Post 1: Researching Existing Short Films Part A

I intend to research into an existing short film to get an insight into what short films are already out there. I will note down the techniques used focusing on the key elements; Sound, Editing, Camera and Miss-en-scene. By analysing the short film I will have an understanding of how short films incorporate and use the key elements, I will take inspiration from the short film to use in our short film that we will be producing later on.

The short film I chose to analyse is That Old One, the plot of the film is a man wakes up and realises he's had a one-night-stand. His drink-addled mind feeds him memories of the night before which causes an increasing anxiety which fuels a paranoid imagination. He makes his way home the morning after the night before then he discovers his wedding ring is missing and he's in big trouble.

There is a mixture of camera angles and shots used to create effect for the audience. For example there is a high angle shot to make Tom appear strong and aggressive when he goes to retrieve his ring, where in comparison there is a low angle shot on Jane showing her to be vulnerable in the sexual position. But a low angle shot is also used on Tom when he is going to collect his ring from Jane but doesn't remember where she lives, the point of view shot from the keyhole shows him to look vulnerable showing this not to the norm. There is a camera zoom towards Tom’s face also when he first realises he has lost his ring, this shows the shock and grabs the audience’s attention hinting what the main prop of the film could be. 

Another way That Old One creates effect is by the use of sound. Diegetic sound is used to create emotion and to pull the audience in to interact with the characters, by the way the lines are spoken mixed with the characters body language. For example when Jane speaks about her ‘party trick’ it intrigues the audience, also due to her actions and position on the floor it hints at a sexual undertone. Tom screams the moment he realises that his ring is missing, because he had just spilt his coffee on himself from shock of not having his ring on his finger and his frantic body movements around his hand it hints at the plot line, showing that he's lost his ring. Non-diegetic sound is used to help portray the emotion of the situation, at the very beginning of the film there is a calm and content backing matching the calm walk and smile Tom has whilst sipping his morning coffee, this shows the audience everything is fine. Also when Tom is walking down the row of flats trying to figure out where he was the night before, there is an almost animal like and jungle beat being played showing the hunter looking for its prey.   

The lighting was linked to the main character ‘Toms’ emotions and situations he was experiencing. For example when Tom is remembering his night with Jane the lighting is dark and warm, hinting that Tom is unable to remember the night exactly and is confused. Also when Tom was lying to his wife a green light was flashing which hints at the clear change in emotion. When Tom was looking through the letter box and jumps back at seeing the naked old man, the lighting is fairly dark showing it’s early in the morning and it also hints at the dark adultery in the plot line. There is a variety of jump cuts in this short film and due to the jump from present to imagination That Old One falls into the category of non-linear.

The mis-en-scene plays a large part of the film; the costumes are an extension of the characters personality or what Tom’s imagination believes. Tom himself is dressed smart in a suit and he looks natural wearing it, he appears to be somewhat middle class. Jane is remembered in a red dress signifying sex and confidence which in the situation matches her personality. When Tom’s anxiety starts to create situations in his mind and he thinks about what if the tables were turned and his wife had cheated on him, she is wearing a long black dress which makes her attractive to the male audience.

The main prop of the film is the wedding ring, we first see Tom without his wedding ring which is where the plot line begins. His anxiety and panic when he notices that the ring is missing, starts off the different scenarios of what could happen or what has happened.  He soon discovered his ring attached to his house key’s that were in his pocket, another obvious prop that isn’t exactly that important till the wedding ring is seen. The other props used are fairly obvious, Tom reaches into his pocket and discovers an unopened box of condoms which then makes him think of what could happen if he had gotten Jane pregnant. Another obvious prop is when he is drinking coffee and he spills it down himself looking at his plain ring finger.

Location is varied on this short film, but throughout That Old One there are only three main locations; Tom’s walk home, his home and Jane’s home. The locations are seen by numerous shots, for example outside Jane’s home there is a long shot, whereas in her home only medium and close ups are used.  Tom’s walk home only uses close ups and medium shots to show where he is but the main attention is on him and his body language.

Follow this link to the film : http://www.jameshenry.org.uk/oldone.html