Student Films

Student Films

We watched a variety of the short films made by past student, which provided some inspiration from where they drew their ideas and how they made their films. Many of the films where highly cinematic and well edited, but sometimes were lacking slightly in sound. Often with filming in external locations, their audio was less clear and well defined. I found also that sometimes the dialogue was slightly clunky and needed to be more natural, and sometimes those pieces with less dialogue worked better. However some were able to have very effective use of dialogue, often supported by skilled acting. This helps to show the importance of casting correctly when making my film. 

It was also interesting to see some of the locations used to film, with some choosing to film in public places, and others in buildings and shops, likely needing to get permission to film in these places. I think both work well, but often filming in public places meant it seemed more difficult to get clean audio. It seemed important to choose the right locations to fit with the aesthetics and narratives of each film. 

How the Real World Works - Felix Bayly

Ball Don't Lie - Samuel Penney

The Lottery - Benjamin Harris

Stalker - Genevieve Hill

Call - Aleanbh Davey

Following - Sam Dawson

 

The Arrival - Daniel Montanarini

 The Arrival is a five-minute short film about a woman in a cafe, who is deciding what to do about her pregnancy and preparing to tell the father. Shot in one long take, the camera slowly zooms towards the woman, as we hear her inner monologue. The film starts with a sound bridge, setting the scene with the ambient noise of the cafe before we are then shown the woman sitting down, alone in a booth. Her inner monologue then begins, starting "i should have ordered a decaf", subtly hinting to the fact she is pregnant, right from the start. 

The use of mise-en-scene is important, as it matches the emotions of the woman, creating a cold tone. The use of colour, particularly throughout the costumes of both the woman and the extras, such as the man who passes the table at the start in a light blue shirt, adds to this cold sense already established through the lighting and setting. The timing and choreography is also important in adding depth to the dialogue, as the movements of the background characters around her, often reflect the words she is saying. For instance, as an old woman comes into shot, we hear her think "how much time do i have left". Similarly, as a couple comes into the cafe, holding hands, her voice begins to think about the father, saying "we're not in love...". This helps to tie together all aspects of the film, linking the dialogue of the woman's thoughts to the world around her. 

The Fly - Olly Williams

 

The Fly is a dark comedy film, showing a getaway driver during a bank heist getting increasingly annoyed by a fly. The most affective aspect of this film is its use of sound, which affectively makes the viewer feel more and more tense and uncomfortable. Sound is also used to help us understand the events taking place, as although we are never shown it, the viewer can quickly work out that there is a bank robbery happening, as we are able to hear screams and loud noises coming from inside the bank. This means we can work out the context of the film, without being explicitly shown. The engine is constantly thrumming in the background, throughout the film, which helps to build tension from the start and the sound of the fly buzzing creates discomfort for the viewer as it properly imitates the sounds the man is hearing within the car. This allows us to feel some of the annoyance and impatience that he is feeling, further adding to the tension. 

I also like the use of mise-en-scene throughout this film, most specifically the toothpick. This prop, although at the start does not stand out, begins to add to the tension as we see the man thrash around more and more, and we can start to suspect that it will cause some damage later on. The toothpick acts affectively as Chekhov's gun, seeming first unimportant but later adding greatly to the narrative of the film, when the man's flailing results in it going through his lip.