Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Monday, 26 September 2016
Donkey- Keir Burrows
Donkey- Keir Burrows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRP3b4NntM
Donkey is a short film by Keir Burrows is a non linear film, that focuses on narration to show how one event has changed the perspective of the narrator. The shots throughout the film have been edited so that they are desaturated, which gives the film an overall theme. It works well, as the story being told by the narrator is set in the recent past, and the gray scale works well at showing the character's perspective on this memory.
The film opens up with a shot of a stormy sky. There are thick clouds in the sky, and it creates a gloomy effect through pathetic fallacy. The next shot is a close up of the main character. He looks like he is in his early 20's, also hinted at by his clothes (hoodie). His facial expression looks like he is deep in thought. Next to him is the chain of a swing, and he moves back and forth in the frame, which shows that he is at a park, which also helps determine his age as early 20's.
The first sound is slow, long music notes. The film only has one non diegetic soundtrack that does not crescendo or change rapidly at any point. It is a simple piece of music, with lots of low long-lasting notes and piano notes. Over the top of this is the narrator's voice. From his accent, it is obvious that he is British, and from London or somewhere close. He says that ever since this story, he goes walking before his work, for about an hour. He says it is "as a way to get a little... I don't know...perspective I guess". The way he says this, and the line itself suggest that he can't really sum up his reason for this walk. This suggests that it is either very complicated or very personal to the main character. He says the city is best in the morning, and that "It's where I grew up, and without quite intending to, where I decided to stay". This line is accompanied by a series of shots of the character walking through where he grew up. One shot in particular shows him brushing his hand up against the railing of a park. This is a fairly childlike thing to do, and the statement about him staying in his hometown could suggest that the character is not fond of change. Both the park and the brushing against the railings could be signs that he enjoys nostalgia, and that he doesn't want to easily give up what he grew up with.
After this comes a long shot of him on a bridge, with the same facial expression as in the first shot. he says that this story is not about his morning exercise, but "it's about a person". He says he passes the "schools I attended, this here was my first; five or six years old". This is accompanied by a shot of the character from behind, in front of a school. The grey scale works well here to establish a sense of nostalgia/memories from the main character.
The next line is "my best mate back then was this sunny little kid Stanley. Now, Stanley was Magic". This is accompanied by a series of shots of the school interior, classrooms, corridors, etc. The characters voice lightens up when talking about Stanley, showing that back then he was very good friends with him, and thought he was great. "he was the noisiest, funniest kid in class. He could imitate animals like no one else on earth". This shows that he thought Stanley was hilarious at the time, and shows the simple sense of humour of school children. He even compares Stanley's imitations to "turning water into wine".This exaggerated comparison shows that Stanley was similar to Jesus in terms of popularity for his talents. He says Stanley's "best trick was the donkey", and there'd be "at least a dozen of us laughing and screaming and following his wake". This is related to the title of the film, being that the donkey was what Stanley was best known for, and that the story evolves around him.
He says that they they went to different primary schools. "I had it good growing up...I made new friends easily". This shows that the main character has adapted well to school life, and that he was never left out as he had friends. He then talks about his life at high school. He says that he realised after a few weeks "that this quiet kid in one of the other classes was Stanley. He was an awkward boy now; shy and ... was a butt of some mild teasing". This, like the other narration, is accompanied by a series of images of the school. One in particular, a menacing looking barbed fence, complements the line about Stanley's teasing. The fence could be a metaphor for Stanley feeling trapped. The narrator says "I chose not to make myself known", which shows that under the circumstances of adapting to a new school, the narrator did not approach Stanley, probably out of fear that he too would be included in the teasing for it. This also works with the metaphor of the fence, both characters being on either side.
He says that the school councillor said "He was challenged, i can't remember what exactly..autistic..low IQ, something like that". This sheds a different light onto Stanley, and could explain his popularity when they were children, having a very childish sense of humour. This also shows that whilst others have grown up from those days, Stanley obviously has not adapted as well, hence why he was awkward and shy. The next shot is of rain falling into a body of water, which is a metaphor for the mood changing, as revealed in the next line. The narrator says he told the class "'he thought he was a fucking donkey!' I said. 'Ee aw ee aw', I showed my teeth and made new friends". This shows that the narrator has purposely ridiculed Stanley in hopes to make new friends. the friends he gained, would have been at the expense of Stanley. With this, is a shot of the narrator brushing his teeth in the mirror, which goes with the line about showing his teeth. He goes on to say "It didn't take long. I never joined in but i'm sure I laughed as they pushed and taunted". This shows that though the narrator did not directly bully Stanley, his friends did, and Stanley was laughing at Stanley's expense.
He says "Stanley was soon gone, I hardly noticed". This is accompanied by a close up shot of the main character on the train. His facial expression shows that, again, he is in thought, and he looks slightly regretful. The narrator explains how he studied law, graduated, and got a job working in a major bank. Whilst explaining this, there is no excitement in his voice, he sounds like he has sounded throughout the story. This suggests that he is not fully happy with his life. He says his girlfriend got an "internship doing something wonderful in.. Angola.. I have no idea either". This shows that he is living alone, and he doesn't really know what his girlfriend is doing. He knows that she is happy in what she is doing, but doesn't know what. This could show that he is very focused on his own work, and is trying to manage his life at the moment. There are a series of shots showing his commute to work, all of which he has the same blank expression throughout. He is traveling, and living, alone, showing that there are not many people there for this character now that he has left school, despite him doing well and earning a job in a major bank. He looks unhappy in all the shots, further adding to this.
There is then a cut to a timelapse of the night in the city, cars and people fly through the screen, creating a sense of time flying by. The narrator says "I was out drinking when I saw him, part of a roadwork crew, I recognized him immediately". He is obviously talking about Stanley, as that is the only specific person he has talked about. Stanley, from this information, doesn't have as high calibre job as the narrator. "'David' he said without prompting, 'how are you?'". Stanley has obviously remembered who David was, and hasn't let any of the past bother him, as he is the first of the two to talk. David (the narrator) replies "amazing man, perfect, living the dream; I'm rich". The shot shows a somewhat smug expression on David as he recalls his successes. This shows that David is very keen to show off all of his success, and is boasting towards Stanley. He shows Stanley his watch, stated to be worth £3000. Stanleys face is unimpressed, and it shows that he does not value materialistic objects as much as David does. Stanley invites David to Dinner, and David is taken aback by this, but exchanges numbers with him. He has not expected Stanley to have moved on so well from the bullying, hence why he was taken aback.
The narrator says that a fortnight later he gets a call. "she said she was his wife, and that Stanley wasn't much for phones, but would you like to come to dinner being an old friend and all". From his phrasing, David did not expect Stanley to have a wife. He is still thinking very much in the past, about the Stanley he used to know.
Later, David arrives at "the door of this total stranger". The door swing open, revealing Stanley's wife, and David says "His wife was pretty. And he was smiling; a soft spoken man who read a lot, painted, worked shifts for the city council". David has obviously been welcomed by Stanley, and finds out a lot that he didn't know about him at dinner. He explains that his wife was a nursery school teacher, and they wanted to start a family. "I'm not successful like you...we're not rich but it's working out" says Stanley. From all the shots, both Stanley and his wife are sown to be smiling and happy. it is very obvious that they are content with what they have, and that they do not desire money like David does. David then narrates "he didn't sound retarded at all". This line shows that David had realised that he had completely misjudged Stanley. The tone of his voice has regret to it, showing that David regrets what he did in the past, knowing how ordinary and happy he was as an adult.
The last scene is of David leaving. He narrates "'Hey Dave' he says. I turn and he's grinning. 'Ee aw'". This shows that Stanley remember what made them friends all those years ago. Stanley mean it in a friendly way, but it is too much shame for David to emotionally digest, hence why he couldn't smile. He was disgusted at himself. David Leaves through the front door, and walks off with his finger brushing against the fence, absorbing perspective, as he now does on his morning walks. The film finishes with the line "who's the donkey now". This means that David realises that he has been caught up with his own success, too much to realise how alone he now is, whilst Stanley now is happily working with a wife that loves him. Stanley acknowledges that he's not as rich as David, and it doesn't bother him because he is content.
I think this short film works well because it tells a story with several ways of interpreting it. It is very focused on the narration, however, the black and white shots complement the narration, and show emotions in the characters the words cannot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRP3b4NntM
Donkey is a short film by Keir Burrows is a non linear film, that focuses on narration to show how one event has changed the perspective of the narrator. The shots throughout the film have been edited so that they are desaturated, which gives the film an overall theme. It works well, as the story being told by the narrator is set in the recent past, and the gray scale works well at showing the character's perspective on this memory.
The film opens up with a shot of a stormy sky. There are thick clouds in the sky, and it creates a gloomy effect through pathetic fallacy. The next shot is a close up of the main character. He looks like he is in his early 20's, also hinted at by his clothes (hoodie). His facial expression looks like he is deep in thought. Next to him is the chain of a swing, and he moves back and forth in the frame, which shows that he is at a park, which also helps determine his age as early 20's.
The first sound is slow, long music notes. The film only has one non diegetic soundtrack that does not crescendo or change rapidly at any point. It is a simple piece of music, with lots of low long-lasting notes and piano notes. Over the top of this is the narrator's voice. From his accent, it is obvious that he is British, and from London or somewhere close. He says that ever since this story, he goes walking before his work, for about an hour. He says it is "as a way to get a little... I don't know...perspective I guess". The way he says this, and the line itself suggest that he can't really sum up his reason for this walk. This suggests that it is either very complicated or very personal to the main character. He says the city is best in the morning, and that "It's where I grew up, and without quite intending to, where I decided to stay". This line is accompanied by a series of shots of the character walking through where he grew up. One shot in particular shows him brushing his hand up against the railing of a park. This is a fairly childlike thing to do, and the statement about him staying in his hometown could suggest that the character is not fond of change. Both the park and the brushing against the railings could be signs that he enjoys nostalgia, and that he doesn't want to easily give up what he grew up with.
After this comes a long shot of him on a bridge, with the same facial expression as in the first shot. he says that this story is not about his morning exercise, but "it's about a person". He says he passes the "schools I attended, this here was my first; five or six years old". This is accompanied by a shot of the character from behind, in front of a school. The grey scale works well here to establish a sense of nostalgia/memories from the main character. 
The next line is "my best mate back then was this sunny little kid Stanley. Now, Stanley was Magic". This is accompanied by a series of shots of the school interior, classrooms, corridors, etc. The characters voice lightens up when talking about Stanley, showing that back then he was very good friends with him, and thought he was great. "he was the noisiest, funniest kid in class. He could imitate animals like no one else on earth". This shows that he thought Stanley was hilarious at the time, and shows the simple sense of humour of school children. He even compares Stanley's imitations to "turning water into wine".This exaggerated comparison shows that Stanley was similar to Jesus in terms of popularity for his talents. He says Stanley's "best trick was the donkey", and there'd be "at least a dozen of us laughing and screaming and following his wake". This is related to the title of the film, being that the donkey was what Stanley was best known for, and that the story evolves around him.
He says that they they went to different primary schools. "I had it good growing up...I made new friends easily". This shows that the main character has adapted well to school life, and that he was never left out as he had friends. He then talks about his life at high school. He says that he realised after a few weeks "that this quiet kid in one of the other classes was Stanley. He was an awkward boy now; shy and ... was a butt of some mild teasing". This, like the other narration, is accompanied by a series of images of the school. One in particular, a menacing looking barbed fence, complements the line about Stanley's teasing. The fence could be a metaphor for Stanley feeling trapped. The narrator says "I chose not to make myself known", which shows that under the circumstances of adapting to a new school, the narrator did not approach Stanley, probably out of fear that he too would be included in the teasing for it. This also works with the metaphor of the fence, both characters being on either side.
He says that the school councillor said "He was challenged, i can't remember what exactly..autistic..low IQ, something like that". This sheds a different light onto Stanley, and could explain his popularity when they were children, having a very childish sense of humour. This also shows that whilst others have grown up from those days, Stanley obviously has not adapted as well, hence why he was awkward and shy. The next shot is of rain falling into a body of water, which is a metaphor for the mood changing, as revealed in the next line. The narrator says he told the class "'he thought he was a fucking donkey!' I said. 'Ee aw ee aw', I showed my teeth and made new friends". This shows that the narrator has purposely ridiculed Stanley in hopes to make new friends. the friends he gained, would have been at the expense of Stanley. With this, is a shot of the narrator brushing his teeth in the mirror, which goes with the line about showing his teeth. He goes on to say "It didn't take long. I never joined in but i'm sure I laughed as they pushed and taunted". This shows that though the narrator did not directly bully Stanley, his friends did, and Stanley was laughing at Stanley's expense.
He says "Stanley was soon gone, I hardly noticed". This is accompanied by a close up shot of the main character on the train. His facial expression shows that, again, he is in thought, and he looks slightly regretful. The narrator explains how he studied law, graduated, and got a job working in a major bank. Whilst explaining this, there is no excitement in his voice, he sounds like he has sounded throughout the story. This suggests that he is not fully happy with his life. He says his girlfriend got an "internship doing something wonderful in.. Angola.. I have no idea either". This shows that he is living alone, and he doesn't really know what his girlfriend is doing. He knows that she is happy in what she is doing, but doesn't know what. This could show that he is very focused on his own work, and is trying to manage his life at the moment. There are a series of shots showing his commute to work, all of which he has the same blank expression throughout. He is traveling, and living, alone, showing that there are not many people there for this character now that he has left school, despite him doing well and earning a job in a major bank. He looks unhappy in all the shots, further adding to this.
There is then a cut to a timelapse of the night in the city, cars and people fly through the screen, creating a sense of time flying by. The narrator says "I was out drinking when I saw him, part of a roadwork crew, I recognized him immediately". He is obviously talking about Stanley, as that is the only specific person he has talked about. Stanley, from this information, doesn't have as high calibre job as the narrator. "'David' he said without prompting, 'how are you?'". Stanley has obviously remembered who David was, and hasn't let any of the past bother him, as he is the first of the two to talk. David (the narrator) replies "amazing man, perfect, living the dream; I'm rich". The shot shows a somewhat smug expression on David as he recalls his successes. This shows that David is very keen to show off all of his success, and is boasting towards Stanley. He shows Stanley his watch, stated to be worth £3000. Stanleys face is unimpressed, and it shows that he does not value materialistic objects as much as David does. Stanley invites David to Dinner, and David is taken aback by this, but exchanges numbers with him. He has not expected Stanley to have moved on so well from the bullying, hence why he was taken aback.
The narrator says that a fortnight later he gets a call. "she said she was his wife, and that Stanley wasn't much for phones, but would you like to come to dinner being an old friend and all". From his phrasing, David did not expect Stanley to have a wife. He is still thinking very much in the past, about the Stanley he used to know.
Later, David arrives at "the door of this total stranger". The door swing open, revealing Stanley's wife, and David says "His wife was pretty. And he was smiling; a soft spoken man who read a lot, painted, worked shifts for the city council". David has obviously been welcomed by Stanley, and finds out a lot that he didn't know about him at dinner. He explains that his wife was a nursery school teacher, and they wanted to start a family. "I'm not successful like you...we're not rich but it's working out" says Stanley. From all the shots, both Stanley and his wife are sown to be smiling and happy. it is very obvious that they are content with what they have, and that they do not desire money like David does. David then narrates "he didn't sound retarded at all". This line shows that David had realised that he had completely misjudged Stanley. The tone of his voice has regret to it, showing that David regrets what he did in the past, knowing how ordinary and happy he was as an adult.
The last scene is of David leaving. He narrates "'Hey Dave' he says. I turn and he's grinning. 'Ee aw'". This shows that Stanley remember what made them friends all those years ago. Stanley mean it in a friendly way, but it is too much shame for David to emotionally digest, hence why he couldn't smile. He was disgusted at himself. David Leaves through the front door, and walks off with his finger brushing against the fence, absorbing perspective, as he now does on his morning walks. The film finishes with the line "who's the donkey now". This means that David realises that he has been caught up with his own success, too much to realise how alone he now is, whilst Stanley now is happily working with a wife that loves him. Stanley acknowledges that he's not as rich as David, and it doesn't bother him because he is content.I think this short film works well because it tells a story with several ways of interpreting it. It is very focused on the narration, however, the black and white shots complement the narration, and show emotions in the characters the words cannot.
SELFIE analysis - Alex
Directed by Ramchandra Gaonkar in 2015. 'Selfie' is a short film based on daily incidents faced by every common man. It portrays how we let ourselves get affected by what others perceive of us.
The film starts off with an establishing shot of a train going past which is to show us where our main character is. When the camera cuts to the inside of the train, the first thing we see our character doing is helping a stranger with a crossword which implies that he is a really nice character and this represents him positively. Then our protagonist gets up to answer the phone and when the other person fails to answer he goes to put his phone back in his pocket. As he does this he accidentally brushes his hand past the back pocket of the man in front.
At this moment the man snaps at him and assumes that he is trying to steal from him which we can see from his body language when he transfers his wallet from his back pocket to his bag on his front. This gives a very negative representation of this
character because he is being racist and this really upsets the protagonist in our film.
As he looks around which we can see through an over the shoulder shot and a POV, we see people laughing and smiling up at him sarcastically which makes us assume that they were laughing at him rather than it being a coincidence. We can tell from his sad but confused facial expression and body language of him looking down at the floor that he is getting paranoid of being judged by other people which suggest that he may be used to people making racist remarks towards him.
As he gets of the train he is stopped and asked to show his ticket which is another negative representation of a character being racist. He feels as though he is singled out from everyone else due to the colour of his skin and the stereotypes that come with that, in this case that black people are often confused with committing criminal offences.
As the ticket officer asks him to do this, everything starts to move in slow motion through editing and it shows how paranoid he is and gives us an insight as to how he is feeling.
He looks at a reflection of himself in a taxi mirror which we see through a POV shot. His facial expression notifies us
that he is not happy with what he sees. This highlights to us that he is unhappy with who he is and may be a significant moment in the film where he decides to change.
From this we cut to a shot of him on a bus swatting flies away which implies that he is of the lower class, having to use public transport.
The diegetic sound crescendos as the camera starts to focus on the fly through a shallow depth of field. He smells his shirt because he thinks the fly is only flying around him for a reason. Then as he goes to kill the fly the non diegetic music booms (crescendos) and then stops for a dramatic effect which shows significance.
A fade to black transition takes us into a very low angle shot of the man so that we are looking up at him which gives the opposite impression that he has given us for the whole film, this time that we should look up to him.
We see him practising his English and this shows us that speaking English is a very high class thing to do which is why he is practising it on his own. We can also see that he has just gotten out of the shower which gives us the representation that he is self conscious about what other people think about him.
He clears the bathroom mirror and when he looks at his own reflection he gives us the same look that he gave us in the taxi mirror which again illustrates how unhappy he is with the person he is. He is almost stunned with his own reflection. As he continues to look at himself, flashbacks are shown which shows us that this isn't a linear narrative story because it isn't in chronological order.
The flashbacks all involve what other people think of him which show his awareness and paranoia of it. He tried to rub out his own reflection which is further evidence that he dislikes the person he is and almost like he wants to get rid of himself. Then as the non diegetic crescendos as he tries to wash his face, almost like he's trying to get a new one.
Another fade to black shows us our main character on a different mode of public transport which reminds us of his class and status. He finds out that it wasn't just him that was shouted at by that man at the beginning because he sees him do it to someone else which gives him confidence in himself which we see through his facial expression.
Towards the end of the film, the other man who got insulted by the antagonist says that he's known himself for 21 years and that the other man judged him from knowing him a few minutes. At this point the protagonist has a moment of realisation before the title is shown and the credits start to roll.
The film starts off with an establishing shot of a train going past which is to show us where our main character is. When the camera cuts to the inside of the train, the first thing we see our character doing is helping a stranger with a crossword which implies that he is a really nice character and this represents him positively. Then our protagonist gets up to answer the phone and when the other person fails to answer he goes to put his phone back in his pocket. As he does this he accidentally brushes his hand past the back pocket of the man in front.
As he gets of the train he is stopped and asked to show his ticket which is another negative representation of a character being racist. He feels as though he is singled out from everyone else due to the colour of his skin and the stereotypes that come with that, in this case that black people are often confused with committing criminal offences.
He looks at a reflection of himself in a taxi mirror which we see through a POV shot. His facial expression notifies us
From this we cut to a shot of him on a bus swatting flies away which implies that he is of the lower class, having to use public transport.
A fade to black transition takes us into a very low angle shot of the man so that we are looking up at him which gives the opposite impression that he has given us for the whole film, this time that we should look up to him.
He clears the bathroom mirror and when he looks at his own reflection he gives us the same look that he gave us in the taxi mirror which again illustrates how unhappy he is with the person he is. He is almost stunned with his own reflection. As he continues to look at himself, flashbacks are shown which shows us that this isn't a linear narrative story because it isn't in chronological order.
Another fade to black shows us our main character on a different mode of public transport which reminds us of his class and status. He finds out that it wasn't just him that was shouted at by that man at the beginning because he sees him do it to someone else which gives him confidence in himself which we see through his facial expression.
Towards the end of the film, the other man who got insulted by the antagonist says that he's known himself for 21 years and that the other man judged him from knowing him a few minutes. At this point the protagonist has a moment of realisation before the title is shown and the credits start to roll.
Saturday, 24 September 2016
Identity analysis - Alex
Identity is a short film about living in a world where everybody wears masks due to lack of self-identity, a brave girl encounters the truth that sets her free.
The first thing we see for this film
is the title “Identity” which is on screen when the non-diegetic sound of a
record playing backwards is playing. This gives a sense of disorientation and discombobulation
which reflects on how the director wants the audience to feel. The opening line
to the short film is “Today, I found the truth.”, and this is done as a voice
over. This intrigues the audience in finding out what this truth may be and
what epiphany she comes to. This is an example of enigma.
The short film begins
in reverse which makes it a non-linear narrative structure. The girl in the
mask begins unmasked, but then the clip is reversed and the audience see her
put the mask back on and go back in the direction from which she came. The
sound effects used during this reversal is sharp, and sinister, extenuating the
seriousness provoked by the opening line. This makes it parallel sound because
she is walking backwards and this makes the audience feel confused.
She sits alone as a number of people walk
past her and the camera looks at this from a low angle. She is ignored and
isolated and her mask (costume) is unique from everyone else’s, this suggests
that she is an outcast, a lonely character. Therefore I think that this film is
supposed to attract an audience who also feel lonely and out-casted and
inevitably has the purpose to inspire them.
However one day a slave is released and he discovers a whole
new world outside of this cave and because he is now the enlightened one his
job is to come and free those that are still trapped in this cave. While the
teacher explains this, the girl plays little attention, flicking through the pages
of her book filled with intricate drawings, it is not until the teacher says
“because he is now the enlightened one his job is to come and free those that
are still trapped in this cave.” This suggest that the girl resented with these
words and feels a sense of enlightenment and may mean that she is able to
relate to what the teacher is saying. At this point she tilts her head up and
the camera starts to get closer to her, the non-diegetic score music is
suspenseful and tension building, implying to the audience that she will
somehow be the enlightener.
Generically a mask connotes a disguise of someone’s
true identity, perhaps as fear of rejection that their true self would not
suffice, or in hopes to ‘fit in’ to society’s expectations. Again this is
evidence of the audience this is aimed at because i
This is suggested in the poster
as it writes this is what beautiful looks like: suggesting there is a singular
transcript of beautiful. This implication can be seen as damaging and negative
as it is likely to make the majority of society feel inadequate and worthless.
This reinforces the connotation that she is the enlightened one, as whilst everyone is absorbed by their own
doings, she sees what everyone else misses.
The girl has a need to modify
herself, her personality dependant on who she is talking to. This implies
insecurity, a low self esteem, and a need for acceptance and to conform to the
group in order to be liked.
The on screen
diegetic sounds of their discussions and laughter fade to a low murmur in the
background but all collide together creating a sense of distortion and
drowning. At this point, the story has turned a full circle. The non-diegetic score
music crescendos, suggesting that she is to fulfil her sense.
The broken mask suggests her
disguise is crumbling and her true identity is breaking through. She is clearly
disturbed by this as reinforced by the shaking of the camera and the dramatic non-diegetic
score music.
It follows with the non- diegetic voice
over saying “Today the truth found me.” This suggests the mask was a lie, and
now her truth, is revealed bare to the world.
The first thing we see for this film
is the title “Identity” which is on screen when the non-diegetic sound of a
record playing backwards is playing. This gives a sense of disorientation and discombobulation
which reflects on how the director wants the audience to feel. The opening line
to the short film is “Today, I found the truth.”, and this is done as a voice
over. This intrigues the audience in finding out what this truth may be and
what epiphany she comes to. This is an example of enigma. 
Although the film appears to now
begin in chronological order, we know that it isn’t because people are still
walking backwards and supports the idea that the film is non-linear. When the
mysterious girl is sat at table we can see that she is at school and judging by
herself and her peers: a high school.
Here, we find our mystery character
in a classroom. The key focus point here is the content the teacher is
delivering to the class. The words “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave” are written
on the board and the teacher goes on to talk about it. In Plato’s allegory, he
talks about human beings living in cave all there life, lived in such a way
that they cannot move their bodies and all they can see in front of them is a
dark wall. They have never been outside of this cave all they know about life
is this dark wall.
It is from the classroom scene, that
we can clearly see everyone around here is also wearing a mask through an
establishing shot from the camera. It is made apparent that in this world:
everyone is wearing a mask.
As the girl walks through the
corridors, she looks at a poster. This suggests that this world in which
everyone wears a mask, is an analogy for our own as it represents societies
social implications of what ‘beauty’ is as is interjected though media. Often
what it is deemed beautiful is very particular and specific, a look that is
often unobtainable for the majority of people.
The mystery character walks through
the corridor, observing her peers. She witnesses the people divide into their
groups and notices a series of notable events.
An interesting element of this short
film, is this scene where the girl in a purple mask, takes off her mask in
place for another one as she goes to talk to a group of people. It suggests she
literary takes off one face, and applies another.
The following scene, returns to her
sat at the cafeteria table alone. She looks around at her peers, sat in groups,
each group wearing the same coloured mask; suggesting they are similar and
belonging of each other; or perhaps a lack of individuality.
The mystery girl’s mask is unique,
different to everyone else’s suggesting a sense of individuality and uniqueness
to her. It further supports how she is represented, as her being the
enlightened one of them all because she stands out. Here, as she sits in the
cafeteria, as she was in the beginning of the short film, she is again watching
everyone around here. Then we see her body language change completely as she
gets up and starts to move backwards at a very fast pace.
We find here in the same position as
when we were first introduced to her (composition within the frame), staring at
herself in the mirror, with a broken mask.
The mystery girl, takes off her mask,
revealing her face, smiling proudly at her reflection. This is implied to be an
important act as no one else is seen without a mask and the build-up in her
taking the mask off was slow and emotional.
The girl walks out into her school,
for everyone to see. As she passes, every head turns, connoting the magnitude
and daringness of her removal of her mask. It is also exhibits her as the
enlightened one, as the audience see her act, as an act of bravery and heroism which
suggests that she is the protagonist in the piece. Others in the film see it as
absorbed and outrageous which is relatable for our audience.
Friday, 23 September 2016
'American male' short film by Michael Rohrbaugh
'American Male'- Short film by Michael Rohrbaugh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ-Pyhk7GQA
The next scene opens with narration. The music continues at a steady pace after the crescendo in the previous scene. The narration over the top of the music first says "order beer; not wine. And beef; not chicken", This fits into the description of gender roles. The protagonist is telling roles that he follows in order to be masculine. Beer and beef are both typically masculine things, and he is saying that he sticks with them and does not settle for something more typically associated with femininity. The wording makes it sound like an order, and the subject of this instruction can bee seen as either the viewer or the protagonist himself. It can be seen as the narrator instructing the viewer on how to be masculine, or it can also be seen as the protagonist recalling what others have told him before on his path of becoming masculine. The next line that follows is "never light beer though. And no Tofu; can't get more gay than Tofu". This line emphasises the length of gender roles. He is saying that to be masculine, you should drink strong beer. The line about tofu emphasises that the gender roles only fit straight males. He is saying that he avoids anything that can be considered gay, because that would compromise his masculinity in the eyes of his peers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ-Pyhk7GQA
Media Language
Representation
Audience
Narrative
Genre
American Male is a short film from MTV's Look Different competition. It is a 6 minute film that takes a hard look at masculinity and homophobia. The narrative of the film is a unnamed protagonist preparing for, then throwing a house party. The focus of the film, however, ithe the narration, which accompanies the film and expresses feelings towards the image of masculinity and homophobia. The film gives a negative representation of the gender roles of America.
American Male is a short film from MTV's Look Different competition. It is a 6 minute film that takes a hard look at masculinity and homophobia. The narrative of the film is a unnamed protagonist preparing for, then throwing a house party. The focus of the film, however, ithe the narration, which accompanies the film and expresses feelings towards the image of masculinity and homophobia. The film gives a negative representation of the gender roles of America.
The opening scene shows the protagonist setting up cups for a later game of beer pong. The character is wearing a sleeveless shirt and his hat backwards. This associates him with the stereotype of being a 'frat boy'. The props in the background look old, and there is graffiti visible. This shows that this backyard has obviously been used for parties in the past, and the stereotype of a frat tells us that he hosts/attends lots of parties. The next shot shows him going to throw ping pong balls into the cups. The music crescendos, and the cuts quicken, as he misses 4 attempted throws. A dog barks in the background, and his facial expression in these quick cuts show that he is is angered about his bad aim. The music crescendos fully, then cuts as the protagonist is seen punching the table. This implies that he is angry that he cannot throw the ball into the cup. This could serve as a metaphor for fitting in, as beer pong is infamous at parties, and well associated with the frat boy stereotype. It could show that if something is popular or enjoyed by others, then if the protagonist cannot succeed in it, he becomes frustrated. It shows the frustration of not being good at something, or not fitting in with others.
The next scene shows him before the party, adding pre-workout and protein powder to a drink. This is typically a sign of masculinity, and shows how the protagonist keeps fit in order to appear more strong and less feminine. He says "steer clear of the arts, unless you live on the coast". This shows that there is a geographical variation on the idea of masculinity. From this, it is obvious that the coast is more accepting, and gender roles are not as enforced or as followed as where the protagonist lives. This shows that the narrator lives in an area that is not as open minded about gender. Following this, later in the scene the protagonist says "too much reading is risky, because it makes you look soft". There is a level of irony with this, as when he says that it is risky, the shot on screen is of a needle, filled with steroids (judging by the context of this scene). The irony being that while he views reading as risky because it makes him look soft, he has no problem with the myriad of health problems attributed to taking anabolic steroids. He clearly has a lack of judgement, and his priorities are in the wrong places. This also serves as a way of showing how intensely bound to his gender roles he is, as he is living a life with dangerous consequences, all so that he is comfortable with his appearance. Next, he says "women gesture more when they speak"..."when i was younger i used to gesture a lot, so I learned to keep my hands in my pockets". This shows that before in his life, he did things that would be seen as more feminine, and he has suppressed that. He shows that he suppresses anything that might compromise his image of masculinity, and that he has changed his own personality in order to be more masculine.
A later scene shows the narrator walking into the backyard, where the ping pong table was shown in the first scene. He walks over, his facial expression anxious, as it was shown earlier that he couldn't throw the ball in the cup. His expression changes to a more happy one, once he see other people there. he approaches the table, and manages to throw the ball into the cup. This shows that he is much more comfortable around other people. His inability to succeed by himself earlier, shows that he needs approval and encouragement from his peers in order to feel normal (masculine). He is then shown cheering and celebrating with his friends, showing that he relies on his ego in order to succeed.
Following this, are more shots of the party, accompanied by other differences outlined between masculinity and femininity. The final scene shows lots of frat boys around the table, later that night. They are taking turns spanking each other with a bat. This is shown as a show of masculinity, as they are cheering each over on. It is then the narrator's turn, and after striking once, the other man turns back around and pushes him. The protagonist looks alarmed and angry at this, that someone might challenge his masculinity or his strength. He proceeds to push him back onto the table, then repeatedly hit him with the bat, eventually being pulled back by his friends around him. Even as they Pull him back, he screams "faggot!" repeatedly. This shows him again trying to assert his masculinity, this time by taking out his anger on someone else. He uses the word 'faggot' because as already stated, being gay is not a sign of traditional or stereotypical masculinity, and by calling someone else this he is further trying to distance himself from appearing gay. The ending narrations says "I am no longer a person, but a set of social cues... Not a person, but a path of least resistance" This suggests that in his pursuit of masculinity, and acceptance from his peers, he has lost his own personality, and is an embodiment of male gender roles. The path of least resistance shows that it is much easier to follow the crowd, and to be what society wants you to be, than to be unique and different.
A later scene shows the narrator walking into the backyard, where the ping pong table was shown in the first scene. He walks over, his facial expression anxious, as it was shown earlier that he couldn't throw the ball in the cup. His expression changes to a more happy one, once he see other people there. he approaches the table, and manages to throw the ball into the cup. This shows that he is much more comfortable around other people. His inability to succeed by himself earlier, shows that he needs approval and encouragement from his peers in order to feel normal (masculine). He is then shown cheering and celebrating with his friends, showing that he relies on his ego in order to succeed.
Following this, are more shots of the party, accompanied by other differences outlined between masculinity and femininity. The final scene shows lots of frat boys around the table, later that night. They are taking turns spanking each other with a bat. This is shown as a show of masculinity, as they are cheering each over on. It is then the narrator's turn, and after striking once, the other man turns back around and pushes him. The protagonist looks alarmed and angry at this, that someone might challenge his masculinity or his strength. He proceeds to push him back onto the table, then repeatedly hit him with the bat, eventually being pulled back by his friends around him. Even as they Pull him back, he screams "faggot!" repeatedly. This shows him again trying to assert his masculinity, this time by taking out his anger on someone else. He uses the word 'faggot' because as already stated, being gay is not a sign of traditional or stereotypical masculinity, and by calling someone else this he is further trying to distance himself from appearing gay. The ending narrations says "I am no longer a person, but a set of social cues... Not a person, but a path of least resistance" This suggests that in his pursuit of masculinity, and acceptance from his peers, he has lost his own personality, and is an embodiment of male gender roles. The path of least resistance shows that it is much easier to follow the crowd, and to be what society wants you to be, than to be unique and different.
I think this works as a short film because it serves as a social commentary. It shows metaphorically, and physically, what obeying gender roles can do, and that people should be unique. The narrative does not follow Todorov at all, rather, the scenes act as a visual guide for the narration, which is the main focal point of the short film, as it conveys all the ideology of the problem it is addressing.
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