Research: What Have I Learnt?

After my three genre analysis on the short films: 8 Meter, I Miss You and Youth, as well as my non-genre specific analysis of 1500 Words and the Irrational Fear of Nothing I have learnt some elements that are prominent in the Coming of Age genre which I will try to include when planning out my own short film. I have also learnt some different conventions used in short films compared to feature films and will also take these into consideration during the planning of my short film.

Characters:
Characters within the Coming of Age genre are generally young adults or teenagers who have to overcome either a physical or mental hurdle. These characters tend to rely on other characters to help them and give them advice however they often ignore the advice of others as they cope with the struggle. For example the protagonist in 8 meter ignores all the warnings from his friend and family to stop before he endangers himself but he ultimately ends up doing it anyway. Characters within the Coming of Age genre tend to be very determined as they face the problem ahead. however they also tend to be one dimensional simple characters as the small time running time of short film limits the amount of character development which can be included and the audience needs to be able to understand the character and their motives as earlier as possible.

The problems these protagonists tend to face are normally conventional, for example in "I Miss You' the character is facing a breakup, in 8 Meters he is facing his Mother's illness. However it is possible to flip these conventions and put an original spin on them e.g. in 8 Meters he believes he has to set a new long jump record to wake his Mother up.

Narrative:
Feature films tend to have their protagonist solving their issue towards the end. However due to the limited time allowed for a short film, the protagonists in these films often don't find a resolution at the end. For example in '9 Meters' the audience doesn't find out whether his Mother gets better again or whether he makes the 9 metre jump. In the short film 'I Miss You' it ends with the main character deleting a draft of email he was about to send to his ex-girlfriend telling her he misses her. Therefore the concept of ending my short film on a cliffhanger or unresolved ending could be taken into consideration during the planning process.

Narratives in the coming of age genre can also focus more on the idea of growing up instead of focusing on one character and the problems they face as a young adult or teenager. For example in the short film 'Youth', there isn't any character development as we know little about the people starring in the film. However, the short film gives us an essence of what growing up is. This is told through a series of short clips edited together into a montage. This is a much more lighthearted take on the Coming of Age genre.

As this genre is a sub-genre of drama there are often typical conventions of a drama film included. For example the inclusion of abusive parents, parents, drugs etc.

Editing:
The editing in the coming of age genre tends to be made of complex techniques. Montages tend to be prominent within the genre, especially for short films. These allow for a more interesting narrative for the audience. They also allow the audience to see the character age up and adapt even in the limited running time of a short film. The short scenes used in the montage can be linked together through the use of techniques such as a match on action, a graphic match and an eye-line match. This can help tell a narrative or storyline in itself without the dialogue.

Mis En Scene:
Typical locations in Coming of Age films are cities and towns. Characters tend to live in urban areas as busy locations tend to give the idea that the character is lost amongst all the people and their busy lives around him. Props which tend to appear within the genre are items such as knives, guns, drugs, cigarettes etc. Short films tend to be shot in one location due to their limited budget.

Genre Specific Analysis: 9 Metre

Institutional Information:
The short film I will be analysing is called 9 Metres and is about a sixteen year old boy who believes breaking his long jump records are keeping his mother alive, as he sets out to do his most dangerous jump yet. This film was directed and written by Andres Walter, produced by M&M Productions and made in Denmark. The cinematography was by Rasmus Heise and it was edited by Lars Wissing. This short film stars the actors Benjamin Gabrielsen as Daniel the main character and Oliver Methling Sondergaard as Bubka. This short has won awards at a number of film festivals a few including: Winner of best children and youth film at the Odense International Film Festival, winner of the international audience award at Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival and came second in the best teen film award at Kuki Children and Youth Film Festival. This film was also shortlisted for an Oscar for 'Best live action short' in 2013.

Shots:

The short film opens with a handheld close up shot of the main protagonist stood at the top of a building. This shot also acts as an establishing shot as it shows us the location. The fact that the shot is handheld creates a sense of unease as he is stood at such a height, it gives the audience a taste of the vertigo the character is experiencing. This also a good representation of the protagonist's character as he is presented as seeming a bit lost as the world passes by without him, this is because he is carrying the weight of his sick mother on his shoulders as he believes if he can beat his record he can wake his Mother up again.

This is then followed by a high angle shot of the main protagonist looking down at the drop below. This shot also displays the difficulties Daniel is feeling. It shows he isn't dealing very well with his Mother's illness as he sits on the edge of the tall building recklessly. This shows he doesn't feel threatened by danger or death as he doesn't seem affected by the height, this suggests that his reality isn't appealing to him meaning death doesn't seem so scary to him due to the difficulties he is facing. 

This high angle shot is used to display the hopelessness the character feels towards his Mother's illness. It could also display the huge responsibility he feels towards waking her up by setting new records.  

This close up shot is used to show the Mother lifting her finger up in response to the protagonist, Daniel, telling her how he had set a new record. The close up is used to emphasise the importance of this gesture as the idea of her responding to his records is what drives the plot. This shot of her lifting her finger is a symbol of hope. 

This mid shot is used at a cantered angle. With the subtitles 'She moved a finger today. Its the third time she reacts to my records.' This is the protagonist implying that she moved her finger because he set a new long jump record. This angled shot is used to imply the twisted logic this character has used  as he has linked her moving her finger to him setting new records. 

This wide angle long shot is used to show the vast emptiness of the pit that the protagonist is about to jump over. This adds tension to the scene as it creates a sense of danger for the audience as they know he is about to try to jump over it. 

These two tracking shots are used when move backwards as he runs towards the long jump pit. These show the extremely fast speed he is running at, we also see the determination on his face as he runs, showing the audience he will do anything to save his mother.

After Daniel makes the jump the scene cuts back to the hospital room as he tells his mother about his new record. Another close up is used of the mother's hand, this links back with the earlier scene where she moved her finger in response. This shot is even close than the last, showing the desperation of the protagonist to see her finger move again. It also emphasises the disappointment the character is feeling after there is no movement. 

This close up of the floor level in the lift is used to show the audience that the protagonist is about to attempt a higher jump. This again builds tension as its common knowledge that a six stories is high up. 

This extreme long shot is used showing the main character setting up for the jump on the roof of the building. This long shot is extremely effective as the audience gets to see the size of the jump he is about to attempt compared to the size of him. As the shot is so far away, the protagonist looks minuscule in size, making the jump seem almost impossible, therefore building tension. 

This close up shot is used of his feet when they hit the hand on the other side of the jump. This shot acts as a break from the tension as it tells the audience he has made it across safely. Using a close up signifies the importance of him making it to that sandpit. 

There are also a series of point-of-view shots used throughout the short film which all act as a way of showing what the main protagonist is planning without it being told. One example is the shot of him holding his thumb up to the gap from a distance, this is a common method people use to test distances. With that knowledge, the audience can gather that he is planning his next jump. 

The above shot is also used to create unease in the audience as the lighting is set up to make the pit seem endless. This puts the audience on edge as they are uncertain of what the protagonists fate will be if he doesn't make the jump. 

This long shot is used to make the protagonist seem very small and helpless. In this shot the character is very vulnerable as he is close to falling to his death. Being surrounded by concrete buildings gives it a very harsh, cold tone. This could imply that the character is very vulnerable to many different elements in his life such as Mother's illness. The cold blank tone of these empty buildings also links with the similar tone presented in his Mother's hospital room. 

After the protagonist enters his mother's hospital room to say goodbye, we get a close up of Daniel's hand. This links with the close ups of his Mother's hand which have been used throughout the short film every time he went to tell her about a new record. His trembling fingers show what an emotional moment this is for the character as this is what he has been trying to avoid the whole short film. The tremble in his fingers also link to the beginning of the short film when his Mother first moved her finger what he told her his first record, which is what drove the plot initially. 

After the protagonist runs out the room and to the next jump, a close up shot of the numbers of the lift is used again. This links directly with the same shot used earlier when Daniel went up to set the jump up previously. This time the shot adds tension as the numbers move up slowly, delaying the dad from stopping his son from making this impossible jump. This is also reinforced by the shot of the dad banging on the wall of the lift impatiently. 

Towards the end of the short film this mid shot is used with the reflection of the light on the lens in the corner. This could be used to represent the clouded and dazed mind of the protagonist as he then turns around and runs at the jump anyway as he sees this as his last resort to save his mother no matter the consequences. 

Narrative:

This short film does not follow Todorov's equilibrium theory which suggests a film should have an equilibrium which is then interrupted by a disruption which is then set right and restored with a solution. This short film immediately opens with the problem of his Mother being in a coma, there is some hope when he starts to believe he can save her through setting new long jump records, however this hope is soon crushed for the audience after she doesn't move after his second record. The film also does not find a resolution as the film ends on a cliffhanger with the mother still being sick and the fate of the protagonist unknown. This film fits into the coming of age genre as the journey of the protagonist is to overcome childish superstitions, however he never does and it ends with him putting his life in serious danger due to this, therefore it doesn't follow popular film structure. 

Character Representation:

Daniel is represented as being quite childish in this short film as he doesn't ever face the real problem of his mother being sick and instead focuses on childish superstitions which he naively believed will wake her up. He is presented as being unable to deal with the reality of what is happening to his parent, therefore he focuses on a made up reality he has created in his head, an example of this being after his Mother doesn't react the second time he sets a new record he still tells his friend that she moved her whole arm, when we as an audience saw she lay still. 

However Daniel is also presented as being very determined as we see in the first few scenes. These shots show the tension and attention he has in his hands and feet, showing he is completely focused on setting a new record. The shot below shows the vulnerability of both Daniel and his Mother as its shot from a high angle. 

Daniel also speaks frequently and turns to his younger friend for advice. This character type as the 'Heroes best friend' is a common character featured within the genre of Coming Of Age films, this also fits into Vladimir Propp's theory on characters in film. 

The protagonist Daniel is also presented as always wearing the same red tracksuit throughout the short film. The colour red has connotations of danger which could be linked to or could foreshadow the danger he gets himself into frequently when trying to set new records to save his Mother. He also doesn't change out of these clothes throughout the film which is set over a few days, therefore hinting at his determination as he hasn't stopped trying since the start of the film. 

Editing:

Shot reverse shot and over-the-shoulder shots is a technique used throughout this short film. One example of this is when he is talking with his best friend while sitting on the bleachers next to the long jump track. These demonstrate the close and equal relationship these characters have as they are friends. However when Daniel mentions the fact that his Mother will be taken off life support, they use a mid shot of him however it isn't an over-the-shoulder shot, as his friend isn't in the shot. This could represent how alone he feels in the situation. 

An eye-line match is used at 3:05, this shows a point-of-view shot of Daniel looking up at the building and measuring it with his thumb, then we see a shot of him with this thumb up again out of the shot. This tells the audience that he is measuring the rough size of the building. 

A match on action is used to show Daniel dropping the can into the dark concrete gap in the floor. This is used to show continuity between the shots and emphasises the depth of the pit. It also gives us a glimpse at the reaction of both characters as each different shot focuses on a different character or object while the same action is occurring. 

Jump cuts are used of the protagonist when he is preparing to make his first jump. This gives the effect of him being in two minds about whether to do the jump or not. It also builds tension as you can see he is under a lot of stress making the idea of him jumping a lot more dangerous in the audiences mind, making the actual jump a lot more dramatic. 

A fade transition is used between the scene of the boy sat with his mother and when he comes out the room into the corridor to face his friend after the disappointment of his mother not reacting to his new record. The transition hints that some time has passed between the two scenes. It could also represent the new mindset the character leaves the room in, he leaves his emotion in that hospital room as when he leaves he lies to his friend about her moving her whole arm when in reality she didn't move at all. 

Cross Cutting is used to play two scenes along side each other. These two scenes are Daniel sat on the roof of the building contemplating whether to jump as a desperate last attempt to save his mother and he scene with his dad trying to find him and eventually going into the lift to meet him on the roof and stop him. Editing these two scenes to run at the same time builds tension for the viewer as it leaves the question of whether the dad will get to Daniel before he jumps and stop him in time. 

Just before Daniel jumps cross cutting is used again. This time it cuts between Daniel preparing for the jump and the Mother in her hospital bed. This gives the audience a reminder of what the stakes are for whether he jumps for not as this is what he believes to be the last chance to save her. 

As Daniel completes the run up for the jump it goes into slow motion. This is used to dramatise the fact that he is putting himself in a very dangerous situation and its unsure of whether he will make the jump or not. This is an effective way of building tension as it drags the moment out longer increasing the audience's anticipation. 

Sound:

In the beginning of the short film, as Daniel focuses and prepares for his long jump, the non-diegetic ringing noise fades out to a very low bass sound, this represents his focus as he prepares to run. 

A sound bridge is used to tie these two scenes together. As Daniel lands the long jump in the first screenshot, upon impact instead of hearing the thud of his landing the sound is replaced with the beep of a hospital machine. This noise carries on as he stands up and as it cuts to the next scene which shows the Mother in hospital connected to the machines. This sound bridge immediately links these two elements of the short film together e.g. the long jump records and his mother's illness, which is the key theme throughout. Sound bridges are used throughout the short film a few examples being when he tells his friend he hasn't set anymore new records at 1:54 and after the hospital scene when he tells his dad his mother reacts to his records at 1:10. 

At 2:20, non-diegetic music is added after his friend tells him about the fact he runs faster when he is being chased and the protagonist gets an idea and the scene cuts to him doing research online. This music gives the impression that he is putting together a plan. This music gets louder and more layered when it cuts to him outside physically measuring the distance between the buildings, this change to the music demonstrates his plan being solidified. 

At 4:06, the diegetic water droplet sound in the concrete building where Daniel is about to perform his first jump makes the setting seem cold and damp. This adds to the discomfort the audience should feel in the moment he makes his first jump. 

At 4:51 when Daniel is about to try the jump the sound echoes and becomes distant, this adds to the idea the character is overcome with fear and that his head is somewhere else. The music used when he runs has a beat similar to a heart beating very fast, this adds tension to the moment. 

When Daniel arrives at the hospital and tells her about the new record and she doesn't the sound again  becomes very echoed and elongated as he lifts her finger up himself, mimicking her reaction previously. This points out his devastation in her lack of movement. 

At 9:00, when Daniel prepares for another jump the sound fades out to silent, again representing his concentration before he jumps, also building tension for the audience. At 9:24 when he makes the jump and starts shouting out to his mum, sad music is used to represent the loss of hope in the moment. This music then stops once he jumps again and is hanging off the edge, this sudden end to the music will add to the shock of him being in danger. 

In the scene where Daniel is saying goodbye to his mum just before he runs out the door the music gets very loud, representing his clouded mind as he tries to decide whether or not he should try one last time. The music suddenly stops as he makes a fist with his hand, showing the audience he has made his decision and this is the moment he needs to act on it.   

Mis En Scene:

As well as having connotations of danger, the colour red also connotes love. This represents his undying love for his mother and his passion to wake her up again by putting himself in dangerous situations with the hope that his new records will wake her up. Having the mother wearing a white hospital gown makes her seem euphoric, angelic and just out of reach for Daniel. Having the best friend wearing a grey hoodie throughout the short film represents strength and stability as this is who Daniel always goes to for support and advice. 

The setting of the short film is conventional for the coming of age genre, being set in a city. It makes the film feel very cold and empty for the protagonist as he surrounded by concrete grey buildings. Another elements which conform with the genre is the graffiti on the wall outside where Daniel makes the 6 metre jump. The hospital is also a common setting for this genre in film. The lighting in the hospital is very dim and miserable making the room seem depressing and dull. In scenes where Daniel is told bad news the lighting is very dark, for example when he is telling his friend about how they are thinking of turning off her life support, this presents his almost complete lack of hope as he searches and waits for a solution. In scenes such as the second jump he successfully makes the lighting is very natural, bright and sunny, this is represents the fact that he has set a new record. 

Conclusion:

Overall, there are many different elements used in this short film which I can bring into my own. For example I think they way they use colours in the clothing of the characters to represent their personalities is interesting and would be good to include in my own. The lighting in this short film is one of their most successful elements and is something I will plan out in my own piece to make sure it reflects the mood in the scene. I also really like the sound bridges used in this short film and will incorporate these into my own. 

Genre Specific Analysis: I Miss You

Institutional Information:
This short film follows a teenage boy as he tries to come to terms with his breakup by writing an email to his ex-girlfriend. This short film was released September 23rd 2014, it was directed by Anton Sheptooha and Nick L'Barrow and stars Alex Fitzalan and Steph Howe. The short film was edited and filmed by Joshua Hodgman. I found this short film on YouTube after it gained over five million views since it was published by Beyond Tomorrow Films. This short film has the tag line: 'Love at first sight isn't always what it seems, but its perfect while it lasts.'

Shots:

The short film opens with an out of focus shot of an open door looking into a party. All the people that walk out the door or past it are out of focus, however when the protagonist walks into the shot he is in focus, this shows the audience that he is the main character the short film will be following. This is also a mid shot. This is then followed by a mid shot of the protagonist looking over at the girl. The focus also changes from the boy to the girl as he looks at her. This is a clear indication to the audience that this is the girl that the short film will follow. The fact that the shot features a sharp focus on the girl indicates to the audience that this is a love story as it signifies the importance of him meeting her, knowing that she is going to change his life, therefore making it a short film within the coming of age/romance genre. 

We then see a tracking shot of the protagonist as he walks over to the girl. The fact that we follow him on his walk over could be demonstrating the importance of her first impression of him and the fact that the shot is slow captures the whole movement could display to the audience how nervous he is to approach her, this is also backed up by the fact he fixes his hair as he walks over. 

This over-the-shoulder close up shot is then used when he says 'hey' to girl. This close up is used to show the audience the nerves visible on his face. This shot is also when the voice over starts which again indicates to the audience that this is a love story and this relationship will be significant throughout. 

This close up shot is used of them holding hands while they are in the cinema. The close up indicates that this was a significant moment in their relationship, maybe implying it is one of their first dates. This shows that even though it is a small action, it indicates a lot about their relationship. 

This scene is followed by an establishing shot which pans around to them sitting by the lake. As the couple kiss, the film cuts to a close up shot demonstrating the intimacy of the moment between these characters. 

Two over-the-shoulder shots are used to show the equal relationship between these two characters and that they have an equal relationship. This demonstrates the idea that your first love is always the hardest to get over as they are both as obsessed with the each other. This is also demonstrated by the focus of the shot being on their reactions. 

A medium hand-held shot is also used to show the two characters walking down the street drunk, this is obvious as the boy has a bottle in his hand. The idea that the shot is handheld also hints to the audience that they are drunk as it makes the shot a lot more shaky, implying the characters a dizzy and disorientated which is something you experience after drinking alcohol. 

This handheld shot of the two walking into the roof of a building creates a fast pace as we see them running up the stairs, this creates the idea of love as exciting. This mid shot also acts as an establishing shot as it shows them stood in front of a a large landscape which gives the audience an idea of where they live. Shots of sunsets are also commonly used in romance and coming of age films as it signifies something beautiful and romantic. It can also be used to give the idea of time stopping and just living in the moment, something that is also related with being with someone you love.  

After the fade to black transition, there is a mid shot used of the two which pans out further and further throughout the scene. This scene shows the couple arguing. The toned down colours of this shot greatly contrast the colourful scenes of the sunset which we previously saw. The darkened colours show the shattering of their perfect romance as they argue. This shows love as being colourful and full of life, and as they break up the light and fun is sucked out their life. The panning out of this shot also contrasts with previous shots which pan towards them, these show them building their relationship and growing closer, where as the panning out of this shot shows them growing apart and breaking up. 

This long shot is used of the boy as he says goodbye to the girl after they break up. This shots pans out quickly from the perspective of the car the girl is driving. This shot has the character look directly into the camera, displaying their desperation and emotion. Having the character stand in the middle of an empty road signifies how alone he is without her as well as his devastation that she has left. 

This high angle mid shot is used of the two lying on the ground as a flashback while she is driving away, this high angle shot makes them seem carefree and happy. The bright colours in this shot also contrast the grey tone of the shots used when they breakup beforehand. 

This mid shot has been used of the boy on his computer. The dark lighting in this shot signifies that this is nighttime, hinting that he is awake when he should be asleep, which could imply he has something on his mind which is keeping him awake. This is also backed up by the next shot which is a close up of an email he is writing to his now ex-girlfriend which links with the voiceover. The audience realises that the voiceover we have been hearing throughout the short film is actually the email he is writing to her after they have broken up. After the shot pans to the right it focuses on the words 'you miss me too' which links to the title of the short film 'I Miss You'. 

There are then a series of close ups which are used to demonstrates the characters indecisiveness on whether or not to send the email. The close up of the 'send' button shows the importance of sending that email as there are many different outcomes if he did send it that could happen. He has also poured his heart into the email and sending it would mean becoming very vulnerable. This series of shots are also an example of an eye line match as he see the character looking at something and then we see what he is looking at. The close up of his face also demonstrates the inner battle within himself of whether or not to send the email. 

The short film ends with a long/mid shot which pans out. This shows the boy on his own in his dark empty room. This demonstrates how lonely he is now that his relationship has ended. The fact that he is awake at night could signify he is depressed. This is then followed by credits which are laid over the top of photos of the couple. 

Mis En Scene:

Some elements included in this short film are very common in coming of age short films. One example of this are the props used e.g. alcohol, cigarettes. In the opening of the short film the first scene is set at a party, a common location for this genre. The actions of the characters also demonstrates to the audience that they like each other as they display certain actions that show us that they want to make a good first impression. One example of this is the the boy drops his cigarette once he sees the girl, and as he walks over he also fixes his hair. Other props include flowers which are common in romance films. 

Towards the end of the short film in the scene when the boy is writing the email, you can see he has grown some facial hair where as before he was clean shaven throughout all the previous scenes. This again implies he is depressed now that his relationship is over as he has stopped caring about mundane things which are viewed as normal in society such as shaving every morning. 

These teenagers are presented as middle/higher class a few examples showing this are their big houses and the girl owning her own car. This will relate more to the audience who will be watching the short film as they will also need to own devices such as laptops and phones to be able to watch this as it was uploaded online and isn't something that is played on TV in the Cinema. 

Editing:

One editing technique used is shot reverse shot which shows the equal relationship between these characters. 

Another technique that is used is the fade to black transition. These are used to break up the short film  up for example this transition is used between their happy memories and the start of their breakup. Another fade to black transition is also used between their breakup and the scene when the boy rights the email. These are used to signify time has passed between these scenes. 

One of the editing techniques that make this short film so successful is the cross cutting used during the scenes of the breakup. There is constant cuts between the scenes remind the audience of all their memories and happy moments together which shows the audience what the boy is loosing with this break up. It constantly cuts between their argument, her leaving him and their old happy memories. One very clever link between these two shots is having the characters act out the same movements but with different consequences, in this example its the boy pulling the girl towards him by gently pulling her arm. In the scene with the argument we see him pulling her arm and her pulling away and then walking away, this flashes to the scene of them while they were drunk as he pulls her she moves in and they hug. This is a clear juxtaposition of the different outcomes of the same action, which shows the audience that their relationship has broken. 

Another technique is the eye line match used when the boy is looking at the email he is writing and whether or not to send it, eventually closing the tab. This shows the audience the inner debate on whether to send it or not. 

Sound:

The only diegetic sound that appears in the short film is in the beginning before the voiceover starts where we can hear the music playing in from the party and the buzz of conversation. The rest of the scenes in the short film don't include any diegetic sound. 

A constant throughout the short film is the voiceover, this begins as soon as we see the two characters meet for the first time and begins with the word 'hey' which links to the scene as the first word the boy says to the girl is also 'hey'. This voiceover ties all the scenes together and makes sense of this collection of memories. This voiceover is played over non-diegetic calming music, this adds a peaceful tone to the short film and makes their romance seem sweet. This music quietens and slows down in the scene when he writes his email, signifying that once he deletes the draft of the email his life isn't sweet and carefree and their breakup has taken that aspect out his life. This music picks up again in the credits and lyrics are added as well. 

Summary:

There are different aspects of this short film that I could incorporate into my own, one example being the voiceover, this is a clever way to link different scenes together and is a good idea for a coming of age genre as a common theme of this genre is self-reflection which is easy to incorporate into a voiceover.