Gleaming the Cube Analysis

This film is solely based around skateboarding and the shots it uses can be paid homage to in my short film.

• The use of music whilst skateboarding can be mimicked but with more comedic music in my film as gleaming the cube isn't a comedy.
• Long shots of the boy skating into the shot shows speed.
• Slow Motion whilst skating allows to see tricks more clearly and creates some tension.
• Low angle shots of ramps being skated on makes ramps look higher
• Montage of skateboarding but may be difficult to use this in a short film.
• Use of editing to show shots of skateboard then shots of skater whilst skateboarding shows togetherness and friendship which could be used to personify my skateboard.
• Tracking shots to keep up with skateboard. (camera in a car or on a scooter).
• No music and frustration shown when skateboard is broken
• Older characters have very negative attitude towards skating.
• Skaters shot at low angle when adults aren't around. High angle when parents are around to show authority.

This film hardly personifies the skateboards but there is a clear bond between the main character and his skateboard(s) and the editing shows this by going from close ups of the skateboard to close ups of the main character as well as the non diagetic music used to create montages when skateboarding. This is uncommonly used in regular skateboarding clips but are very useful in a skateboarding drama to portray the characters and their skateboards.

However the movie does show skateboarding clips which commonly use low angles to make the tricks look higher and slow motion to make tricks easier to look at. As well as the music over the clip to drown out the noises of the skateboard on gravel.

Analysis of 'Rubber'

Rubber is another feature length film and was the only one that I found that also has an inanimate object as the main character of the feature.

The techniques used to personify the tyre in this film are some that I will be able to pay homage to in my short film:

• Reaction shots to show that this is out of the ordinary and to represent the inanimate object as frightening.
• Music to illustrate emotions of the inanimate object as well as create tense or humorous atmosphere.
• The use of silence in confrontational situations between the Tyre and other characters to create tension and fear.
• Following tense moments with light hearted music which creates comedy.

These techniques are ones that I am likely to use in my short film however I will have less time to personify the inanimate object as the film will only be 5 minutes long so it is important that I use these techniques quickly and efficiently.

The music used in this film creates the most comedy, as it contrasts with what someone would usually think after murder etc. After serious incidents the music quickly cuts in with loud, up beat, feel good music which makes us laugh at something that normally wouldn't be considered humorous which is the effect that I would like to have in my short film so I will use this technique to try and gain the same effect.

In terms of getting the inanimate object to move. This film uses a motor inside the Tyre to get it to turn whereas with a skateboard I will mostly push the board into the shot and use string to pull the board in the direction that I want it go.

Analysis of 'Rushmore'

Rushmore is a feature length film by Wes Anderson starring Jason Schwartzman as the main character Max Fischer.


This character is portrayed as the main character through camera shots and editing to place him in the centre of the screen throughout the majority of the picture. He is represented as an awkward boy whom most of the characters loath and the breaking of the rule of thirds is used to make the audience uncomfortable as well, silence and long pauses in conversations are again used in this picture to create comedy.

Reaction shots of characters show their despise of Max Fischer and this is something that will be important in my picture in order to personify the inanimate object who is the main character, the reaction of other characters will be key to the understanding between the audience and the inanimate object. The characters in Rushmore are also often shot in the centre of  the screen when talking to Max, but rule of thirds is followed when they aren't talking to him, which shows how uncomfortable they are around him.

Light hearted Music plays throughout this film when Max is present such as when he is working or walking etc. and there are a series of Montages which encourage the audience to laugh at Max. This is something I am less likely to use in my film as a dark comedy will make the viewer uncomfortable and music may contradict the genre of the film. 

Similar techniques have been used in other films such as Napoleon Dynamite which focus around one character who creates all the comedy and is uncomfortable around the other characters, these films all use techniques which could be used in my short film.

Analysis of Get Off My Land

Camera Shots

This short film makes use of long shots of scenes to allow the viewer to watch from a distance, the film is very uncomfortable for the reader as it involves confrontation between the two males who are both shot close up in the centre of the screen. The Reaction shots of the two walkers when the land owner gets out his gun show the fright and this defines what the audience's reaction should be.

Sound

Other techniques to make the viewer uncomfortable include long pauses of silence both mid conversation and after gun shots.

The land owner's punch line at the end of the film is said whilst he looks into the camera which creates interaction with the audience which makes the comedy more obvious however the comedic value was less present throughout the rest of the film and the use of the punch line is something I am less likely to use as I want to make the viewer to think more. Also this film makes use of dialogue to create tension and comedy and I would prefer to have more silence and the use of music to create these effects on the audience.

Mise en Scene

The open field that the film is set in makes the viewer uncomfortable as there are very few people and very little movement which is tense. The shotgun also brings a reaction from the audience as the tension in the scene grows due to the land owner expressing his power.


Editing

The use of long takes throughout the film creates a calm environment but also tense an the take lengths do not change despite the quick changes in circumstances of the land owner's actions. The jump cut after the first gun shot to a long shot of the man falling to the ground is used to create shock but the jump cut after the second gun shot to a long shot view of birds flying from trees creates comedy.

Forms and Conventions of the 'Dark Comedy' Genre

The main genre for my short film is Comedy, although it is not an obvious comedy and can be categorised as 'dark comedy'.

My film will revolve around one main character which is an inanimate object such as a skateboard, the abandonment of this object by it's human friends will lead to it's resort to a life of crime, drugs and alcohol abuse and eventual suicide.

The friendship between the human and skateboard will be represented similarly to in films such as 'I love you man' and 'stepbrothers' in a comedic way by making use of editing to synchronize shots with feel good music.

 Films I will analyse that are similar in genre are:

• get off my land
• rubber
• rushmore

I define my target genre as a dark comedy that will question and intimidate the audience, the film will include metaphorical situations where the audience will question whether they should laugh or not and the use of editing and mise en scene will be create humour but the metaphor itself is quite serious and dark.

Typical conventions used by films of this genre are breaking the 'rule of thirds' by placing characters in the centre of the screen to intimidate or make the audience feel uncomfortable. Awkward silences and long pauses also do this effectively and the actors being completely serious throughout the film does this as well, typical comedy dialogue such as sarcasm and jokes/punch lines are very rarely used in these films.

The hermeneutic and proairetic codes apply to most short films.

Hermeneutic Code - This refers to elements of the story not being explained, thus creating questions and mysteries to the audience. This could also work to make the audience uncomfortable and make the comedy less obvious to the audience.

Proairetic Code - The building of tension to keep the viewer guessing what will happen next

Barthes described them as:

"...dependent on ... two sequential codes: the revelation of truth and the coordination of the actions represented: there is the same constraint in the gradual order of melody and in the equally gradual order of the narrative sequence."

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/articles/barthes_five_codes.htm

Historical influences such as Cinema Pur convey techniques to communicate with the viewer which could be used in my short film such as distorted images and tilted camera angles which make it harder for the viewer to watch and they will be less comfortable which is what I want for this film.

My short film will aim to use these conventions in order to make the viewer uncomfortable and distort the comedic factors of the film in order to make the viewer think more.

My Chosen Brief

Brief 10 - A short film in it's entirety, lasting approximately five minutes. Together with the following: -a poster for the film -a film magazine review page featuring the film.