What is a short film?
A short film is defined as a short motion picture,
usually less than 40 minutes long with credits included. It shows a small
snippet of someone's life or a story. The codes and conventions are
very similar to those of full-length films. For example, they include opening
titles, credits and a storyline, even though this might be vague in a short
film due to the restricted time. Character development may also be flawed, as
each character may not get enough screen time for the audience to fully grasp
what the character is like.
In Andrea Arnolds 'Wasp' the settings used for the
majority of the film is a typical working class estate with tall, ugly flats.
This setting is usually associated with the 'working class' and issues with
anti social people. This ideology is then backed up within the first minute of
the film, which shows a single mother with her children going to another family’s
home and attacking them and arguing. This could show that this is a
dysfunctional family and one that you would usually try and avoid. However,
this is the purpose of the short film. It gets you to think about a family one
way but then gives you an in-depth look into their lives and shows you their
struggles. In this scene, a shaky handheld camera shot is used which makes the
audience feel as if they are there with the family, experiencing their
problems. This would make them feel sympathetic. The rest of the mise en scene
supports the setting as the family is shown in tatty clothes and the mother is
wearing a nighty and no shoes. The baby is also half naked which shows the
mother was in a rush to cause trouble. This puts her in a bad light as she is
shown as aggressive and a troublemaker but really she is just standing up for
her children and is being protective.
Despite this, the scene below shows the mother sending
the children into the darkness of the car park. This could represent her
sending them into danger, as she would rather go to the pub than take care of
her children. This would make the mother seem like she neglecting her children
and that the children need help to be led out of the darkness. This would again
challenge the audiences view of the mother as she has shown love to the
children but she has also been a terrible mother.
In Lynne Ramsey’s ‘Gasman’ the setting used
is very similar to the one used in ‘Wasp’: a working class council estate with
flats. These flats are the famous Red Road flats, which are iconic as they were
supposed to be destroyed for the Athletics stadium but still stand today. This
could show that just like the family, the flats are still together and still
stand despite problems and threats such as a secret family. As well as this an
abandoned, overgrown train track is also used with the flats in the background.
This makes the whole are seem decrepit and not a very nice place to live. Yet
again this could make the audience feel like the family and the environment
they live in would represent the society in the film: Not very pleasant and
dodgy. At first the family seem like a normal, small family until the story
unravels and we are introduced to the fathers other family that the mother is
not aware of. This makes us feel like the fathers actions and characterisation
matches that of the area that the short film is set in. Despite this both the
daughters idolise him, which shows the bond within the family. Yet again, this
film shows you one view of a family but then delves deeply into their lives and
shows what they are truly like and just that they are a struggling family.
In the scene shown in ‘Gasman’, a dark effect
is used at the edges of the camera. This effect could represent that the little
girl is currently feeling light and joyful but the dark is creeping up on her.
This foreboding reflects the storyline as later on in the film the girl feels
pain and jealousy when she finds out that she has a sister. By the end of the
film however, this effect disappears which could show that despite her anger,
the girl has let go of her negative feelings and is instead concentrating on
what is good as she is shown standing in the shadows with a single spotlight
shining on her. The light also illuminates the rails of the train track as they
go into the distance, which could represent her looking into the future, and as
the other family are walking up the track, this could show that the girl wants
the other family in her future.
Both of the directors have showed children
growing up in extreme circumstances, especially with ‘Wasp’. It also shows
however, that despite how bad the childhood is, the parents, with all of their
problems, love their children even though they may make mistakes
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