Research - Short Films

Mud Boy



'Mud Boy' is a short film that I found on BBC films. Even though it is 10 minutes long which is double the amount of time that my short film will be, it has inspired me to make a film of this genre (thriller) as it can be interpreted in several ways which therefore engages the audience . The twist at the end of this film was very powerful  and makes you want to watch it again which is an effect I would like to involve in my short film. The camera shots were also very creative and effective which gave the piece a nice presentation overall. The lighting and tone of this short film was dull and grey which illustrates the genre of this short film. The music was building up throughout the film which made me want to keep watching as you suspect something is going to happen. Also I noticed that the camera was mainly focused on the girl throughout the film which emphazises the idea that she is imagining the whole thing. This also can be quite a scary effect as it suggests that perhaps the boy has disappeared. Mud Boy is a good example of a type of film I would like to make.

Telling Mark




Similar to 'Mud Boy', 'Telling Mark' explores the idea of illusions and mental issues. The genre is drama/thriller and leaves you wanted to see the short film again as the twist at the end destroys your original interpretation on the film. Throughout 'Telling Mark' the audience naturally tries to guess what is going on during the short film as the dialogue is minimal and there seems to be a lot of silence during the film apart from a few snipits of thriller style music. I like the idea of having a ghost character in a short film especially as when you view this film for the second time you realise that this women has been completly ignored by all the guests. This short film along with 'Mud Boy' has made me consider making this genre of film.

Bitch



'Bitch' is very different to the other short films that I have looked at. Bitch is a comedy which looks a lot more like a feature film than the other two films I have studied. I like this film a lot as as the dialogue between the old lady and the young man sets up a sense of confusion, espeically when the old women claims that the man looks like her so called Asian son. The music is light hearted with a sense of mystery to keep the audience engaged. I especially like the title sequence at the begining as it was clever and an interesting way to start a short film. The other interesting aspect of this short film is that the audience is led to believe by the use of mise en scene that the young man is suppossedly the 'rough' or 'dangerous' one in the situation whereas the old woman comes across as friendly and harmless however the twist at the end reveals that it is infact the other way around. This short film is very comical and if I were to decide to make a comedy for my short film I would use 'Bitch' as my inspiration.

The Black Button


'The Black Button' is a short film which I found on YouTube. It explores several themes such as greed, murder,religion and death. The concept of the short film is clever and engaging. There is an organ playing throughout  in the background which gives the piece a religious feel which is eventually complimented by the twist at the end. A series of extremly short shots are used in this short film especially towards the end to mirror the mans confusion and the pressure he is under. The mise en scene is basic for this short film they are simply in a plain white room wearing suits however at the end blood begins to drip from the mans head and body to emphasise that his future will be spent in hell. I would be interested in making this style of a film as it encompases many  interesting ideas and an engaging but simple story line.