Friday, 24 September 2010

Short Film Analysis

The film I am going to review named 'The Plan', was written and directed by an individual named Matthew Kalish, who is well known for making short films and commercials for organisations such as Pepsi and Sony. The film was found on YouTube by me and Daniel Stammers, and has won several awards during the two years that it has been online.



The initial shot show a rear shot from an extreme long-shot from the rear window of a moving vehicle scouring the landscape. Subtle music is playing in the background for a brief moment, before the narrator begins to speak. This is very much like how you'd expect an advertisement to be, as the entire atmosphere is established immediatley (which all happens in around the first 5 seconds).



The next scene shows the (presumably) pratagonist packing his belongings into a suitcase. these shots use techniques such as zooming, closeups, panning, tilting and accelerated editing to imply the character is in a hurry, which the dialogue supports. Although the scene alternates between the character being on the mobile phone and not being on the mobile phone, it appears to work very well as it shows the spontaneous decision. The scene ends where 'Claudia', his girlfriend explains that he is "such a fucking child", and that he should leave her. This allows the audience to better understand his reasons for leaving.



We see a very similiar shot the the initial shot, only this time the car appears to be traveling forward as he explains that he is indeed, going to Las Vegas to put all of his money in Red. As the narration continues, we see him singing in the car and beginning to ignore Claudia's telephone calls.



The halting of the narration indicates a change of scene, which is opened by a long establishing shot fading to a notice board where the character is walking to. As a new character is made known, a shot reverse shot sequence is introduced with different types of shots ranging from long-shots to close-ups. An unusual method is that the camera appears to be very jerky, in the sense that it doesn't keep very still (Almost like they filmed it without the use of a tripod). As the character is leaving, he takes a photograph of the girl who doesn't appreciate it. The shots are cleverly edited together, as they cut back and forth rather quickly, but not in an immediatley noticable way. This is particularly apparent when the main character tries to make a swift exit after taking the photograph. A brilliant technique is also used; as the characters exchange conversation.. shots are cut back and forth between the two, but they do not necessarily represent which character is actually speaking. The girl leaves enraged and the character turns away, indicating the end of the scene.





The next scene shows the main character talking to what appears to be a truck driver from a handheld long-shot, apparently asking for for directions to somewhere (a guess would be that it is to a casino, which links back to previous events in the film). A point of view shot (from the new girls perspective) shows her bend down towards the bag, reach out and grab the camera. As the main character notices, he turns around and begins to run. Again, subtle non-diagetic music begins to play. This is due to there not being any narration nor any verbal interaction between the two characters. Several shots throughout the following 10 seconds show many points of view shots, from both the characters perspectives (the girl is infront, and the boy is chasing her demanding that she stops!)



As the boy stops running, it is apparent that he has forgotten something as he holds out his hands (his bag containing his posessions!) He runs back to the unattended bag, and the familiar accelerated editing and closeup shots of him rummaging through the bag, similiar to the second scene. As the runs back to find the girl (a tracking shot follows him with a handheld camera, which then encircles him), it is apparent that she has dissapeared.



A frustrated character throws profanaties into the air, and goes back to his car where he once again ignores a call from his girlfriend. The music becomes more intense, possibly to show the building suspense, the need for him to succeed with the bet that is infront of him.



It is apparent that as the character is traveling, time is passing by. We know this by the various shots, and the fact that it is getting darker. As he arrives at his destination, an extreme long-shot shows a full carpark, with a 'CASINO' sign to the enterance of a building. The narration continues, explaining that he has every intention to continue with the bet.



Various extreme close-ups following for around the following 15 seconds. We hear a lady (presumably an employee of the Casino) as how much he would like to bet, to which he replies that he would like it all. The extreme-closeups appear to be a point of view shot as they are oddly shakey and we see hands, chips, roulette table and the roulette board. The playback then switches to slowmotion as we learn that the result is black 35, no winners. Slow motion in this instance allows the viewer to understand the characters emotion, and is given a couple of extra seconds to embrace the situation. He has lost the bet.



The shot fades to the character, sat at a familiar bench. There is only background sound, no narration, no music and no dialogue. The character is obviously upset. An eyeline match is used as his phone begins to ring. As he picks up the phone, his girlfriend begins to talk asking him to come home. The same medium-closeup shot remains on the character for around 12 seconds. A shot like this is made to make the user question the situation, and why the shot has not changed. As the character notices something, an eyeline match is used to revert back to the notice board from a previous scene in the film which looks apparently the same. However, the camera begins to focus on a picture on the notice board, which after a few seconds appears to be of the main character running. Due to the peculiar composition of the shot (photograph), it is apparent that it was a spontaneous shot.. and little imagination is needed to realise that it was a shot from what the girl had taken during the persuit. Narration begins.





As he removes the pin from the picture and notice board, he studies the picture and turns it over. A closeup of the rear of the picture reads "Now we're even! 404 Pine Rd. Sedona, AZ - Eve". The narrator explains that life is always part of the unexpected (much like the roulette table), finding a new purpose.. a new adventure.. a new love.



The shot cuts to the very opening shot (an extreme long-shot out of the window of the car). This looks exactally like the opening shot, but it's unusual how they put the opening shot there.. as it has no relevance at the start of the film whatsoever.



The shots fade to black, then to white where the credits cut on.

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