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
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