Completed Short Film

Barbie Jail-Vimeo Settings HD from BDC on Vimeo.

Reflecting on our finished Short Film it wasn't as successful as we had hoped however the things that did work was the overall look of the short film. As the mise en scen used especially the costume, is really representive of what the characters character is like. As it's very feminine and plays on that whole idea of innocents being altered into something that is more sexual and playful and because of this and the characters girlieness, it makes the character seem more realistic. As in today's society many females are going to extra lengths to achieve the ideal body image which is either size zero or an imitation of Barbie's body which can be seen on TV programmes such as Snog Marry or Avoid. The locations used also add to the whole look and feel of our short film, especially the bedroom because of the colours. As they really create a typical girlie look where every things fun and pretty.

The voice over is also effective and helps create meaning to the short film. It really describes how the character lives and although it doesn't tell you in so many words just how she is feeling, the still images represent this. The quality of the voice over is really good as it's clear and the levels of it remain consistent because we recorded the sound separately. The only thing which could be improved is the length of the poem perhaps and extra verse could have been added which would have made our short film longer.

What works well about our piece are also the still images. As they really add to the messages and meaning behind the short film and is what makes the short film more engaging and interesting and because of the way our footage has been cut, it creates a faster pace making our piece flow better. The still images wouldn't have been as successful if there were less of them or if they were featured occasionally but because the use of them is consistent and there is a repetitive pattern it works well and really mashes and cuts everything up making the audience want to see the next set of images.

There are many things which could have been improved in our short film such as the length. Despite the definition of a short film being a film that is under 50 minutes long, ours is only 1 minute which I feel is far to quick. More shots of what the character does after getting ready should have been used and fades to connote that she does nothing with her spare time which I don't really feel was emphasised enough. Instead we used one fade which was very much out of place as there were know other fades used which made the use of it pointless.

Another aspect of our short film that could have been improved was the last set of still images as they are far to quick compared to the other images which doesn't keep the speed of them consistent and doesn't really give the audience a chance to view them properly. What we should have done was measured up the length of them and apply the same size to all the still images which would have meant they would have been all equal in size.

The titles too could also have been improved as they quite standard. We should have been experimented with them to really show our creativity. Perhaps a brighter colour could have been used and a font that was more representative of our piece.

When editing our short film we didn't really experiment with the use of different effects which I feel was one of our downfalls. As there is nothing that really wows the audience. Also we didn't experiment with lighting. I feel the lighting in the bathroom scene is to bright and could have been toned down whilst the the contrast turned up to make it look more clinical.

Overall our final piece follows the codes and conventions of short film. As we didn't have a big budget which means there was less added pressure to appeal to a mainstream audience and meant that we could be more creative and not follow the norm. It also meant that we could create our own unique style and mash everything up and make it look random and really make the audience search for the meaning behind our short film. We really tried to build up in the space of a minute, the day in the life of the character and didnt leave the ending open as we really wanted the audience to get the concept of our short film within in this short space of time. From my understanding of short film. A short film could be boring to some but as long as there is a meaning to it, it can still be effective which I hope our piece does in someway.

Influences

There are many short films that I have studied/ researched which have inspired me. Such as The first Time it Hits by director and writer Jason Budge . This short film made me aware that by using more then one media it can compliment and make a piece more engaging. As they too used no dialogue but instead used animation and filming to get their meaning across. We used the same sort of strategy however used filming and still images to show how the character is feeling which is slightly different to The first time it hits. The First Time it Hits done this is a humourese way where as we don't quite the opposite as we used the other form of Media to show the seriousness of how the media makes females feel.

Another short film which was influential is Cubs by director Tom Harper. As it makes the audience stereotype and really makes the audience assume that the characters are involved in some sort of crime however are actually involved in the British sport fox hunting. We used the same sort of idea of stereotyping where the audience are made to feel like the character will be outgoing and loud because she appears confident in the way she looks but in fact is quite the opposite and doesn't leave the house.

Through out the planning stage we wanted to have a main character that the short film would focus on so the audience could really get a sense of how that character lives. This idea originated from watching short films such as About a Girl and Wasp however the most influential thing that really inspired us was a poem I found on the Internet called Barbie Jail which I made my own version of and more information about how this idea developed can be found on my initial ideas page.

Audience

Our short film targets an audience through a number of techniques such as music. As soon as our short film starts, the music begins which draws the audience in immediately and creates a mood. I feel the idea around are short film targets a more female dominated audience because of the topic. As females are able to relate more to the character then a male would because the short film is about a females perspective on what the ideal body image is. The still images also target a female dominated audience, as they are familiar to them and are what females are bombarded with on a daily bases from the media. I feel the name of our short film targets an audience as it will attract those that are interested in the ideal body image and why so many people want to achieve it.

The feedback we got from year 12's was fairly good. The interesting thing about the results is that a majority of females said that the short film conveys that females spend to much time worrying about their looks. Where as a majority of males when asked said that no matter how much one alters the the way in which they look confidants comes from in which means that the difference in sex effects interpretation of the short film and that the females can relate more to the female character and have more of an understanding as to how she feels.

We wanted to show the physical and emotional effects some females go to, to perfect their body image. From my findings I realised the effect we wanted our short film to have has been successful. The only criticism we got back from this particular question was that the short film could have been more in depth and that it started to this towards the end of the short film so it's about finding the right balance.

More then half the people that answered the questionnaire said they felt that they wouldn't have understood the meaning of the short film without the poem which means we didn't incorporate enough visually and that we should have featured more shots or filmed more footage. This brings me to the next point where everyone felt the poem either complemented or made them understand what our short film was about which shows that without the use of this, it wouldn't have had the same effect and wouldn't have been very successful. As a result a vast majority of the people asked felt that dialogue wasn't necessary as the poem was enough.

The feedback I got back when we asked if they could change one thing about are short film what would it be? More then half of them said the length of our short film. They felt it was to short and would have been better if another verse from the poem had been included and would have provided a better insight into what the short film is about. Many felt more scenes of the character putting on the makeup would have helped make the short film better and more shots of her looking in the mirror at herself really connoting that she is not satisfied with the way she looks would have made it more intense. Another person felt the editing could have been improved as well as the titles which I mentioned previously. Whilst another wanted a clearer shot at the end which I agree with to some extent, as I feel we could have ended our short film in a better way.

When asked if the mise en scene and use of the camera made our piece visually engaging and if not how could this been improved? I got back a variety of responses such as the use of still images works well alongside the meaning of the short film. This was one of the things that I felt made our piece successful, so I am pleased they liked this aspect. The only negative thing mentioned about the use of the still images was the speed as they felt they were to fast. One person felt that the short film wasn't girlie enough which I disagree with and so did another. They felt the mise-en scene reflects what the poem is describing and really shows the different aspects that effect the characters life. One person added to this point by saying they felt the mise en scene and camera shots made them understand why people go to the lengths they go to, to be accepted. Another person really liked the colours and felt the costume worked really well. Others liked the close ups and variety of shots used and liked that they were snappy as it kept them engaged and made them listen to the poem.

From my findings I discovered that many people agreed with me on the bases of what they liked and what they disliked about our piece however also gave some constructive criticism where they mentioned some points which I wasn't aware of before. Overall I found the year 12's feedback really insightful.

Distribution

Distribution is a really important aspect of how to get your short film shown to others. Short film is targeted towards a niche audience and would not be appropriate to put in your local cinema for a form of family fun as its not made to target a mainstream audience. As a result short film makers like myself have to find other ways of getting our work shown. There are not many distribution deals out there however there are a number of online portals that are just as effective.

Our work has been put onto vimeo as well as YouTube which allow people to leave their comments and is a really effective way of targeting a younger audience which are short film is aimed at. Many people showcase their work on platforms such as this and can lead them to achieve great success as well as a number of hits. Online portals such as this usually get people talking about your work creating word of mouth and hopefully someone important in the media industry will then hear about you.

There are many festivals and competitions short filmmakers like myself can apply for. I registered with virgin media shorts to enable me to apply for a competition with them. When applying to take part in the competition I had to fill out a number of sections which in total were five. They were about are film, a short summery of what the film is about also known as a synopsis, technical specification, declaration and upload. There were some sections such as technical specification which I did have some difficulties completing. They asked questions which I felt could only be answered by those who new allot about computers. I feel this is one of the competitions downfall and I am hoping that this doesn't apply for other short film competitions/ festivals. Despite this, applying for this competition has allowed me to see the methods used for getting short film shown and has made me have of an understanding as to how this process works.

Inspiration Week

Lesson Two
I was given an image which said "I put coins in other peoples parking metres". The ideas I started to think of around this whole idea was charity, kindness, no thanks being given, caring, someone who has loads of money, cars, someone who is peaceful and who wants to contribute to society in a good way.

The story I came up with is about a man named Richard that had nothing. He had a job which provided him with a very low income and decided to invest his wages on a few driving lessons as his ambition was to become a taxi driver as he was a peoples person and liked to explore. Then he lost his job and was now living of the doll, there was nothing for him to look forward to. He decided that he would spend the last of his months money which the government provided him with on a lottery ticket. Weeks and weeks passed and with little hope left in him he looked at the ticket and to his amazement he had one! When claiming the money his initial thought was to get a car, he could now afford to buy several but didn't want that. He stood in sainsburys car park and watched the cars pass him buy. He saw an old banger in the corner and thought to himself that could have been mine. So he takes a coin and places it within the parking metre and thought to himself I know how it feels to struggle and thought this would be the best way of helping someone without being thanked for it. This was the best thing he could of done as the old saying goes "charity starts at home".

Inspiration Week

Lesson one
There are many things to describe just what a story is. For instance a story may consist or be associated with the following:

• Narrative/ Plot- This usually consists of a beginning middle and end. When relating this to fairy tales the story usually starts with "Once upon a time" and usually ends with "Happily ever after". These story's have themes and twists some what making them magical.
  

• Equilibrium/ disequilibrium= structure. This explains how one shot follows from one to another.
  

• Characters- There is usually one main character that the story focuses on and the reader usually follows them through out the story seeing them being put into tricky situations which they then try and get out of.

• Story's are usually related to fairy tales, folk tales, legends and Egyptians. These story's are usually within a book and have many illustrations to visualise whats going on. Sometimes these story's end up being turned into to plays and the big budget ones will be displayed in theatres.

• Storytellers- These are people that tell the story and try to build up an image of whats taking place.

• Myths- Story's are often passed down from generation to generation and different cultures will have different ones to tell. Many like to think they are real however most of them are likely to be fictional. These stories will tell us and explain more about ourselves and culturally specific give us comfort.
  

• Biblical stories/ books can be seen as stories and depending on a persons religion will either see the story as fictional or factual.
  
• A story can also relate to film, entertainment-popular culture- series of events, poetry, art, cartoons and fashion.

We played the game where you write something then fold it over and another person writes on it then so on so fourth. My story was about a guy called James who was an assistant whilst Jackie was a bus driver. One day James was on his way to the shop and feel over. This unexpected trip lead him to find Jackie the future love of his life. "Do I know you from some where?" she said but little did she know this was a fairytale waiting to happen. Then one day Jackie's world turned upside down when James chucks his bin bag into a cyclist, who he then shares a passionate kiss with but who will he choose to spend the rest of his life with?

Todorov and narrative theory

A state of equilibrium at the outset
The two characters meet when James falls over and madly falls in love with Jackie.

A disruption of the equilibrium by some action
James chucks a bin bag at a cyclist who he begins to share some interest in.

A recognition that there has been a disruption
He passionately kisses the cyclist.

A re-instatement of the initial equilibrium but with some change
Jizzed in his pants which puts the cyclist right of and patches up his relationship with Jackie.


Application Levi- Strauss

Film title... The cyclist

Concept Working class Opposition Middle Class
Concept Hurt Opposition Healed
Concept Disloyel Opposition Faithful

Initial Ideas

I found a poem website which has a section within it based on fashion as me and Charlotte's initial idea is to base it on or some how relate it to fashion. Below is a poem I found which I felt could be made in to a short film.

Beautiful Like Me
She woke up and walked in this morning.
Beauty is as beauty does.
Unless someone else was doing the beautifying.
She stood and felt,Brush, Brush.
She felt the wet,Paint, Paint.
She watched the mirror.
She watched herself.
She watched them make her prettyful.
Then she put on the dress.
Then they put it on again.
She doesn't know, they whisper.Snap, Snap.Flash, Flash.
Then the computer does its work.
More light,Less freckles,Longer neck,Higher cheekbones,Fix that ruffle in the dress,Fix that wrinkle near the eyes.
Print, print.
When she saw the shoot,She said out loud.
"I wish I looked like her."

The idea I came up with which is inspired by this piece is the idea of a young girl who's a model shes a stereotypical one at that shes slim, tall and looks good in practically anything she puts on. We see a typical day in the life of her and see her go to a fashion shoot. The impression the audience get is that this model is perfect, she's natural we as an audience believe shes got a few great shots. She looks beautiful but just not enough for what the company want. She sees the finishing piece and it looks nothing like her and idealises to be like that image.

Barbie Jail
Stifled inside the lace of her push-up bra,
her heart beats of unheard imprisonment
The cream-caked face, the red collagen pout
betray the self-esteem of ugliness behind

She entered this cage,
in search of a cure from the terrible illness
of ordinary looks
Finding fake comfort inside
the plastic jail of the female sex

Her prison guards, Vogue and Fashion,
confine her to a cell
of precise dimensions;
6 for stiletto, 25 for waist, 0 for chocolate.
The conditions are stifling, but what can she do?
Better in this beautiful hell inside,
than the ugly paradise outside.

The idea I came up with around the poem was about a girl just like the one described. We would re write the poem to make it our own. There would be no dialogue in this short film and we would have the poem be the only sound heard. We could show her doing the things mentioned in the poem and see her never leave the house. We see flashbacks of how show looked before but the audience will be left to question what made her feel this way.

Referencing

http://allpoetry.com/tag/show/fashion+

Short Analysis of BFI Southbank Films

Cubs (2006)
Director Tom Harper
Cast Harry Eden, Ashley Walters, Tara Hodge, Jared Garfield
Duration 10 minutes

Cubs has a very cunning twist on a very British sport. When watching this short film for the first time my first impressions were that the narrative was going to be gang related then later I was to realise it was about a British sport that I wouldn't have associated with a younger urban generation with. I also though this because the actor Ashley Walters has been in films such as Bullet Boy and Life and lyrics both of which involve gun crime so I associated his usual roles with this short film however I was to be mistaken.

Wasp (2003)
Director Andrea Arnold
Cast Nathalie Press, Danny Dyar
Duration 24 minutes

Wasp is shot in Darford and is an Oscar winning short film. It shows a day in the life of a single working class mum trying to provide for her children. Her immediate concerns are to feed her children and pay the rent. She is to bump into a old flame who she manages to score a date with. His initial opinions of her is that she's pretty carefree and fun person to be around however he is unaware of the extent of how hard life is for her.

The lighting is very grainy and has a yellow tone to it creating a very gritty style to this British film. The working class mum is seen wearing her pyjamas as she goes out to have a fight with a local mum. The fact she wears this connotes that she doesn't care about the way she looks or how she is represented. Later she goes out wearing a short mini skirt which shows her bum and nickers which isn't stereotypical clothing for a mother of four to be wearing. The kids clothes are dirty and not to mention that they looked like they haven't washed in days. The locations used in this film is a council estate connoting that she hasn't got much money and she is likely to be living off the doll. The location they live in is really dirty and grimy and makes it seem like it's a struggle to even survive. The other location used is the local pub which really creates the image of all the local commoners gathering together and getting drunk. Some of the props include a baby and pram which makes her children look like kids it really shows their innocents. The audience get the impression that this women should not be a mother and these children should no have to live like this. Despite this she is constantly reminded of the kids even when shes on a date with a guy when being approached by him before hand she always looks back to her kids. In a way this connotes although she may not be a perfect mother deep down she still cares for her children. The mother often blames the eldest child for the problems that arise this is because she realises that the eldest is doing a better job then her and this puts her to shame which she doesn't like.

Convergence

Convergence describes technology being merged together. This has effected the way in which we can view media and has opened a new door for short film makers. There are various different products that are doing this such as the eye phone. It allows you to do a range of different things such as access the Internet, listen to music, take pictures, video record etc. Then there is the XBOX PS3, Wii, DS which allow you to go on the Internet, use the sky player, gaming, you can watch films, listen to music and have a virtual life. There is also the portable CD/DVD player which you can play DVD's on, listen to music, go online and play games. All these different products are allowing people to use a range of different media's all in one which is appealing to new audiences.

London Short Film Festival

The London Short Film Festival is London's most expensive and biggest film festivals. It came back for ten days, in ten well known venues in January 2010.It attracted more submissions and people attending then ever before! With over 200 short films it has made it's name for having the most exclusive up and coming film makers showcase their work. This short film festival first began in 2003 when Philip Ilson and Kate Taylor decided that they were going to do a short Halloween festival. Like many other establishers of festivals they decided to create a bigger festival because of the popularity of this one and in 2008 it became The London Short Film Festival and has been expanded ever since. In 2010 London Short Film Festival and Shooting People got together to help UK film makers. This enabled first time film makers and those that had done several short films already to gain experience. Highlights to this transformative training day included BAFTA-winning screenwriter Tony Grisoni, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE editor Chris Dickie and acclaimed cinematographer John de Borman attending and getting actively involved.

Referencing
Carla. (11:07 am on December 9, 2009 ). About The Festival/Transformative Training. Available: http://www.shortfilms.org.uk/. Last accessed 5 February 2010.

Rain Dance

Rain Dance is a worldwide western film festival which accepts work from Canada, New York and Europe and is the Uk's largest film festival. Rain Dance started in 1992 and then rain dance festival began in 1993.This festival runs from the 6th to the 7th of February. Guests have included Shane Medeows who I have previously blogged about, Christopher Nolan, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Mick Jones, Andrea Arnold, Adam Yauch, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway and Lou Reed. People that attend this festival are journalists, fans, actors, producers and many other people as they know that the work that will be showcased there will be of a high quality. When submitting work you have to do it through Withoutbox.xom which is a website that specialises in festival submissions. You enter all of your films information online then upload your videos. If film makers wish to learn more about film making there is a training programme located in London writers producers and directors can also attend.

DEADLINES
- 7 May 2010 - Early Deadline
- 4 June 2010 - Late Deadline
- 18 June 2010 - Final, Withoutabox-only deadline

Referencing
Rain Dance . (). Rain Dance Film Festival. Available: http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/independent-film-festival-2009. Last accessed 5 February 2010.

Sun Dance

Sun dance is a film festival that helps aspiring filmmakers to showcase their films. It allows major studios to view peoples work that they wouldn't usually looked twice at. The result of this usually means major studios will spend millions on these films through word of mouth from Sun Dance. When talking about this festival its like talking about x factor but the difference is it's a festival for people trying to produce good film. Many major studios will send scouts to look for the next big thing there, so it's worth submitting your work. If there work isn't brought by these being company's or producers the festival will then help these film makers by allowing them to use their sources which will help develop their work and make it better. Sun Dance festival takes place in Utah, in the United States the next festival will take place in January between the 20-30, 2011. This film festival is one of program of the not-for-profit Sun dance institute. During the 90's independent film enjoyed a comeback in popularity. As a result huge figured deals were made after viewings at The Sun Dance Festival.

Referencing
Garry Crystal. (copyright © 2003 - 2010). What is the Sundance Film Festival?. Available: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-sundance-film-festival.htm. Last accessed 5 February 2010.

Brief Encounters

Encounters consists of two major film festivals and are at venues around the Harbourside area of Bristol, UK. The longest running festival in partnership began life in 1995 as Brief Encounters was originally meant to be a one of event and because of it being so popular it expanded year on year and acknowledged internationally as one of the worlds most respected celebrations of short film. In 2001, the short film festival was joined by Animated Encounters which showcased a range of things such as productions, talent, creativity, technology and skills that make animation the success that it is. The two events combined the Encounters Short film banner for the first time in 2006. There was an increase in people trying to get their work viewn with them and there were now more film submissions, film screenings and delegates. In 2007 Animation Talent Symposium day produced by the head of international Outreach at DreamWorks. This event was so successful that it was sold out. This day was organised as a way of sharing views and experiences. special guests that appeared were Mark Kermode, Richard Eyre, Henry LaBounta, Peter Lord, Phill Jupitus and Frank Cottrell Boyce. Principle Sponsors include UK Film council Lottery funded, HP Invent, films @ 59, Watershed.

Link to supporters page http://www.encounters-festival.org.uk/our-sponsors.html

“The UK's most important short film festival” The Guardian
ENCOUNTERS recognises that sponsorship is a way to maintain and develop the flair, know-how and glitz for which the festival is known worldwide. That's why we pay very close attention to making sponsorship good value for all of our supporters. The idea behind this is that it allows the sponsors to be associated with an international, well established and well respected festival.

If you would like to submitt your work, you will need to do so by April 1: Submissions open - Send them your films. June 30: Submissions deadline August 30: Festival film selections announced online September: London Launch, film programme announced and accreditation early bird offer November: Accreditation deadline

Referencing
Brief Encounters . (2009). About Us. Available: http://www.encounters-festival.org.uk/. Last accessed 5 February 2010.

Jonathan Hodgson

Jonathan Hodgens is an award winning international renowned animation director. When he first left college his first commission was to make an animated short with co director Susan Young and was to be about nuclear disarmament for The United States. He was a founder member of Jonathan Bairstow Shorts in 1996 and in 1997 The man with the most beautiful eyes was funded by channel 4. His work began to be featured in various different festivals such as Hull short Film Festival and can be found on a range of DVD complications also. In 2000 he was Commissioned to make 8 minute film ‘Camouflage’ by Arts Council of England animate! Scheme and in 2005 he received funding from Film London LAFVA scheme to make short film “Forest Murmurs”. Not only does he make short films but also documentaries, commercials one of which is for Percil and does graphics and animation.

Link to awards page http://www.hodgsonfilms.com/cv.php
Link to view video page http://www.hodgsonfilms.com/shortFilms.php

Referencing

Jonathan Hodgson. Biography/ CV. Available: http://www.hodgsonfilms.com/. Last accessed 4 February 2010

Video Activism

Video activism is classified as a type of short film and can be viewn on websites such as YouTube. Video activism has become more popular as result of cameras becoming more cheaper to buy and are allot smaller making it much easier to catch people doing things that they shouldn't be doing . Often these videos involve either protest groups going under cover and recording things which the workers should not be doing or the video will be of protests group standing up for what they believe in and trying to prevent animal cruelty for example. The reason why people find these videos so interesting is because they cannot be altered and only represent the truth.

This video below shows how video activism can change peoples lives and that is there for social change. It allows filmmakers to deliver a message quickly due to the birth of the Internet. They explain that cheap equipment allows them to gather information more easily and share with others their discoveries.

Short Film on TV

In the 1960's and 70's TV provided some minority viewing. This meant that short film could be scheduled into filler and late night slots if schuduled film's length could not fit in. This meant that short film would replace them in order fill in the remaing time slot. In the 1990's BBC2 series 10x10 in association with BFI showcased short film and in 1993 the BBC launched video nation populist mass observation on the cu straight to camera. The video diary was to influence the generation of reality TV online in 2001. There were now changes of how short film could be viewn for example Channel 4 had the"shooting gallery", BBC created "The Film Network" and there were now online/ portable cinemas and the first film channel was produced.

Referencing

Wikipedia. (28 January 2010 at 08:16). Short Film. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_film. Last accessed 4 February 2010.

Shane Meadows

'Shane Meadows is a self-taught, British Film-maker who hails from the Midlands in the UK. He was born in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, UK ON 26TH December 1972.' He started one of the first film festivals called flip side which allows anyone to view others work as well as their own . Before this film festival came about he decided that he was tiered of there being no where to showcase work. So him and a group of his Friends set up an event called 'six of the Best' and as a result of this event growing this lead to the creation of an international video festival. His short films are based and inspired by true life events and issues that him and others can relate to. In his interview he speaks about his passion and beliefs and states that short film allows him to experiment. Despite him making well established films such as 'This is England' he will never stop creating short film as this is what inspires him and feeds him ideas and allows him to experiment with them. As a result of his success he has now released some of his own work on DVD which means alot of his work is restricted and you will not find much of it on websites such as YouTube.

'The Stairwell' is one of his short films and is based on a narrative that everyone can relate to however makes it seem much more dramatic. In a way hes experimenting with the ordinary but in a different way. He draws the audience in by the use of the different camera angles and builds up an anti climax. He experiments with different sound however the use of non digetic sound has a strong impact. The messages we get from this short film is never knowing whats round the corner and not loosing site of people around you. The constant flickering of the light relates to the thriller genre and the use of the fast pace shots, dividing line relates to collision and division.

Free Cinema & Protest

In 1950's a protest to the dominance of mainstream is The British Free cinema movement of the 50's. Free cinema was black and white, documentary and had a fly on the wall type of style. Most films in free cinema were short, had unpaid crew, shoe string budgets and were usually filmed on a 16mm Bolex camera. The difference between the cameras is that a 35mm one is the industry standard, 16mm & 18mm are for home movies and 52mm is IMAX. So from this information in order to achieve a film in the style of a documentary, they would make it look like a home movie which in turn would make it look more realistic however meant that it was no where near to the industry's standard. These films had an experimental approach to sound and had a clear style and attitude and were funded by the BFI . BFI featured w/c people at work in society. Saturday Night was British New Wave along with We are The Lambeth Boys which was inspired by angry young men. Michael More would follow peoples lives and was interested in the way in which the working class lived. He wanted people to send videos in to him based on what people hated about society as he felt it had great appeal.

Little Film studies work has been done on the role of short film as an agent of social change.
-Video activism has symbolic relationship with short film.Meaning the relationship between the two is like the one between a mother and child.
-"Witness video" is a common strategy used by protest groups i.e hunting.

Experimental on art house & Avant-Garde

Short Film relaised they couldn't compete with Hollywood/ mainstream so it found it's own home as art. Avant-Garde films is a french term and means "ahead of the crowd" and is used to describe "cutting edge" films. These films experiment with a wide range of things such as ideas, forms, techniques, and expressions. They are very artistic and are almost like a trend setter as it's a head of it's time. "Avant-Garde films are characterized by a high degree of experimentation--whether it be in manipulation in narrative materials, in highly stylized visual representation, or in radical departures from the norms or conventions current at the time, Avant-Garde film is always a vehicle for the filmmaker’s expression." They tend to focus on the beauty of the film rather then having a clear narrative. Their random and often nothing seems to make sense going from one extreme to another. The propose of them is often to shock audiences, it wants you to fear the unexpected. Maya Deron's experimental films in the 1940's- 1961 displayed a highly individualistic sensibility towards short film. " Meshes of the afternoon" set the tone for USA Avant Garde film making. She takes an anti- mainstream stance in her "artistic license and creative freedom."

Meshes of The Afternoon was made in 1943 by Maya Derenda and Alexander Hammid. The duration of this Avant- Garde film is seventeen minutes. In the 1940's-50's she was the first major American experimental filmmaker. Meshes of The Afternoon is a feminist film about a women trying to find her role in a male dominated society. It really makes the audience feel engaged through it's dream like sequences and effects the way in which the audience think, through film art. Maya Derenda own personal experiences and feelings inspired her and is who the film is actually about. She wanted to bring out the multiple layers of meaning of everything that went into her films. This was shown through her dream sequences and being experimental with time and space. As an audience you begin to understand and can relate to the dreams because often in dreams everything seems much slower and you can never catch up to anything. When she is dreaming its connoting that perhaps subconsciously she wants to be at the same level as her husband or boyfriend but can never reach it. Dreams often are about the way in which we feel and what we fear which this film explores.


Referencing

Gloria L. Floren. (25 April 1998). Avant-Garde (Experimental) Films . Available: http://www.miracosta.cc.ca.us/home/gfloren/f-avant.htm. Last accessed 2nd February 2010.

The Big Shave

The big shave was made in 1967 and was directed and written by Martin Scorsese and is a six minute short film. It shows a man shaving away hair which looks all so normal until he begins to shave away his skin. The message behind this short film is almost like a metaphor, as it's based around the concept of the United States in the Vietnam War. The unites States destroyed another country for no reason and caused harm. This idea is shown through the bloody bathroom and the man repeatedly shaving despite him knowing he is causing harm. This reflects what America done, suggesting they don't have to do get involved but they chose to do so needlessly.

Referencing
Wikapedia. (7 January 2010 at 11:20.). The Big Shave. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Shave. Last accessed 1st February 2010 .

History of Short Film and Hollywood

In 1895 some of the first short films were made such as Sortie a 'l'usine also known as workers leaving the factory which was made by the lumier brothers. In those days short films were the only films that could be viewn in the local cinema and despite thinking now why would people go to watch a film for a couple of seconds/ minutes. The answer to that would be because it was all new then. It was the first of it's kind and many found it interesting and was a form of entertainment for them. These short films were so short because of technical restrictions which is why short film can now be longer because technology has enabled us to do so.

Short film in Hollywood eclipsed by the dominant mode of film production and "classical narrative". Hollywood created genres which meant all types of different people with different interests could go and watch what ever it is they wanted which made going to the cinema more appealing. Cinema experts required films to be longer then 90 minutes so that this would allow two hour blocks for food, advertising and trailers which are all ways for them to make more money and make the cinema experience more pleasurable. All these different things eventually made short film come out of the limelight as there was now more to offer to it's once target audience. As now the target audience were more interested and fascinated by mainstream films.

Currently Hollywood no longer follows the studio system and in 1930's short film production was a marginal activity and meant that Hollywood could take over and began to steal ideas from the short film. They saw short film as a cut price and as an laboratory experimental innovation. They would steal the ideas and add more to them eventually creating a feature length film out of them. They new they could get away with it as these were huge company's with loads of money where as allot these short filmmakers didn't have the power to fight for their rights.

Distribution

A majority of short films do not receive distribution deals however there are many online ways of showing your work such as YouTube and Vimeo. Despite all of this there has been an increase in DVD compilation market which usually contains 10 films however this is only for a small amount of short films that achieve this success such as Rubber Johny and Scummy man.

Rubber Johny is a six minute short film as well as a music video and was directed back in 2005 by Chris Cunningham and the music was composed by Aphex Twin . It has a definite shock factor and is very much trippy. The music used is usually associated with drugs as it has a very fast beat. The whole concept around this short film is about a deformed man living in a basement with his dog. Johny feels isolated and imagines himself doing things that he can only imagine doing despite not being able to do so. It's almost like hes hallucinating he does it as a way of entertaining himself . The music is cut to the beat which is a convention for music videos. This was done as originally this short film was intended to be a thirty second advert for Aphex Twin album drukqs, using the track "afx237 v7" but due to the director liking the concept so much he decided to extend this idea. This was a positive thing as it meant synergy could be used to promote the bands single through this short film.

Referencing
vortex3d. (2007). Rubber Johnny. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9TbdheS3Sg. Last accessed 1st February 2010.


Scummy Man is a short film which has a gritty and realist style and was written and directed by Paul Fraser and produced by Mark Herbert and Diarmid Scrimshaw, based on the song "When the Sun Goes Down" by the Arctic Monkeys, and released on DVD on 10 April 2006 by Domino Records. It is based on prostitution in Sheffield and uses the same actors and actress as the ones seen in the music video. This short film also uses synergy like Rubber Johnny as it's a way of promoting the bands single and also allows the audience to find out how it is for the fictional character Nina as we experience what night life is like for.In order to achieve this documentary style it was filmed on a 16mm film which is like being filmed with a home movie camera.

This short film captures the audience in the first six minutes and wants you to have emotion towards the character Nina. It uses well known actor Stephen Graham who has done similar roles in other films and may have been casted as a away of attracting it's target audience as they are familiar with him. We are then introduced to the cab driver who we very much feel sorry for as he's made to listen to other peoples problems when he has enough of his own. It's almost as though he knows something bad is going to happen but cant do anything about it as he has no control. He doesn't sleep with his wife and just watches life pass him by. On the DVD release it also features another short film "Just Another Day" which allows the audience to see Scummy man from the cab drivers perspective and later find out that Nina reminds him of his daughter who died young and would have been the same age as her.The film won an award for "Best Music DVD" at the 2007 NME Awards on 1 March 2007.

Referencing
Wikipedia. (13 November 2009 at 07:04). Scummy Man. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scummy_Man. Last accessed 4 February 2010.

BBC Film Network

The BBC Film Network is a film network showcasing new British film making and allows you to watch over 300 short films. Sixty two of these are animation, twenty eight are artist's moving image, thirty two are music, hundred and three are drama, sixty six are comedy and forty are documentary. It targets newer and younger audiences by allowing them to access information and video fast. The website is engaging and allows you to do many things such as watching film that has recently been added. As well as allowing audiences to see how many views the different films have had which will enable the target audience to see the most popular ones. Tells you the titles from A-Z which makes it easier when looking for specific films and the date the film was made along with the region and duration of the film. It also has links to other websites and allows you to create your own profile where you can add your own videos however there is a submission process.

Not only does it offer all of the above it also has a film making guide which is useful if you want to make it in the industry or need some guidance getting your work noticed. On this there is an introduction, before you start which allows you you to find out about training rights and clearances, writing, funding and competitions. Then there is moving into production and exibiton and distribution and further readings. As well as all these other things you can see how film makers have made it in the industry which are in the form of case studies.

There is a Network page which offers information on different festivals such as Birds eye view festival 2010 and Glasgow film festival 2010. It then goes on to tell you about the industry panel and the people directory where you can find other like minded people that share the same talent as you.

Referencing
BBC. Film Network. Available: http://www.live.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/. Last accessed 1st February 2010.

Coffee Shorts

Coffee Shorts is a short film production company site that works with interesting independent film talent that produces short film which can be deeply scary or have very serious narratives which they believe is to the same standard as their cinema rivals. These could be a range of different short types such as music video, animation and comedy all three of which I will be looking at into a little more detail. As well as these shorts they produce experimental/ avant garde films, documentaries and dramas. On this site it advertises short film as well as promoting the different film directors/ producers that have created the films and enables aspiring filmmakers to put their work on to the site vie MySpace and facebook. Coffee shorts also have connections with different film festivals and will nominate work if they feel it has great potential to win an award. The films can be viewn on coffee shorts website and are very experimental and unusual.

They combine music and film also known as a music video however believe that it could be no where as experimental or creative as an individual scene which can make for some very cool music videos and short films on indie musicians. They only select and merge the music and filmmaking together which are interesting and a pleasure to watch.

Coffee Shorts also do independent documentaries and feel that short film are engaging, being forced to condense can help to make a complex message all the more powerful, or opens exploration of minutiae and details that could never fill an hour of television. However coffee shorts produces documentary’s on undercover stories that no one has yet to hear of or have but are not interested in it and look and buried events.

Animation is what makes real indie short film have the success that it does. They have managed to do little effort on the web for one of the few creative independent video arts. Animation is the imagination that has been put onto the big screen without having any restrictions. It usually focuses on strange and interesting pathways and is set in places that are funny, dark and horrific, combining that whole idea of a Childs love for cartoons.

Comedy shorts are a huge success and it is no wonder as these endless amounts sketchers and short stories performed by fresh new talent from all parts of the world are so funny. As an audience you will not get bored or get tiered of hearing a joke which you have once heard before. Some would say comedy shorts are this successful because they don’t have to conform to the typical codes and conventions that would need to be meet for TV broadcast.

Referencing
Coffee shorts. Narrative Music Documentary Animation Comedy . Available: http://www.coffeeshorts.co.uk/drama.html. Last accessed 29 January 2010.

Channel 4 Inspiration

4 Talent have created a week where people between the ages of 14-19 year can attend classes which will enable them to develop their skills and learn more about the media industry. The week will be running it in 2010 and will be in London and Sheffield. The whole idea is for young people to learn the skills which they can use in the media industry, as well as giving them experience and showing them the attitude to have to help them progress . They cover various different things such as acting and presenting, journalism, new media, theatre, producing and directing and advertising in the media. Although there is nothing Pacific relating to filmmaking all these things help to expand their skills and help them with passable career prospects.

Inspiration Week South 2010
Monday 12 April and Tuesday 13 April for 14 to 16 year olds
Wednesday 14 April and Thursday 15 April for 17 to 19 year olds

Inspiration Week North 2010
Monday 25 October and Tuesday 26 October for 14 to 16 year olds
Wednesday 27 October and Thursday 28 October for 17 to 19 year olds

Who is it Aimed at?
It is aimed at at 14-19 year olds who have a desire to work in the media industry and passionate and committed into achieving this goal. They look for people that have a natural flare and are creative. They aim to have various different people attend as the more diverse the better is their motto.

The application process
It starts with two Open Days: For Inspiration South, these will take place on 17th & 18th February 2010 and for Inspiration Week North, these will take place on 8th & 9th September 2010. These open days have 150 people attend and will give them a teaser of what the sessions will be like. This will also provide them with the opportunity to get involved with a variety of different things and listen to talks with people who have experience in the industry and to gain contacts. After these dates they can then apply to take part on Inspiration week which you have to do by going to channel 4's careers website. Sometimes schools, colleges, charities or community will nominate 5 people to attend.

Referencing
Channel 4. Inspiration Week. Available: http://4talent.channel4.com/4talent-opportunities/inspiration-week/index.shtml. Last accessed 29 January 2010.

BFI'S Short Films

I watched several different short films such as The man with the beautiful eyes written by Charles Bukowski and directed by Jonathan Hodgson which is an animation and is inspired from art and music. The meaning behind this short film is idea around adults wanting to keep their children from being exposed to reality and keeping them to sheltered. There's this idea about suburban lifestyle and keeping routine which this man breaks. They don't want to expect anything or anyone who is different . Almost connoting that we are being controlled and that we must follow the norm in order to be accepted. From watching this short film it has shown me that short film can be animated and inspired by a poem or book.

The First Time it Hits is by director and writer Jason Budge it has no dialogue and uses animation and carton like effects and the handheld camera movement as well as fast paced shots keep the audience engaged. The different sound effects create humour and has an armature style feel to it. This short film has taught me that no dialogue can be more effective.

Jus' Gaps written and directed by Adrian Browne is in the style of a serial drama such as Eastenders in the sense that the narrative is a very conventional and uses humour to get their message across. Watching this short film I don't feel inspired me as I felt it wasn't original nothing within in was unique or individual it was just like a snippet of an episode from a soap.

The little Things written and directed by Reina Webster has a strong message behind it and makes the audience sympathise with the main character George. The ideas around this short film is based on a child finding companionship with someone who is almost like a stranger to her and them caring more about the way she feels rather then her own mother does. The relationship she has with her mother is some what like the main character in about a girl has with her parents. Both shorts deal with the idea of their not being enough communication between parents and their children and children needing support to prevent them from feeling isolated leading them into tricky situations. This short film has taught me that basing a narrative on serious topic and having a happy ending can be just as successful and still get it's meaning and messages across without having such a dramatic ending.

Killing Time at Home written and directed by Neil Coslett uses animation and music to tell a story. It is very much humorus but also plays with the audiences emotions. It's about a man who isn't out going and is very much isolated from the main world the only way for him to make friends is to buy them then once he gets bored with them he disposes them. It deals with idea of people needing to socialise and get out, otherwise they become trapped and then begin to create a false world which leaves no hope for them to escape from the one person who is causing them to feel so alone which is themselves.

Sound the music is slow at the beginning only using a guitar and as the man begins to get happy, the pace of the music increases and the drums start to come in as well as a piano. All of which make the atmosphere seem really blissful and happy. The music then becomes more intense when the little monster is put into a room with all the other monsters and the pace of it really slows down. The electric guitar then comes in making the scene seem more dramatic.

Costume- The character is wearing very casual quit dull clothing which really represents his character.

Lighting- The lighting is really dark at the beginning of the short film especially when the character is in the corner. This connotes how isolated he feels and really represents his emotions. As he begins to feel happier the lighting becomes more high key connoting his excitement. However begins to get darker again as though the main character is never happy connoting his emotions are up and down constantly.

Props- There are not may props in this animation however there is the computer which the main character is fixated on almost as though that’s the only connection he has to the outside world. There is also the characters credit card making I seem like the only way he can make friends is from buying them.

Characters- The monster that is brought seems scared at first and vulnerable however feels more at ease when he finds companionship. A character like him was produced because he looks cute and harmless which makes the audience feel sorry for him. The main character looks really scruffy and as though he hasn’t shaven for weeks. The way his body moves and facial expressions make it seem like he is really depressed and suggests perhaps he has a really dull personality.

Camera- The camera panes across the wires then the title appears, then continues to pan eventually moving up to the direction of the character in the corner on the connoting he’s addicted to technology and suggests this is all his life consist of. Then there is a close up of his face and you can see flashing images reflecting on him and he looks really tired which all these things connote is that he’s fixated. The camera then panes down the computer screen to see the monsters he’s brought already and the fact they are all crossed out makes the audience question where they all are. The fact this monster is in the button corner of the page and yet to be brought connotes this is the last resort. The camera then pans to tilt down to the character in his front room with no furniture but a microwave suggesting this is what his life a resulted to. The camera then zooms into the door making it seem like the character is anxious for his purchase to arrive. The camera then panes up into what he is reaching the cupboards seeing various different things such as a doctor in a jar and personality peels connoting this guy is not in a fit state of mind. There is then a close up of the little monsters face and a shadow begins to cover more and more of it face suggesting he feels really intermediated and something bad is going to happen. The camera then begins to zoom out showing more of the mans purchases and the shot changes in to an establishing shot connoting this monster isn’t the only one this has happened to.




Referencing
BFI. (Wednesday, 06-Feb-2008 14:30:11 GMT ). The Films. Available: www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/movingshorts/films. Last accessed 26 Janaury 2010.

About a Girl

Director- Bryan Percival
Bryan Percival wanted to escape from the usual commercial adverts he had previously done and decided to get a really gritty script for his first short film he was to direct. Him and fellow cinematographer found it really hard to create a really gritty urban style as they were so used to having perfect lighting and everything being so squeaky clean and actually admitted that it was quit a struggle for them.
The film won several awards including:
•2001 BAFTA for Best Short Film;
•Edinburgh Film Festival Prize for best Short Film;
•City Light Award for Best Short Film;
•Granada TV Short film Award;
•Best Short at Raindance
•Turner Classic Movie Shorts top prize.

Writer- Julie Rutterford
Julie Rutterford is a British film and television screenwriter and has scripted episodes for many TV series, one of which is Shamless. Shamless has a very gritty and realist style which is similar to About a Girl. Making it clear about Julie's interests and ideas when coming to writing and how she is inspired by the working class.

Budget- 33,000

Analysis
About a Girl is about social realism and is a drama documentary/video diary which incorporates comedy and has allot of discontinuity and encourages the audience to laugh despite the narrative having a serious ending. The colours used through out are very dark and grainy creating a gritty style. It asks the audience to think rather then for them to get the meaning of the narrative straight away, it wants you to notice the little things. The opening shot builds up suspense about who she is and gives the impression that the short film is about youth culture, fandom and the main character trying to achieve stardom. The low angle shots makes her look superior and the dark clouds on a summers day gives the impression that something bad is going to happen. The song she is singing is about innocence as Britney spears represents innocence, purity and virginity. The lyrics "Stronger" and "I'm not a kid" connotes this is the way she feels When shes dancing it allows the audience to relate to her, as us one day too used to dance and sing along to our favourite songs it makes her character seem young and naive.

We then get the impression that this character is a chav living in an urban state. There are lot of walls and gates connoting she feels trapped by her surroundings as well as her social status. She is wearing hooped earrings which gives the impression that she's a teenager. It also gives the impression that she perhaps growing up to fast and that her being brought up into a broken family has lead her to dream a dream that is very unlikely for her to achieve and is indenial of whats actually happening in reality.

The relationship she has with her mum isn't really there. She stands in front of her mum and what looks like her siblings rather then with them. You can hear sirens, dogs, barking and a playground which helps build up the picture of her living in this typical council estate. In total there are 19 flashbacks whilst the others are of her just walking. The handheld camera when she is walking is quit aggressive and implies that her feelings are all over the place. Not only does she have a bad relationship with her mum she also doesn't have a good relationship with her dad either. We understand that her dad is on the doll and is to busy to even pay attention to her and doesn't even provide for her. She then says something about him which makes the audience seem as though she looks up to him but then says "oh bless" connoting there is false hope and almost as though she pity's him and is patronising him. He makes her watch football and does what he would be doing any way whether or not she was there or not connoting he doesn't really want to build on their relationship or spend time with her which leaves the audience to think she is isolated. In this scene the camera then panes away from her making her look small and reminding the audience that she is still and child.

Her friends share the same interests as her and when shes with them she looks confident and enjoys being the leader and the one who takes control . We then see a shot of her caring about the way she looks connoting she wants to grow up and become an adult. She compares her mum to Madonna and is very much fascinated by celebrity culture. Through out this short film we see she is assertive, she has allot to say, she knows what she wants and because we are constantly reminded of her being a child we start to think she is naive. There are allot of shots where she is by herself whether that's when shes on the bus or when she's on the bench connoting she feels alone and shes the only one who understands herself and she is her own company.We then see she wants to live with er dad but realises that she's not good enough which allows us as the audience to see why there is so much resentment.

Despite all of this she has learnt allot from her mum such as how to solve problems which is to dispose of them and get rid of them. When she stands on the the canal we see the lighting starting to change and the colours. She sings the song again which ensures her that everything is going to be OK and it can only get better from this point. We realise that all this time she has been carrying the carrier bag making the audience feel bad about laughing. The carrier bag is disposable and is it goes into the river the bag looks like it's giving birth to the baby. This short story was inspired by teenage pregnancy and that she felt know one was taking interest in it connoting that things like what happened in the film do happen and that we need to take notice and pay a little more attention.

Referencing

• BFI. (Wednesday, 06). About a Girl . Available: http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/movingshorts/films/film9.html. Last accessed 4 February 2010.
• Wikapedia. (7 December 2008 at 21:08). Julie Rutterford. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Rutterford. Last accessed 4 February 2010.

Short Film Codes and Conventions

There are many advantages and disadvantages of short film compared to feature length films as feature length films usually have well established actors and actresses. This is used as a way of attracting the audience as they are then able to watch their favourite actors or actresses on the big screen. This also applys for directors. Feature length films have a huge budget which means they will often have amazing graphics and special effects and the narrative will appeal to a more mainstream audience. The success of big budget films such as Transformers create sequels becuase the ending of the first film is left open. Which means the target audience will then be in suspense to watch the next one.

Short film on the other hand, has unknown actors and actresses who are trying to make it in the industry. Short film offers the opportunity to those aspiring actors and actresses to get a feel of how being in a film works and may even get them established, it's like a stepping stone for them. Short Film has a small budget which some may view as a bad thing but in the world of short film this means the filmmakers are then able to experiment and create their own unique style without being tyed down with tyring to appeal to a wide range of people. Because not a huge amount of money is riding on a short film, it means it doesn't matter if it flops which means there is less added pressure. Short film is not left with an open ending so when viewing it you understand and get the whole concept of what it's about without having to watch an hour and half or how ever long it is to watch a feature length film. Many directors start of making short film before they become established. Short film is often heard about through word of mouth rather then through marketing and is usually national rather then global.

Catherine Des Froges
"Spare economic narratives, interesting storytelling, well structured work which draws in the audience quickly"
Gareth Evens
"Short films are long films that finish earlier."
"A good idea, succiently told, less is more"

Short Film

A short film is a film defined by it's length and has to be under 50 minutes long. There are different types of short film one of which is micro short which is a short film that is under 5 minutes long .There is not a genre to describe short film because there are no codes and conventions. Cinema originally started with this and is how many aspiring dirctors came to be known. As it allows people to see the film makers style, allows the film maker to make a name for themselves and allows them to develop their own style . In 1895 the first short films were "Workers leaving the factory" by "Louis Lumière" and "Journey to the moon" produced by Jules Verne.There are no characteristics or criteria when making short film as it's about being creative and being experimental. Short films can be animation, a documentary or any other conventional genre such as comedy and thriller. 1970 introduced Berlin Horse which could be described as art. This short film experimented with many things such as negatives.

Short film lives outside of mainstream cinema as it's quirky and unique and tends to capture the audience attention straight away which mainstream fails to do within the first 5 minutes of it's films. Short films can be viewed in film festivals such as rain dance. Short films are usually not interested in continuity as short film is usually about the messages behind the narrative rather then whats happening visually. They usually break the fourth wall and manipulation of time and space is usually done. It has an armature film making style, a small cast and is very much thought provoking and engaging. Short film has a niche audience and can be viewn in film festivals, art gallery's, the Internet where there are exhibitions and the TV. Many short film makers don't have big budgets which means they are able to experiment because they are able to take chances as they haven't got a big budget to loose. The less economic pressure and finical risk leaves more room for experimentation and innovation which is the strength of short film.

The Most Beautiful Man in The World

In this analysis I will be looking at short film messages and ideologies in the film The Most Beautiful Man in The World. The opening shot panes to tilt up to the little girls face yawning showing sweat dripping from her face and you can hear the sound of the TV in the background. It shows she finds it physically draining and this is all her lifestyle consists of. It also allows the audience to see the costume she is wearing which consists of a belly top and hooped earings giving the impression that she wants to be older or perhaps is growing up to fast as the costume is to old for her to be wearing as she looks very young. The lighting used is low key creating a very gritty dingy style to this short film and gives the impression that this opening shot is meant to be set in the night time.

The shot which follows is of her laying on the floor with the dog suggesting she is of the same status as it and is maybe the only companionship she has which allows the audience to feel emotion towards her. It is set in the day which makes it clear that she doesn't spend her time doing much or doing things which her age group should do which leaves the audience to question what are her parents doing why isn't she at school or doing something which is educational?

We then hear a women's voice in the background on the phone talking about pointless conversation and again we see her watching TV showing that this child isn't of any importance and is invisible to them no care or attention is show towards her or even any communication is made between her and her parent the only thing we see her showing any attention to apart from the TV is the dog. It gives a sense of her feeling trapped and makes the audience feel sympathy towards her.

The phone rings and we see the dog and a women walk off suggesting that to them there are other things of more importance then her. We see that there is only one seat in the front room and all her toys are scattered on the floor there is no organisation at all and suggests that she is grown up into a single working class family as we see no male figure around suggesting that she is living in a broken home. She then looks out the window suggesting she wants to escape and almost as though sh dreams to be free.

We see an establishing shot of her outside on her bike but there is no one there observing to make sure shes safe and there are no other children around it's decelerate The location is really grubby and dirty connoting that isn't able to be a child.

A close up of her looking at her house then turning around to an over the shoulder shot allowing the audience to see what she's seeing and allows us to see the bigger picture connoting she longs to live a normal lifestyle and wants to travel and explore she hesitates before deciding to go into the field.

She then pretends to be an aeroplane connoting she wants to be free and fly away from all her problems. The sound effects Begin to get louder and more intense the further away she gets from her house connoting she feels closer to nature almost as though being outside allows her to live.

We are then introduced to a guy half naked stroking her dog connoting he's accepting of her and it's the first time you see her smile and speak which suggests she finds it easier to feel connection with a stranger more then she does with the people she lives with. She feels confident enough to speak to a stranger where as with her family she doesn't which leaves you to question the relationship she has with her family. When she speaks to him it leaves the audience feeling very uncomfortable almost giving the impression that he's a pedophile especially when he touches her. The fast paste shots of each of their facial expressions give the impression that there is sexual tension which is a very acquired position to be put in but we then see that they are just friendly which leaves the audience believe that they were thinking to far into things.

Biblography

• BFI. (Wednesday, 06-Feb-2008 14:30:11 GMT ). The Films. Available: www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/movingshorts/films. Last accessed 26 Janaury 2010.
• Channel 4. Inspiration Week. Available: http://4talent.channel4.com/4talent-opportunities/inspiration-week/index.shtml. Last accessed 29 January 2010.
• Coffee shorts. Narrative Music Documentary Animation Comedy . Available: http://www.coffeeshorts.co.uk/drama.html. Last accessed 29 January 2010.
• BBC. Film Network. Available: http://www.live.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/. Last accessed 1st February 2010.
• vortex3d. (2007). Rubber Johnny. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9TbdheS3Sg. Last accessed 1st February 2010.
• Wikipedia. (7 January 2010 at 11:20.). The Big Shave. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Shave. Last accessed 1st February
• Gloria L. Floren. (25 April 1998). Avant-Garde (Experimental) Films . Available: http://www.miracosta.cc.ca.us/home/gfloren/f-avant.htm. Last accessed 2nd February 2010.
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