Task 1: Short Film Analysis

The Black Hole

A man is at work late into the early hours of the morning, while at work he discovers a piece of paper with a black hole on it that enables him to pass through walls and vending machines. The Man finds the safe full of money and tries his luck.

The setting that is shown in the film is a typical office setting which symbolises. By using a very average, everyday setting this enables an audience to relate to the setting while also making the setting more believable. The setting is a believable setting as most people in today society go to or work in an office, the office is a familiar setting for almost any type of audience. It creates a normality of a situation, and with the added props this makes the whole setting/location believable. The director used a very stereotypical office setting. From the setting the audience can tell that the era is present time, the audience can see this through the use of the up to date office equipment as well as the clothes that the actor wears.

From the photocopying machine the editor has cut from close up of the character to an overall view of the office, this is to highlight that he is completely alone in the office. When the character is at the photocopier, the editor uses the cutting method. It is cut to the character pushing the buttons on the photocopier. This is to show the audience that the main character is tired and grumpy. Again the cutting method is used to show him kicking the photocopier to show that he is restless and tired. The technique of eye line match is used to show the character looking at the black hole. The first shot of him looking at the paper is a very confused look, with also a bit of wariness. Again the eye line match is used to sow the audience the characters next mission; the vending machine. After successfully getting the chocolate bar, the character looks for something more outrageous to do. He looks to the door of the where the safe with all the money is stored. This is shown through a shot-reverse shot. The first shot shows the characters face looking very determined and with a greedy look on his face. The second shot that is shown is the door of the room where the safe with all the money is kept, and the last shot shown is the of the characters face again. The final scene uses lots of different shots but the editor has added fast pace to it, to make this final scene more intense as to whether he will get away with it.

The lighting used in the film is very dull and dark, the lightest part in the frame is the main actor. The dull lighting shows the audience that the time of the short film, is set late at night this is also confirmed with the clock in the background showing that it is 3am in the morning. The dull lighting also reflects the grumpy mood of the character it is also shown through the position of his body and facial expressions.

The director has used equipment that you would typically find in an office, such as one of the main focuses of the short film, the photocopier. The director uses other office equipment such as computers and printers. This creates a verisimilitude for the audience, as the idea of the props is to make a believable setting/location.

Perfection

`Perfection` is a short film based on a children's game called perfection which is a race against time where the player has 60 seconds to match shapes to a board. The game shows the struggles of an Asian American woman as she tries to achieve success and gain her parents approval. Taught this game from a young age the girl continues into her teens to strive for perfection but begins to wonder if her parents will still love her if she fails. I found this film to be particularly interesting from the social realist perspective that in today's society parents seem to put too much pressure on their children and have unrealistically high expectations which is unhealthy as children are constantly trying please their parents with no consideration of their own desires and ambitions. This film seems to convey a clear ideology consequently using Roland Barthes‘ ideas about denotation, connotation and myth as well as including binary opposites (Strauss). 

Rope A Dope

The narrative of this short film could simply be described as groundhog day meets Jackie Chan. The protagonist always wakes up earlier that morning after being knocked out by The Martial Arts Mafia. The film features the main protagonist who appears to be referred to as "the dope" and a group of nameless antagonists who make it their mission to "beat-up" the dope on a daily basis. Lots of continuity editing is used in this short film; specifically when the dope goes to his local fast food restaurant on a daily basis. An establishing shot is always used to show him leaving with his food and an eye-line match is used to show the intensity of the situation when he is confronted by the gang.

The Gunfighter

This short film takes place entirely in a 1800's western saloon. There are less than 10 characters who all play an equally important part as they try to resolve a confrontation whilst being narrated by an ominous voice.