5 minute film analysis

Goodbye to the normals
 (http://www.thesmalls.com/goodbye-normals) 

 

Introduction and title sequence

The film starts with a black screen keeping suspense as to how the film will start. After, writing begins to emerge and appear on the screen. It shows the film company of which the film was made and who made it. By showing this before the film they can start making a reputation for themselves as well as making a brand which could then easily be recognised by a potential audience. The text is also white which contrasts with the black background making it easy for the audience to read and understand which allows the audience to follow the film quicker.

 

Mid shot showing character

Mid shot showing the character association b

In the next shot we see a woman who is represented in a mid shot so we can see what sort of character she may be. By using a mid shot we see part of the background to grab an aspect of where she is and in what time period she is being represented in. We can also see what clothes she is wearing and this can give away what sort of person she is and her age. Also, in the bottom right hand corner of the shot a car begins to emerge which could show relations between the characters where a possible plot could start to develop. In the background there is also non-diagetic sound which adds suspense as there is no reasoning for the sound which is being played at that specific time. From the previous shot with a car the mid shot is continued and we see a man emerge from the car. I assume the man and the woman are married as he greets her with a kiss on the cheek. This makes me think that they are a family together and it seems like a normal day as it appears she is greeting him from work. However, the non-diagetic sound is continued making it seem like there is things out of the ordinary happening or about to happen. However, when editing they are using cuts to make it seem like nothing is wrong as it suggests normality and it is the most common use of editing.

 

Film title in title sequence

 Like the introduction and title sequence previously shown at the start of the film the title sequence appears again cutting away from the main body of the film. The theme is consistent with the black background keeping up with the business representation. Again this looks more professional as it appears to be structured so that the audience can follow the film easily.




Bear close up

After we see a close up of a teddy bear which makes me think that there will be a new character to be introduced. This is because a teddy bear is normally associated with a child. By showing it as a close up as an audience we begin to think it may have importance later on in the film otherwise it wouldn't have been a significant part of a close up.

New character introduced



Magnus develops plot

In the next shot we are introduced to a new character which is a young boy named Magnus. The non diagetic sound has now stopped and there is dialogue between him and the man from the first seen. This makes us wonder what association he has with this man and why he is with him. From looking at the boy and his costume we wonder why he has such a big bag and why he is clinging onto it so tight. This could lead to a potential plot as it seems secretive and makes us question the young boys actions.  As this scene progresses as shown in the shot below the young boy has a suitcase as well as his rucksack. This makes me think he may be running or hiding from something as the man asks him "Are you going on holiday?" which he responds to with "No". He then straight away admits that he is running away which shows his character. As he is being so upfront and honest we see the child like side as we think he doesn't understand the importance of what he is doing. As the man still questions the young boy as he is worried for his welfare it progresses into a two shot which allows us to see the body language between them. The man is leaning in towards Magnus almost over him which shows who has the most power and control within the conversation. The man asks Magnus where he is going which he responds with the answer "America".

Two shot

 As the man is concerned about the boy he asks where about in America Magnus is going to showing that he hasn't thought it through. The conversation continues and the plot develops as Magnus talks about how America has been having bad press giving the film contextual background. In the background we see a normal setting which contrasts the behaviour of Magnus as it is out of the ordinary.



Low angle.

 To keep reinstating that the man has more control and power a low angle is being used repetitively. The conversation context is also showing that he wants order to remain in the conversation as well as he wants to persuade Magnus not to run away forever. He does this by saying he will change his bedroom and replace with a gym which he could use. From this scene I think the short film has a comical background and concept to it as the young boy responds sarcastically. The main engaging feature of the conversation is the questions he asks Magnus as he wants to make sure the boy doesn't leave. He does this by asking if he's sure and does he know what he is doing. I think these questions are used as a delaying mechanism which shows the mans emotion of him not wanting Magnus to leave.

As the man (father) seems to be making no progress with the young boy the woman comes in (Magnus' mother) hoping she may change his mind. Originally they seem to be going along with the young boy thinking he may change his mind if they agree to his concept of running away forever.
 

 

High angle

 There is then a cut to the next scene where the setting has changed to the front door step. Magnus is shown from a high angle showing him powerless and unaware of his actions. His parents are shown above him to show that they should be having power of him.

Long shot

 As children threaten to run away all the time typically in attempt to get what they want we presume that the parents will stop the child from running away. However, this doesn't happen as Magnus is shown in a long shot running away with his suitcase and rucksack. This begins to make Magnus' threats seem more real as the unthinkable action has just taken place. This makes me wonder why the parents have let him run away. By using a long shot it represents the distance the boy is willing to got to run away.

Close up



 There is a shot reverse shot as the parents watch on as Magnus runs away down the street. They are shown in a close up to show the expression on their faces which could give us a clue to how they are feeling which could then add more detail to the story. In this shot the parents are looking worried which I think is due to the fact they didn't think that Magnus would run away. There is non diagetic sound which is the same as the title sequence to add suspense and keep the audience engaged to see what will happen next.  As the young boy begins his journey to America we see him pause and come running back towards his parents with a grin on his face which shows he has changed his mind. The scene cuts back to the parents with the same close up as before but this time they have smiles on their faces to show how they are happy he is coming home to them.

Extreme long shot

 However, as his mum reaches out to him he blanks her and runs straight into the house. He then reappears and proclaims he has forgotten his passport. There is then an extreme long shot of Magnus running away again. We now however know his parents wanted him to realise he should be at home. In the background there is theme music to the film where the song mentions the movie title "Goodbye to the normals".

Fade



End credits

 As the music is playing the screen begins to fade from the outside of the screen inwards showing that the film has ended. However, this could be seen as symbolic as Magnus is getting smaller as the boy disappears when running away. As the screen fades to black the end credits begin to roll with the soundtrack in the background used to connect the shots together. By using a fade to black background in fits in with the title sequence shown at the start of the film. By doing this it adds consistency reinforcing  the film brand making it appear and look more professional and structured. Now at the end of the film we know that the title is linear as the film is all shown in chronological order as to which the events happened. By adding credits at the end of the film it gives everyone involved in the film making process recognised.

Suckablood Analysis

Suckablood

The Film

Genre: Horror

Length: 6 minutes 45 seconds

Budget: Low


A bedtime story that, which tells the tale scared to suck her thumb because she has been cursed by her step-mother and if she sucks her thumb again the monstrous suckablood should come.

The begining

The film begins with with an establishing shot of a hous, There is a voice over giving you background information of who is the Suckablood and why he exists.

The next clip is of 'small Tilly' sitting in the middle of the room playing with her teddy bear. Tilly is introduced as a girl who sucks her thumb. The extreme long shot portrays Tilly as isolated and lonely.

The next shot is a low angle shotof Tilly's step-mum. This connotes that Tilly's step-mum is powerful and superior. Tilly's step-mum catches her yet again sucking her thumb. Tilly's step-mum hits Tilly's hands as they need lessons.

 

The cane does not work so Step-mum brings down a curse on Tilly that she wont forget. If she sucks her thumb the Suckablood would come. The close up of the step-mum's face helps the audience see the expression on her face and the detail of her face.

 

 

Middle 

The next scene has a high angle shot of 'small Tilly' in bed, the shot conveys her alone and vunerable.

The next shot is a crane shot of Tilly under her covers scared looking at her thumb for comfort and is begging for the Suckablood not to come. The close up shows the scared facial expression.

The crane shot cranes down to the bottom of the bed where we see Suckablood for the first time, there is no sound apart from eerie intense music.

Suckabllod come to kill 'small Tilly' however she is not sucking her thumbs she is sucking her fingers. This is a twist in the story as Suckablood kill people who suck their thumbs.

End

In the next scene Tilly comes across her step mum who has been caught sucking her thumb by Suckablood.




Next to Tilly's step-mum was wrriten the words 'What a clever young girl not sucking your thumb, I could not eat you so i've taken your mum'.

Short film websites

Short film websites.

YouTube
YouTube is the most obvious place to look when looking for short films.This is because YouTube is known world wide and is used often. When you search for short films on YouTube you get 5,260,000 results, this gives you a wide range of short films to watch, analyse and get ideas from . YouTube is free to use and        upload on to meaning this is a popular site to share videos on.


Vimeo

Vimeo is another popular website where you can find short films. Not all the films on this site are free to view so Vimeo is not as is more popular as YouTube even though the site, Vimeo, has no interuptions through adverts like YouTube does. Vimeo is commonly used with content producers due to the fee you have to pay to view some of the films.


The Smalls

The Smalls is a short film website where you can upload films to the site through signing up to become a member. There is 134 pages of short films on the site with the first film being posted in 2006. This shows that the site has been successful throughout the years, although the site is not as well known as either YouTube or Vimeo.



Film Shortage

Film shortage is another short film website I found. The site is simple to navigate and easy to upload your film onto. All you have to do is fill in the form. The films are free to watch so the site is suitable for the public and for research purposes as there is no fee to view the films.Film Shortage is not very well known but has short films uploaded to the site daily.

Films Short
Films Short is an alternative short film website, the site is set up simply and easy to navigate. There are drop down menus to choose a specific genre or to choose the best in the world or the best in Britain etc. The films on this site are free to watch but Films Short is not as widely known as sites like YouTube and Vimeo.

Storyline - Red

Storyline:

This is an adaptation of the story of little red riding hood however with a slight twist.

Begining:
The story starts as a little girl called ' Hood' or more commonly known as 'Red' (due to the fact she wears bright red lipstick) is inside her home talking to her mother. Her mother then asks her to take some milk to her grandma's house. Her grandma lives in an old house in the forest.

Middle:
Red sets off walking to her grandma's house with her earphones in when she gets chills down her spine. She begins to look around scared but carries on walking.

Twist:
It turns out that the Grandma is the wolf and kills 'Hood'. There is a flashback to reasoning as to why Grandma kills Hood. However, Grandma has multiple personality disorder/ schizophrenia and visualises herself as the wolf.

End:
The end shot fades to black on the spilt milk.

Short film analysis

Attic panic

The film

Genre: Horror/ thriller. 

Length: 3 minutes.

Budget: Low/ Indie developer. 

"Attic panic" takes place in the attic of a house where a woman has a chance encounter with a ghost. The film relies heavily on clever filming and practical effects as the budget was low. 

The beginning

The woman is dressed casually as she appears to be doing chores around the house so no real effort has gone into her outfit. Initially the camera is placed on a moving platform and pans the set with the main character as the focal point, shortly after this a close up is used to display her struggle and confusion as she can't open the door.

 The colours are washed out and macabre which connotes horror and is a popular technique employed by horror film makers to create a tense foreboding atmosphere. Another close up is used to isolate the woman's expression as she hears a mystery noise,

 We can't see the source of the noise so this creates tension. The woman is shot from the "noises" point of view which can convey she is trapped and also she is in focus which shows she's the target. Shot reverse shot is used between the now known ghost and the woman to connote that she will have a conflict with the ghost. The ghost  is dressed in all white which is a common horror convention and very cliche.

Post production sound effects are added to illustrate that the light bulb is being unscrewed as opposed to hearing it very quietly. When the bulb is being unscrewed we see an eyeline match to show the character is looking at the bulb and also a reaction shot to show her surprise.

The middle

  Shortly after this another lightbulb comes unscrewed and falls to the floor, this is where the woman realises that the ghost has bad intentions. More sound is added in post production to exaggerate the noise. The woman is unable to stop the unscrewing of bulbs and is visibly worried as shown by a close up. The woman attempts again but burns her hand as another bulb across the room becomes unscrewed.

 A reaction shot is used to display her terror and she attempts to open the door. As the ghost advances on her position, as shown by a series of shot with the ghost in, she manages to frantically lock herself inside a locker unit. We can see her panic through a close up of her hands fumbling with a lock.

The end

The woman and the ghost are now closer than ever as while she is locked up the ghost approaches where they have a tense stare off. The ghost sticks it's fingers through the holes and fast paced editing is used to show tension and conflict.  

 The woman manages to slowly and timidly pull the sheet off the ghost revealing nothing there at all which is a well executed practical effect.

  The lighting is now low key which helps in displaying that this film is a horror film as this is very common in them. While inside the ghost re-creates itself which is twist in the story as the woman thinks she has defeated it. She then hears a lightbulb unscrewing noise and begins worried again.

The ghost is recreated and the woman turns around and it cuts to black leaving us with a cliffhanger. 

Short Film Research

Short Film Sites

YouTube

YouTube has a variety of content, one of which is short film. YouTube has over 5 Million results for short films. YouTube is a very popular website and this is why many people post on YouTube. Moreover YouTube is free to post on which allows people to post videos at no cost. YouTube is easy to navigate and easy to find what you are looking for. YouTube has HD quality video playback.

Vimeo

Vimeo has also got a variety of content and one of which is short films. Vimeo has over 50 thousand results for short films. Vimeo is not as popular as other websites. However Vimeo has films that you have to pay to watch and this is more favoured by produces as they are able to make money out of their creations. Vimeo is easy to navigate.

BBC short films

BBC short films has over 300 short films to browse from. Eventhough BBC is a popluar company, BBC is not known for its short films. BBC short films is free to use, it has high quality playback. BBC is easy to access and navigate.

The Smalls

Is a website just for short film creators. The Smalls is not as popular as other websites, however it is easy to navigate by genres and a search bar. It has a section for up coming short films too. Moreover it is free.

Storyline Ideas

Story line ideas

Friend zone
A boy and girl go on a date, the girl decides that the boyfriend girlfriend thing is not working out so they decide to just stay friends. The girl is walking home listening to music through her ear phones when she crosses the road and is hit by a car, the car drives away. We then find out that she has died from the crash. We see a nurse pull the covers up over her head. The boy that she was on the date with is then seen freaking out about the news of the girls death and confiding in a friend that he was the one who killed her. Flash back to the scene of the incident where we see the boy behind the wheel of the car and driving away.

Notes
See a house, a man and woman live inside, they are not speaking to each other, there only communication is through sticky notes. (Flash back to the argument to find out why they are only communicating this way) The man is seen on the phone, calling his friend. We see both sides of the conversation, the friend is on his x-box. The conversation moves to how things are at home and he explains about the argument and there current form of communication. The friend suggests a lads weekend away and he agrees. When he goes through to the kitchen there are notes left for him to clean up. When they go to bed the man leaves a note for the woman asking her to wake him up at 7 so he can meet his mate for the weekend away. The woman agrees to wake him up. The man wakes alone in the morning to look at the clock and see it is 10am. As he rushes to get ready a note falls to the floor, WAKE UP ITS 7 O'CLOCK.

Slumberland
A girl is seen walking down the street listening to her music. She comes across a hole in the floor and decides to jump down it. Having jumped down the hole she finds herself alone in a field.She turns slowly in a full circle looking at her surroundings.You can hear birds squawking in the distance. Suddenly the birds are upon her, she runs but the birds are too fast and powerful forcing her to the floor. As they peck at her she begins to scream. She try's to fight back but gets nowhere as the birds keep coming. She curls up into a ball covering her face with her arms and screams. Fades to black. We then see the girl in the same position (curled up with her arms covering her face) laid in bed and screaming herself awake.