Short Film Analysis

Short Film Analysis

 Wings

Wings; is a short film about a boy who believes he can fly. One night his parents hear something on the roof which turns out to be there son. He tells them he can fly and that he’s going to jump. When he does he develops what looks like angel wings, suggesting that he is either already dead or that he died when jumping off the roof. 

Beginning

The film starts with a black screen and dialogue. This then fades in to show a medium close up shot of a man and woman waking up in the dark. This suggests that it is still night time and that something has disturbed the, waking them from their sleep.  This is also an establishing shot as it implies that they were at home sleeping in bed, when a disturbance occurred.  They man and woman exchange conversation about the disturbance, clarifying that it is coming from the roof. At this point there is diegetic sound as you hear something that sounds like footsteps coming from above. 

A medium long shot is used to show the man grab his dressing gown from the door as he goes to investigate the noise on the roof. The low key lighting helps set the scene as we can tell that it is late so the noise they are hearing is out of the ordinary.

 


We then see a medium close up of the woman left alone in bed as she watches the man leave the room. This is followed by a close up of the back of the man’s head as he walks through the house. This is also a dolly shot as the camera is following behind the man. A medium close up is then used to show the man as he scratches his head. This shot is used to show the man thinking and realising he should check on the child.

A medium long shot is used as the man enters the childs bedroom. This is used to show the things on the childs desk. We see a toy bird, a lamp, an open book and some folders. This creates an image for the audience as to how old the child might be.  It also gives us some clue as to the childs interests. 

 

A close up shot of a model plane, as the man reaches down to pick it up, is used to give the audience another clue as to the childs hobbies ans also what might happen further on in the film. Low key lighting is still used, representing that it is still night time and the child should be in bed. 

The next shot used is a medium long shot as the man stands and places the plane on the desk. As he does this we can see he notices something on the desk and leans in closer to it. A point of view shot is then used to show what he is looking at, the camera also movers closer to the object, which is an open book.  On the page is a picture of a boy flying on one page and the words ‘to fly too close to the sun’ on the other. 

 

The scene then cuts back to the medium long shot as the man turns his head towards the chils bed and says ‘Charlie?’ It then cuts to a point of view shot showing the childs bed, which is empty. This implies that it’s the child making the noise on the roof as he should be asleep in bed but he is not. The shot also zooms in on the bed.

 

 







The scene then cuts to a  pan shot outside the house. The pan shot movers frome behinde the tree to show the portch and the ladders leaning against the house, then continues as a dolly shot when the man exits the house and rushes down   the drive. There is then a tilt shot used to show the roof of the house. The child is stood at the edge of the roof wearing what look like his pyjamas . The woman then comes rushing out of the house wrapped in a pink blanket to keep warm as she is only wearing a night gown.

  






 
A high angle shot is then used to show the parents on the ground looking up at the child. This is also a point of view shot from the child’s eyes. The high angle shot is used to give the child higher status over the parents as he knows that there is nothing they can say or do to stop him from jumping; the parents are helpless in the situation. The child is seen as superior.  

Shot reverse shot is then used; also as high and low angle shots, as the parents exchange conversation with the child. This is used to show facial expressions as the parents are worried about their child’s safety. There is then a long shot of the child stood on the roof as he talks about his ability to fly. Using this shot shows the audience that Charlie is just an ordinary boy so cannot fly.  


  

 A close up of the man is then used as he talks to Charlie, trying to convince him that he can’t fly so should just come back down. Shot reverse shot is used again as the conversation carries on, showing close ups of each parents in turn but still showing the child in long shots.   

Another high angle shot is used to show the father walk closer to the house with removing his dressing gown, intending to climb up to the roof and prevent the child from jumping. A close up of the child is then used as he prepares himself to jump and extends his arms.

 


As he jumps his mother rushes forwards and screams, this shows that she believes the child cannot fly and so will fall. This leaves the audience unsure of whether he will fly or not.  

 

 

We then see what looks to be a point of view shot from the child as he jumps, craning down and tracking closer to the parents. We then see the child descend slowly, his legs first then the rest. As we get to his back, we see a pair of wings.  The camera seems as though it is hand held as it is slightly wobbly to show that the child is flying.

A medium close up is then used as the parents come round to hug the child in relief that he is still alive. A close up of the boy is then used as he sinks slowly to the ground and the screen fades to black. This implies that the child is actually dead and the whole thing was just a dream reliving what the parents hoped would happen that night.