Short Film Analysis

The Witness

Before we see any action take place in this short film, we hear the sound motif which is then heard again during scenes including build up of action and again as the film comes to an end. Having a sound motif is very effective because it creates a tune that the audience are familiar with and recognise. The opening sequence is used again at the end of the short film which is good closure for the film itself and it is then clear to the audience it has finished. There is blurred focus of the camera in the first scene that we see and this means that we are unable to see the action and this further connotes that this is the point of view of the story. Another interpretation of this would be that the blur is a reflection of the state of mind of the main character. The non-diegetic sound builds up tension and prepares the audience for the action to come. The music die down when the scene begins but the tense music begins and the first image we see is of some handcuffs and someone tapping their hands. This typically makes us think of crime and danger as this is a typical scenario in a police station or interrogation room. There is yet to be speech which is another element of tension being built up. We see one of the main characters under a spotlight which indicates once again he is being interrogated. The close up of his face in the camera shot allows us to analyse his facial expressions and how he is feeling. There is a look of nervousness and confusion on his face highlighting how he doesn't want to be in the position he is currently in. The nervousness could connote that he is guilty for something or the confusion may be there to tell the audience that he is unaware of the situation. The title of the film then suggests that the character is a 'witness' of a crime. When the characters begin to converse there is a formal tone which indicates the seriousness of the interrogation. The gentle hum of background noise is typical to be heard in an office setting but the way the sound has been isolated gives a more mysterious feel. When describing the action taking place there are flashbacks to when the character was a witness. Once again there is non-diegetic music featured in these added scenes to build up the tension further. The cuts between the action and the narrative are slick which makes it much more effective as a believable story line. One thing I would constructively criticise about this short film is that there appears to be no motive for the events that take place and it leaves questions in the viewers mind. Who are the people in the action scenes? How do they have any relevance to the witness? What was the motive for the crime? How did the interviewer know of the witness? Gaps in the action can be effective in short films however to improve upon this I would suggest that a few more questions were answered to make the purpose of the short film much clearer. The conversation ends with a handshake between the two main characters and this is captured in a close up camera shot to highlight the working relationship between the two of them. It is then cut back to the sound motif and the original credits the short film began with. This is effective because this will be familiar to the audience and they will be aware that the short film has come to an end.

Two Detectives

The introduction of this short film has non-diegetic music that creates the atmosphere for the scenes to come. As the characters are walking into shot the pace is slow as the speed has been altered to build tension. The credits are carefully featured throughout the opening sequence so that they do not defer from the introduction but are still shown as important. The title of the short film follows this on a new screen and when it cut backs to the original setting the speech begins. From the title 'Two Detectives' it is immediately apparent that the characters are in the middle of a case because of the terminology used. This short film features lots of comedy within the speech but this is unexpected and subverts the stereotype of a typical thriller short film because the narrative is generally serious and about the crime or the events taking place. Within "Two Detectives" every other line of speech features a humorous comment about spoilers of films or series such as 'Game of Thrones'. This is effective because it is unexpected, thus keeping the audience engaged with the action.

Three Minutes

The beginning of this short film is very effective because it uses a sound bridge of diegetic noises to give clues to the audience as to what may be taking place in this short film. The title and actor's name are the first things to appear on screen and they are memorable because of the white text on the black background and nothing else causing a distraction. The scene begins with a mid shot of a man in a suit tied up in a chair and he is completely unaware of how he has come to be where he is and why he is in the situation. This conforms to a stereotypical thriller genre as there is generally an unsolved twist to keep the audience engaged and leave them with the same confusion as the actor. I plan to use this acting and screening method in my short film as I believe it to be very effective and interesting for the audience to watch. The setting and the props are very basic but this is good because it means there is more focus and attention paid to the main character and no distractions from the action taking place. Another camera shot used is a high-angle shot which displays the action from the corner of the room through what appears to be a CCTV camera, conforming to a convention of a typical crime thriller of the idea of being watched. As the man realises that there is a bomb in front of him and the time of 3 minutes appears on it, the tension and suspense builds and some non-diegetic music begins in the background to increase the pace of the short film. I would like to use this pace technique in my short film when the denouement of the film has been reached. The switching between the close up shots of the man and the bomb timer is effective because it emphasises the build up in the action and how heightened the pace is. Once he has stopped the bomb the suspense decreases and the door handle makes a noise which makes the audience believe the man has been allowed to escape the room he was trapped in. However we soon learn that once he presses the button on the door it is linked up to the bomb. The timer on the bomb is not displayed on screen again so we are unaware as to how much time he has left but the film is cut off at that point anyway to leave the action on a cliffhanger. This conforms to the codes and conventions of a stereotypical crime thriller and I would like to use this technique in my short film, as the audience are left wanting to know what happens. By leaving questions unanswered it is more likely that people will remember the film and thus if there were a sequel there would already be an audience waiting to watch.