SISTER
MISE EN SCENE
The setting the girls are in is interesting, they live on a farm. We are able to establish this by use of props, we are shown tractors and large fields to help us understand the setting.
From what we can see there is no visible source of electronic entertainment such as a television or games console, therefore the two sisters play with each other as there source of entertainment, at the beginning we see a very bright shot of the girls playing,
The lighting is key throughout the film and in this beginning scene the lighting is very bright, this represents the happiness the girls are experiencing and it creates the feeling of a tight relationship between them. as the film progresses and we see the older sister with her new boyfriend the film gets darker to represent the younger sisters despair of being left alone.
CAMERA
The first shot we are presented of is from a low angle and appears to be from a handheld camera, this may be to represent the rough and tumble fun the girls are having. We see several close ups of the younger girl throughout the events of the film, the first close up we see if of her laying down back to the ground looking up at the sky with her sister, we can see that she is very calm and happy being in the presence of her beloved sister.
The next ones we see are when she discovers that her sister has a boyfriend which she know means that her and her sister's relationship may not be the same for a while. The close ups are used to show the emotion on her face.
SOUND
There is not a single piece of non diegetic sound in the entirety of the short film, the only sound used is diegetic, the character can hear it. At first all we can hear is bird song via a sound bridge from the first blacked out shot, this could link with the calm, sincere relationship of the sisters. Laughter is also a common sound throughout the opening of the film to represent the young sister happiness.
EDITING
The film is very simplistic and there is little in terms of editing, the title which appears when the two girls are laying in the field follows this trend, in is plain white and fairly small, this i feel could represent what the younger girl wants, a simple relationship with her sister. Straight cuts are also used as the only transition effects again adding to simplicity.
REPRESENTATION
Age is represented very much in this short film. The younger sister look to be around the age of 10, this is a very vulnerable age at which they can influenced and effected very easily, hence why she feels sad just because her sister has a boyfriend, this doesn't mean that their relationship is over but as children do the whole thing may be exaggerated.
AUDIENCE
This film could be aimed at a number of people/target audiences, it could be aimed at younger people around the age of the little girl as they might be able to relate to her, also teenagers, may be able to relate to the older girl who is in a relationship. Older people such as adult parents aged around 40-50 may also be able to relate as they might have children who have been through something similar.
NARRATIVE
This film uses a linear narrative as the plot progresses slowly and there is no other information needed. Using the theory of Bordwell & Thompson, the story ends with the girl looking at her sister as she walks off with her boyfriend. The director has made this so we assume the rest of the story is that the sister's relationship is rocky and they do not have as much fun here after. This film doesn't aply to Todorovs 5 stages.
I'm glad to see that you are well on the way to completing 5 by the deadline Josh. I'd like you to work on making these analyses longer and more detailed however. When you've taken one of the MRANG concepts, each one needs more discussion. So for example, for narrative, try to suggest why you think the telling of this story works best as a linear narrative. If Todorov's theory doesn't fit (I wonder if this is the case though as it's linear?), you need to explain why this is, and why you think the director has chosen to construct the plot this way. You apply Bordwell and Thompson on plot and story, but you need to say more about plot and its relation to story. On representation, this needs much more unpacking. You are tending to describe some aspects of the concept, but you need to explain how the social groups you identify are constructed (this is using media language, narrative, genre etc) and also explain why you believe it's been done this way. What do you think the director was saying about these groups (teens? females? males?). It's significant that I can't really learn anything about your film from your analysis. Tell me more! Finally, remember you need to take each analysis forward. This means discussing what you liked about the film - in terms of techniques, or in terms of theme, story, character etc. Also, it's a sifting process, so you can discuss what you might reject in terms of ideas here - something you think doesn't work as well for example.
ReplyDeleteI see you've done 4 out of 5 Josh now? Good that you have clearly tried to complete work by the deadline. Can you try to add more detail as I've said above though, and can you add a comment to take each one forward in terms of ideas and techniques you like? Where is your analysis of titling?
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