Typical Conventions of a Teaser Trailer

• Short (1-2 minutes)
• None to little footage of actual film, with an approximate release date
• Genre is made clear through the quick edits
• Audience should not get to grips with the plot
• Voiceovers
• Cliffhangers
• Balance - creativity and footage but not giving any spoilers away
• Fast/high impact
• Eye-catching

Typical Conventions of a Short Film

• Key characters - protagonist
• Propp's theory of characters - e.g. there always has to be allocated roles in films such as a hero and a villain
• A genre is needed for the narrative
• Clear plot - Todorov's theory is what most plots follow
• Effective techniques (flashback/flashforward, cliffhanger's, separate narratives)
• No budget - needs to be professional
• Steady shots
• Scripting, storyboard, location, props, costumes

Analysis of short films - "The Sandman"

"The Sandman" is a short film directed by Paul Berry, who also helped out with the animations of " The Nightmare Before Christmas". The Sandman is a chilling interpretation of an old European folk-tale and received an Oscar nomination.

Here is a link to "The Sandman"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjgHbRrnjhU

Narrative

Merge of Narratives

There are two narratives in the film, one of the small boy and the other is of The Sandman; there is a merger of the two narratives near the end of the film.

Face is shaped like a crescent moon

The Sandman's appearance is imprinted on the audiences mind as it is very unique, his facial shape mimic's a crescent moon which is a clever technique as it resembles his home which is a moon setting and also puts a subliminal thought into the audiences head, this is in terms of when the audience look at the moon in future after watching the film they will automatically think about The Sandman.

The boy is portrayed as rather timid

When the boy is in bed alternating from being awake to asleep, the audience feel a strong sense of the boys terror, it also reinforces his desperation to sleep in order to hide from his fears. This shows a contrast between him asleep where he can find happiness and peace to when he is awake where his fears and cons become his harsh reality.

Camera Shots and Angles

Close-up of The Sandman 

Close-ups of the sandman builds up the clarity in the audiences mind as it gives a major insight of his thoughts and how he is going to accomplish his aim in the plot.

Establishing Shot

The initial establishing shot of the room with the boy playing his drum and the woman knitting (presumably his mother) is one of peace and tranquillity, before the introduction of The Sandman as the disturbance in the narrative.

Close-up of Grim Reaper

This camera shot is the first that implies themes of the supernatural and of negative connotations.

Sound

When The Sandman attempts to wake the boy up with loud noises as he jumps around the boy, the audience begin to fear that the boy will lose his eyes. The Sandman begins to look increasingly more menacing and his task looks more achievable by each passing second. The eerie non-diagetic music throughout the duration of the film, fills the audience with wonder but adds negative connotations of fear. The music also heightens the mystery of The Sandman and makes the plot more compelling, it also gives the film a melancholy feel. The most effective diagetic sound in the film definitely comes from when The Sandman is climbing the stairs, it is so effective because of the mannerisms of how he ascends the stairs and also the pace of it, it is because of the pace and creaking of the stairs tension and suspense is dramatically increased as the audience can really empathise with the boy and fear for him not escaping The Sandman's clutches.  

Planning for my short film

Camera Angles and Shots

• Many shots to establish the setting at the beginning
• Zoom in on protagonist at the beginning. Zoom out at the end, shows emotions and a sense of realism which is mandatory
• Point of view shots
• Movement is important for introductory scene
• Upwards tilt on main character creates height and power - makes character more significant
• Panning - used for moving around - Point of view shot for when character is searching for something
• Close-ups - shows intensity and thoughts of characters - can lead into a point of view shot so it shows what the audience should be focusing on and can then lead into a cut away from the main characters thoughts
• Begins with far out long shot so the tone and location is built up in the audiences mind
• Initial long shot of the main character at start to build a strong image and a central focus for the audience
• Mid shots of the the main character allows the audience to familiarise themselves with the protagonist

Analysis of short films - "Gravity"

"Gravity" is a short film that addresses and highlights the dangers of guns and the damaging effects it can have on the youth of today and innocent peoples lives.

Here is a link to the short film "Gravity" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eak_lmYEps

Analysis

Point of view shots give the feelings and emotions of the characters. The angles of the gun in the film really showcases and emphasises the power of it.

 The fact that the audience doesn't see the child's face at the beginning of the film because his identity isn't prominent at that time and there is little footage of the boy throughout the duration of the film, makes it all the more shocking when the ending is established as it is so unexpected and the audience don't see it coming. The many close and simplistic shots throughout the film suggests it was made with a low budget.

 The shot with the mother hanging the washing on the balcony is putting forward a comment of a typical inner-city area with a harsh reality behind it.

The crane shots are effective as they show the landscape that has been effected by the use of the gun.

 The dark and dingy setting gives a scumy and depressing feel about the whole film.

Tension is built with the same sky background throughout as the audience don'y understand why it's so important on their first viewing.








The diagetic squeaking sound at the beginning isn't a initially positive sound, it is quite a haunting sound and when the swing comes into the frame a great feeling of poverty is felt. No non-diagetic sound makes the film very prominent as it makes everything feel a lot harsher. Throughout the film many of the sounds are for the audience to envisage as the sounds are highly reliant on peoples imagination, a great deal of tension is built through this. The laughing of the youths at the end of the film when there is a shot of just the sky gives the audience an horrific feel as the harrowing reality of what has just happened sinks in. Sound effects of the boy are important when he is holding the gun outside, as his level of maturity is highlighted along with his misunderstanding of how dangerous guns actually are.

The narrative is built through the shots used, in the first minute all the main characters have been introduced, the quick shots and cut backs show that the film is straight to the point. The roughness of the area gives a look of a poverty stricken, urbanised area, full of gangs on a estate, this has a high impact and is stereotypical for an inner-city area. There are two narratives, that of the youths and that of the younger children, the constant editing back and forth between them builds up the story and setting for the audience, there are stark contrasts between the two groups, the youth scenes are full of action whereas the children's scenes reflect peace and innocence. There is a major escalation in the underground den as suspense gets built up throughout that scene after the gun is introduced. When "Ben" begins to breath heavy it is a sign to the audience that things are getting out of control.

Research into Short Films: "Dipper"

I've been viewing a variety of short films and began to deconstruct and review them and try and categorise them into a genre, which is what I have began to do with "Dipper" which is a drama about a man who is framed for a murder he didn't commint, it is set out as a normal day in a normal town centre, the plot follows a thief who targets specific prey (looks like they are carrying money or wealthy looking) before pouncing. However during the film he makes the fatal mistake of under estimating his target, which leads to him getting into trouble.

Here is a link to the short film "Dipper" for references on the analysis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZ9fCwux64

Analysis
Within the film there are lots of eye level camera shots, the shots are directed at bags and pockets, tracking them which gives the impression that it's from the perspective of a thief that is interested in looting someone. There are lots of quick cuts which shows the speed that his mind is working and also reflects his efficiency.

Point of view shots show the thief's objectives/intent 

There are angles of his mouth with extreme close up shots, which shows what he is implying and also portrays an insight into his character.

There are many long shots after this close up but then the camera pans to an extreme close up of the woman's bag by the travel agent which shows his interest.

The long shot establishes the character, which shows he is scruffy and is the centre of attention in the shot. It is also shot at a low angle which shows his dominance and power over the general public. It is very voyeuristic, almost like a documentary, the audience watch him, watching the world.

When the camera shakes when he is walking it shows his intent but highlights his complications as he is trying to manouver through people.

To establish the scene the camera pans around the street.

A two shot shows the "dipper" and the policeman which then leads into a reaction shot from the "dipper" which shows his emotion.

There are a large amount of edits in the film, here are a few listed:

• Cuts to people which has a strong emphasis on how quickly they are walking and also their body language
• Zooms on faces
• The title cuts into the film which conveys a sense of drama
• A faded effect is used for people in the background which implies they aren't prominent
• Indents are used when words are spoken and the font changes
• The word "happiness" spirals out of control which gives across negative connotations and implies that someones happiness is about to be disrupted.
• Flashbacks are used to link the narrative
• Fades out to the credits at the end of the film

There isn't much use of effective sound in terms of non-diagetic, there is the themed music throughout and also quiet mysterious music when he is following the woman or when a flashback commences. However sound effects are very prominent throughout such as when he is trying to find a target and is scouring the area. 

Short Film Review - How To Tell When A Relationship Is Over In 90 Seconds

"How To Tell When A Relationship Is Over In 90 Seconds" is a very funny comedy, it is a light hearted and quirky comedy and is simply boy meets girl, boy gets girl, girl gets sick of boy, boy gets sick of girl. Big fight. The End. It is very appealing to the audience as it is one of only a few short films that actually has the capability to dazzle the viewers. This is by far one of the best short films around as it is engaging and also attractive to watch. It's a film that you could watch over and over again and not get tired of it as there is around 15 different scenario's that take place in approximately 90 seconds so it is impossible to take in everything in just one viewing and will probably take around 4-5 viewings to catch all the jokes. It is sheer comedy genius and is worth 5 out of 5 stars.

here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004p9wb

Short Film Review - Scene 26

"Scene 26" is set in a hotel, it is a drama which carries an element of surrealism about it, it also contains a theme of death and also has disturbing, gory scenes. It is about a man who wakes up in a hotel corridor with a plastic tube sticking out of his mouth which is awkward and not enjoyable, from then it gets progressively worse and worse. Therefore I rated this film 1 out of 5 stars.

Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004t6pg

Short Film Review - Malheur

"Malheur" is a clever, stop motion film with pieces of Lego used. It has a involving plot that carries themes of evil, fear and sorrow, all of which are effective in advancing and making the plot more suspenseful. However there are a couple of problems, such as at times it is perhaps a bit boring and also the duration is on a little too long at a time of approximately 6 minutes which for a stop motion film is longer than average and it gets a bit tiresome after a while. Therefore I would rate the film 3 out of 5 stars.

Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00gxx5s

Short Film Review - Get Off My Land

"Get Off My Land" is a dark comedy about a young couple on a countryside walk who meet the farmer who owns the land they're walking across. This film is a very good example of how wars begin and how they are very easily blown out of proportion. At times it is perhaps over exaggerated and the ending is a bit unrealistic. Therefore I would award the film 4 out of 5 stars.

Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00gs4yj

Short Film Review - Bubblegum

The short film “Bubblegum” is a music video by the band “Clinic”. It is quiet bizarre and random as it is about a cat the blows a bubble from some bubblegum it is chewing. The bubblegum then acts as a balloon and takes the cat through many strange scenarios, such as passing fields of exuberantly dancing popcorn, marching party poppers and giant knickerbocker glories. Despite the weirdness, it manages to capture the audience as they are mesmerised by what will happen in the video and the music in the video is enjoyable as it is quiet a groovy and melodic tune with good vocals alongside it. Out of 5 stars I think it would receive 4 as a good song is attached and the video is entertaining and engaging, however some people may take a dislike to it because the video may be off putting or not everyone’s preference.


Here is a link to the film http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00gzzgq

Research into Short Film - Bait

Summary

A boy and his father are living alone. The boy makes his lunch (bait) as the father gets ready for a job interview. They leave the house and get the bus from Newcastle to Durham. Then they enter a cafe and the boy waits for his father while the father has his interview, which initially the father said he would only be 10 minutes but the way the film is shot, the audience get the impression that the boy is waiting a lot longer than 10 minutes. During the time the father is gone, a drunk comes in and the boy gives him the "bait". The father realises this on his return and attempts to get the bait back by fighting the drunk. However, the father realises why his son gave the drunk the food, it was because the drunk was worse off than them. The father lets the drunk have the bait and also gives him the rest of his spare change including their bus fare, the father then walks over 10 miles back to their home carrying his son on his shoulders. This is a positive end as it highlights the moral of the story, that there are always people worse off and people should show kindness to try and help them as best they can, the film also highlights a aspect of the strong will and goodness in humanity.

Analysis


There are only a few edits throughout the film but all are very effective in building the plot and foreshadowing the future events. At the end of scene 1 the screen fades to black which shows a skip in time but also there are negative connotations with the colour being black and also the duration of the screen being black, the colour black in the film represents the harshness of the society they live in and also the frailties between the father and sons relationship when they are apart, when the screen goes black, it stays that way for a few seconds which implies that there will be a long stretch of negativity ahead. Todorov's theory will also come into play here as the audience can determine that the disturbance will soon commence to liven up the story and so the equilibrium can be restored afterwards. When the boy is sitting in the cafe there is a clever piece of editing, as the camera shows the boy looking at his father walking away through the window, the camera flicks to the boy and back again as a point of view shot. The window glass conveys the boys segregation from the rest of the world and the audience can really empathise with the boy as it is shown from his perspective, so the audience experience the boys isolation as he experiences it, this could be a usual feeling the boy has when not with his father as he is fully reliant on his father.

In terms of the mise en scene there is quiet a lot to pick up on. In the opening scene there is a huge emphasis on the money jar as the camera angle shows there isn't a lot of money in the jar, the director also takes thought on the condition of the house and keeps this in mind when he is creating the setting and atmosphere. Both of these portray the poor conditions of their lives and the poverty they are enduring, this also shows the significance of how important it is for the father to do well in his interview as the family looks like it desperately needs a steady income of money. Another thing that is gained from the opening scene is that straight away the single parent scenario is portrayed to the audience as there is no sight or mention of a mother throughout the duration of the film. Throughout the film there is a keen focus on the "bait", an interpretation of this could be that the "bait" represents the boy's relationship with his father, in the sense that when the "bait" is around, their relationship is positive. However when the "bait" is lost, it highlights a gap of emptiness in each of their lives. The "bait" is purely a materialistic thing for them as it has no real baring after the fight which shows the importance of food when there isn't much money but also shows that company is more important as the relationship between them both is what prevails at the end of the film and the "bait" has gone to the drunk as that is the priority in his life as he has nobody else to consider.

In terms of sound there is only a limit on effective diagetic sound throughout the film, important sounds are the constant praising of the son from the dad, which is establishing their relationship. Also the most effective diagetic sound is that of the coins rattling in the jar which shows the lack of wealth the family has had to endure. On the other hand the non-diagetic sound plays a massive part in the suspense and development of the plot. For instance, at the beginning of the second scene, the harmonious music reflects the calm and settled relationship. When the drunk enters the cafe there is a sudden change in the music, as it gets more tense which implies the danger and threat the tramp presents towards the boy who, when the camera is on him has more calm and relaxed music which shows the stark contrast between good and bad, showing the differences between both. The music then changes again when his father returns which portrays  the hope and positive nature the father has on his sons life.

Throughout the film there are constant low angle shots cast at the father which shows the film is directed from the child's point of view, this shows he idolises his father and he is the biggest role model in his life. Throughout the film there are close-ups of the two of them in the same shots, which implies the the closeness and bond between them. As time goes on while the father is in his interview, there is a shot of the cafe that suddenly becomes empty which shows how long the father is taking and a sad mood is portrayed by the way the camera has close-ups of the boys face, by the expressions on his face the audience can clearly feel the lonliness and vulnerability of the boy when he is without his father.

To conclude, there is a significant use of effective filming techniques throughout, these effect the feeling and mood of the story, which builds up the tension and also introduces important themes of poverty and loneliness. The camera angles are specifically important as they show the emotions of the main characters, especially the close up of the boys face where the audience see his true feelings expressed through his facial expressions. The edits are also effective as there is a emphasis on time as the camera jumps from boy to where his father is when he is in the cafe shows the commitment and willingness the boy has towards his father, the black screen at the end of the first scene shows the time factor that the boy puts into their relationship, as the key focus is on the "bait" which is the only thing that the father and son have in between them. In the mise en scene there is two main focuses, that of the "bait" which is the central focus throughout the plot as it is the only thing that both the father and son have a true connection with apart from money, which is also a running theme throughout the film as there is always a importance of how much money the father has and also how necessary it is for them both to live. The non-diagetic sound is key as it involves the music which sets tones of seriousness, sadness, happiness and gloominess all throughout the film, it is able to set these tones with the style and tempo of the music which is discreetly layered into the background, the audience would find it difficult to notice the music unless they were analysing the film or distinctively searching for the non-diagetic sound, this is a clever filming technique from the director as he subliminally sets the mood, which is a lot harder to do than if you were to set the mood with obvious techniques, such as through speech or body language.