Short Film Analysis

MEMORIES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85HDu87TGy0

Memories is a short film based on the revival of memories and cherrishing moments long ago for the main character, the old man. Throughout the film, the main character conitinualy finds these strips of film that reveal moments that meant a lot to him. For example, the main character's foot is entangled by the first strip of film that shows either his childhood or possibly his son.

The main character then embarks on this journey to find more of these strips of films that would reveal more of these past memories. Towards the end of the short film, the main character goes through this picture book that relate back to these strips of film and eventually ends with the old man closing his eyes.

Throughout the film, there are many close ups on the main characters face that display many of the emotions he feels. These close ups really set the tone of happiness and also show how the main character changes his character. In the beginning, the main character seems to be grumpy and uncaring, but as he gathers these strips of film. his expressions began to lighten up. There are also many quick pace shots that sort of add on to the intensity of the film. This means that as the main character began to find more of the film strips, the quicker the film's pace went. Also, towards the end of the short film, as the main character finds more and more of these strips of film, there are a few cross dissolves that quicken up the pace of the film too.

 There is also a few pan shots that capture the main characters emotions in finding these strips of film. The camera is mostly on a waist shot level and usually pans from the main character onto the strips of film. This is repeated numerous times throughout the film, but is effective in establishing the happy tone. Sometimes there are traveling shots when the main character walks through the streets in search of the film strips.

The lighting in this film is also pretty unique. Their is an effect throughout the whole film that makes the setting seem somewhat dark and gloomy, such as though it was a rainy day. This establishes the probability of how the main character felt in the beginning of the film, but doesn't contribute to the renewed feeling of joy during the rest of the film. This could refer to low-key lighting.

As far as the editiing, in my opinion, it was well done. There are many continuity shots that somewhat add on to how the main character is feeling after finding the film strips. For example, in the end of the film, there is a perfect example of great continuity editing that supports how excited the main character was to go home and look at the film strips.

The music was also good because it really contributed to the film's tone and how the main character's journey to find the film strips was an accomplishment. It also gives the film a sympathetic tone to how the main character feels throughout the film and it gives us, the audience, the impression that this man is able to be happy once again due to these film strips.

Sound Project Peer Review

1) What is the INTENT of the scene? (what is the scene used for dramatically)
The intent of the film is to show the audience what the character can't see but what the audience can see. This creates suspense and really gets the audience attached.

2) What are the PLOT POINTS? (points that move the story forward)
 The main character is doing his homework on another average day. All of a sudden, he hears a noise downstairs and the horror begins.

3) What is the CLIMAX of each scene? (what is the turning point)
The main character meets the creature and is in horrified. 

4) What is the RESOLUTION? (how is the theme resolved)
 The creature caught the main character and the film ends.

5) What is the CONCLUSION? (how does the scene end)
When the main character wipes his eyes, he loses sight of the creature. He then finds the creature behind him and the creature gets him.

6) What are the important LINES OF DIALOGUE? (contain story points)
The main character hears something downstairs. He sees something moving and eventually meets the creature. He tries running away from the creature, but eventually gets caught.

7) Which character CONTROLS the scene? (who pushes the story forward)
When the creature is found, the intensity of the film increases, and the main character is put in a life or death situation.

8) What suggestions do you have to improve the narrative?
We could have a better runaway scene. The main character could be running to other places and every time he tries, the creature is always near by. Another suggestion could be that the creature keeps eluding the main character, which creates more suspense, and when he does find it, the story ends.

Sound Treatment

A boy is just doing his homework on another average day.


As he's finishing up his last problem for math, he hears a sound downstairs.

He puts his homework down and he gets up to see what happened.


As he comes down the stairs, he sees something move in the shadows.


Before he gets caught up with terror, he walks towards the scene, only to find nothing there.


As he opens the door to the kitchen, he sees a figure in the distance.


The figure begins walking towards the boy, and the boy jolts back upstairs.


When he looks back to find nothing there, he looks forward and sees the figure right in front of him.


He then jolts downstairs and hides in the garage.


As he begins panicking and sees nothing after him. he hears the door open.


He sees the figure walk towards the middle of the garage.


As the boy wipes his face and looks back, the figure is gone.


When the boy sighs with relief, he feels a presence behind him.


He looks back, and see's the figure there....

In the opening shot of the film, it'll show the boy in his room doing his homework. In the background, there will be a storm sound effect used. As the boy comes downstairs and sees the creature and runs away, rhythmic match will be used. When it comes to the suspenseful part when the boy is hiding and the creature is after him,  scary music will be incorporated into it.

Textual Analysis/Oral Exam Part 3

Part III

IV. Narrative
The Road was told throughout a short period of time.It shows the father and son trying to survive this post-apocalyptic disaster in most of the film with some flashbacks to the the father with his wife. With the flashbacks to the fathers previous life, it gives a sense of sadness because the father was such a happy man with his wife, and now that's she's gone, he only has one person left in his life: his precious son. At some points of the movie, there are parts that express horror and suspense that add on to the film's genre. The Road really makes us attached to the father and son, especially the son. The father would do anything to keep his son out of harms way, which includes death, and this really makes viewers understand his intentions. With his son, we see him as this innocent little child who shouldn't experience what he has experienced, and this makes us really feel sympathy for him.

V. Film Language and Representation
The father and son are represented as basically the last people on Earth. They are wearing dirty, worn out cloths and their usually always covered in dirt. Their acting contributes to this because they act desperate as in they are always looking for food and water that is very scarce. Many of the shots capture the father and son being seen as the last people left on Earth and survivors of this epidemic.

The style of editing gives the film a unique feature. In some of the shots, such as when the father and son were running away from the hunters, they are quick and fast pace. The lighting is also very well because it really makes the environment which they are living in look really desolate.

The sound and music is also very well because it matches well with the situations the father and son are put in. The location was perfect because it really does display an post-apocalyptic world. For some of the special techniques, Hillcoat used hollow tress that were designed to fall down when triggered during the scene when the father and son were running away from the hunters.

Part 2 - Historical and Instituitional Factors/Socio-Cultural context

II. Historical and Institutional Factors

Institutional factors that may be important to the film is the producer Nick Wechsler, who also produced The Time Traveler's Wife. Their film production was distributed by Dimension Film and The Weinstein Company, who has agreed to acquire a 25% stake in Starz Media. This was essential to the film because it won the Utah Film Critics Association award for Best Cinematography, and San Diego Film Critics Society Award for best actor.

The Road is the story of a father and son witnessing the apocalypse. Unlike many end-of-the-world films, there is no explanation for what happens and no hope for the survival of human life. The last people on Earth that are alive have nothing to look forward too other than the inevitable: death.

III.  Socio-cultural context

The Road was really able to open many people's eyes of what can happen to us. It made people really frightened because this movie is an example of what Earth would be like if we continue to do what we do. Not only did this movie frighten people, but this really did set the fact of what a disaster or war could do to the Earth and impact it so severely.

Textual Analysis/Oral Exam

Part I. Genre and Audience
The Road is a post-apocalyptic fictional movie. This movie is based off of Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road. The Road directed by John Hillcoat and produced by Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz, and Paula Mae Schwartz. This movie is connected to The Book of Eli because they have similar themes and storyline. He created this movie because he wanted to show how devastating a major disaster could affect the whole world and show how surviving it is an extreme challenge.

Destruction, survival, isolation, and death express the film's theme. All of civilization, buildings, and wildlife has already been obliterated by this catastrophe.

The love and sacrifice a father has for his son is another theme expressed in the film. Throughout the film, the father has been put in numerous situations where he has had to put himself in the way of danger to protect his precious son.

The target audience could be anyone because this movie basically explains how we need to be cautious of our actions. These actions could lead to major disasters that can affect human life, and basically this is what the movie emphasizes.

Short Documentary Blog Post_Firsthand

Firsthand is a great documentary that really captured the beauty and excitement of dirt biking. Not only that, it also showed what life is like in it, and how intense the sport can really get. The shots along with the interviews contributed the excellency of the film.

During the interview, there were good shots of b-roll that showed exactly what the guys were talking about. There were some still shots that captured some of the amazing dirt bike moves and some that got into the action that showed the talent of these guys. Not only that, the fast pace of the shots added to the intensity of the film.

The editing of the film was also spectacular. The shots were perfectly cut to parts that really showed the fluity and the beauty. Some shots really got good sounds of the action that really sounded like you were there. Also, when someone was interviewd, the b-roll was placed in perfectly and cut to specific parts that related to what the person was talking about.