to pull Mr. Roberts away from his salvation as quickly as possible.
As the man tells Mr. Roberts that he is already dead, there is a slight musical sting, but rather than a loud bang of some sort, it has a feel of scurrying rats or snakes covering a body and wrapping it in venom. The non-diegetic sound is now much louder and wraps the audience up in the events that are unfolding on screen. Shots of Mr. Roberts having a fatal car crash are now shown through a flashback, and the camera is tilted and pushed around to give a sense of alarm and dismay as the crash is in progress, making the audience feel like they are actually there.
Blood now starts to run down Mr. Roberts’ body from his forehead and many close ups are used, along with rapid editing between the blood and Mr. Roberts’ shocked expression to give him and the audience the revelation that the non-diegetic sound predicted and wanted them to feel from the very start.
Edits now become rapid between the man behind the desk and Mr. Roberts, as the man explains who he is and what he does and how he feels this helps make the world a better place. The man is now much calmer, giving the impression that there is only one sinner in this room, and it is not him. Mr. Roberts asks what it going to happen to him, and the man leans forwards and with a smile that is usually only seen on the faces of small children on their birthday, and replies “well you’re going to hell Mr. Roberts!” This expression shows the audience that the man was always in control and though he may have done this exact game to thousands of others, he never loses any enjoyment out of it, and takes pride in that he knows the correct answer should have been to take the key.
The man then stamps ‘processed’ on Mr. Roberts’ file, which is accompanied by a slight musical sting that is the sound of a door being slammed, perhaps telling the audience that not only is Mr. Roberts going to spend eternity in hell, but so is everyone else.
The man shows Mr. Roberts the key he should have used, and in that particular camera shot the black button is next to it, showing the choice he had to make and possibly being a metaphor for what all of the audience have to deal with every day – the choice between self-preservation and being unselfish. Mr. Roberts then asked who he killed, and the man replies “oh, I shouldn’t worry about that...I’ll be seeing them next.” This is the final shot of the film and leaves a lasting definition on the viewer – they could be the next person the man is seeing and they could end up just as much of a sinner as Mr. Roberts. The words ‘Black Button’ are then shown on screen again to the non-diegetic sound of screams – most likely the victims of this cruel game and who now must spend eternity in hell.
Overall, this is a very intriguing short film that creates many enigmas for the audience and makes people question themselves. This film has become the subject of many debates long after being watched because of its subject matter. The use of excellent iconography and locations allowed the viewer to focus on the things that were important in the film, and the cinematography was very impressive, allowing the viewer to be sucked into the film and feel like they have to face the same predicament.
Our group began thinking about this media project during the summer, before coming back to school. Though there were many discussions, the ideas were very bare and in the early stages, but we all agreed that an early start would put us on the road to success.
One of our very first ideas involved a disabled man with a dilemma. We were all keen on the idea of a disabled person as a main character, and thought it had a lot of potential and could create a lot of enigmas. The basic idea revolved around a disabled man who befriends a doctor or psychiatrist after an accident, but after a period of time, asks his new friend to help kill him because of his depression since his accident. Group member David Huxford, a Philosophy and Ethics student, brought up the idea of euthanasia and we all agreed that it was an interesting topic that would raise questions among the viewing public. This basic idea also had other incarnations, such as the disabled man befriending a racist or anti-Semitic doctor, with the doctor only realising later in the film that his new friend is usually someone he hates.
We thought this idea was strong, but each group member started bringing up potential problems. For example, the portrayal of disabled people on film can be a taboo subject among some people, and we agreed that we wouldn’t want to cause controversy. We also established that if the disabled person was portrayed wrong, it might provoke laughs among audiences, completely the opposite of the image we wanted. After another discussion, we decided that this idea would be too problematic and decided to go down another route.
Though we dropped the idea of a disabled person as our main character, we as a group decided that we wanted our main character to have particular quirks and be quite complex. Many Sixth Form videos have characters that are uninteresting, bland and are not exciting at all. We agreed that videos like this look rushed, and wanted our main character to be interesting and sophisticatedly planned.
If our first main idea was perhaps part of the drama genre, our next one fitted into the thriller genre nicely. Two of our group members live near a large crop field, which we felt would be a very interesting location. Group member James Moss suggested the idea of a ‘cycle of life’ that the crop field could represent, which we all thought was a clever reference. Taking influence from the film ‘The Box’ (Dir. Richard Kelly, 2009), our basic idea contained either one or two people following particular tasks on a mysterious list that had been sent to them. When one person completed the tasks, they were led to a man who offered them their greatest desire. The character would choose a large sum of money, and the man would give them this, but leave them confined in a blank room with no contact to the outside world.
Our entire group agreed that this idea was exciting and would allow for many interesting locations and camera shots. We also knew that this idea needed to be developed more, to fill the full five minute time slot and make the film interesting to watch. The ending was a particular favourite of the group as we thought most people would not see it coming, most likely making them watch the short film again. We also had some interesting iconography prepared for this idea, such as a ragged suicide note and a formal meeting in the middle of a deserted crop field. This idea stayed as the main one for our group for a couple of weeks as we tried to develop it further and add to the storyline. But problems started occurring, and members started to disagree and lose interest in the idea as a whole. We also found that filming would most likely take a long time thanks to the many locations involved, and that this would cause problems with the editing. After a long consultation, many aspects of this idea were dropped and we were almost right back at the start again.
Our final idea, involving a man with a complex background growing exasperated at his psychiatrist, though a completely new idea, has taken influences from some of our earlier ideas. For example, the psychiatrist has come from our very first idea, and we have kept our promise of keeping our main character complex and quirky.
Because of our many earlier ideas, we feel that the one we have now has taken a long way to get to, making it well thought out and more compound than other groups, and has the potential to be distributed far and go a long way.
As our short psychological/thriller centres on a pivotal death sequence within the confines of a bathroom, the most outright threat lies in electrocution. This derives down to the fact that the room will be rife with cameras, wires and a radio. Accompanied with water as a catalyst, the outcome could potentially be perilous, unless we take the necessary precautions. A handful of safety measures can be pursued in order to eliminate any chance of danger. For example, nor the radio or the camera has to be in touching distance with any water, so the basic idea will entail the entire cast keeping distance from the bath. Secondly, we shall tape down any remaining wires, to prevent the event of anyone tripping, which could potentially result in electrocution. Finally, in the unfortunate event of water being spilt, prior to the experience, we shall bring a towel to mop up any remaining water instantaneously.
A tamer hazard, yet peril all the same, derives down to the proverbial task of shaving following our death sequence. Although for some, the mediocre day-to-day task, it is mandatory that we follow the necessary precautions to insure our actor’s safety. One potential way of eradicating any dangerous hazard here would be to simply remove the shaving blades, or potentially not even shave the face, consuming his beard in shaving cream to convey the message that he will eventually shave.
Another hazard could potentially be loss of equipment, most blatantly within one sequence, where we shall be performing a panning shot of the countryside. To eradicate such problems, we could prevent resting the camera upon the car, following the alternate tangent of placing it upon tripod inside the car. This may be a hindrance in terms of time wasting; however, this will secure the camera safely inside the car, as well as preventing the actors from leaning outside the window, which could essentially be unsafe.
A simple yet looming peril that exists within the world of filming can always originate down to the equipment itself, as well as driving to the location. Therefore, we will follow the mandatory precautions driving to the locations with the equipment safely secured in car. Moreover, we will have insured when shooting that the camera is properly attached to the tripod, as well as wearing the hand-strap if executing any hand-held shots.
In this moodboard our group has gathered images that we think convey the correct themes to our intended audience. Our film is going to be of the psychological/thriller hybrid genre, and will involve a death and themes of dismay and depression. Therefore, our short film will be quite dark and menacing, as we want the audience to be drawn into the mystery and feel like they need to solve it themselves. We have chosen particular images that we think immediately depict our films visual style, the dark, grisly images and the inventive yet stylish cinematography. We feel there are some particular images in the moodboard that demonstrate exactly the look we are going for in our short film.
For example the picture in the top left of our moodboard, which is one of our group’s favourites, is very thought-provoking and could have a variety of meanings. We as a group think that it could symbolize the struggle that is going on in our protagonist’s psyche, as he struggles to cope with past memories, while also fighting to not let his old pre-therapy self take control and display its ugly head.
Another picture we are very fond of in our group is the one located at the bottom left of the moodboard. Similar to the picture discussed in the paragraph above, we think this shows our protagonist trying to hide inner scars. The mutilated looking part of the face is a very provocative part of the image and is also coloured red, a colour that will most likely be used predominantly in our short film. The dirty looking background is also very important, and is most likely the colour our protagonists mind is laced with, as he feels disrespected and filthy because of previous actions or his current mental state.
The claustrophobic looking picture of a man stuck in a small box is also one of our group’s favourites. We feel that the whole short film will have a trapped feel for not only our protagonist, but also his psychiatrist. He has had this patient for a long time and is desperate for significant progress, leading to him trying anything to get rid of him. We also hope the audience has a similar feeling, and as the mystery unfolds they start feeling more entombed and buried.
Another picture our group likes is the images to the left of the man in the claustrophobic box, showing an alone man staring up a long alleyway. The walls almost look like they are alive and the images looks very surreal. This images shows a familiar emotion in life and one that will appear in our short film, loneliness. Both our main characters struggle to ‘fit in’ and seem happier to be alone. The protagonist has demons that he feels no one else will understand and will discard him if they are able to see beneath his skin, and the psychiatrist doesn’t connect to his patient as well as he has with others, leading him to feel inadequate and fragile.
As part of our group’s research into the short film genre, I will analyse some short films in order to get a clearer idea of the conventions of the genre. The first of which is called About a Girl (2001, Brian Percival).
The film begins with a short title sequence which shows the title of the film in the style of a text message. From this the audience can already tell that the subject matter of the film is going to be about a young person, or young people. The title sequence is an important part of any film as it can often foreshadow the events of the film itself, and it allows the audience’s preconceptions to help to shape their expectations of the film.
It then cuts to a shot of a young girl in silhouette singing a Britney Spears song. This very powerful shot of the girl against a cloudy sky symbolises the fact that the girl is alone, while the threatening clouds represent her troubles and the shocking events which unfold in the film’s short runtime. The song that she is dancing to also highlights the fact that the girl is young despite the fact that throughout the film she says she does not want to be treated as a child.
The next shot is a close up of the girl walking along a canal. The dirty, industrial ‘feel’ of the canal along with her accent let the audience know that she is poor, working class, and living in an undesirable area. In contrast with this however, is the fact that she is wearing an oversized white coat. The white symbolises her perceived innocence as a child, while the fact that the coat is so large could be seen as a form of defence (which is significant to the end of the film).
Straight away she is talking about flushing dental floss down the toilet. After watching the film it becomes clear that this is foreshadowing the film’s twist, in that her life is a constant battle to hide things from her parents.
Throughout the film, she appears to favour her dad; talking about how he buys her ice cream and constantly undermines her mum. This is then juxtaposed against shots of her talking to her dad while he pays no attention to her what so ever. Another shot which is extremely effective is of the girl sitting outside the pub where her dad is drinking. The camera pans out, showing the girl isolated and alone. Her white coat stands out as the only innocence in an otherwise harsh environment.
We then see a shot of her and her friends on a bus. This is the only time in the film where she is not wearing her white coat. This shows that this is the only time she can let her guard down – they are the only people who she can be herself around, and it appears that she is having fun as she enjoys singing. The song’s lyrics are also ironic, as she is actually not as innocent as she seems. In another shot, she is seen trying on perfume in a shop. The then lies to the shop keeper about her mum. This reinforces the idea of her lost innocence.
Throughout the film, the girl is walking along a canal. This becomes significant at the end of the film. When she reaches her destination her mood changes as she stops talking about her family and reflects on what she is doing. When we see the canal from a high angle shot, the water looks dark and foreboding.
As she throws the bag in the water the audience is left wondering what was in it, as she turns and walks away without a second glance. The poignant twist is then enhanced by the underwater shot coupled with the diegetic sound of water.
The film is clearly designed to shock the audience. It touches on sensitive issues such as teenage pregnancy and neglect in a way which leaves the audience thanking about it long after the film has finished. While our film may not deal with such powerful issues, this is the effect we wish to achieve, and this analysis will hopefully help us do just that.
As our A-Level media group consists of a fusion between two “As” media groups, we collectively reflected upon the idea of compiling two blog post evaluations opposed to one.
In a somewhat broadened manner, I can happily say that on the whole, the “As” Media Blog for our two minute Thriller (dubbed “Disposition) was thorough, extensive and methodically planned out until the very final days of posting. In terms of analysing our strengths, we continually stepped up to the challenges of in-depth posting, noting viral information on a daily basis.
Towards the conclusion of the blog posting process, we even began to embrace the visual side of data input, whereby instead of lengthy clogged up paragraphs; we broke up bulky text with pictures and evidence anchoring the copy. This visual stimulation is what conventional examiners admire, so we will thereby cling onto this visual technique, to secure the maximum marks for our input.
However, what I praise the “As” media group for among many other factors was the extensive research prior to the shooting process. It was thoroughly drummed into the group from the very start that research was mandatory if we wanted to secure good marks, therefore, we initially filled the blog to the brim with initial ideas for sound, focus groups, story boards, costume theories, title sequence ideas etc.
However, amid such pro’s, there were a few chinks in the armour that faltered our marks. For example, although towards the end of the blog we amended the visual stimulation theory above, our initial blog posts were rife with substantial portions of text, without any visual evidence to back up our ideas.
Secondly, members of the group would commence ‘blogging’ without putting in any early considering about previous blog posts from fellow members. Such examples would include the genre, which wavered between mystery/thriller to crime/thriller hybrid simply due to the lack of communication within the group.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that as time became sparser towards the deadline, the group began to rest on their laurels, leaving the evaluations to the last couple of days before the deadline. On the whole, I still consider that we done extremely well, however, one can always consider how much we could have bettered ourselves if planning was more methodical.
Fundamentally I feel on the whole that if the current A-Level media group can combine strengths from both blog post, thereby eradicating all weakness and mistakes we have made through experience, we will hopefully flourish in the nearby future.
Once the group had determined our chosen “psychological/thriller” genre, we were faced the demanding task of getting our short film shown on an institution. Since there are no real ‘specific’ institutions that exhibit short films, we had to calculate how we could reach our intended target audience of male- aged 15-40. After some careful research, I discovered as a whole that there are a multitude of different platforms that can showcase our work, ranging from the proverbial Film Festival, to new media technologies and even television, such a Film4 and Shorts TV- the first television channel dedicated to short films.
Potentially, this intended institution could work wonders for our short film in terms of promotion, as the film festival is predominately renowned as a haven where budding talents can make a name for themselves. However, with over 300 features of all diverse genres, I would assume that if worse comes to worse our film would hardly be noticed, and with the film festivals growing dramatically year by year, our chances of finding recognition seem somewhat sparse. Also, one may argue that the proverbial film festival would not appeal to the younger segment of our intended target audience.
This derives down to the fact that most adolescents may not live remotely near London (or even in a foreign country altogether), which could therefore make the festival somewhat inaccessible to those without suitable transport. So in terms of ‘global reach’, we would most defiantly be limiting ourselves, opposed to Television and the Internet. Another negative when considering our target audience would be the average film festival demographic, with over 35% attending with secure disposable income. In the current age of substantial university fees and job cuts, this almost slashes the target audience between the ages of 17-23, as money will be sparse. Therefore, we would need to consider a cheaper medium to exhibit our film.
On investigating Shorts TV, I discovered that there are an array of pro’s and con’s into presenting our short film. Initially, one could argue that a platform such as this would work significantly well as an intended institution, as most people by now have left terrestrial television and have now subscribed to digital. Secondly, Shorts TV presents “Shorts Midnight”, a segment repeatedly dedicated to thrillers, both edgy and controversial, which thereby homes back to our hybrid genre.
However, it has occurred to me that prior research I have never once heard of Shorts TV, despite the fact that I frequently watch Sky Movies. Other than the fact that it hides in the shadows of the Sky Movies index (channel 342), it is still notably important that not everyone has the privilege of owning a Sky Dish as a medium of watching television and films, despite the fact that digital switchover will soon be mandatory. However, as I am banded within the target audience bracket, and I myself have never seen the appeal of Shorts TV, I feel we need to step up the intended institution to a means of new media technology.
Thereby, through careful reflection, I have pinned it down to a final tangent to use as an intended institution. Since its birth over 12 years ago, the internet has become a wellspring whereby people have been able to thrive promoting in whatever department they please. As a direct result, short films are now easily promoted over the internet. Such examples would include “Across the Hall”, which was solely distributed over the internet. Along with “Youtube”, “Britfilms” and “Newgrounds”, communities have been able to sprout all over the internet, where people can give advice, creative criticism, recommendations etc.
Through my research, I have decided to use “Openfilm.com” as my intended institution. What made my decision fundamentally derived down to the fact that I want to home this short production to the target audience as effectively as I can. As I have rightly stated, more and more people, predominantly between the ages of 15-40 use the internet for personal generic use on a day to day basis. Therefore this medium, whereby people can discuss, rate, watch and discover films around the world seems a universally good idea, not to mention the fact that the internet has a substantially bigger global reach than the competitors I have previously studied. Similarly to “Shorts TV”, the site is split up into specific genres including generic “Horror”, which could be somewhat of a hindrance, as our ‘short’ is a hybrid.
One particular element which surprised me on the “Openfilm” website however was the fact that they openly promoted film festivals through an interactive calendar. Therefore, the intended institution may not stop there, whereby we could use “Openfilm.com” as the roots of our promotions, and branch off through the site through their film festivals.
When considering both our intended target audience and genre, I truly believe that this medium of promotions would enhance the ‘shorts’ global reach and success rate to new infinite levels opposed the previous mediums I have discussed.
The camera settles on a close up of an office worker. His Non-Verbal Communication shows that he is extremely bored and possibly tired from long working hours. This is an instant hint that the events of the film could possibly be a figment of his imagination, and therefore anything could be possible within the film even if it is not physically possible in real life.
The film makes use of conventional shots and editing to mirror the mundane nature of the protagonist’s job. There is only the repetitive diegetic sound of the photocopier machine in the background.
There is also a faint and mysterious non-diegetic sound during the shot from inside the black hole. This adds a sense of mystery and strangeness to the whole scenario. There is a similar sound when the worker sets his cup down on the hole and it disappears inside, and indeed every time he touches the hole.
A shot-reverse-shot between his face and a door marked “keep out” seal his fate. At this point, the audience knows enough to see that the film can only end badly for the protagonist who is about to abuse his discovery.
As he goes further into the safe, there is a faint sucking sound as he gets pulled all the way in. The noises all stop suddenly as the hole closes up and the paper falls off of the safe. It then cuts to cameras further away until it is a long shot of the safe from outside of the door, highlighting the fact that he now cannot be saved and he has sealed his own fate. We only hear the sound of the photocopier machine running ironically in the background, and the sound of him banging on the safe.
