Short Films

'The Fly' - Olly Williams - Dark Comedy - 6 mins 

"A gateway driver waiting outside a bank robbery has 3 nerve shedding minutes to get through before his crew returns. All he has to do is focus" 

This short drama focuses around a gateway driver sitting in a car. He is waiting in anticipation outside a bank for his fellow crew members to return. The conflict then arises when a fly makes an appearance in the car. At first he tries to ignore the fly but very soon he begins to get annoyed. He starts swatting the fly and talks in irritable outbursts. Getting angrier and angrier, he then takes out a toothpick and attempts to stab the fly resulting in him stabbing his own mouth with it. Before long he has completely lost all patience and gets out the car, taking a gun and begins shooting through the windows in an attempt to finally kill the fly. The ending shot shows the car completely destroyed from gun shots, when his masked crew members come out of the bank with guns in their hands and look at their partner in bewilderment.

The element of comedy is apparent as soon as the fly is introduced and offers a much lighter tone to the situation which is otherwise quite dark and serious. This is then carried out throughout the piece as the fly becomes the most significant aspect of this short film. I would say this film shows a meeting between the gateway driver and the fly and the focus is on the interaction between them. The fly itself, we hardly get to see so the main focus is on the actions of the driver. As the film progresses, we begin to learn more about him as a character. We learn quite quickly that he has a very short temper and finds it very challenging to not react to the fly. This is where the comedic element is most prominent as it gets progressively funnier watching him get angrier. It also becomes quite tense waiting to see what he will do next as his actions get more and more dramatic and over the top, ending with him completely losing his temper. As a viewer, I began to root for the fly as it became more satisfying seeing it avoid all of the drivers' attempts to kill it. However, I thought that the ending was quite unsatisfying as there was no resolution. In terms of dialogue there is hardly any at all as there is only one person shown throughout the majority of the film. As the driver gets angrier with the fly he lets out a few shrieks of annoyance which adds to the comedy aspect. I thought that the structure of the film was done very well with an obvious beginning, middle and end. There is also a good build up of tension throughout the middle section of the film culminating in an exciting and gripping ending making the audience feel satisfied with where the film ends up. The ending offers a slightly lighter tone as the crew members emerge from the bank and look at the driver in disappointment after what he has done, also making the ending quite satisfying. In terms of how this film has inspired me, I would say that I thought the genre of 'Dark comedy' was very interesting and I imagine quite difficult to get the right balance and achieve. However, if I decided to go down a comedic route in my own work, I would want to choose a darker subject matter so that the comedic element wasn't overly obvious and overbearing as this can feel quite forced and cheesy. I also enjoyed the element of action, shown when the driver got out of the car and began shooting at the windows which added excitement. However, it would be difficult for me to achieve the same level of action in my own work. I liked the way the film was shot with lots of short cuts which began to speed up as the action took place. This gave the film a very fast paced feel and added excitement and drama. There was also a good variety of shots with plenty of close ups. I noticed this particularly when the driver stabbed himself in the lip with the toothpick. This made it feel very real, giving it a darker feel which I thought was quite powerful. In my project, I think I would like to choose a more serious genre such as drama as comedy can be very difficult to achieve. I also find watching drama more satisfying and moving as a viewer myself.

'BEAT' - Aneil Karia - Experimental - 12 mins 

'Ben Wilshaw stars as a man walking a paper thin line between profound joy and complete hopelessness in this powerful and challenging award winning film'. 

My first impression was that there was quite an alternative and personal feel to the film with lots of extreme close ups, particularly at the beginning. The film starts with the main character who is a man about the age of 20 waking up and getting ready to leave his house. This is accompanied with some slow tempo music with a sad tone. At this point, I also thought it had quite a quirky feel to it with the impression of an indie atmosphere and tone. He then leaves his house and begins to move in a dancelike way as the music changes and the tempo is faster. Instead of walking, he moves from place to place in this dancelike fashion, instantly making him stand out from everyone else. He then enters a cafe and a shop and is thrown out when customers and staff mistake his dancing for disruptive behaviour thinking that he is creating havoc and interfering. It cuts to some more upbeat music as a brighter, sunny environment is shown. This is followed by a change in attitudes of the people around him. People begin to enjoy watching his dancing and even join in. There is a final change in atmosphere after the main character touches a member of the public causing more annoyance and outrage. In the last clip, he is punched to the ground by a stranger and left there whilst the camera zooms in on his face as he gives a slight smile and the music fades out. 

Before watching this film, I was unaware that there was no dialogue throughout. However, the more I watched it, I began to realise that this was very carefully replaced with the music. Each new piece represented a change in setting and mood, allowing it to tell the story and evoke emotion for the audience. I thought that this gave the film a really individual and contemporary feel to it and I particularly like the way the director incorporated dance to accompany this and emphasise the switches in mood and tone as the film progressed. This element also highlighted the changes of events for the main character and demonstrated how he was feeling. There was a series of problems and obstacles that the main character had to try and overcome which created drama and excitement, keeping the audience invested in the story and showing how each one had an effect on him as a person. I would say that the goal for the man was to spread his emotions in an unusual way without without causing the uproar that he did which unfortunately failed as the final shot showed him beaten to the ground. In this way I would say that the ending is quite unsatisfying because as a viewer, I wanted to know what was going to happen to him next. As the main character as well, you naturally root for him and want him to succeed, therefore seeing him being overpowered brought the story to a halt. On the positive side, it did bring drama to the film and ended it on quite a shocking note which is very effective and keeps the audience engaged. In some ways, it was a good ending as it was very compelling, however there was no resolve leaving the audience wanting to see more.  In terms of script there was absolutely no dialogue as this was replaced with music. As our brief focuses on the script, I cannot take on this method in my own project, however, the use of music to convey mood and emotion is something I will explore in every project, including this one as it is a key element to good storytelling and can be even more powerful than dialogue in some cases. In comparison to the first short film I watched, 'The Fly', I would say that they both managed to achieve drama and interest but in very different ways. ,kuy 

'Soft' - Simon Ellis - Drama - 14 mins

'A contemporary drama in an urban setting, focussing on the relationship between a father and son when faced with challenges such as gang culture' - 24 word pitch. 

This short drama focusses on two main characters - a father and his teenage son. The father is a typical everyday working man whose main goal in life is to stick to his organised routine and be a good role model to his son, in particular as there is an absent parent. He also wants to bond with his son and be close to him and vice versa. When he gets home from work one evening he discovers there is no more milk left in the fridge. He then has to deviate away from his normal routine and leave the house to buy some more. This leads him into the arising conflict. After leaving the store, he encounters a teenage gang waiting outside who openly attempt to beat him up before he narrowly escapes. Upon arriving home after running away from the gang, he attempts to hide any signs of conflict such as checking his back for sweat patches and wiping his brow. In the meantime, his son enters the room bearing a few cuts and bruises on his face obtained from the same gang that attacked his dad. His dad tells him that he needs to be braver and stand up to the bullies so that they leave him alone. Before long, there is a knock on the door and it is made clear to the audience that the gang are outside the house. The son asks his dad to do something but is told to stay quiet and ignore them. After a great deal of disagreement between the pair, the dad makes the decision to leave the house to confront the gang and attempt to protect his son, however, he is filled with fear and cannot bring himself to fight back. The ending scene shows the son burst outside with a cricket bat in hand and fights off the gang. He hits the leader of the gang and they all run off. The son is then left there where he turns and looks at his dad in disappointment. 

I thought that this short film represented a common relationship between many fathers and sons and the idea of teaching masculinity whilst struggling to be a good example. In this case, the dad wants to be the perfect example to his son and show him what to do in moments like this one but his own fears and cowardliness hold him back. This was particularly powerful in the scene where the gang were outside and the dad kept holding his son back and telling him to ignore them. There are subtle hints throughout that there will be some kind of fighting back and earlier, there are quick shots of a cricket bat in the corner and cricket photos on the fridge. This foreshadows that it will be used later on in the film. I think it had a very well organised structured with an obvious beginning, middle and end. The main conflict comes in when we see the dad attacked by the gang and we know at that point that they are likely to be significant. The drama then builds up from there resulting in a very explosive ending. The ending shot is powerful also as the dad stands outside and some of the neighbours begin coming out of their houses, highlighting that not only is cowardliness a main theme in the film but also that it is very common and something that people find very challenging to overcome.

‘Stew and Punch’ - Simon Ellis - 15 mins

'A dinner party with beef stew and much punch spirals out of control when the host couple are sucked into a bout of lighthearted arm wrestling'

This short story focusses around a couple who are hosting a dinner party. They are serving a beef stew and some punch. It begins with the couple discussing the food and drink as if they are convincing each other that they are excellent hosts. As the night goes on, it gets more eventful, ending in a disastrous way. The main characters are the hosts, they are a young couple who invite a few of their friends round for dinner and cocktails hence the name ‘Stew and Punch.’ Their goal is to have a good evening with their friends and show off their hosting skills. I have noticed there are similar themes to the short film ‘Soft’, in particular masculinity felt mainly by the guy as his girlfriend shows him up during an arm wrestle. The conflict begins when the guy loses an arm wrestle to his girlfriend whilst drunk. As his friends laugh at him this causes him to feel angry and begin losing him temper resulting in him breaking things and punching his friend. I think this theme is very interesting because masculinity and violence go pretty much hand in hand as a man feels like he needs to show violence when his masculinity is lacking in order to make up for it. Further conflict arises when a neighbour comes round and begins threatening them resulting in a bigger argument. The change is in the mood as everything becomes darker and more dramatic as the events of the night unfold. One pattern I have noticed throughout each short film I have seen so far is that the action has to build up throughout the middle of the film, culminating in an explosive event before ending. This allows suspense for the audience and allows the film to get progressively more tense therefore engaging the audience and keeping their attention. The way the film was shot, varied between being an overlook of the guests at the party and as if you were the main guy and looking at the scene from his perspective. This makes the audience feel like they are at the party and involved in the events, creating a more real atmosphere so you feel like you are experiencing what the guests are experiencing. I thought that this way of shooting was very effective as a way of really engaging the audience and is something I would like to replicate in my own work.  

Tag - Katherine Chandler, Aneil Karia - Drama - 12 mins 

'In a world where tag is played to the bitter end, can science teacher Sarah tag Lee before the final bell rings and school is out forever? Only one can be victorious'.

This BBC short film is set in a school and focusses around two teachers who are in competition, playing tag. As the events of the film unfold, it soon takes a much more serious turn as the once playful game becomes quite violent and aggressive. The film begins when Sarah is pushed to the ground by Lee in the middle of the hallway in front of the other students who mock her and one stands on her hand, causing her a lot of pain. During a P.E session with the other teacher, Sarah begins to feel incredibly angry and charges towards Lee whilst being restrained by some of the students, therefore failing to tag him. She later has a conversation with one of the students who gives her advice and tells her that she should believe in herself. The next scene shows Sarah chasing Lee through the gym hall, now determined to tag him. She follows him up some of the apparatus but is stopped by one of the students and pushed back. She tries again but falls back and hits her head on the floor. The last scene shows her about to be put in an ambulance. Lee says to her that their game has gone too far and has had terrible outcomes, she grabs his hand and says 'tag' winning the game.
I thought this short film was quite unusual and different some of the ones I have watched previously. I thought the theme and characters were quite an odd choice because teachers are usually there to set a good example to their pupils and prevent any violence or aggression. I think this aspect created a sense of drama and excitement as we see the characters become more and more aggravated with each other. This is particularly apparent in the character of Sarah as the film focuses on her. I found that as a viewer, I rooted for her the most out of the two as she seemed so determined. I also warmed to her slightly during the conversation with the student where she told him how she was feeling. I think this is quite an important element of any story because good characters can alter the way the audience feel
about the story. I also thought that the film was quite fast paced which helped to create suspense and tension. This is something I will take away from the film and think about in my work.