Echo - Lewis Arnold

 Echo is a short film following a girl who receives a phone call from the hospital about her dad being in an accident. It is quickly revealed that she had not in fact been on a call, leading us to understand she had been running a scam. However, as the story progresses, we begin to see that she is grieving for her father who had actually been in an accident. The plot is ambiguous, not giving the viewer total understanding her character and how she is acting. We do not know if she is intentionally using her grief to gain money or if she is simply grieving to the point she keeps reliving the experience of learning of her dads accident. Our response to her character also varies greatly over the course of the film: at the beginning we feel bad for her as we believe her dad to have just been in an accidence but a few moments later we believe her to be a scammer, and start to feel more negative about her. However, by the end of the film, we can see that she is grieving and it is suggested that she has actually been through the experience she is acting out, making us feel more sympathetic towards her. 

The structure of the narrative is important in creating this ambiguous storyline.  The film leaves us with no answer on how the order of the events took place in the plot, making the film more compelling, as we do not know if the final scene was her actually getting the phone call for the first time, or simply her doing the scam again. The use of close up at the end, still suggests there is something more going on then just as scam, as it puts emphasis on her expression. The long take on this shot allows us to see just how much grief she is feeling, showing her emotions are real, even if the call isn't. This creates an open ending, not allowing us to see what happens next, or even understand the truth within the story. 

Slap - Nick Rowland

 

Slap is a short film following a boxer, who likes to express himself through wearing dresses and make up. It explores themes of identity, masculinity and expression, following him as he tries to navigate the reactions of his friends and families. Set in an northern, industrial town, the location gives the sense the man lives in a more conservative atmosphere, adding to the sense of tension for the viewer as we understand it to be more likely for him to encounter negative views on his actions. Mise-en-scene is also important for establishing the atmosphere of the mans environment, with often drab backgrounds and colours, adding to the dingy feel of the scene. This also helps to show how the man stands out against the rest of the town, as his make up stands out with its colourful nature against the drab backdrop. 

Performance is also important throughout the film, allowing us to understand the characters and emotions of each scene. It also gives the film a further sense of realism, with its psychologically credible performances. For instance, in the scene where Lola confronts Connor in the party, she repeats the words "is it mine?". This feels more realistic as we know she is actually angry about Connor lying to her, but the writers chooses to make her express her anger through the object that supposedly belongs to her. The actress acurately portrays these emotions, making us see that her anger is actually beyond the stolen object, and is much deeper than that. 

Characters

How characters are defined in film

Costume

Dialogue

Actions 

Example: Zane [Ninjago]

Zane does not drive at the start of the series and instead rides a dragon to get around. In later seasons, he drives an ice themed race car to match his elemental ability of ice. At a restaurant he would likely order his steak well done, as he wouldn't like the idea of eating his steak partially raw, as he is not very adventurous. He would listen to classical music to calm his worries as he tends to overthink about their actions and potential consequences. His favourite colour would be white or blue as he likes ice, because it is his elemental power. His favourite song to do karaoke to would be bad guy by Billie Eilish as it is ideal to do the robot dance to and he is a robot. His favourite film would be Ex Machina, as he would relate to the character of Ava and find it intriguing. His biggest fear is being afraid. 

Tight Jeans - Destiny Ekaragha

Tight Jeans is a short film about three boys having a conversation about what wearing tight jeans says about a person. The film is comical, and whilst it discusses some serious topics like slavery and sexual politics, its maintains a light, and comedic tone throughout. Although much of what the the characters discuss about the wearers of skinny jeans it satirical of what some men talk about in real life, Ekaragha also chooses to use them to discuss some elements of truth. For instance, on of the men talks about his dislike of being with white women, as they can sometimes use black men to create mixed race babies, as their "ticket" into the black community. Another example is when they talk about how people of all races have originated from Africa.

The use of mise-en-scene is important as it reflects the title and theme of the film. Whilst the white man who walks past them wears skinny jeans, accompanies by mostly black items of clothing, the three boys wear baggy jeans. This helps to cement their group status, which is further reinforced by the similarities in the rest of their outfits, such as their hoodies and shoes. This, paired with the fact they are all black-british boys, helps group them together, suggesting their shared opinions and the idea that they are similar. However, it also shows that, despite their similarities, they are different from each other. For instance, the colours of their hoodies, and differences in hairstyle. Their performance also establishes this, pushing them comfortably into personality types, with one being the funny one, one being the unintelligent one, and one being the clever one. This helps us connect to the characters even within the short space of time of the film.