Research: Short Film Analysis: Identity

Plot/ Narrative

The story behind this short film is based on the idea of identity, hitting hard on the issue faced by many young people and in fact many adults to this day: self-consciousness. Using masks the director of this film has made thoughtful consideration for how to represent this idea of 'the right beauty'. It's also fascinating to see how the producer has developed this film, through using a non-linear narrative where the intro is the end scene. This is then reversed to show what lead the protagonist to the point where she no longer wears her mask.

Characters

A convention of short films is that within the first 30 seconds you are bound to be introduced to the protagonist. This short is no exception.  As soon as the film begins we are immediately introduced to this protagonist. In the medium close up (on the right) the character is located in a bathroom, appearing quite dishevelled. We are given no context and so as we watch this girl, clearly spent but oddly relieved, we are given the reading that something has happened that has in some ways changed her outlook on things. From this moment the scene is replayed backwards.

When time is reversed we find the character sitting alone in a busy school/ college canteen. In her hands is a sketch pad. Most puzzling is why she's wearing a mask. That is until we realise that everyone is wearing a mask, all different colours. In the film most of the stock characters wear the same mask, corresponding to what social group they belong to. As the title implies, this is a film centred around the idea of identity and thus individuality.

In the medium close up shot below several girls are staring up at a poster stating that this is what beauty looks like, it's not about being individual, or having a unique identity ( in other words, a unique and decorative mask, completely atypical to the other masks in the film).

A really powerful element of this film is that there's a close up shot which tracks another stock character walking from a group, wearing a lilac mask. As soon as she nears another group she pulls off the mask, wearing a bright red one. This is a really well-thought, intuitive and powerful piece of footage because it's grasping the reality and idea of people being 'two-faced'. Building characterisation certainly for this stock character, I think the producer/director has intended for the audience to get the reading that the film is addressing the harsh perceptions of people in society e.g. judgemental and malicious behaviour towards others, such as acting like an honest friend when in fact that person is mocking them behind their back.

Camera Shot/ Angles/ Movement 

I really respect this film, and it's certainly commendable of appraisal because of it's high level of professionalism. 'Identity' uses a diverse range of camera shots, angles, movements and editing techniques to bring this story to life and therefore to allow the audience to connect with the main character.

One of the shots I really like is this close up shot where the camera tilts up, showing the character looking at her reflection in the mirror. What's particularly appealing about the shot is the way in which the camera shows the audience both the back of her head and the reflection in the mirror, giving the illusion that we are involved with the scene.

Another shot I thought was worth mentioning is this medium shot which the camera zooms into to focus on the main character. In front of the young adults are small desks. Behind the group is a wall filled which an array of posters and a map of the world. This leads us to understand that the main character is in a school environment; therefore informing us of the film's location.

The camera is also known to track the main character as she walks through the school corridor. One of many gripping and powerful shots, as demonstrated in the shot to the left, is that the producer/director tends to use a lot of close up shots of the main character. In this case we have a shallow focus shot of the side of the girl's face which helps us to see how disconnected this character feels from the rest of society: thus building characterisation. It's also significantly important to note that the teacher doesn't appear to wear a mask. This brings up questions such as why isn't he wearing one? Do only young people wear masks? Is it about growing up, and understanding that image doesn't matter that you can finally be considered mature, just like when the girl decides to walk away without the mask by the end of the film?

Another shot to grab my eye was this medium shot ( on the right) of the girl, sat alone in the school/college canteen. The scene is cut between this shot and shots showing the groups of people talking amongst themselves. By editing in this way and so juxtaposing the image of the girl on her own with the groups of people, the director is emphasising the isolation and loneliness this girl experiences- another pointer as to the divided feeling of an outsider which seems to be a key emotion the film explores with this character.

Another powerful and effective shot is the crane, high angle long shot which is used right at the end of the film. By using this shot we see the collective impact this girl has had on the other students, just by the temerity and conviction she displays through having disregarded the mask.

Finally we see that at the end and at the start of the film, the camera tracks the main character as she makes her way around the canteen to the toilets. One of the crucially significant editing techniques used by the editors is in running the film footage backwards to signify the reversal of time. By implementing this editing technique in to the film, the director/ producer creates, as said, a non-linear narrative, which is interesting and yet still easy to follow.

Sound

This film begins using a voice-over, conforming to the convention of short films because typically any voice-over found in a film comes from the main protagonist. Both at the start and end of the film we hear a synthesised sound resembling the movement of glass, such as might be heard in fantasy films when time rewinds and shattered glass rises, moving back into the smooth, large piece of glass it once was. Throughout the film both non-diegetic music and diegetic sounds play. These diegetic sounds include people chatting, the scraping of knives and folks on plates and the school bell, all of which are sounds typically found in a school/ college environment. Towards the climax point in the movie (when the main character takes her mask off) the music changes and gradually gets louder, signifying this is a paramount moment in the film. Interestingly enough, throughout the whole film we never hear the girl talk and this proves that body language alone is enough to impact the audience-so long as you use the right camera shots (for effect).

Lighting

This film uses high key lighting however it also looks as if a filter has been used to create a more desolate atmosphere. It may also be the case that a filter hasn't been used but rather the dark school corridors give the impression that one has been.

Typography


As is typical with many movies, this short film uses a colour scheme of black and white: white writing and a black background. The title in the shot on the right shows that the typography used is very harsh, appearing to be streaked with small incisions. The font therefore connotes violence and is similar to the writing we conventionally see when advertising any media associated with the military. It's unusual therefore that the producers chose to use this title, purely because the reading of it doesn't match the plot. However, if we look at it in the way this film is trying to demonstrate the cruel reality of society in this strange alternate universe, then I can, in some ways, understand why the font was used. The title, as we see, isn't centred but rather it sits at the bottom corner. In a way this is more reflective of the film, giving the audience the reading that this is a film about individual loneliness and isolation, just as the placing of the title suggests that it doesn't belong in the middle, but rather deserves seclusion.

As for the remaining credits, which run at the end of the film, the font is clearly very different and so is the layout. In the screenshot on the left we can see that 4 job roles have been segregated into two different columns. Personally I don't think this arrangement is attractive so rather than use this example as a stem of inspiration for my own credits, it's more something I will avoid to ensure my film is attractive in all ways.