Post 1 - Researching Existing Short Films

For this post we were shown a short film, 'Gasman' by Lynne Ramsay. We were then told to analyse it to break down the film and  provide us with methods which we could use in our own short films.

As per instructions, I produced a 'texual analysis' (analysis of the content of the film) split up into FOUR categories, these categories were then seperatly analysed as I watched the film:

CAMERA

• Placement of camera matches that of the main child's height, confirming that the perspective is from the young girl's perspective.
• Panning and tilting was used to show the adults, with high angles to produce the effect of looking up.
• Wide shots followed close-ups, this showed the location of the railway track in comparison to the child.
• Hand-hand camera shots created a 'home-movie' types of shots, at one point, a child waves into the camera, also can be interpretted towards the contruction of memories of the event.
• Empty space around the children when they're alone, suggesting that there is a seperation between the adults and children.
• At the start, adults' faces aren't shown, cuts off heads and matches the height of the main child.
• The close up of the boy at the start connotes that the main character will be him, however the focus on the girl at the start places her as the narrator.
• The depth of the field in relation to the focus often changes the audience's view of the characters, during the conversation between the father character and the other woman, whilst the main girl and her brother talk, the depth of view is around her, with faded surrounds.

EDITING

• Focus changes were used throughout transitioning between characters whom where speaking and props.
• There was also an aperture effect around the edge of some of the shots, creating somewhat of a vignette style to the shots (this may have been done post-filming too), this emphasis' the POV of the young girl, fazed memories as if she doesn't remember parts.
• The cuts between the adults and the children appear to be slightly forced. The close up from the children to the adults matches how the children look, as the main girl looks towards the other woman, there is a close up of her face.
• Somewhat parallel cuts are used, as both groups of three walk off at the end, there is a cut from one to the other of them doing the same thing, suggesting a seperation from the narration.
• Slow motion appears in this film, as the main girls sees the other girl sit on her dad's lap, hinting at the idea of the film being a memory, showing the effect of the narrator on the film.
• The editing of shots during the scene where the main girl fights with the other girl incases in pace.

SOUND

• The majority of the sounds in this film are diegetic without any editing, such as the clacking of the shoes on the ground in the house as the girl dances, and the pouring and grinding of the sugar at the start.
• However, there is also an edited part of this, as the slow-motion effects the narrator, the diegetic Christmas music in the background fades as it is ignored by the girl and her focus changes to her dad.
• The entire opening uses diegetic noises, such as the tapping of the shoes to create a homely scenery, other noises included the rustling of plastic, drinking of a drink and smoking.
• The accent of the characters was Scottish, specifically it seems to be around the area of Glasgow. At times this dialouge is muffled and the audience is unable to make out what adults are saying. The dialouge of the young girl is also slightly muffled when she begins to fight with the other girl.
• Ambiant sounds are everywhere in this film, during the pub scene there are clinking of glasses etc, to construct the setting and mis-en-scene.
• Through-out the film we hear Christmas music whereever the characters would be able to hear the music, as the main girl enters the pub, the volume and clarity of the music changes in relation to where she is.
• The dialouge of the main girl quoting the Wizard of Oz, 'There's no place like home', connotates that the film will be about family.
• The dialouge of the father when he speaks to the other woman is muffled until money it mentioned, adding to the poverty idea.

MIS-EN-SCENE

• The location at the start appears to be that of a working class family, set in the 1970, evident from the wallpaper and furniture designs. The house also appears to be slightly unclean or at least somewhat dirty, as the mother doesn't pay mind to the son pouring sugar out onto the countertop; this emphasis the stereotypical working class home that experiences poverty. The door does not properly close when the mother shuts it, suggesting a lack of security and money (as it would have been fixed)
• The lighting of the house is generally light, however as the children leave, there is a distinct lack of light, as the mother is shrouded in shadow, as the shot pans, and we see the mother again her face is again cut off by the reflection of the light outside on the window.
• The costumes and make-up make all of the characters, before and after the pub scene, gaunt and are washed out, muted. This is except for the main girl, her outfit consists of a white dress and bright yellow tights, however these are still muted. In addition to this, even in the pub, where the scenery becomes brighter and full of colour, all characters bar the girl and the Santa character still have clothing which is muted in comparison to the rest of the scene.
• When the two girls hold hands, I noticed that their skin appeared to be a muted grey toned, rather than a healthy pink. This could be to emphasis that these characters are in poverty.
• In the first train track scene, the audience is shown that the area is deserted, the rusted train, the overgrown weeds on the track and the pre-industrial era buildings in the background, this also emphasis the poverty aspect.
• Through-out the film, there is imagery that relates to Christmas; the boy at the start is pouring salt to represents snow; during the pub scene there are balloons and other features which represent Christmas.
• In the pub, there were no women present, it was only men and the children, except for the barmaid.
• The body language of the girls at the start suggests that they're happy, as they begin to laugh as they run, however, at the end this changes as the main girl clenches onto the other one's hand to hurt it.
• The costumes of the parents consist of dark browns and black, although all of the characters have formal dress except for the main girl's brother, as he is wearing a hoodie.