Grace Sheridan

Short film textual analysis:

There are a variety of conventions within short films, such as the length which is expected to be a short time period at a maximum of 30 - 40 minutes. The storyline of shorts is usually made simple and easy due to the short time so that it is easy to follow. Shorts usually only explore and introduce 1-3 main characters, if there was to many characters there would be too much being introduced to the audience within the short length. Short films have a niche audience and their budgets are very low. The short films I undertook are ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’, ‘Gasman’, ‘The most beautiful man in the world’, ‘About a girl’ and ‘Paper Hearts’.

In the extract ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’ directed by Daniel Mulloy and produced in 2005, micro elements within the categories camera, sound, mise-en-scene and editing have all been employed to create macro meanings. A place is being represented and explored of a low economic area and estate. Ability/disability and age is a key representative area within the extract, this is explored and presented through the characters. The issues of young youth, responsibility, ability/disability, ill health, appearance vs. reality, long work labour, protection, cool identity, embarrassment, imprisonment, and self-reliance are all being presented and explored. Micro elements are created through the category camera to create macro meanings, this is shown through an extreme close up shot of a medical prop, this represents the mystery of the illness to the old man and creates the audience to feel off edge and cautious, hand held camera is used within this extreme close up to make us feel in the scenery and straight away makes the audience alerted of an illness. It fades to black and then shows the second shot which is an extreme close up of parts of a body, this shot also alerts the audience and makes us feel off-edge. Micro elements are created through the category sound to create macro meanings, this is shown through the sound of breathing and the struggle of breaths, it represents the key issue of illness of the older man and makes us feel cautious to how much time he has left. It also builds in sympathy towards the old man. Sound is also used to create a macro meaning by the use of a high pitched noise, this alerts us that some sort of danger has occurred to the old man and adds in a lot of tension to viewers as you start to panic as you feel his life is at risk. Micro elements are created through the technical category mise-en-scene to create macro meanings, this can be seen by the prop of headphones, the prop represents protection made for the ill man to keep him in his own world when the teenage crew enter. Macro meaning is also being presented through the use of the prop of urine pot as it represents the young boys embarrassment and secrecy he tried to keep from his friends, it makes us feel sympathy for the young boy. Micro elements are created through the technical category of editing, this is shown through the parallel editing made between the crew and inside the house, it makes us question how the two connect or relate to one another and also represents the vulnerability of the old man.

In the extract ‘The most beautiful man in the world’, directed by Alicia Duffy and produced in 2002, micro elements within the categories camera, sound, mise-en-scene and editing have all been employed to create macro meanings. A low economic area is being represented and working class is being explored. The key issues of neglect, bad parenting, depression, freedom, vulnerability and isolation are all being introduced and explored. Micro elements are created through the technical category camera to create macro meanings, this can be seen through the close up of the young girl, it reveals her oily textured skin and messy hair to show the lack of care to her appearance made by her Mum and also represents the main issue of neglect. Macro meaning is also created through a wide shot of the dog and the young girl, it shows they are on the same level and represents a strong sense of protection made by the dog for the young girl; it signifies a strong connection between the two. Micro elements are created through the technical category of sound to create a macro meaning, this is shown through the dog noise of a cry, it brings tension and raises our nerves as we worry what the little girl is about to face or reveal. Micro elements are created through the technical category mise-en-scene to create a macro meaning, this can be seen by the costume of the young girl, she has a crop top on with half her stomach out and a small skirt on, it is inappropriate for the young girls age and suggests she is dressing much older than her age, this represents the issue of freedom for the young girl and bad parenting. Micro elements are created through the technical category editing to create a macro meaning, this can be seen through the use of ellipsis from the young girl being indoors to outside, it shows the viewers the minute the mum picks up the phone she has lost interest or focus to the young girl as she can do whatever she adventures to, it represents the issues of freedom and bad parenting.

In the extract ‘About a girl’ directed by Brian Percival and produced in 2001, micro elements within the technical categories camera, sound, mise-en-scene and editing have all been employed. A place of a low economic area of an estate is being represented, you can clearly see this through the dirty dull colours used, the filthy walls, litter and graffiti. The key issues of neglect, imprisonment, loneliness, isolation and weak family relationships are all being explored. Micro elements are created through the technical category camera to create macro meanings, this can be seen through the slow track back which signifies the young girl is being left behind. Macro meaning is also being represented through a medium shot of the girl which the framing connotes the emptiness and loneliness of the young girl. Micro elements are created through the technical category sound to create a macro meaning, this can be seen through the sound of the men cheering inside the pub to show the issue of bad parenting as the young girl is lonely outside while the dads main focus is socialising with his friends and having a drink. Micro elements are also being explored through the technical category of mise-en-scene to create a macro meaning, this can be seen through the costume of the young girl, the big hooped earrings represent a stereotype of a ‘chav’. The set decoration of metal poles as a fence while the girl is walking past represent the young girl is trapped in this environment and can’t get out of it. Micro elements are created through the technical category editing to create a macro meaning, this can be seen through the use of parallel editing of the girl on the bus with her friends to being by herself represents the sense of contact and physical connection, it shows for once she

is in her own element having fun. It constantly reminds us of the key theme and issues of imprisonment.

In the extract ‘Cubs’ directed by Tom Harper and produced in 2006, micro elements within the technical categories camera, sound, mise-en-scene and editing have all been employed. A place of a low economic estate is being represented; you can clearly see this by the graffiti, the dirty looking environment and dull colours used. The key issues of violence, gang youth, smoking, maybe drug abuse, animal abuse and prier pressure are all being discovered. Micro elements are created through the technical category camera to create macro meanings, this can be seen by the close up of the two dogs being led by the alpha male, it foreshadows the bad event about to take place and again represents the alpha male of the group as it shows he has power and control over the dogs in comparison to the strong control and power he has over the group. It makes us as an audience feel off edge and nervous but also wary of the male character. Micro elements are being created through the technical category sound to create a macro meaning, this can be seen by the fierce sound of the dogs growling, it alerts us to the entrance of the alpha male and again this makes us feel nervous and uncomfortable. Another macro meaning is being represented through sound by the use of an added in sound track when the gang are running after the fox, it is purposely used to increase tension levels and makes our hearts pound. Micro elements are being created through the technical category mise-en-scene to create macro meanings, this can be seen through the costume of the alpha male as the black hat represents his hard reputation and look but also gives us an expected indication he is involved in a gang. The prop of the baseball bat represents the issue of violence in the short and also makes us feel uncomfortable. The baseball bat creates sympathy from the audience to the animal of the fox. Micro elements are created through the technical category editing to create macro meaning, this can be seen by the cross cutting between the teenage boy to the drugs being rolled and smoked from people around him. This has purposely been done so the audience can share the experience with the boy and can emphasize to the what he is seeing. It makes us as an audience feel uncomfortable with the environment around the teenage boy and slightly makes us feel sympathy to the atmosphere he is experiencing.

In the extract ‘Paper hearts’ directed by Rob Brown and produced in 2011, micro elements within the technical categories camera, sound, mise-en-scene and editing have all been employed. A place of a low economic area is being represented; you can clearly see this through the homeless people and their surroundings. Key themes and issues of a dysfunctional son and dad relationship, poverty, homeless and self-neglect are all being portrayed in the short. Micro elements are created through the technical category camera to create a macro meaning, this can be seen through the hand held camera on the man once his son realizes he’s homeless, as the man starts to well up the hand held camera represents him about to break down and emotionally connects to the audience, this makes us feel like were in the characters place as it gives us an effect of being in the characters world. Micro elements are created through the technical category sound to create a macro meaning, this can be seen by the added in low

soundtrack when the man is rummaging through his belongings, this is purposely done to create us to feel pity for the man and reveals what he is hiding from his son. This low soundtrack also represents how un bearer-able it is for the man to let his son see him like this. Micro elements are used through the technical category mise-en-scene to create a macro meaning, this can be seen through the old man’s make-up of the ill looking skin and slight facial hair, this suggests he is ignoring himself and doesn’t know how to care for his body. Costume also represents a macro meaning through the use of the scraggy clothes such as the dull green coat, it again suggests the poverty of the man and the lack of care to his appearance. Micro elements are used through the technical category editing to create macro meanings; this can be seen through the ellipsis from the boy hurt outside with his dad figure to them both inside a pharmacist shop, this shows that the dysfunctional relationship has slightly been improved through the care from the dad to his son, again it creates sympathy towards the son and dad.

Comparative analysis:

A male alpha character has been represented in both extracts ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’ and ‘Cubs’. The alphas portrayed in the two extracts both have the same ethnicity and are involved within a gang environment. Both the alphas are seen to come down to another characters level for a short second in the shorts, in ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’ this can be seen when the prop of the urine pot is dropped the alpha and the main character are both equal for that short time as he helps him clear it up and in ‘Cubs’ this can be seen through the slight care of the alpha who says ‘don’t wanna get nicked like your brother’ it shows he is looking out for him rather than controlling him. Both extracts represent the issues of a hierarchical structure through the alpha characters.

Low key lighting has been used continuously throughout all shorts such as ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’, ‘Cubs’, ‘Paper hearts’, ‘About a girl’ and ‘The most beautiful man in the world’. It has been used by all extracts at some point to create a dull and low point atmosphere in the film. It is especially used in the extract ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’ to add in sympathy to the ill man.

All the extracts represent young characters however ‘About a girl’, ‘Cubs’ and ‘The most beautiful man in the world’ represent young children around the rough age of five to eleven. The following extracts plot is based on the young characters and it can be seen that ‘About a girl’ and ‘The most beautiful man in the world’ our very similar, this is due to the young female characters that portray the issues of bad parenting and also introduce through both their costumes that they are dressed inappropriately for their age group, it can be seen through the hooped earing etc in ‘TMBMITW’ and in ‘Cubs’’ this can be seen through the revealed young girls body by the cropped top. In the other two extracts ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’ and ‘Cubs’, young characters are being portrayed, however it is a young age group of teens and youth compared to children.

The key issue of violence can be seen in ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’ and ‘Cubs’, the violence is explored through gangs in both extracts. The prop of the baseball bat signifies the violence in the young gang in ‘Cubs’ and in ‘Antonio’s Breakfast’ this can be seen by the physical abuse on another teen looking figure. In both extracts the violent scenes make us as an audience feel uncomfortable and cautious of the characters.

The key theme and issue of neglect and isolation has been commonly portrayed, this can be seen in the extracts ‘About a girl’, ‘The most beautiful man in the world’ and ‘Paper hearts’. It can be seen in ‘About a girl’ through the disturbing ending of her dumping a baby, it can also be seen through the neglect made by her parents while she sits outside the pub. This can be seen through ‘TMBMITW’ through the freedom of the young girl without her mum even realizing she has disappeared and in a man’s company. It can be seen in ‘Paper hearts’ through the self-neglect of the old man figure as he lives on the street and the lack of care made to his appearance.

Overall all the shorts share a variety of similarities; this can be seen through their similar themes and issues, stereotypical characters, the similarity of age through the young characters and also through the same gender e.g. ‘About a girl’ and ‘The most beautiful man in the world’.