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Textual Analysis
Get Off My Land
Get off my land is a film about a two people walking through private land and the owner catches them. However, the people ask for a fight while the land owner gets a shotgun and shoots both of them. However, after shooting them he realises that the land may not be private after all. This genre is known as dark humour. This is because the film shows people getting shot which is the dark area whilst laughing about the realisation that the land isn't private. The contrast in these situations presents and enjoyable film to watch.
Audience
The target market for this film can be anyone however, its specifically targeted at people who find humour funny and enjoy comedy. The film has comedy elements in it. Its purpose it to amuse the audience and make them laugh about what they have just seen. Therefore, comedy is aimed at a mass audience as everyone can enjoy watching comedy as it lifts their moods.
Location
The location used in the short film was a field. The location plays a big part in the film as this is the reason why the confrontation occurred. The field is shown with the two people walking through it and during the confrontation. The field in the film suggests that the geographical location was very remote with dense forest surrounding the characters. This can connote the feeling loneliness and fear which is passed on to the audience as they might expect something to happen when there would be no where for the characters to go.
Codes and Conventions
In terms of camera and camera angles, during the dialogue there are two shots, and medium close ups of the characters. This is because it shows to the audience the facial expression of the characters. In the film, the facial expressions signified that the land owner wasn't very happy with people on his land whilst the other man seemed determined to fight the land owner. It also showed the man laughing as he thought the land owner had backed out of the fight. The contrast in his thinking can also be seen as humorous. On the other hand, the women's facial expression showed that she didn't want confrontation and had asked to leave. Furthermore, the camera wasn't still which suggests that the situation was unstable. Although, it wasn't shaking it can connote an edgy feeling lead up to the 'fight'.
In terms of sound, all of the sound in the short film was diagetic. This means that the characters were able to hear the sound the audience can hear. Examples of these are the gunshot, the rustling whilst walking through the field and the engine for the 4x4.
Mise en scene used is the clothing, shotgun and vehicle. The clothing is essential to put the characters into their roles. Also, the clothing give the audience an idea of who they might be representing and how they might interact in the film. The land owner wore tweed jacket which automatically makes you think he is a farmer. From this you can conclude that he isn't very modern and may have traditional values like his land. The shotgun can be used for presence to show who is in control. Lastly, the 4x4 may have been used to reinforce the land owner's role as a farmer.
Latsly, the editing in this short film has a few techniques that help follow the storyline. Continuity editing is used in this film when the two people are walking through the field to show the progress when walking through the field. This technique is easy to follow as it links both shots together without having a continous shot which would become boring for the audience. It also has a two shot to show both characters react to the land owner. Also, using the 180 degree rule, between the dialogue the editing switches from land owner to the tresspassers to show dialogue. Instead of an over the shoulder shot the editing has been done to show the medium close up of the characters to show facial expression.
Characters
The characters in this short film are two men and a women. This shows that the dominance is with the male gender. During the confrontation scene both males were confronting each other while the female was trying to avoid a heated situation. This correlates with the typical stereotype of the male trying to be in control and to show off their status as a male.
The picture shown is a screenshot taken when one of the males offers the land owner to fight over the land. As you can see, he shows he is ready as he takes off his jacket. Also, the female is on the side trying to stop the male and persuade him to back off. This supports the stereotype of the alpha male. On the other hand, the land owner doesnt seem fussed about the confrontation and stands man to man to prove his territory on the land. This scene differs from the beginning scene when they entered the field. The male wasn't sure about going over the fence and now he is acting like the hard man in front of the female. The land owner then gets his shotgun from the car and the other male becomes scared and regrets doing what he did.
In the beginning of the film, they entered the field over the fence. However, in this scene the male wasn't sure he should be going over and struggled to jump over. In contrast, the female walked ahead of the male without a problem going over the fence. This signifies that the man isn't very confident and is nervous about going into the field. This could connote that the male in this sitaution isnt in control. This goes against the stereotype of the male being in control of what seems to be a couple.
The Ellington Kid
The Ellington kid is about a film about a man who was stabbed and stumbled to a kebab shop to seek help for his injuries. The people who stabbed him chase the man to the kebab shop to finish him off. Meanwhile, on a different occasion two men are eating in the same barber shop and are talking about the incident. The editing switches back and fourth from both these scenes. As the gang rush in the shop, the kebab shop staff pulled out their larger knives and closed the shop. The gang became quiet and realised the situation at hand. The film finishes off with the two men sitting and eating the chicken that they are referring to as the gang that were supposedly killed by the kebab shop owners. This is a dark humour that is enjoyable to watch and follow.
Audience
The audience of this short film is 16 and above year olds. The reason for this is because this film contains some profanity and evidence of stabbings and blood. This would present a very traumatic experience anyone of under age to watch the film. Also, more specifically this film is aimed at the younger generations. The film has an element of the 'hood'. We understand this through the clothing used and the incident itself is more involved with gang related incidents.
Codes and Conventions
The codes and conventions of this film were a variety including all four, camera, editing, sound and mise en scene.
Beginning with camera, it is used as a two shot and shot reverse shot. This was used to show the dialogue between the two friends having a meal in the kebab shop. It has been used to show the face of each character as they are speaking. This makes it easier for the audience to follow the story and to see the facial expressions and positioning of the characters as part of the mise en scene. Furthermore, tracking shots were used to show the progress of the character who had been stabbed as he headed towards the kebab shop. Tilt and low angles have been used to signify that the stabbed man was powerless in getting help.
Moving on to editing, editing was well used as in transitioned from one scene to another acting as a flashback to what happened. This creates an easy follow for the audience and relates back to the story line. Also, the film was shown with a crop on the top and bottom of the screen. The signifies to the audience and keeps them engaged with the film and the attention is on the storyline. In addition, parts of the film was slowed down in motion. This signifies to the audience that they should anticipate something happening. Also, the focus on the story becomes more enhanced as they audience have more time for tense waiting and scouting out for clues and plots.
At the beginning of the film we see a person sharpening a large kitchen knife with synchrounous sound to accompany the sound of the knife. This sound is diagetic sound meaning that the characters in the film are able to hear it. Furthermore, the next shot shows a meat clever being used to cut the meat. Sound is used to show the hitting of the meat with a very agressive motion. As the film goes on, we can relate that the meat and the meat clever is related to the stabbing. In addition, the sizzle of chips being deep fried could signify the story of the youths being allegedly being cut and cooked served to the customers of the same kebab shop. The stabbing scene played an ambient sound of trains. This signifes that the area where it happened was isolated and not heavily crowded. Whilst the film was being explained the voiceover was used to narrate the film to make it easier to follow for the audience. Moreover, suttle sounds like the doorbell ringing and the locking of the door help the audience set the scene. The door bell signifies the welcoming in someone premises which means that the injured man was seeking help. The same scene is replayed at the end of the woker sharpening the knives with the same diagetic sound.
Lastly, the mise en scene of the film was very detailed with clothing, weapons and blood. As I have mentioned the clothing of the youths were dark and they had masks to conceal their identity. This signifies to the audience that the people entering the shop are gangsters. Furthermore, the youths were armed with knives which signifes their threat to the injured man. When the injured man entered the kebab shop the audience could clearly tell that he was bleeding from his mouth and his stab injuries. This signifies that he is injured. This can further connote that without help he may die from his injuries. Also, the kebab shop staff also had their own uniform and aprons signifying to the audience that they are working in the kebab shop.
Characters
There were three types of character in the film. The gangsters, the kebab shop owners and the casual person. Each persona had their own look and various speeches. Each of them came across differently to suit the storyline of the film.
The gangsters are shown to be wearing masks and blacked out clothing. This is the stereotypical look that gangsters are associated with. The clothes shown below are an example of what the gangsters in the film looked like. As you can see, they have the majority of their faces covered to hide their identity. They are wearing dark clothes so that they are hard to identify and blend in better with their surroundings of the night. During the scene of the kebab shop, the youths were shouting at the owners as they tried to get to the injured man. They shouted "get out of the fucking way, are you mad?". This signifies that they are demanding this action to be done. They feel as though they have the control whilst they hold knives visible. Lastly, the posture of the youths presents confidence. This connotes the stereotype of youths as they feel untouchable.
In contrast, the kebab shop owners instead of backing down they grabbed their knives that they used in the shop against the youths. Their posture is very calm. One of the men went towards the door and switched the sign to show that the door was closed. This signifies that they were prepared to battle the youths with their much larger knives. Also, the film mentions the background of the kebab shop owners. They mention that they come from war torn countries which signifies that these youths don't scare them. The scene is left on a cliffhanger signifying that the audience can conlcude what happened in the kebab shop.
The Last man on earth
Audience
The target audience for this short film is 16. I think so because there is a lot of dark humour and also this short film is set in a pub and you can see alcohol present in the frame for the majority of the short film, which could mean that it is targeted at a slightly older audience, also this short film has a lot of dark humour which wouldn’t be understood by a younger audience therefore I believe this is targeted at teenagers of the age 16 and over. In addition at the end he swallows poison which could be previewed as unorthodox for the viewing of the younger audience.
Codes and Conventions
The last man on earth is a dark-humour comedy short film. The codes and conventions of comedy and really naturalistic as comedies should be realistic as they tend to try and make the audience feel part of the movies through the common POV shots through a comedy film. However, the last man on earth is a dark-humour comedy this encompasses visual aspects from the horror and thriller genre however contains the camera work and angles from the comedy genre. Close up and POV’s are often used to position the audience with the protagonist to enhance comedic moments. In this short film there are also a lot of horror conventions for example the use of darkness and also the dark theme of the scene for when he is sitting in the pub and you are shown a panning shot of him sitting at the bar. Having the use of darkness it can imply the dark-humour which is the main theme of the short film as we come to find out as he gets a phone call right after he ingests the poison.
Camera
In this short film the very first camera angle is an extreme long shot tracking shot which when rolled out from the darkness presents the main character directly in the middle of the screen showing that he will probably be the main focus of the short film. Secondly, we are presented with an extreme long shot, bird’s eye view/ Tracking shot of the protagonist and the and the roads surrounding him. This shows us that he is all alone and there is nothing around him which ties up to the title which ‘Last man on earth’. Once the protagonist enters the pub you can presented with a tracking shot which is slowly getting closer to the protagonist until is for a moment focus on a glass vial which he had placed on the bar. once the camera had focused it the pans over to the protagonist and however you are in a worm's eye view which presents the protagonist as having a lot of power as if we are looking up to him. We are then presented with an medium long shot however as the scene progresses the camera gradually gets closer to the protagonist to show in full figure that he is drinking the poison the camera then shifts to an over the shoulder shot to show his phone as he presumed that he was the last man on earth however, he got a phone call and the camera shifted for the last time and went to a front facing shot to show his facial expression in this shot he samera what gradually zooming out from him face which could make the audience simulate that he messed up big time.
The use of camera in this short film fits the codes and conventions of the comedy genre as the camera angles used throughout the short film give the audience a sense of realism which protrudes to the audience. The use of camera in this short film makes the audience feel as if they are there inside the pub with the protagonist. The filmmakers achieved this feeling through the use of uneven camera angles, shake movements and the constant change of angles between the over the shoulder look and the long shot gradual tracking shot zoom in. This effect was achieved as it made you feel as you were coming closer to the main character to see what he is actually doing and even more maybe try decipher what he is thinking.
The last man on earth is about a guy which has convinced himself that there is some kind of virus and that has killed off the entire human population. He then goes looking for a poison which he could use to kill himself with. as you will be able to see in the short film he enters a bar which seems to be vandalised as you can see tipped over chairs and items all over the floor. He then records a short video of his death note and why he chose to drink poison to kill himself. Finally, we are shown with him drinking the poison however he doesn't know that his phone was about to ring and that after all he wasn't the last man on earth at all.
In addition this short film is aimed to be a dark-humour comedy which is portrayed really well through the camera and theme of the shots and mise-en-scene. we can mainly see this at the end where when he finds out that he is actually not the last man on earth the camera zooms out from his face and he leaves us with a really sad and confused face making the audience feel as if he was thing '' well I messed up''. Furthermore comedies in theory should have very vibrant colours and setting however as this a dark-humour comedy we are left with really dull colours however the script and camera angles and camera work is on the comedy codes and convention.
This short film also contradicts some of the main codes and conventions of the genre, for example the colouring of the scenes and surroundings should be vibrant and colourful however due to this short film being a dark-humour comedy the setting and colourations are really dark and dull. An example of this could be the dark shadows behind the main character also most of the mise-en-scene in the background are dark green, grey, black or white we can also see this as the main characters shirt is also grey to fit with the dull theme of the setting.
Audience
Titles
The target audience for this short film is 16. I think so because there is a lot of dark humour and also this short film is set in a pub and you can see alcohol present in the frame for the majority of the short film, which could mean that it is targeted at a slightly older audience, also this short film has a lot of dark humour which wouldn’t be understood by a younger audience therefore I believe this is targeted at teenagers of the age 16 and over. In addition at the end he swallows poison which could be previewed as unorthodox for the viewing of the younger audience.
The opening credits for this short film are fairly simple the start from a black screen and then continue once the tracking shot comes out from behind the the junk which was in front of it. The titles continue fairly unnoticeably in the bottom right of the screen.
On the other hand, the end credits/ titles are really difficult to read and see who did what in this creation of the short film. however, the tiles are once again really simple with a easy to read font. They are also fairly good to read as they are white titles on a black background. This was a good choice as it shows that it's the end but also fits with the dark and dull theme for which the short film creators were aiming to reach as we could see throughout the duration of the short film itself.
The opening title of the film “About A Girl” uses a font and typeface that audiences associate with younger generations and modern technology of text messaging. The non-diegetic sound of buttons being pressed on a telephone reinforce this. This gives an indication of the film’s target audience, as well as who the protagonist is, who we quickly find out in the opening shot is a young female.
The opening shot is not only simple but effective also. The protagonist is placed off-centre, as this is more appealing for the viewer and therefore draws their attention. It is immediately clear to the audience that this silhouette is a young girl, due to the fact that she is singing and as she dances, her long hair flicks back and forth. We are introduced to this character with a very child-like representation, which conveys her innocence. The fact that she is alone suggests she is only able to practice her singing and dancing away from family or friends, perhaps for self-confidence and self-conscious issues. She sings: “My loneliness ain’t killing me no more,” which connotes that no one in her life is actively supportive of her dream and so, she must pursue it by herself.
The girl is often seen looking and talking into the camera in a medium tracking shot. This technical feature portrays a sense of realism, as if she is talking directly to the viewer and as if they are actually walking side-by-side with her. This establishes a connection between the character and the viewer, causing the audience to feel an emotional attachment to the character and reinforce her relatable experiences.
The setting is striking for the audience, despite its lack of colour. It creates a gloomy atmosphere and juxtaposes the audience's’ assumption of a young girl’s happy-go-lucky, carefree life, as we imagine girls like this running and laughing in parks and gardens. We are given the impression that it is the girl’s dream to become a famous pop star but the grey sky and naturalistic low lighting are almost an indication that her future is dull and grey, meaning that there is no hope for her achieving her dream. However, the streaks of sunlight through the clouds signify her hopes and dreams trying to break through, as the Sun is often associated with happiness and optimism. The weather reinforces the depressing mood in a clever use of pathetic fallacy, as she sings “…But now I’m stronger than yesterday” in a weak, vulnerable voice, as if she doesn’t believe in the lyrics. However, the camera is positioned at an angle tilted up at her. This conveys the idea that the viewer is looking up at her, giving her power because she is “stronger than yesterday.”
The derelict, brown-bricked buildings in the background are indicators of her social class background and the location in which she lives. The industrial landscape behind her suggests that she lives in a run-down, possibly impoverished, area. This causes the audience to naturally assume that she is from a working class background.
The fact that her white coat is always zipped up to the top could be a denotation of the cold, harsh weather. Conversely, in retrospect, it could represent how she physically kept her pregnancy a secret from her mother – by wearing an oversized jacket. It is clear that it is not a designer brand and looks worn, as it is no longer a bright white but tinged with dirt. This underpins the idea that she is from a working-class social background, as her parents are unable to provide new or clean clothes because of a low financial income. “About A Girl” uses cutaways to other action and uses them as a form of flashback. This is not immediately clear to the audience because the girl is wearing the same white coat in the flashbacks. These flashbacks, however, are used effectively to reinforce what is being said in the present as opposed to a separate backstory.
The girl uses humour and sarcasm as her defence mechanism, as if it is the only way she knows how to deal with problems in her life. She says: “Then he takes me to the pub and gets me a coke and a bag of crisps. BLESS!” The idea the viewer has in their head is the girl, her father and his mates inside a pub seated at a table together. The rule of thirds composition technique is used again to emphasise her loneliness as she sits on the bench outside the pub with only her music for company and the promised coke and crisps. This tells the audience that music is her escapism and her only companion. Her father has not even bothered to pour the drink into a glass for her, a simple gesture that highlights the absence of love and care in this relationship.
On the bus, having a good time with her friends, she is able to act like a young girl again and revert back to enjoying life. The lights going could signify her dreams passing her by, as lights remind you of London City lights and the endless job opportunities available. This causes the audience to feel sympathetic for her as they are becoming increasingly encouraged to believe that this girl is not going to achieve anything anytime soon.
The significance of dreams and the canal is reverberated when she drops the plastic bag into the canal after saying“…Gotten dead good at hiding things from her.”When the girl drops the bag into the canal and when she walks back home along the canal, a crane shot is used. This gives the viewer the feeling of omniscience as well as omnipotence over the character. This is because the crane shot create a wide shot, meaning you can literally see everything in that scene but more figuratively, all seeing of her future – living in Manchester, stuck in the poverty cycle. The omnipotence comes from the power of literally being high above the character, making her seem inferior, small and vulnerable.
The girl’s mother is seen scratching a scratch card. The connotation of this is immediate gratification, which is the idea that they hope to win some money in that moment and escape the cycle of poverty. A recurring theme here is hope, as both the mother and daughter hope to escape their current lives and dream for something bigger and better. In this shot, the girl is still in the forefront but out of focus. This suggests that she is still the main character in the limelight of the narrative but her mother is a significant addition to the narrative portraying how they live.
“That bastard’s me dad,” followed by a two shot reflects this introduction to the character. This shot could not be further away from the well-known ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ relationship. The two characters are on opposite sides of the camera frame, making it impossible from them to be further apart from each other than they already are. Additionally, the various items on the table signify a barrier restricting their relationship and close bond as father and daughter. There is no admiration for her father evident in her features – she doesn’t look up at him physically or up to him as a role model. The ‘bored’ facial expression on the girl’s face shows that she is clearly not enjoying the time she is spending with her father. In support of this, her father is not even looking at her, but instead has his full attention on the newspaper, making it evident that her father has no interest in her presence or what she is saying. It is almost as if he was required to take her out, as opposed to actually wanting to spend time with his daughter. Their strained and dysfunctional relationship is reinforced further by the fact that she called him a bastard, which is clearly not a word you would use to show affection for a parent. There is also a lot of red present in the scene, such as the red cafe chairs, the red coca-cola can and the red lighting. Red has connotations in accordance to context and genre. In this case, it is apparent that the connotation of red is not love. Danger, blood and anger are much more fitting in this situation.
Steven Assuncao
Steven Assuncao
Steven Assuncao
Geoff
Audience
This CGI Animations is targeted at a mass audience as it is styled to look like an advert for Heinz beans. To be more specific this short film CGI could be targeted more at the family audience as at the very start of the animation you can see baby pictures alongside progressing pictures. This shows could show that this animation will be targeted at families. The rating for such a production would be U - for universal which means it means children of any age can watch as there will be no inappropriate content in the short film. This short film is mainly targeted at females as it is made in a romantic animation genre as this is a boy meets girl scenario and is promoting a family based product such productions tend to be more targeted towards the female gender as an audience however can also be aimed at a family audience as it is an animation which can be to entice more children which are watching the tv and may see their product and could tell the parents that they may also want to try this product.
Codes and Conventions
This short film animation is a romantic animations we know this through the were obvious boy meets girl cenarion as is presented in this short film. Throughout the short film we are presented with a lot of romantic scenes such as the scene in which the the protagonist met the girl and also the scene where he went to give her the gift he made for here and we are shown that it went well as when he was shown coming out of the room he had a lipstick mark left on his cheek which presents itself as if this could be a romantic animation-short film. Then further on in the production we can see that the protagonist is getting married which is a happy aspect of the short film which is seen recurring throughout the whole of the short film. This short film also has the happy ending which is the usually expectation for a romantic genre production to have.
On another hand we can we can he a sound track which presents the audience with different emotions. This helps the audience get into the shoes of the character easier this also presents the protagonist in a more sympathetic and easy to get to know fashion. The main example of this would be when he see the girl the music take a more magical turn and as he is constructing the perfect mixture of the beans it gradually builds up until the recurring explosion which shows the he has created the perfect concoction of the matter.
Camera
The short film starts with a panning shot which is a very commonly used shot in the romantic genre this shot also gives us a sense for what the short film is going to be about in this case we are shown that the person in the picture is going to be the main character (Geoff). We are the presented with a close up of Geoff right after the panning shot which could be used to show us who the boy in the picture is / what he looks like now. The shot right after is an establishing shot which shows us where the next couple of scenes are going to be set. The most recurring camera shots and angles are medium close ups to show the emotions on the characters faces. Secondly a very commonly used camera shot is the long shot which shows the characters full body and also allows us to see everything that the characters in the short film are doing.
In addition to this a recurring message presented to the audience is family and how family progresses and also how importance developes changes as time passes and events happen. We are also presented which an emotion of happy change when we are show a similar picture story line of the kids being brought up and growing up until the scene when the toastie is being taken out of the hand of the father which shows the common stage of a teenagers ignorance and selfishniess. All these events present a common convention of the romantic genre of the main protagonist being the hero if this case it is when he creates all the different sizes for the heinz beans which have the outcome that everyone is united and happy and not ignorant and selfish as we are first shown.
Geoff is a romantic short film animation about a head of innovations for heinz beans meets a girl at the factory and he creates special sizes of the beans to fit everyone's needs and wants for example he creates the first can of beans for himself so that all the beans from the can could fit on a single piece of toast. Further down the process creates one for two ext. This short film is based on one's ability to mix all the things he lones into one like in this case the beans to the rest of the family. We are also presented with all different kinds of ways in which the codes and conventions of the romantic genre and in which ways the genre can be presented like in this case it is presented in animation.
Steven Assuncao
Mateusz Starak
Mateusz Starak
Arnold Garry-Plinton
This short film shows various camera works in terms of showing the message towards the audience. First of all, it shows a panning shot of a man walking in the middle of an empty road from an eye-level angle, which then switches into an establishing shot. This emphasises the emptiness of the road and makes the man much more smaller being left alone in a huge world. This creates loneliness for the audience and shows how much of an impact it is to have no one. During this, diegetic sound and ambient sound is used where the rain and footsteps of the man are heard. The use of less sound almost echoes to the audience how isolated this situation is for the character. Additionally, panning shot is used again and the camera slowly zooms in closer to the small bottle on the table to show its significance and focuses the audience into the object. The camera slowly zooms in from a medium shot into a medium close-up as the man talks on the phone and drinks the small bottle. After the phone rings the camera moves away from the man and zooms out slowly which indicates his death and how he is slowly going to fade away. The importance of the phone is emphasised when the phone was composed along imaginary lines of the rule of thirds. This foreshadows its usefulness later on the short film.
Furthermore, dialogue plays a significant role in this short film, as we are able to know exactly how the character feels. Also, a crescendo is used to make the audience feel uneasy and it builds up the tension of what is about to happen. The tension is then broken when the phone rings, which creates the realisation that he is not the only man left on earth. This causes a feeling of discomfort as he was on the process of dying and how it is too late to rewind what he did, creating guilt. The phone ringing is an ambient sound; this continues to ring until the end of the credits, which is known as a sound bridge. The phone ringing also suggests hope, that there is someone out there that we do not know of and we should not jump into conclusions of giving up straight away with life when we are going through a difficult situation. Instead we should find other ways of overcoming this difficulty. Furthermore, the character is wearing a grey shirt; the colour of grey indicates depression and feeling detached. This links to his body language as he frequently shakes and this is clearly shown by the way he holds the phone signifying that he is nervous and feels uneasy. The use of editing is also shown, several smooth cuts have been used as well as continuity editing. The use of this makes the action flow much more smoothly to create a sense of story for the audience.
Arnold Garry-Plinton
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