Mixtape
'Mixtape' by Luke Snellin is a short film made in 2009 which looks at the 'young love' relationship between a boy and girl who live next door to each other. The film won Virgin Media Shorts 2009 award which was a huge achievement for Snellin who received £30,000 towards his next film for Virgin. During the two and a half minutes of filming the audience are drawn in by the sweet innocence of Ben, I really liked the way such an impact can be made in the short amount of time and how the film sticks in your mind.
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| First shot in 'Mixtape' |
I liked the used of different shots and angles during the whole piece, for example the first shot we see is of a tape in the cassette player, rather than starting off with an establishing shot like most films have I thought this was interesting and different which appealed to me. The variety of shots is interesting and fascinating, keeping the audience ingaged in the storyline; I think we should try to achieve something along the lines of this, to create a feeling of differance and originality.
The first scene of a person is Ben listening to music, rather than taking an original idea and having him being captured from the front, the shot has started off from behind him and zooms in. This I thought, was clever; because it makes our attention focus on him and ask questions about his presence, what is he listening to and is there a reason why the shot starts from behind?
Various point of view shots and close ups give us indicators of what the film will be about however, as he goes round to Lilly's we (the audience) are still slightly unsure. However, the shot/reverse shots that we see whilst Ben talks to Lilly's mum explains a lot. Ben's feelings towards Lilly are conveyed here and we see that the two talking are fairly well acquainted, because of the close up shot/reverse shots we can see the facial expressions both wear which tells us that Ben is nervous and slightly shy however, Lilly's (we presume) mother is pleased to see Ben and come across as being confident.
One of the most interesting shots that stands out to the audience is of the first shot of Lilly, the over head close up shows her facial expression and emotion which lets us know her feelings towards the song and Ben. The camera stays at this angle and positioning for around five seconds, making the it a memorable shot and having an impact on the audience, you feel much more involved and understanding on how she is feeling. The other important factor in the film is the music and soundtracks that are included, they make the audience much more involved and because of the faster paced beat it makes them feel happy and motivated. I think the song choice is very effective as well, it appeals to all age groups which is widening the audience.
This is the short film, Mixtape
King Ponce
During a lesson last week we watched ‘King Ponce’ a short ten minute film written by Samuel Donovan and Rob Sperananza and broadcasted in 2007 by BBC Film Network. Being a teenager myself, I really liked the idea that the film goes against the usual stereotype, adults taking chances on them and then succeeding in something that most people wouldn’t believe.
It focuses on teenage masculinity and group acceptance during the entirety which is not any different from most teenage males everyday lives; however, when we learn that 'Robbo' the main character, is passionate about ballroom dancing this is when the film starts to get interesting and different.
Because of him lying to the group about going to the passion we immediately see that he doesn't want 'Gaz' and his group finding out, it is only until the boys go to the hall and find Robbo dancing with a teacher from their school when the film picks up. Various camera angles and shots show the facial expression and body language of the group who see Robbo, however what makes this film particularly different is that the teacher offers for them to stay and watch, she doesn't just chuck them out. This is what I particularly liked about this short film and which made us come up with ideas for our own coursework piece, teenagers acting suspiciously however; they are doing something completely opposite to what the audience stereotypes them for doing.
The various use of camera angles and shots from beginning to end makes this film so much more interesting for the audience. For example this one to the left is the opening scene, this and the next few shots tell us that the storyline is focused on competitive males. 
The image to the right is also another from the opening scene. It helps set the scene and tell us about the two boys relationships and hostile feelings towards each other
I really liked this sequence of images above, the lighting in this image creates the shadow of Robbo against the wall as he comes up the stairs also, the very high angle shot emphasises the height of the stairs. I think shots like this are really interesting, different, appealing and interesting to the audience; I think during our own coursework piece for A2 we should try and include shots like this.
During sections of the film we do see a stereotypical representation of teenage behavior, they are smoking cannabis at one point during the film, Robbo joins in and we see more representation of stereotype when he gives into peer pressure. However, these seem to be more or less forgotten during the last scene when Gaz and the group go into the ballroom dancing group and see Robbo.
There are two adults in the next shot who instead of kicking out the group of boys, tells them to sit down and watch. We can see the emotion and feeling on Gaz's face, he seems to have been beaten by his teacher and so complies with her order to sit down.
Signs
Signs is a short twelve minute film written by Patrick Hughes, Karl Fleet and Nick Worthington in 2008, based around the idea of two people meeting by chance when both are looking out their office windows at the same time. We gradually see their relationship change and grow as the film goes on, which allows us to share the emotion and feeling of the main character, Jason.
The start of the film shows us an example of diegetic sound with the alarm in the background, a high angle, medium close up shot, introduces us to the main character; we see from the his facial expression that he is not happy and bored. Because of him being alone in the bed, we think has he just broken up with someone, is another person causing him to be upset?
I think that if the film has you asking questions during the very first scene it is going to be interesting and full of surprises.
As the beginning moves further into the short film, we start to feel sorry for Jason, he is portrayed to be lonely and trying to find a girlfriend/partner and through various shots whilst he is in crowds and presumably walking to work, show this.
The first of him on a train, he is simply staring at the floor, not at the view but looking down showing us that he is not interested in the world around him.
This second image that makes us feel sorry for Jason is this one, of him on an escalator after looking at a woman going down to another floor, we see him smile slightly however, she rejects this by simply looking away. The close up of his face shows him feeling sad and therefore this allows the audience to feel sorry for him.
A point of view shot shows us him replaying an answer phone message from his mother, telling us background information about him. How he has come from a small and excluded village, the idea of what he thought life would be in the city and showing us the reality.
I really liked this idea because a narrator or other character is not explaining the background information, they have structured it in a way that a diegetic sound tells the audience about his past.
As the film progresses and Stacey and Jason meet, we see the change in Jason's actions and the way he does things. The scene of him laying in bed at the beginning looking unhappy, is contrasted with the same shot however, later in the film. He smiles and jumps out of bed showing his anticipation for the day ahead which allows the audience to feel happiness and hope for him; these scenes constantly keep the audience interested and keen to know the ending of the story.
I really liked the ending scene of this film, the way the long shots captures the way they are standing in the middle of the road with a lot of movement and bustle going on yet we are still focusing on the couple. The shot reverse shot sequence as they exchange smiles and her message show their feelings and emotions at this time, helping the audience to feel involved and included in this scene.
Strangers
The first shot (establishing long shot) is at the train station with diagetic sound from the train to ensure the viewers know where the film is being set and the general situation. The eerie setting appeals to a wide range of viewers because it leaves them asking questions, are train stations usually that dark? Is there a reason for it being so dark? Is this going to relate to the story? 
These are the last two shots that we see during the short film, they (in my own opinion) are the most influential shots during the whole film, the idea of them escaping and the train still in the shot with the group of males still on board makes the audience feel relieved and happy for the two main characters because of the tension that has been built up during the whole film. These were my two favorite shots from the film, they stood out to me because even at the end, the two still do not speak; this has an impact on the audience because of the experience they just encountered.
Video of Strangers
Both these images represent the body language the main character is feeling, the medium close up zooming into a close up allows us to see this
There are various shots during this short film that I found interesting and appealing that have inspired me to experiment during our own coursework piece. this shot which is something like a POV shot I found was really interesting and different. It gives us as the audience an idea of what the storyline will be and what the short film will contain.
I really liked these two shots, they are really different like the one above, they make the film very unique and memorable for the viewer. Because of this idea being put into the audience's mind, we think what we would have done in his situation and maybe what we would of changed.
Because of the main character and nobody else being included in the film, there is no dialogue therefore, we see all of the actors feelings through his body language. This is shown a lot when he decides to take the chocolate bar out of the vending machine then break into the locked room, from the screen shots below we can see that from his facial expression there is a mixture of worry that he will get caught and temptation/greed that is leading him to do it.
I thought the lighting during this film was really good, the image below is a good example of this; it gives the setting a much more sinister, lonely and 'late at night' feeling. The shot below of the door I thought was another example of good use of lighting, the feeling of eerie darkness is conveyed to the audience, leaving us wanting to know what is behind the door and why it has a 'Keep Out' sign on it.
There is minimal sound during the whole film because he is the only one in the building, only small sounds like the crunching of the chocolate bar wrapper as he eats and sounds of the photocopier are heard during the entirety. I think the most effective sound is at the end, the photocopier in the background as a non-diegetic piece of sound reminds the audience why he was originally there and almost telling the audience not to fall into the same trap that he did.
The start of the film shows us an example of diegetic sound with the alarm in the background, a high angle, medium close up shot, introduces us to the main character; we see from the his facial expression that he is not happy and bored. Because of him being alone in the bed, we think has he just broken up with someone, is another person causing him to be upset?I think that if the film has you asking questions during the very first scene it is going to be interesting and full of surprises.
As the beginning moves further into the short film, we start to feel sorry for Jason, he is portrayed to be lonely and trying to find a girlfriend/partner and through various shots whilst he is in crowds and presumably walking to work, show this.The first of him on a train, he is simply staring at the floor, not at the view but looking down showing us that he is not interested in the world around him.
This second image that makes us feel sorry for Jason is this one, of him on an escalator after looking at a woman going down to another floor, we see him smile slightly however, she rejects this by simply looking away. The close up of his face shows him feeling sad and therefore this allows the audience to feel sorry for him.
I really liked this idea because a narrator or other character is not explaining the background information, they have structured it in a way that a diegetic sound tells the audience about his past.
As the film progresses and Stacey and Jason meet, we see the change in Jason's actions and the way he does things. The scene of him laying in bed at the beginning looking unhappy, is contrasted with the same shot however, later in the film. He smiles and jumps out of bed showing his anticipation for the day ahead which allows the audience to feel happiness and hope for him; these scenes constantly keep the audience interested and keen to know the ending of the story.
I really liked the ending scene of this film, the way the long shots captures the way they are standing in the middle of the road with a lot of movement and bustle going on yet we are still focusing on the couple. The shot reverse shot sequence as they exchange smiles and her message show their feelings and emotions at this time, helping the audience to feel involved and included in this scene.
Video of Signs
Strangers
Strangers is a short film produced by Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv in 2004, it explores the racial divide between Arabs and Jews and what brings them together. The short film appealed to me because of the interesting way it has been done, there is no script or dialogue between the actors which helps us come up with ideas of our own on what the film will/does include.
The first shot (establishing long shot) is at the train station with diagetic sound from the train to ensure the viewers know where the film is being set and the general situation. The eerie setting appeals to a wide range of viewers because it leaves them asking questions, are train stations usually that dark? Is there a reason for it being so dark? Is this going to relate to the story? 
We are still told little about the characters until a while in, this constantly builds up tension and an atmosphere in the audience which makes the film so appealing. As he steps onto the train we presume he is trying to find a seat because his body language doesn't suggest he is looking for anybody.
However, as the film progresses we see from close ups that he is in fact looking for someone and found who he was searching for.
The image on the right is when he first see's the man sitting to the right of him, the body language and facial expression tells us that they had previously planned to meet at this specific time and place however, not making it obvious. The audience automatically jump to the conclusion that they are doing something illegal or not quite right.
During the next few moments, we see a large amount of short/reverse shot and close ups of the two males faces, helping the audience piece together the story that is unfolding before them. It also builds a lot of tension for the audience, making them feel more involved in the film, this technique is easy to accomplish and should be tried in our own coursework piece.
Another group of males appear, they seem to represent the stereotypical idea of traditional males/lads, with tattoos and shaved heads they appear to be aggressive and intimidating, the continuous close ups of the first males face shows us that he starts to panic and become wary about the sudden groups appearance.
Because of the small depth of field in this shot, we can still see one of the males heads, this is constantly reinforcing the masculinity feeling and intimidation by their presence.
Because of there being no speech during the entirety of the short film, the audience is constantly feeling the tension that is building in the train carriage; I think the use of close up's emphasises the feelings of the two main characters, I really liked this idea. Also the shots of the other males, they are all slightly low angle shots to show that they are in a more powerful position than us and the other characters. One of my favorite shots is of the first male sitting on the train, the shot is taken from the platform rather than inside the train itself which I think was a very interesting and different idea that is very effective in this film.
His body language with knees tucked up shows us that he is worried, even maybe scared about the situation he is currently in, however; the next events lead up to the two main characters glancing at each other and then running away. The image below is when the first male signals to the other to move, this is the first slightly higher angled shot we have seen of him since the large group of males stepped onto the train. However, we can still see a male in the bottom right hand corner of the shot, emphasising the danger they are both currently in.
However, as the film progresses we see from close ups that he is in fact looking for someone and found who he was searching for.
The image on the right is when he first see's the man sitting to the right of him, the body language and facial expression tells us that they had previously planned to meet at this specific time and place however, not making it obvious. The audience automatically jump to the conclusion that they are doing something illegal or not quite right. 
During the next few moments, we see a large amount of short/reverse shot and close ups of the two males faces, helping the audience piece together the story that is unfolding before them. It also builds a lot of tension for the audience, making them feel more involved in the film, this technique is easy to accomplish and should be tried in our own coursework piece.
Another group of males appear, they seem to represent the stereotypical idea of traditional males/lads, with tattoos and shaved heads they appear to be aggressive and intimidating, the continuous close ups of the first males face shows us that he starts to panic and become wary about the sudden groups appearance. Because of the small depth of field in this shot, we can still see one of the males heads, this is constantly reinforcing the masculinity feeling and intimidation by their presence.
Because of there being no speech during the entirety of the short film, the audience is constantly feeling the tension that is building in the train carriage; I think the use of close up's emphasises the feelings of the two main characters, I really liked this idea. Also the shots of the other males, they are all slightly low angle shots to show that they are in a more powerful position than us and the other characters. One of my favorite shots is of the first male sitting on the train, the shot is taken from the platform rather than inside the train itself which I think was a very interesting and different idea that is very effective in this film.
His body language with knees tucked up shows us that he is worried, even maybe scared about the situation he is currently in, however; the next events lead up to the two main characters glancing at each other and then running away. The image below is when the first male signals to the other to move, this is the first slightly higher angled shot we have seen of him since the large group of males stepped onto the train. However, we can still see a male in the bottom right hand corner of the shot, emphasising the danger they are both currently in.
These are the last two shots that we see during the short film, they (in my own opinion) are the most influential shots during the whole film, the idea of them escaping and the train still in the shot with the group of males still on board makes the audience feel relieved and happy for the two main characters because of the tension that has been built up during the whole film. These were my two favorite shots from the film, they stood out to me because even at the end, the two still do not speak; this has an impact on the audience because of the experience they just encountered.
Video of Strangers
The Black Hole
The Black Hole is a my shortest film that I have chosen to look at, at 2.43 minutes it is short however; it contains many hidden messages and interesting shots. I really liked the idea around the film, it was different and the way it was shot in such a short amount of time really appealed to me. The beginning establishing shot shows us the situation/background he is in, the zoom into a close up allows us to see his body language and expression which is conveyed as being tired, bored and slightly lonely. The audience at this time start to feel slightly sorry for him, we don't know anything about the character or his background story which makes us (the audience) start answering questions about him.
Both these images represent the body language the main character is feeling, the medium close up zooming into a close up allows us to see this
There are various shots during this short film that I found interesting and appealing that have inspired me to experiment during our own coursework piece. this shot which is something like a POV shot I found was really interesting and different. It gives us as the audience an idea of what the storyline will be and what the short film will contain.I really liked these two shots, they are really different like the one above, they make the film very unique and memorable for the viewer. Because of this idea being put into the audience's mind, we think what we would have done in his situation and maybe what we would of changed.
Because of the main character and nobody else being included in the film, there is no dialogue therefore, we see all of the actors feelings through his body language. This is shown a lot when he decides to take the chocolate bar out of the vending machine then break into the locked room, from the screen shots below we can see that from his facial expression there is a mixture of worry that he will get caught and temptation/greed that is leading him to do it.
I thought the lighting during this film was really good, the image below is a good example of this; it gives the setting a much more sinister, lonely and 'late at night' feeling. The shot below of the door I thought was another example of good use of lighting, the feeling of eerie darkness is conveyed to the audience, leaving us wanting to know what is behind the door and why it has a 'Keep Out' sign on it.
There is minimal sound during the whole film because he is the only one in the building, only small sounds like the crunching of the chocolate bar wrapper as he eats and sounds of the photocopier are heard during the entirety. I think the most effective sound is at the end, the photocopier in the background as a non-diegetic piece of sound reminds the audience why he was originally there and almost telling the audience not to fall into the same trap that he did.
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