AICE MEDIA STUDIES BLOG

Is that who I think it is? Hello again dearest reader, I am happy to inform you that we have now reached the last film on our watch list for examination, Oracle by Aaron Poole, which we also encountered on the "Short of the Week" website. Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: In this short film, we saw that there were a good number of camera shots used. Said camera shots included medium close-ups of the primary subject as they went about their daily life, whether that be in bed, in the living room, or traveling up the stairs. Close-up shots were also used when the primary subject seemed to grow more aware and attuned to their surroundings. When the film began to devolve into a more experimental piece, over-the-shoulder shots were used to conceal the face of the primary subject and highlight their detachment from reality and the presence, an interesting and effective choice. The same was true for the usage of long shots in the short. When looking at the camera angles used with

Hello! We will now continue to examine the conventions we found within other short films in our genre. The next film will we be taking a look at is Porcupine by Clifford Miu, which we also acquired from the "Short of the Week" website. Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Within this short film, we saw a decent amount of camera shots being used. The most often utilized shots being the medium and medium long shots. Given that there is only one primary subject of the film, said shots capture her in the isolation of her own home. That, in turn, creates a more tense scenario once she realizes that she is in danger. Close-up shots are also used to create contrast within this short film, such as when the film opens and the shot transitions from a close-up of the sparklers children use on holidays to the cigarette a woman was smoking. Additionally, an over-the-shoulder shot was also used to place the focus on the main threat that the primary subject was facing, making her fade into

Welcome back! As you know today we’re working on breaking down the conventions we see used in different short films. Up next on our list is Prosopagnosia by Hugo Kaijzer, which we also obtained from the "Short of the Week" website. Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: In this short film, a number of different camera shots are incorporated. The most common shots within the film were long shots, wide shots, and medium shots. Long shots were used to capture subjects are they were first introduced, whilst wide shots were used with the purpose of exploring new and unfamiliar settings. Medium shots were reserved for conversations between multiple subjects, as were over-the-shoulder shots. Close-up shots were not as common, but they did make themselves apparent. The close-up shot was used to create of intensity during the investigation being held between the primary subject and the police officer. Regarding the specific type of angle most often within the film, I would say that it

Hey again! Today we have decided to inspect other short films that match our genre. First on our list was Gridlock by Ian Hunt Duffy. The short film was made available to us because it was uploaded onto the "Short of the Week" website, which is easily accessible on all platforms. To obtain the best viewing experience, my teammate and I watched them on a large laptop in a quiet room where we would be free of external distractions. We then conducted a thorough analysis of the conventions used by the short film, and we have outlined them below. Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: In the short film, there are a wide variety of camera techniques applied. In terms of camera angles, the film primarily relied on eye-level shots, particularly when subjects wre conversing. The reason being is that doing so allowed for the audience to feel grounded in said conversations and not be tempted to dsitract themselves with what might be happening in the background. High angle shots were in

Hi! Today my teammates and I viewed a quick video on YouTube to gain insight on how we should go about creating a short film of our own. The video itself was quite enlightening, bringing up some points we had not yet thought to consider and reaffirming those that we had already been aware of, yet presenting the information in a digestible manner that really drove the message home. When looking at conceptualizing our short film, we felt as though the video made some valid points. The first of which was concerning the realisticness of actually being able to film what my fellow members and I are envisioning. The reason why it is so important for us to keep this simple rule in mind is to not only avoid going over budget, but to also ensure that we produce the best possible product. If we were to run into a roadblock regarding the inability to capture a shot that may have been essential to the storyline once we are already in the process of filming, we will be setback and inevitably

Hello! We have returned once again to further our efforts in comparing short films to those that are fully developed into lengthy features. To do so, we have chosen two more pieces to compare, “La Jetée” and “12 Monkeys”. “La Jetée” was originally a collection of black and white still photos; however, it was eventually adapted into a major motion picture under the direction of Terry Gilliam. Instead of keeping it in the likeness of flipbooks, the 1962 featurette, or photo-roman as its director Chris Marker refers to it, was completely readapted to fit the modern interests of Gilliam’s modernized audience in 1995. This meant that it underwent a complete makeover in terms of its visual aesthetics, although it did remain mostly true to the basic concepts of the film. In the aforementioned featurette, Parisian society has crumbled under the devastation of World War III, leaving survivors to flee underground for safety. Throughout the short, only the singular voice of one male is he

Yoo-hoo! It is so nice to see you have returned for yet another one of our blogs! Today my team and I will begin by deconstructing a short film and its related feature in an effort to understand what makes the two forms of media so different from one another. We hope to apply this knowledge to our own short and allow us to make more rational decisions when it comes to our planning process. Short Film: Plot: The film is essentially about the emotional journey the primary subject, 9, takes following the death of one of his close friends, 5. The first part of this story is told in the form of a flashback, where 9 and their friend try to evade capture by an unnamed half-mechanical, half-bone beast. During their altercation, 5 steps up to try and save the day and is sadly killed, whilst 9 is able to make a hasty escape. Once the flashback concludes, 9 is brought back to reality by the thrumming of a green-glowing object in their possession, which seems to alert them of the presence of d

GREETING! It's the moment you've been waiting for, what genre we've decided to go with now that we have reviewed all of our options. We have come to the conclusion that it would be best to go with the thriller genre for our short film. The reason why we decided to eliminate the comedy genre was because of our mutual feelings that whatever jokes we came up with were not guaranteed to be understood by those outside of our friend group. The translation of jokes across age differences would likely not be understood. Hence, our film would not be entertaining to a wider audience of people outside of teenagers and people close in age. That is because of the inherent subjectiveness of comedy that we have pointed out prior in our earlier research blog. Moreover, since our film has the possibility of being heavy with more mature themes, adopting a lighthearted tone that a comedy might have provided may not be the best way to deliver an otherwise serious message (unless we were to

Boo! Did I scare you away? I hope not! Just stick around for a while since this is the last blog in our set of research, and maybe the last blog you'll ever read! Anywho, we will be focusing on the horror genre here and outlining its conventions below. Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: With the horror genre, a lot of unusual camera angles, shots, and movements are applied. One of said shots is the tracking shot, which is used in horror films to the same effect as it is in thrillers, to simulate the feeling of a subject being watched or followed. A good example of this occurs in the movie Touch of Evil (1958), where the subject of the camera switches every so often, an interesting concept that we might like to apply to our own short film. The high angle is also commonly used for the purpose of activating a primal fear within the viewer themselves such as when showcasing a character who may be close to falling from a high place, as in Fall (2022). Close-up and extreme close-up

Hi there! The next genre up on our list is none other than the chilling thriller, and if you're willing we'll tell you all about it. The thriller is the suspense without the gore, the scares without the disturbing visuals (Midsommar (2019) this is directed entirely at you), and the creep factor with the fact that you can probably still sleep after. As with before, my team and I will now be guiding you through the essentials of any good thriller and seeing what makes it work. Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: In any thriller, it is the director's utmost intention that they still frighten the audience, albeit minus all of the gore that comes along with the horror genre. This can be achieved with the help of some trademarked jump scares, but any good cinematographer knows that uncomfortable camera angles and shots are the way to go. Putting the audience in a position that they cannot escape from, much like the subject themselves is probably one of the most effecti

Welcome back, dear reader. The first genre on our list to explore is that of comedy. Right off the bat, I think it's important to establish that comedy is, contestably, the most intricate genre to work with. It is entirely subjective, whether or not a joke lands or is well-received is an experience that differs on a viewer to viewer basis since everyone's sense of humor varies. Comedy is not a clear, cut-and-dry, formulaic genre in which certain steps can be followed to get every single audience member to laugh, even if it is a slight giggle. No, it is a nuanced art form, where specific filming choices are handpicked and crafted to try to create a universally enjoyable (perhaps not funny for all) experience for the majority of those who give a particular movie a watch. Said filming components are outlined below. Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Comedy can be expressed in different manners, that being on an inter-subject level to a subject's interactions with their

Well hello there! Haven't spoken to you in quick a bit, have I? Nevertheless, I think it's best we just jump right back into the (lights, camera,) action and get back on track! Now that we have selected our pitch and had some time to think, my teammates and I are very excited to finally start conceptualizing our short film! The first step in that process is none other than selecting a genre. The genre of a film determines its entire tone and essentially the direction in which the story progresses. Based off of our pitch, my partners and I have concluded that our film could plausibly go in one of three directions, a cathartic comedy, a dreadful thriller, or maybe even a terrifying horror piece. If one were to consider the comedic route on its own, they would find that it is quite an interesting avenue to take. Comedy has been a source of entertainment for over a millennia, causing audiences to crack up even in the days of ancient Greece within traditional theater. As