Final Assignment 3 Short Films

The Smiling Man



The smiling man is a linear narrative therefore it follows continuity as time goes by, this is also because there has a beginning,middle and end. This is also  because this could be a real life situation, so it makes the audience think about that happening them and putting themselves in the boys shoes. This is a single drama because it is a short film. This makes it a single drama because the story line will not carry on once the short film is finished that's it. The whole short film make it a thriller/ horror because it the way music is played, the way there hardy no props used.



 At the start of 'The smiling man' there is a long shot of the man walking down the street. The director has used a long shot to show that the man is lonely and he is by himself. However in the right hand corner there are red/pinkie coloured flowers this suggests that the red could symbolise blood or death by the pink could imply that his walk to where he is going to be could be a nice, calm walk. You can also see he is wearing jeans and a jumper this could show he is dressed quite casual so maybe this could be telling the audience he is on a midnight stroll. The director has also used the rule of thirds in this shot because the boy is not centre point. The director has purposely done this to also show the audience that there is no one else on the street and that it is empty. However even though the street is light up by street lamps the side he is walking on isn't or the lights are not in shot, to show that he is walking into darkness. In this scene you can obviously hear his footsteps, however you can hear cars and police sirens but they are very muffled like they are far away. This called digetic sound where the actors can also hear the same thing on set. At this point the character look very innocent and not bothered about his surroundings.




In this shot the character himself is looking like he has just seen something funny. A mid shot and close up has been used to show his emotions and body language his shoulders look a bit hunched up which could also make the character look nervous or anxious about what he is laughing at. In this clip the background looks really blurry and misty maybe because the director wants there to be a sense of atmosphere for the audience. It could be cold outside for the  man, this could make the audience feel pity for the man. However the man in is focus and the background is out of focus this could suggest he is the main character.

This is a low angle shot, the director has used this because he wants the audience to wonder why we are looking at his feet and not at him. Also the director has given a sense of mystery because the audience doesn't no what is in front or behind him because all we are seeing is his feet. There is digetic sound being made, you can hear the smiling mans feet tapping on the pavement while he is dancing. This could make the audience think that the man is behind him because the feet are really clear to the audience and that they might just be thinking that nothing is going on. However the director might not want to give it away and make the audience carrying on what they are thinking. The image is very dark and dull, this is too show that something is going to happen and that this short film is very dark and mysterious.

This is a over the shoulder the shot the director has used this to show the man is walking away from something maybe showing he isn't that bothered about what hes seen. The image looks blurry this might be because the director wanted the shot to be out of focus, to show maybe the weather and that's its a cold night. In this the sound decreases and get much quicker so we can only hear the footsteps and even a bit of wind.

In the Smiling Man the director has used a long shot to show that the character is not real and he doesn't look normal. This is also a master shit because both of the characters are in the shot. The character is far away from the camera this is showing that maybe hes not part of society and he shouldn't be near the man and should stay far away. However this might also be because the director he doesn't to give to much away to the audience. This gives the sense of loneliness and isolation for the character. However non digetic sound has been used to show an eary side to the short film to make the audience feel a bit scared and worried for this man. The pace of the music fits in when the man is standing up slowly, its gives a more intense atmosphere.

In the clip a mid shot has been used to show the character and what he physically looks like. This is the first time the audience has seen this unknown character before. What he is wearing looks like he may have been on a night out because he looks smartly dressed. However the colour of it looks a bit old school and not up to date, so this could be suggesting he is not from these times and that he is from a different era. The body language of this character shows that he is not human or he has something wrong with him. The way his hand is positioned could suggest hes either drunk because its a late night and he dancing around or hes a pysco. In the right hand corner you can see the man standing there but it is really blurry this is because in this clip its focused on the smiling man and not the other man. The non digetic sound such as the music gets much louder as he gets closer to the man and when he finally arrives to him it is silent, to the mans heavy breathing.

The director has used a long shot to show that the man is running for his life. You can tell because the surroundings are blurry the director has used the effect of depth of field. The music also makes the scene come alive brings a sense of realism,because using the fast,loud music it makes the audience start to think will he get away or not, or is the smiling man still chasing him. The clip is still very dark and the surroundings are very dull as well not showing no colour or anything just dark colours. This can also suggest by showing this that it is not going to end well. The lighting of the street lamps looks like it is leading his path to get away from this unreal human that is coming after him.

This is a establishing shot this is to show the mans surroundings and where he is running to. This could give the audience a sense of relief because he has gone from an area where there are no cars and hardly no house to him being someone where you can see house lights on and cars parked outside. The lighting is still very dull this is to keep the atmosphere the same and to keep it still an anxious clip. The non digetic music is still playing, it has gone quite high pitch and sounds like its at a fast pace maybe to symbolize the mans running.

In the final scenes of the smiling man you can see the director has used long shot and a mid shot to show that the man is running away and hes in danger. This makes the scene more realistic because of the music is showing that the man might not get to safety. The music gets louder, the editor has done this to create suspense towards the audience and the characters. Throughout the thriller short film the techniques and sounds have been used really good they have created intense moments throughout. The editing was good because  the 180 degree rule was used a few times so the director didn't brake continuity, it also creates a lot of mystery as well because by using the 180 degree rule you don't give to much away to the audience. A lot of long shots and mid shots have been used as well. These are all the effects you need for a good horror film.