Short Film Analysis - Mesmerize Me

Mesmerize Me

‘Mesmerize Me’ is set in 1880’s America and follows the story of a stubborn Estella who keeps seeing her deceased husband and talks to him. Her parents then invite a travelling hypnotist into their home to try and cure Estella from her psychosis. The pair’s connection quickly turns from argumentative to romantic when they both realize they are in lust with each other’s stubbornness. The short film then ends with Estella joining the hypnotist’s travelling show, pretending to be cured of deafness in front of a crowd.

Camera Shots

Interestingly, this film has rather unsteady shots that keep the viewers eye engaged and following. This also created a sense of POV and really enhanced the story-telling nature of the film because it felt as if we were in the world of the work. This, then, when combined with typical period drama shots, like close ups, made the film feel incredibly realist and followable. The shots are so unbelievably clear and sun kissed that the viewer is forced into the time period as all of the images look like old photographs and feels, because of the yellows and tame colours, nostalgic.

Like many period dramas, this short film relies heavily on well-formulated establishing shots that use the natural setting of the story to leave the viewer in awe of how beautiful the sandy and dry landscapes are. A key moment being when the two protagonists are filmed in an extreme long shot that shows how small they were in comparison to the hills which means the viewer feels a serious sense of perspective whilst also wanting to be closer to the action, closer to the actors. Similarly, the angles chosen are very important. 'Mesmerize Me' uses angles that are almost always straight on and level in order to create a composed sense but also to make the shots feel more formulated. Importantly is the use of over-the-shoulder shots and silhouetted 2 shots because they are, in my opinion, the most effective and assured way to get the viewer interested in the characters due to the intense intimacy it creates.

Of course, there are typical arc shots and tracking shots and I found that this film uses much more camera movement than the previous short film, Lacey (whether this be dramatic planned movements or shakey-shots). I personally found this distracting from the actual drama of the piece and only at certain points felt it was effective because of how hard it is to compose a frame properly. Therefore, I may try to keep camera movement down to a minimal in order to keep my film looking professional.

Editing

Conventionally, this film uses continuity editing to ease the viewer into the diegesis. This mainly being shots that show the speaker alongside reaction shots and eye-line matches. Essentially, the order of shots and the shots chosen should flow and always inform and add to the readers knowledge of the story. The pace and order of the editing should match the mood of the piece. For example, there are moments during Estella's hysteria that the editing becomes faster and more frantic to show unsettles consciousness.

Interestingly, a sense of time is lost within this short film due to a slightly delirious editing style. This is mainly achieved by the fact that the editing takes its time and shows multiple shots. Not to mention the fact that all of the shots almost feel as if they are a second too long yet this works because it means the short films feels more realistic and extensive.

The editing of this short film also forcefully creates motifs. Of course it is the images that are technically creating the reoccurring images but it is the acute awareness of the editing that makes them truly note worthy. Mainly, I am referring to the beginning and end of the short film that are starkly similar. The fact that the sequence is, almost, edited in exactly the same order and speed means that the motif of hypnotism became all the more clear and poignant.

Sound

My comments on sound are brief because I feel this short film uses sound in a very conservative, subtle way. Meaning, that almost all of the soundtrack is contextually happening within the story and very few moments have external music and those moments that do are, usually, incredibly short and subtle. The music, like all the period dramas I have seen so far, tells the viewer how they should be feeling and should never outshine the drama of the characters. Importantly, once again there was long sections of silence to allow the viewer to focus on the drama of the conversation.

In terms of digetic sound, it was almost always at the same level and went up or down according to the actors voices.

Mise-En-Scene

Costume is of course a massive part of the period drama, as is the location and the weather. Within 'Mesmerize Me' all of the costumes are purposefully discoloured, meaning that the shots feel rather authentic. The fact that all of the shots are shot under the blazing sun results in a positive sense of continuity but also has many implications of how the characters are always warm and agitated. The locations are also purposefully scarce and minimal which enhances implications of Estella's isolation but also a sense of honest, non-gaudy living.

In similarity to 'Lacey', almost every single scene is shot with natural light, whether this be sunlight or candlelight. This means not only does the sense of lighting within frames feel more realistic, it feels more contextually accurate. Also, it means that all light have a yellow-tinge as white light was not used, having the effect of nostalgia and vintage. The shots are also incredibly clear, in terms of camera quality, which means

Things I have learnt from this short film:

• The name Estella is repeated relatively frequently yet subliminally in order to ensure the viewer begins to feel relatively connected to the films protagonist
• Estella’s individuality and bravery make her lovable
• The art of conversation carries the film
• The period drama cannot rush itself
• The weather is very important when creating successful camera shots and mise-en-scene
• A sense of friction or argument between the male and female lead makes it more exciting
• To end where we began, to go full circle in terms of line of narrative, works well when executed properly

Short Film Analysis - Lacey (2014)

'Lacey' is a short film set in 1883 and follows Lacey, a thief who is forced into being a maid and later, inadvertently, becomes a prostitute whilst being stolen from herself. I have chosen this piece to analyse as I feel it displays many successes within the moving medium in aspect of composition and editing, alongside good character establishment and development.

Camera Shots

Within 'Lacey', I found that many typical camera shots for the Period Drama were used like Over-the-Shoulder, close ups, establishing shots, two shots and subtle zooms. Due to a short films length, close ups are incredibly vital in creating a sense of character but also creating a connection with the viewer. For example, when Lacey is being strangled, the camera focuses on her face through the use of the composition of the frame. This causes a viewer to feel concern but also appreciation about her fate due to the pain. Over-the-Shoulder shots also have a similar effect within this short film, creating a sense of intimacy and involvement. Subtle zooms are effective as they make lengthy shots on one thing more aesthetically pleasing and, when on a small budget, tricks like this are useful in keeping a viewer more interested.

Establishing shots are also a vitality. Throughout the entire film exterior shots of houses and locations are used to create a sense of setting. I found in this piece that these shots are not particularly long due to the time limit of a short film, but they are still effective as they are used directly next to interior shots or resulting shots. I expect due to a limited budget and equipment that many shots are either steady due to a tripod or shaky due to being handheld. To overcome this problem, the director has the actor move onto the shot rather than attempting to track the actor. This is a useful tool in making a short film look more professional as it looks intentional and steady.

Large shots are also used effectively within this short film. To create grandeur within the houses or costumes, I found many camera shots are relatively far back in order to allow the viewers eyes to wonder. This technique can make a shot more interactive but also gives a more exaggerated sense of setting and production. The short film usually, if always, has a small budget and some camera techniques within 'Lacey' are helpful in understanding how to overcome problems of a small budget.

Editing

Another thing that makes 'Lacey' effective is good editing. It uses the usual Period Drama tendencies like eye-line matches and continuity (invisible) editing. Eye-line matches are significant within 'Lacey' due to objects that carry themes like the necklace and the lights. Shots of the necklace are used quite frequently in order to show that, eventually, it will play a vital part of the plot line. For example, when Lacey meets a man and has a relatively light-hearted exchange with him, it is easy for the viewer to assume an innocently genuinely love connection. However, through the use of editing of the man's eyes squinting alongside a close-up shot of the necklace, we can tell the man desires the object. Furthermore, editing like this fits into larger themes of irony within the narrative like a thief being stolen from.

Although I may have written a considerable amount about continuity editing in other posts already, 'Lacey' uses this style of editing effectively. By putting shots together in this way, the piece feels logically coherent and smooth within it's context.

I found the use of montage with fades as transitions an engaging choice for a Period Drama short film. This editing choice was used at two sections but the dominant one was during Lacey's work within the house. As a short film is time limited, the montage is a useful device when trying to show progression in a time-effective way. Just cutting to the next scene can be a mistake within the short film as the viewer needs to gain a sense of time visually whilst creating a further affiliation with the protagonist. Feature-length Period Drama's rarely use the montage as an editing technique because they have enough time to show a progression of time more slowly with deeper character development and dialogue. Therefore, the montage is a good way to overcome the problem of time. However, it should be said that 'Lacey's montages are only short as dialogue is a key player within the Period Drama as it is always character driven.

Sound

In terms of keeping to genre conventions, 'Lacey' features a contextually relevant orchestral musical score during most scenes. This involves a heavily piano based sound, with undertones of violins and harps. To create a sense of continuation throughout the scenes, the same piece of background music is used. This not only makes the short film more professional but also results in the viewer relating this music to the character of Lacey. This kind of technique is used in feature-length films like 'Pride and Prejudice' (2005) and for it to be executed in a short film is very significant as it has the same result of character association. It is also a somewhat easy device to recreate as it involves only editing one piece of music. Also like the feature film, the musical accompaniment stops during certain conversations. This is to allow the viewer to focus on the content and to keep up with the narrative but also in order to allow digetic sound that, otherwise, would be unheard. For example, during the scene of being strangled, the sound of Lacey choking has been purposely made louder in order to make the scene more uncomfortable and more attention grabbing.

Notably, I found accents to be very important in terms of dialogue. Not only did the piece have strong dialogue that helped the narrative move along, it had strong pronunciation on the part of the actors. For me, the reason Lacey was the most liked and relatable character on-screen is because of her 'common' accent in comparison to the other characters. There is a distinctive moment in the short film when Lacey tries varies greetings, said in different ways, before entering a pub. The reason this is distinctive is because of the range of attempts, showing that this character is adaptable to her surroundings but also desperate to fit in. This, once again, makes Lacey a more liked character. To compare this less-perfected pronunciation to that of the upper-middle-class male that steals from her, the dialogue seems to gain more weight of authentication due to the variation of dialects and how these dialects seem to denote a large sense of character.

Mise-en-Scene

The lighting of many shots within this short film cannot go unmentioned. I found it very important, due to the time period that has early domesticated electrical lights, that many scenes were shot using daylight only. During the montage of Lacey's working day, the use of natural light was quite striking. By placing her masters in front of windows, they lose much of their definition and, essentially, become silhouettes which denotes a sinister image of power in comparison to Lacey well light on the floor scrubbing. A maiden scrubbing on the floor has very traditional implications of being trapped and misunderstood in a context where she is dominated by a male. This kind of lighting differs to that of the evening scenes. At the scene in the pub, the director uses exaggerated candle light to light the actors, with some help of lights that are off-camera. This is when lighting seems to denote poor surroundings and people.

Costumes also do a lot of the work when it comes to character understanding. In order to imply separation due to status, Lacey is dressed in rags with a dirty face at the beginning of the piece. When this is then in direct comparison to the master, who is in a suit and very clean, the viewer can very quickly get to grips with the social context and character context. Finally, proxemics of characters is still a necessity when it comes to filming a Period Drama, even when it is a short film. For example, when Lacey is talking to her Mistress (who is about to free her), they whisper and lean into one another. This shows a sense of alliance between the females to the viewer whilst implying a sense of secrecy and scandal.

Plot

This is the basic plot of 'Lacey' :

• Lacey breaks into a manor house to steal items
• Lacey is caught by the Master and enforced into being a Maid
• A male friend expresses interest in Lacey to the Mistress, stating it would be worth her time to pair them together
• The Mistress dismisses Lacey
• Lacey runs into the male friend in a 'public house' and ends up spending the night with him
• The morning after, Lacey takes money from the man. Once he has gone she realises her necklace is missing
• Later, Lacey reads a newspaper that has an article about a long-lost necklace that has been found and finds out it was worth a fortune.

Upon reflection, this is perhaps quite a complex plot for a short film bearing in mind that my piece will be half the length. Therefore, I will have to think about what qualities of the narrative I like and how simple my plot should be in comparison.

Things I have learned from this short film:

• The protagonist should be relatable and likeable quickly in order to make the film more engaging. It is also the tendency of Period Drama's to have the protagonist female.

• Themes of violence and dominance over women can be very heavy for a short film.

• Accents can be very effective when executed properly.

• Dates on screen can be a further help to establish an instant sense of time and place.

• Charisma within the script allows for a more watch-able and exciting scene.

• A twist or irony within a Period Drama short film doesn't always work because the viewer has very little time to properly understand and process such themes, considering there is already a lot going on within the Period Drama as a genre anyway.

• Costumes should instantly imply things about class, status and type of character.

Film Analysis Conclusion - Period Drama Conventions

- One thing that is becoming increasingly clear with my analyses is that the period drama relies on one caring about the characters. This, of course, relies on great dialogue but, more importantly, it relies on close shots of the lovers.

- Silhouetted 2 shots are important to creating a romantic feel.

- There should be a good variation of long shots / establishing shots in order to have the viewer aware of the setting.

- Weather should give-off a sense of emotion within the scenes. As does lighting.

- Costumes should be well chosen, relevant and work together cohesively.

- A good number of scenes should be outside due to the rurality of traditional period dramas.

- POV shots are occasionally effective when used properly.

- In general, shots should be ambitiously set-up and should be aesthetically pleasing.

- Music should only be used in appropriate moments and silence (in terms of backing music) is not a bad thing.

- Editing should flow and be seamless, shots should follow on from one another in order to allow the story to progress.  

Film Analysis - Far From The Madding Crowd (2015)

An Overview 

This feature film is also an adaptation of the same-named novel by Thomas Hardy that follows the story of Bathsheba, who inherited an estate and farm, whom falls in love with three different men in a complicated setting. The film explores the nature of men and women within the era, alongside the nature of power and influence by blurring traditional class boundaries. In essence, this has quintessential period drama and is a marvel of beautiful film making and casting. The story has received several screen interpretations and this most recent adaptation was directed by Thomas Vinterberg.  

Camera Shots 

• Long Singular 

The single shot of an actor can be used in many ways to establish a connection with the viewer, to establish the setting and to establish the emotional mood. Strikingly, Vinterberg seems to formulate his singular shots usually from a distance – allowing the viewer to see how well or poorly the characters fits into their surroundings. These type of shots seem to appear the most within nature and are often of our stories protagonist, Bathsheba. This means that the audience begins to build a relationship with the character because she becomes our paramount of attention within such shots. Not to mention these long singular shots display the costumes within their full aspects which is important within the period drama as it establishes time frame and the social nature of the film successfully.  

• Mid-Singular Shot

Mid-singular shots have a similar effect to long singular shots, to establish setting and character relations, but this type of shot works with a slightly different dynamic. By minimizing distraction, or enhancement, of background and costume – the viewer can focus purely on the actors face and torso which makes our connection slightly stronger and slightly more magnified. Furthermore, especially as this is a romantic story, these types of shots can create a larger sense of lust and longing due to our focus on the actor’s eyes and facial expressions. Once again, by using these shots, Vinterberg is conforming to a key theme of the period drama: that character lead drama and affiliation with characters is paramount.

• Close-Singular Shot 

In continuation of what is stated above, the close-singular shot is used to create a report with the audience but to a slightly different effect. By being so close, the viewer is confronted with the raw emotion of the character. The angle of the camera, of course, plays a contribution to this. To expand simply:

• Filming from the side creates more intrigue than it does affiliation because the viewer is left wondering 'Who are they looking at?' or, more aptly with romantic period dramas, 'Who are they admiring?'
• Filming from the front causes the viewer to connect and understand the emotions fo the character as we, most likely, feel as if they are looking at us which makes us feel more relevant to the piece of work.
  
  
     

• Establishing Shots

Perhaps these are the most important types of shots that appear within any type of film, but especially within the period drama. In context to 'Far From The Madding Crowd', I found it notable that the establishing shots usually had movement and action within them. Within other period dramas, it is usually conventional to have rather still shots but this film makes sure that something is happening within the establishing shots. That is, of course, assuming that the scene to follow has a relevant amount of cast. This type of moving establishing shots, whether these be of nature or scenery, are useful in creating an immediate intrigue and transition – for the viewer to instantly follow and engage with.  

• The 2 Shot 

It would seem that the editing of scenes within period dramas orbits around the 2 shot. The two shot's success relies on things such as proxemics, eye contact and the background. I have learnt from this film that the 2 shot, in general whether it be long or close up, does something unique within the medium: it forces us to view the couple in relation to one another and in context to their surroundings. The problem with close ups, over-the-shoulders and singular shots is that we don't view the subjects or couple together. By viewing the couple together we are able to see everything all at once which gives us unique moments of pure drama and pure traditional romance. In scenes where the audience is very much supposed to 'root' for a certain couple, this type of camera angle and shooting style is paramount.  

• The Silhouetted 2 Shot 

Once again, the silhouetted 2 shot is vital when creating a good period drama. In so many ways, the nature of the angle allows a springboard of proxemics and the nature of the scene. Seemingly, Vinterberg uses this type of shot without breaking of editing to emphasise the organic nature of the emotions within the scene. This style of shot, whether it be like the first or second, are incredibly effective at creating a realistic feel within a scene because it is as if we are literally looking at them, like we would with our own minds. Bearing in mind that romantic realism is at the forefront of the period itself and thus the period drama.

Sound

● In similarity to my other studies, this period drama uses a related approach to the nature of composing the soundtrack to the film. This main similarity being that there is a leading consciousness of era/period appropriate instrumental styles – these mainly being lead by string instruments and pianos. However, this doesn't mean that there is one constant running style (like waltz or folk) running through the film. In terms of the period drama, 'Far From The Madding Crowd' uses a vast variation of styles and nuances to create a real sense of journey and process within the piece. There is, of course, a leading sense that emotions are at the forefront of the composition of the soundtrack. Considering that the music of the scene, subconsciously, seems to dictate the emotions within the scene, it is important that the music works in synergy with the footage and raw emotions of the section. This film has a successful soundtrack because it seems to do so with ease.

● Furthermore, there is an incredibly flourishing fusion of digetic and non-digetic sound. Importantly, the styles change accordingly to the setting to the scene and this means that there is an interesting crossover of ensemble-based singing working with studio-fabricated accompaniment. For example, within a scene that has church choir singing, there feels to be a natural progression from raw acoustic vocal arrangements to a full arrangements with an orchestra behind. Of course, there is a danger of this type of decision causing confusion within the viewer, but this film seems to make such decisions seamlessly whilst enhancing our emotional engagement to the medium. A key example where this type of sound editing is displayed in this clip:

  

● This doesn't mean, though, that there is constant music accompaniment from start to finish. Like all good period dramas, there are key moments of pure silence, apart from dialogue, to deepen the atmosphere of the scene and to allow the viewer to focus purely on the character-based drama.

● Finally, this film used background noise successfully to heighten the realism of the piece. When a film orbits around continuity editing (more will be said below), there is an importance of continuos background noise that is coherent with the setting. Just like how the music should denote the emotions of the scene, the background noise should also denote the emotions of the scene. For example, sheep shrieking in a thunderstorm is more appropriate than sheep eating grass in a thunderstorm.

Editing

● Chiefly, continuity editing (invisible editing) is the leading style of editing – if not the only editing style – used within the film. Meaning, that the cuts used are purposely smooth and ceaseless to ensure total immersion within the piece. Within 'Far From The Madding Crowd', this primarily involves the combination/sequencing of typical shots like over-the-shoulders to close ups to group shots within the same time frame and with incredibly similar nuances and mise-en-scene to create a sense of naturally unbroken drama. This involves choices like:

● The shot-reverse-shot. In many films, including the other period dramas I have watched, the shot-reverse-shot is typically used to show characters reactions and to build a sense of recognition within the viewer. Though this film uses this editing technique to do this successfully, it also uses this technique to explore the romantic entanglements within the film. By using close ups of our female protagonist (Carey Mulligan) in sequence of two other male suitors within the same room, the viewers gains a sense of seriousness and situation. Allowing such tension into the presentation of the story, through editing, means that there seems to be an increasing awareness of Bathsheba's tribulation within the narrative, making the viewer more engaged – which all good film makers should aim for.

● Like 'Becoming Jane', this film also doesn't flinch away from lengthier shots (time wise) – these moments mainly being between two characters as a two shot. This technique is referred to as having a master shot. The effect of this type of untouched footage is that the movement, or tracking of the camera, is allowed to be appreciated in-full. Also, it means that there is more time to really take-in all the aspects of the shots used which, could, make the viewer feel more emerged into the work as they have accepted and processed that certain environment more.

● In terms of transitions, this film mainly just used the traditional dissolve or fade at the end of a scene. These mainly being at the end of scenes that feel like they have ended, once again taking there time to progress properly. Although, at certain moments of building tension or drama, like during the climatic storm, the scene simply did a straight cut to blackness and silence.

Mise-en-Scene

● Interestingly, the costumes within this film feel slightly different to the other two period dramas. At a risk of being vague, they feel more modern or contemporary than the typical period drama. These comments mainly being aimed at Carey Mulligan's wardrobe because the dresses were incredibly well-fitted and caused silhouettes that seemed to mock modern fashion tendencies such as mid-cut neck lines, straight dresses and minimal embroidery. In saying this, though, the costumes of course were in-keeping with the eras fashion tendencies also.

● Along the same lines, many of the shots within the film seem to be built around the stories protagonist – Bathsheba. Whether these shots be long shots, group shots or mid-long shots – they seem to always have Carey within a significant third. For example:

The overall mise-en-scene of this being that the viewer is subconsciously being constantly being reminded that Bathsheba is the stories key character and that all of our emotional involvement should be, first and foremost, engaged with Bathsheba.

● Also, many of the shots used are incredibly naturally light and rural. As the film is set in a farming manor house, there are naturally many outside shots and whole scenes outside. This means that the film has a traditionally stereotypical Romantic feel which enhances the theme of naturally relationship and connections blossoming within such a tranquil environment.