SHORT FILM RESEARCH 2012 - DEADLINE MONDAY NOVEMBER 19TH

RESEARCH DEADLINE APPROACHING!

RE-READ THE ADVICE ON THIS BELOW AND DO YOUR BEST TO POST DETAILED NOTES ON AT LEAST 4 FILMS EACH.

Analyse each of the remaining short films using the following format:

Provide a heading with the name of the film, the director, the date of production, and where you found and watched it.

Summarise the story of the film in a few lines.

Explain briefly why you chose this film - what do you find interesting, creative, or exciting about it?

Make notes on the following aspects of the 5 concepts, PLUS additional notes on themes and issues conveyed by the film..

Representation

·   explain which social groups are relevant for the film, and add any issues or places that might also be represented in an interesting way

·   identify the genre/s or styles used as this may influence representation (eg social realism)

·   choose some characters to discuss in depth in relation to representation. Consider and explain the use of any stereotyping. Are these positive or negative representations, and why would they be so?

·   consider whether the expected audience for the film has shaped the representations in the film.

·   does the film deal with issues? If so, how and why?

·   Provide detailed evidence throughout, using screen grabs

Aim to use terms: stereotyping, representation, ideology, collective group, femininity, masculinity, traditional, modern, social groups

Narrative

·   discuss the use of plot and story in the film and how they relate to each other. Explain the effect of this on the spectator

·   discuss the chronology of the narrative. Is it linear or not? Why and to what effect?

·   Apply narrative theories appropriately from your notes on narrative (eg Todorov). Revise these theories in your notes, or on moodle and explain what you learn about the reasons behind the structure of the narrative from applying theories of narrative to each film.

·   consider the beginning and ending of the film, applying theories of narrative and considering the impact of each.

Aim to use terms: linear, non-linear, circular, chronology, closure

Genre

·   consider and explain what genres, if any, are identifiable in the film

·   explain how short films typically use genre

·   apply genre theory appropriately - eg Neale, Altman, Fiske, Buckingham

·   consider the appeal of using any genre codes and conventions, and the impact of the way they are used in the short film

·   Where no specific genre is identifiable, do not categorise it as ‘drama’ - there is no such genre in the academic study of this topic - the film may resist being categorised in terms of genre, and you need to explain how and why this might be

·   Terms to use: repetition; variation; economies of genre; codes; conventions; syntactic; semantic; ideology/ideological

Audience

·   using the platform (website etc) where you found the film as a guide, suggest who might be expected to watch the film, using proper demographic and psychographic descriptions or categories

·   consider how that audience may be pleased by the film

·   find out where else this film has been screened (try a search in google) and comment on any specific features of this platform (eg how was it categorised?)

·   find out whether the film has won any awards, and the nature of that award

·   find out about the director, and production company if there is one. Copy the company logo where relevant, and research the company using google and/or IMDB.

·   Terms to use: demographic; psychographic; age; gender; male; female; social class; representation; collective identity

Media Language

·   select specific shots or sequences to discuss in detail, where you find the techniques used for style or form are particularly creative or interesting. How do these techniques communicate meaning or generate a response? Barthes Action and Enigma codes may be relevant, or Altman on syntactic and semantic codes.

·   This is where you can really spend time on the creative elements of the film – interesting camera work, creative use of mise en scene, clever editing, interesting sound design… etc.

·   This is where you discuss the connotations of the elements of the film – eg details of mise en scene used to construct character.

·   Terms to use: terms for shot sizes, angles, movement and depth of field or focus;  terms for aspects of mise en scene (eg lighting terms such as low key, high key, back light etc);  terms for editing (eg continuity terms; parallel cutting; montage etc etc); terms for sound (eg diegetic, non-diegetic, ambient, parallel, contrapuntal etc)

THEMES AND ISSUES, AND IDEOLOGIES

You need to add notes on these for the films you have researched.

·        What does the film seem to be about?

·        Does it raise any social issues?

·        What themes does it deal with? Are these typical of short films? How are these different to mainstream feature length films?

·        Does the film deal directly with any dominant ideologies in modern society? How does it represent them?

For all of the films you discuss, you MUST insert screen grabs as illustration for your points, but don’t be tempted to simply describe the images – this will not constitute research into the short film format.