Research into Similar Products: Short Films

1) Nine Frame Analysis: What's on your mind?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVZYiJKl1Y



Note: This is a short film called 'What's on your mind?' by HightonBros, Youtube producers.
features a man, who has become depressed because everyone else's lives are better than his, or so he thinks.

*Shots go left to right:    1,2,3     4,5,6,      7,8,9*

Frame 1- Genre: Hopefully from this opening image, I would infer that maybe it would be about social networking, as the shot shows the Facebook homepage. My genre is a social realism; dramatizing the effects of social media. The short film starts with a close up of a computer scene (or so I assume), and the main character scrolling down the homepage. This suggests that this website (presumably Facebook) is a significant part of the short film, in scenes to come.

Frame 2- Characterisation: It is then confirmed, that a mid 20-30's man is on the laptop. A mid shot, showing part of the back drop and his shoulders, shows his facial expression, it is made apparent that he is desolate, and fed up. From this we may be able infer that his life is made sad from the use of social network. The characters makeup, making his eyes look weary and drooped, are that of someone who would seem depressed or sad, which I think is how the character is being represented in this film. His stance, and facial expression seem to be somewhat drooped also, as he seems quite a blue and suppressed character.

Frame 3- Setting and Location: In this frame, the location is a low light, living room. It is a 2 person shot of what is presumably a couple, who are sat far apart from each other, suggesting a distant relationship. From the shot before, it may be that he is comparing his relationship to the supposedly superior ones he sees on Facebook. The mise-en-scene is a typical living room set up, with a sofa and picture frames.

Frame 4- Narrative: In this frame, we see the character updating his Facebook status to 'sushi with my girl tonite'. It is clear from the narrative and previous frames, that he is exaggerating his life, to fit in line with how he wants to be viewed. Because this is the beginning of the narrative, it suggests that there will be some continuity within the story line (a linear narrative), as it has a beginning, middle and end.

Frame 5- Costume & Props: We see an office scene. This is part of the narrative, showing day to day situation that most people that age go through. This suggests that there is a wider target audience, not just those who use social media, but those who have a 9-5 job that they don't necessarily like. The character is in typical work clothes, suit trousers, shirt and a tie. Behind him is a projection of a presentation, which adds realism to the scene.

Frame 6- Editing: The editing in this scene, has replicated the 'likes' feature. I like this editing technique as it is a popular feature that most people are familiar with. I would like to incorporate this technique into my short film. The transitions are straight cuts, and therefore makes the film flow smoothly. There is a match on action shot, when we see the main character walk in, and see his wife having an affair.

Frame 7- Camerawork: The camerawork in this scene is a 2 person shot. Either the camera has been strategically placed, or some sophisticated editing has been done. It is an over the shoulder shot, showing a mirror and a woman. I hope to use this or a similar sophisticated editing technique in my short film.

Frame 8- Sound/film dialogue: In this short film, there is no dialogue. I hope to not use dialogue in my short film too. There is soft background music. The sound effects used a typical Facebook sounds, which add realism to the scene. I like the idea of having no dialogue as it adds a sense of solitary confinement, and what we feel when are deluded by social networks. Hence it is a powerful message to get across.

Frame 9-  Titles: There are no titles in this film, just a few credits at the end. I like this as it keeps attention on the story line, and the audience can focus on the narrative. The end credits detail the typical cast involved in making the film, such as the producer, music and makeup artists.

2) Textual Analysis: The Anti-Social Network

Whilst researching for influential films, I discovered plenty about social networking. This short film provides focus on the addiction to social media and how we are becoming a society with persistent needs to be connected.

This video is approximately 15 minutes in length, 10 minutes over our briefed guideline. Hence I am not influenced the story line, only the aggregate editing techniques. The film is a comedy-drama, and I intend to use these techniques in my film. This short film dramatises and adds comedy to the effects of social media, in that they are used in normal situations, e.g. being invited to a party and rather than giving a plausible explanation to why the character wont be attending he immediately says ‘decline’, just like you would if it were a Facebook event created.

At the very beginning of the film, the word ‘addiction’ is defined, as ‘The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice. It is also the compulsive psychological need for something, creating an abnormal dependency’. This definition represents what the short film focuses on. I think this technique is effective as it delivers a powerful message, even if there is a humorous side to the film that those who cannot put their phones down are ‘addicted’. This is, to some extent, what message I want to get across in my short film. I would like to achieve something similar to this, as my working title is ‘Disconnect’; I am considering defining disconnected at the beginning, using the same techniques used in this film. By doing this it is also a powerful insight of what the short film is going to be about.

The main character is represented as a ‘social media addict’, as we infer from his actions in the film, i.e. he wakes up and immediately posts a Facebook status, he uses the networking site at work, and when he is walking down the street. I think it is up to the audience to decide whether he is an antagonist or a protagonist, as views on social networks are fairly subjective; some individuals agree with it and believe it has many benefits, whereas others believe it is the poison of today’s society. In my short film I want my character to be portrayed as a protagonist, therefore the audience can sympathise with him. My initial idea differs from ‘The Anti-Social Network’s’ character, although some similar techniques are used. This is because my proposed character is hiding behind Facebook to make his life seem superior to his fellow Facebook ‘friends’.

No opening titles are used in this film, although we do find out the characters name from the comic ‘Lucas George checked into Pat’s funeral’ post at the very beginning. I assume there was no opening credits or titles because the film was made by a ‘prosumer’, and I’m working on the assumption that all the work was done by the film maker themselves.

Fairly basic camera shots are used in this short film, and I intend to create something a bit more complex, maybe emphasizing the use of technology a bit more. This short film focuses more around how Facebook is incorporated and become apart of our lives, whereas I want to achieve something a bit more focused on the use of actual technology, and therefore some close up camerawork will hopefully achieve this.

The mise-en-scene used in just general day to day surroundings. In my set up I hope to use this, such as the work place, being at home and outdoors.  The location and lighting will differ through the different scenes, as it is not just focusing on one situation. There will be no dialogue either, in hope this will emphasize the idea of being socially isolated. 

3) 9 Frame Analysis: Networked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTRUriGp_R0

Note: This is a short film called 'Networked' by Jack Thompson (A previous A2 Media Student) . The film explores how social networks have became integrated into modern day life, where many of us store 'digital' versions of lives, including our personal information, photos, videos and memories on the internet.

*Shots go left to right:    1,2,3     4,5,6,      7,8,9* 

Frame 1- Titles: After a few frames into the short film, the title 'Networked' appears. It appears to be influenced by the Facebook typeface and colour, which immediately makes the audience associate this short film with the iconic social networking site. The title appears quickly, as if it has been typed onto the screen. The letters do not appear continuously, in fact they appear muddled, suggesting to the audience that this is maybe a horror or a film of a violent nature, and disjointedness is a convention of Horror films. The title 'Networked' along with the style and transition of the title confirms that this film focuses around social networking, and perhaps its dangers.

Frame 2- Camerawork: The low close up of this shot shows the character logging onto Facebook. The fact that the computer is positioned higher up, suggests the audience is supposed to feel inferior towards it. Superiority comes with power, dominance and control. Perhaps this is trying to get across a message that this device and network site controls us.

Frame 3- Editing: In this frame, the editor has achieved a really nice, sophisticated editing technique. The computer has been recorded, perhaps using a remote desktop programme. The opacity has been changed so we can see the character looking at the screen. I think that this editing technique is very powerful, as we see the character from the 'computers point of view'. The computer is seeing everything the character does, which is sort of the message, if you go on social networking sites, nothing is private.I will incorporate this into my film, but using adobe captivate to record the screen of my mock up Facebook page, and put it over the top of my video, changing the opacity accordingly.

Frame 4- Characterisation: A close up of the Facebook page, confirms the characters name 'Andy Turnball'. From the previous shots, the audience have learnt that this character is fairly reserved, young teenager, who is just as addicted to social networking as the next person.

Frame 5- Sound: In this shot, the sound is disjointed and eerie. There is sort of a techno sound going on to match the editing, again as if he is being spied on.

Frame 6- Narrative: The character then likes a page called 'If you like this you will die' a supernatural virus (for a computer) which has been integrated within a popular social networking site has been the cause of death among teenagers. The main character was messaged by a friend providing him with a link to this page, trusting his friends judgement he goes ahead to like the page.

Frame 7- Costume & Props: This shot shows the use of drama makeup. The character has a bleeding nose, which adds to the supernatural virus, becoming more and more involved within the short film. This adds realism to the scene. His costume is just a plain white t-shirt and jeans, to represent teenage males.

Frame 8- Genre: In this frame, the books have rather abruptly fallen from the shelf, making the audience jump, drawing attention straight to the books without changing the shot. These types of conventions are associated with  Horrors and Thrillers, and given the other conventions, i.e.. the blood and the 'if you like this you will die' I infer that this is a Horror film.

Frame 9- Setting & Location: In this medium shot, we see the characters bedroom. The entirety of the short film is shot here, in ambient lighting. It is typical bedroom, with a computer, what most teenagers have in their bedrooms now.

4) Textual Analysis: Look Up

This short film explores and emotional journey through the use of technology, and how not using it can face the rest of our lives. It's a lesson taught to us through a love story, in a world where we continue to find ways to make it easier for us to connect with one

Look Up is a poetic response, from ‘YouTuber’ Gary Turk, to society’s use of social networking and use of technology. The video is 4:58 in length and therefore would fit out guidelines. The short film contains a poem and a love story, attempting to share a message or warning to the things we are missing in society.

At the very beginning of this film, we see a medium shot, and the poem begins. The words start as ‘I have 400 friends yet I am lonely’. The audience may immediately be able to relate this, as it is easy to infer what this means. This introduction is very effective, as most Facebook users have countless number of friends, yet how many of those do they consider close friends

The narrator, Gary Turk is anti-technology, hence the poem. He is trying to get a message across about how social media is ruining all the natural things, such as children playing in the park and meeting new people. The narrative turns into a love story, as the poem begins to focus on the emotional effects of always looking down at a screen.

The main character is represented in two different ways. Firstly, he is shown as this down to earth individual, who lives in the moment, who notices all the little things about life. The part of this poem reads “Just one small connection is all it can take, to show the difference that being there can make”. In this part we see the character asking someone on the street for directions, which essentially, society is too scared to ask strangers for help “through the fear of being insane”. The audience then follow the journey of the couple, sympathizing all the nature of life and how is intended to be.  However, we are then drawn back to reality after this representation of the fantasy expectation of life without phones. “When you’re too busy looking down you don’t see the chances you’ve missed”, I this part we see a repeat of the character walking down the road, this time rather than asking the woman for directions, he is staring down at his phone and has missed all those great chances to have a family, of course this is unrealistic but it really does achieve a powerful message.

There are no titles, or credits in this film. I think this allows the audience to focus on the film and listen to the message, and be left with it too. I like this technique; however I will be adding titles to my film, to help dramatize the effects of technology by putting quotes on the screen.

The scenes switch from the story, to shots of narrator. I think this adds to the emotion of the video that this individual is really trying to put across this powerful message, which is what my video is about, getting a message across to the generations that soon “can’t entertain a child without using an iPad”.

The camera shots aren’t really anything technical. I don’t feel that they need to be, as the poem is most focus and draws the audiences into the film. I may use the poem as a basis for the facts I will use, for example some statistics on commuter trains and the use of technology, etc.

The mise-en-scene in this is would usually expect. Multiple light settings, costumes and locations.