2013 Post 1 - Researching Existing Short Films Part A

This post will present my research into an existing short film as a starting point for when I begin to create my own. By analysing a short film I can consider what I may need to include and what I am competing against.

The short film I have analysed is called 'Gasman' by Lynne Ramsay.



Mise-en-scene

• The film begins  with fairly dim lighting inside the house, connoting that the family's life and financial situation may be bleak although the girl's clothing is significantly brightly coloured which suggests that she is important.
• Props include domestic images of a mug and a woman ironing, these are everyday items that the audience can relate to and it is clear from the man smoking that traditional roles in the household are upheld.
• It is bright in the christmas scene inside, with glittering tinsel and balloons, and this gives off a cheerful atmosphere. Whereas outside it is dark, misty and the characters are shrouded in shadow to create an eerie feel.
• It is clear that the film was set in the past as the clothing is old-fashioned and the music is dated, but because it is christmas time the audience can relate to similar traditions.

Sound

• Diegetic sounds such as the grinding of the sugar under the toy car, and deep ambient rumbling of the industrial city in the background add to the tension during scenes of silence or hushed dialogue.
• There is a noticeable Scottish accent amongst the characters in the dialogue of the film, at times it is muffled or unitelligable so that the audience is disorientated and confused. The accents connote the characters as being working class and stereotypically loud or aggressive which is reinforced during the arguement between the father and daughter.
• There is a soundtrack playing christmas songs during most of the film, the jolly music contrasting the tense situations, which increases in volume in the pub to suggest happiness or an overpowering atmosphere. The music always fades away as the girl notices the other, linking the audience to her experiences.

Editing

• The majority of the film is shot with long takes which adds a sense of realism for the audience. Although there are moments of slow-motion which slow the pace of the film and is disorientating as the music continues playing normally, this connotes memory as if the audience were viewing the girl's past.
• There is a soft focus as the girl puts on her clothes, this adds to the memory and dream-like effect of the film as it is unclear, and there is a cut to a black screen to suggest the passage of time as if there are holes in the girl's memory.

Camera

• There are several shots wherein adult's eyes or the whole of their faces is not shown, this creates an air of mystery and was done to present the film through the girl's perspective and eye level; only being able to see the other children on an equal level.
• A wide shot is used to present all the men sitting together, showing the male authority during that time period, but the boy is shown sitting alone in a shot that uses rule of thirds in order to isolate him in a corner.
• Simple shot-reverse-shots are used during conversational scenes to provide a clear sense of what is happening to the audience, but there is an extreme close-up used when the man attempts to brush the woman's face as this is what the girl notices and it is unclear for her.

Below is the IMDb page for this short film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122498/