Research on Short Films(Becky) Black or White

MRANG
Black or White
http://www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/film/5423/black-or-white#.VCldK_ldVQU

Film Maker: Leondwilliams
Running Time: 2:19(min)
Genre: Comedy

Media Language:

Camera Work: 

There isn't much of a variety of camera angles or shots in this short film making it incredibly simplistic as well as successful. By using a minimal amount of shots and angles, the spectator is allowed to focus on the conversation between the two characters that appear to be inside of tea/coffee cups. Medium close ups are used in this film to show the characters identity, facial expressions, emotions and body language. These shots are also used to show the audience the difference in ethnicity between the characters, in this film, there is a black and a white man, which links the spectator back to the title of the film.

There is only eye level shots in this film, this is because the director wanted the audience to feel engaged with the characters and make them feel as though they were part of the conversation. 

Mise en scene:

Lighting: 

It appears that in this short film, that a three point lighting technique is used to create contrast in the frame, making the characters more prominent than the background. This creates a focus pull for the audience so the are constantly watching the characters and not the background.

Colour: 
The colour of these scenes is extremely desaturated. This creates a dullness in the film dampening the mood that flows between the characters. This is used to  convey the characters feelings to the spectator and possibly display their vanity for themselves. The colour becomes saturated when the woman enters the scene and and we are presented with a full view of the setting.



Props:

 Props are only introduced to the film when we see a two shot of the characters, the dark skinned man next to the coffee jar, and the white man next to the tea jar. The black man represents coffee and the white man represents tea.

Setting: 

Due to the use of props such as the coffee jar, the kettle and the costume/ decor of the tiling in the background we can guess that this film is set in a kitchen setting and location.




Representation
Age:

 The age of the male characters alone can be judged through their physical appearance. They're both stereotypical of a 30 year old male as their torsos are muscular and toned suggesting they look after their bodies and are into some kind of fitness activity.This is typical of a 30 year old male.

Ethnicity:
The ethnicity of the characters is also clearly displayed to the audience on screen. The 'coffee' character is obviously a black skin coloured male by the colour of his skin, and we can also see this with the white man. 
Audience:
This short film is aimed at a target audience who enjoy a comedy genre.

Narrative:
This short film follow the narrative of Todorov's narrative theory.
Genre:



The genre of this short film is comedy. The comedy genre is conveyed through the comedic conversation between both male characters. This film is also typical of a short comedy as it is very simplistic, allowing the comedic value of the dialogue the main focus of the  film for the spectator.