LO1 - P1 - SWOT Analysis

 

LO1 - P1 - Initial Ideas Focus Group

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

LO1 - P1 - Initial Ideas

 

Initial Ideas Mind Map

 

P1 - LO1 - Conventions of 3 Short Films

 

Sign Language - Mockumentary Comedy

A convention that is illustrated in the short film 'Sign Language', is the mise-en-scene. The main props are big, directional signs as that links to the protagonist's occupations. we can clearly see this at 00:35 where he is setting up to begin his shift. The protagonist 'Ben' is sharing to the camera how this is his last shift before transferring to his newly promoted job, and reminiscing the times with his other co-workers. 

This correlates to the ending of the short film, where a twist is shown. The twist is when Ben's shift has ended he gets ready to go and is met with a surprise from his other co-workers, flipping their signs over to spread a message to him - "Bye Bye Ben!", "We'll miss you.", etc. This denotes how Ben was secretly loved by others although they never showed it, telling the viewers that they are just as important to everyone else, causing them to feel moved by the message of the short film.

A convention acknowledged here is setting. As you can see the short film is based in the streets of London, specifically 'Oxford Street'. There is also a sign that says "Live, London, Shop".

The setting is used for the whole of the short film (excluding the credits). This lets viewers recognise the location and relate to how busy it always is, and the amount of stores that may be advertised. 

Another convention showed here is technicality. In this scene, an obvious show of focus pull is used to focus from Ben to the next character. This helps the audience know the the focus is transitioning to another subject, and also creates more depth to the video instead of keeping things too consistent.

A convention shown here are camera shots. There are various types of shots used here in this short film, but the most used are close-ups. The camera when Ben is talking throughout, always has it zoomed in on him. This showcases to the audience Ben's perspective and emotions while he tells his monologue to them.

Pixar Shorts Collection Luxo Jr 1986 - Animation

A convention shown here is mise-en-scene. The props used here are wires, a bouncy ball and lamps. This makes the audience curious as to what the short film will be about, with the random combination of objects shown.

Another convention shown is lighting. The lighting throughout the short film is clearly artificial, dim lighting. It is quite ambient with the way the lamps act as a soft spotlight, with the brown desk, effectively giving a relaxing vibe towards the audience, especially with the non-diegetic background music, serving as a jazz piano sequence.

A convention shown here is camera shot and angle. As you can see in the screen-grab, it is a fairly wide shot, successfully showcasing both characters and the simple surrounding, with the angle being eye-level to them as well. This shows the audience a clear presentation of what is going on in the film. 

A convention that is evident in this short film are the graphics. it is clearly an animation, quite a simple one with barely any intricate details, which is justified seeing as it was made in 1986. The only colourful detail shown here in this screen-grab is the bouncy ball which has now been flattened. The pop of colours give a sense of youth, reminding us of who the audience is - children. This is further stablished with the playful movement of the lamps, especially the smaller lamp as it hops around.

A convention seen here is the setting. It can be seen as a little eerie with the background being plain darkness, however all that negative space brings strong focus towards the objects shown in the video. The audience can easily understand that they are indoors, with the brown desk and evident plug placed in the black background.

In The Shadow  - Gangster

A convention shown is the lighting. We can see here how dark and grim it looks, with the only lighting being artificial from within the character's room. With the man's silhouette showing, denoting how his actions and what he is going through is dark and eerie. This lets the audience be known that this short film may not be for the kind-hearted.

Another convention shown is mise-en-scene. One of the props shown at around 02:59 is a gun, showing to the audience that there is violent nature played out in the film. With the gun also portrayed as black, we can see how this links back to the key topic "shadows", the gun can blend in with the darkness just like the shadow character who is using the gun. This also further emphasises how you can never truly see if something is dangerous or not until you finally realise.

A convention shown is setting. It is clear that the setting is quite gothic, and old-timey, with the vintage look of the room and the video being in black and white, showcasing as a 'Film Noir'. This attracts the audience as film noirs are known to be full of thriller and mystery. This is further acknowledge with the subtitle saying "As a silhouette, I had no choice". This cryptic message brings more enigmas.

A convention illustrated here are camera shots. We can see in this screen-grab that the full surroundings of the main character, background characters and location are shown, meaning that the shot is a wide shot. This gives the audience a view of what the character's life is like and the sheer contrast between him and the people with how they are acting.

A convention shown here is the use of editing. In this ending scene we can see that the name of the film is painted on the ground, seemingly blending in with the key theme of 'shadows'. With the english translation of the title being in the subtitle below, this lets the audience understand fully about how the short film is ending. The ominous atmosphere left over ties in the open ending of the film, leaving the audience with questions of what might life be like towards the shadow.