I like films and I like analysing them. I like discovering all the little references or throwbacks or echoes of other works you might have seen or read. However, for this to work properly you need to read and watch and be interested in a lot of different things.
Film at its most basic is a series of still images played in a sequence which creates the illusion of a moving image. Feature films are usually an hour or longer in length. A short film is pretty much what it says it is – a film that is short. These can be any length up to about forty minutes. Some of the best ones to watch are the ones produced by Pixar which are shown before their feature films. There are several things you can study in a short film or any type of film. Let’s have a look at the type of questions you might be asked:
Who would want to watch this film?
Every film made is aimed at some sort of audience because the film-maker presumably wants someone to see their work. This is one of the first things we can consider. When thinking about audience it can be simpler to break it down into smaller questions answered in sweeping generalisations:
~Is the film aimed at boys or girls or both sexes? (A film like Reservoir Dogs is more likely to appeal to a male audience which contrasts with the girl-friendly Mean Girls.
~Is the film trying to target a specific age group? (Finding Nemo is aimed at young children while Pulp Fiction is for adults)
~Is it for people with a specific interest? (The Matrix was aimed primarily at science fiction geeks whereas The Devil Wears Prada was for women interested in journalism)
An example answer on audience using Toystory might look like this:
Toystory is a film aimed at both males and females as the story is a fantasy one which follows the adventures of some toys that come alive. The film could be considered more appealing to boys simply because the two main characters, Woody and Buzz, are male. The film’s target age group is children as there is a fair amount of slap stick comedy throughout the film, also the film is about toys which would appeal more to young people. It is every child’s fantasy that their toys come alive when they aren’t there and this is exactly what happens in the film. The film is also an animation and this form of film tends to be aimed at children rather than adults.
What happens in the media text?
You need to give quick summary of what happened in the film covering the key events. Try not to go into too much detail though it should just be an outline of what has occurred.
Again if we take Toystory as an example:
In Toystory the human Andy receives a new toy, Buzz Lightyear, for his birthday which makes his old toy, Woody, incredibly jealous. Whilst out on a day trip with Andy, Woody and Buzz get into a fight and end up lost in the big bad world. They must work together to make their way back to Andy before his family moves house and in doing so they forge a strong friendship.
How does the director influence the audience?
A director uses a vast array of resources to create their finished film. All of these details we “read” subconsciously to take in the final product. Some of the easiest ones to identify are the following.
CAMERAWORK & EDITING (shots, angles and movements)
~ Extreme long shot (landscape scenes) long shot (whole bodies), medium shot (people seen from hips up and also over the shoulder), close-up shot (usually focuses on a person’s face), extreme close up (focuses on a specific detail).
~ birds eye view (taken from directly above), high (taken from above), low (taken from beneath), eye level (taken in line with the subject), canted/oblique (camerea is tipped on its side).
~Pans (camera moves from side to side) Tilts (camera moves up and down), Dolly shots (camera moves along tracks i.e. filming a car chase), Crane shot (filmed from a crane to get a high up wide shot), zoom lens (either closing in on a subject or out from a subject), aerial shot (taken from the air usually in a helicopter i.e. Mariah spinning around in the valley in The Sound of Music).
COLOUR & LIGHTING
~ Has the director chosen to use a certain lighting to affect the mood or tone of their work i.e. soft lighting can make the mood romantic whereas bright, hard lighting can cool the tone.
~ Directors may also decide to saturate shots with colours to change the atmosphere of a scene. In the film The Matrix the colours red and green are used to represent the living and the computers. Green is used to represent life whereas red is used to show danger.
DIALOGUE & ACTING
~ What do the actors actually say to each other to convey the story? Consider their body language as well as this can reveal relationships between the characters in the story.
COSTUME & PROPS
What does what the characters wear reveal about the story. Costume can be used to inform the reader about the setting. If the film is an historical drama then the clothing can reveal whether it is set in the dark ages or Renaissance Italy. If it is set in the future then how does the costume show us that the characters are in a futuristic age? Perhaps the story is a medieval fantasy or Victorian steampunk? Maybe it is just a simple Drama? The colours and cut and choice of clothing can reveal factors of the characters’ personalities. Props also work in a similar manner. They reveal hobbies or choices that characters have made or will make.
Which character do you sympathise with?
This is as simple as it sounds – it might be easier to think of it as which character is your favourite and what do they do that makes you side with them? You still need to remember to back your answer up with evidence and analysis to explain your choice.
So let’s take another look at Toystory:
The character I sympathised with was Woody. Woody had always been Andy’s favourite and I think he felt a little lost when Buzz Lightyear turned up. You could see this in his face when there is a close-up of Woody’s sad eyes at Andy choosing to play with Buzz rather than him. Also when Woody and Buzz become lost Woody shouts at Buzz “If you hadn’t shown up with your stupid little cardboard spaceship and taken away everything that was important to me…” This shows just how much Woody feels he has lost. He describes Andy as his “everything” showing that Andy means the world to him. This made me feel sad as I could tell how depressed and angry Woody was at this point.
Why was the film made?
Films are really just super fancy works of art. They can be made for several reasons. If the film is a documentary then it is being made to inform the viewer about a certain subject or persuade the viewer to hold a certain view. Most films though are made to entertain the viewer by telling them a story. So ask yourself this question: does it inform me, does it persuade me or is telling a story?
Would you want to see more of the film?
Be honest when answering this question and remember to support it with reasons. Maybe you didn’t think a character was very well written. Maybe you felt the acting was really poor. Was the genre one that you had little interest in? On the other hand perhaps there was a storyline you wanted to see developed? Maybe you thought the actors had been incredibly well cast?
So that’s been a whirlwind look at film and short films and has at least introduced you to the basics of film study, Try looking at the following short films and then have a go at answering the questions.
DAY AND NIGHT –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z8SXjEu7fg
PAPERMAN –
