evaluative analysis of my short film.
Acts of Kindness
I have created a 5-minute short film which follows a young woman wandering in a forest, alone and confused. I chose to represent a young woman because the contrast of vulnerability in Arrival and manipulation displayed in Echo shown through the micro elements of film form intrigued me. This sense of innocence was important to me because I wanted the audience to believe that she was in danger, and then realise only towards the end that she was instead in control and a threat to others. I think the juxtaposing naivety and awareness of the main character is evident through my use of micro elements. For instance, the character expression and movements are effective and believable, so the audience are able to develop a sense of empathy and understanding (for the majority of the film). I think it is the character expression which at the beginning makes my character conform to the stereotypical gender norms shared in society and often portrayed in film, and more specifically this genre; women appear weaker and more vulnerable when they are alone, they look defenceless. This fragility is shown in Arrival and this is where my film shares similarities and differences; the protagonists show vulnerability, but also strength and independence through mise-en-scene. In this sense, I tried to explore and contradict stereotypical ideas of young women to make a more interesting viewing. The costume and make-up too are suited to the character, they are familiar to the audience and would likely be associated with young women, the blood on the t-shirt and messy hair, however, is less conventional.
I also used editing to influence the representation and the audience’s interpretations; the flashbacks which are weaved throughout the film have been used to deliberately make the audience question the protagonist and her situation, I think it makes them wonder if she fits the gendered stereotype, or not. The editing is similar to that of The Ellington Kid, it shares the same non-linear narrative which helps with the representation of particular groups, specifically youth. 
The representation of my film has reflected the audience, the film is suited more for an older audience, age 15 or above because the blood and the narrative itself wouldn’t be suited for a young audience, just as The Fly isn’t suitable. I also used a younger female actor, which I think would naturally attract a younger female audience, but I didn’t want the film to only be enjoyed by younger females. The film would also appeal to other short film makers, who may be looking for inspiration, perhaps through the storyline, or the cinematography that I experimented with. The main aim of my film is to entertain, and I did this through the micro elements, such as the editing and mise-en-scene. For instance, the setting is familiar to all audiences and is almost expected in a thriller, but the costume and make-up too make the film entertaining.
I also used editing to make the film more interesting for the audience, like the quick, short flashbacks I used throughout, however I didn’t want my film to be too cliché or predictable as films of this genre usually are. I think my short film is to an extent polysemic as are Over, The Ellington Kid and Echo. It is a little unclear what happened with the girl and so it is up to the spectator to draw their own conclusions, creating a negotiated reading for the spectator; they can take what they want from the film and its meaning, compared to a preferred reading illustrated in Slap and Operator which, indirectly, tells the audience how to think and feel at each point of the film through the micro elements of film form, particularly the dialogue which I chose not to use in my film. Although my film was mostly for entertainment, much of my film has artistic influence, I tried to use intriguing cinematography and editing to grip the audience, and where the storyline may have been a little repetitive, the camera shots and angles were still new and interesting, especially for the more artistic spectator.
Furthermore, after researching genres, and subgenres, I would argue my short film most ties in with a suspense or psychological thriller. It was through the micro elements, like the mise-en-scene, sound and editing that my film can be identified as a thriller (which I had initially intended it to be) and it is through these elements where The Ellington Kid which also follows a dark story, shares some similarities. Typical conventions of thrillers include blood and weapons, a protagonist who is usually an outsider, creations of suspense and excitement, heightened diegetic sounds, and isolated places and tilt shots to create discomfort with the viewer. I think my short film has included each of these, I have included blood and a weapon (costume and props),the protagonist is clearly the outsider as she wonders alone through an empty forest onto an isolated beach, shown in the wide shot at the beginning of the film. I have also used cinematography to show the disorientation of the protagonist like the close-ups/extreme close-ups and to make the audience feel uneasy through tilt shots, for instance when she looks up at the sky and stumbles between the trees. 
As well as this, I exaggerated the diegetic sound, like the ear ringing and footsteps through the forest to achieve the dramatic intensity which is so often portrayed and used in this specific genre. The intensity of sound is also used in The Fly where the character is only able to focus on the buzzing of the fly, it also gives the audience something else to focus on and offers a sense of escapism, if only for 5 minutes. The short film Operator is defined as a suspense thriller, but what makes the film so intense is the dialogue, which I chose not to include in my short and instead focused on the other micro elements, particularly the cinematography and camera movements which weren’t particularly significant in Operator.
The narrative of my film is non-linear, while there is still a plot and a story, they have been edited so that it is no longer in chronological order. I chose to challenge the typical Hollywood narrative which has an obvious beginning, middle and end because it made the story more interesting and less conventional, I was able to do this using micro elements such as editing because it allowed me to change the order of events, which was similar to The Ellington Kid and Over where the plot is non- linear and the audience are able to conclude the story only at the end of the film. I also chose to make my film non-linear because out of all the professional films I had studied, I found that I was most intrigued by the non-linear narrative. Mine can be closely compared to The Ellington Kid because they both follow a simple story with flashbacks shown throughout for reference, and editing allowed me to do this. I also included the infamous Kuleshov effect which meant the audience could see the protagonist’s reactions at places in the film, which added structure to parts of the film.
Over helped me with the narrative because it proved that dialogue was unnecessary and that it didn’t have to be linear for the story to make sense or be interesting for the spectator. But I also used costume and make-up to distinguish and make it obvious to the audience that the film is non-linear, for instance at some parts there is blood on her clothes, and at others there isn’t. To distinguish the important differences in time I also used lighting,the darker oppressive parts- the night before, and the daytime filming is the day after, but this also allows for a negotiated reading on the spectators’ behalf. In conclusion, I am pleased with the outcome of my film. My range of micro element choices are effective and help construct the emotions gained through macro elements of representation, audience theory, genre and narrative. I have clearly created a short film and not a trailer or a scene from a feature film which through my research of existing student made work I saw many students fall into the trap of.
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