French New Wave Film

This is my French New Wave short film, directed, and starring myself. The soundtrack used in my film is Eminem's 2000 hit song 'Stan'.

Experimental Filming- Opening Doors

Today; as part of my task, I was required to make a short film; the theme being opening doors, and turning it into something creative. I instead chose to take a slightly different approach from the ordinary thought of someone opening a door. Instead I opted for using 'opening doors' as more of a metaphor rather than an actually action.

My short film details a few hours in the life of a drug user who relies on his marijuana cigarettes as a 'key' to 'unlock' his mind. Below is my finished production.

In my short film, I have intentionally left several instances in which audiences may pick up the way in which the drug user's mindset is set up. More active audiences should be able to achieve the preferred reading.

The first occasion this occurs at is 11 seconds in, when the first first-person scene is shown; allowing the audience to empathise with the drug user by showing them the world from his perspective. To reiterate this point, the background behind the 'spliff' is not in focus. This was done to draw attention towards the drug user's 'key' and signify his obsession.

The next instance occurs at 34 seconds when the film displays the first in-colour shot. Prior to smoking the 'joint' the video is displayed in black and white, however once the effects of cannabis begin to set in on the drug user, 'his' world becomes colourful.

The last observation to be made is that in the video the only shots displayed in colour are also in first-person. I deliberately did this because it is an experience that is only felt by the drug user and so I felt this had to be transcended in a manner in which could still be experienced by the audience. 

How Meaning is Constructed in Film through Analysis of Visual Signification- Lighting in Comedy

Meaning is constructed in film through visual significance through a number of methods and techniques. These include Lighting, Mise-en-scene, Representation, Actors/Actress, etc.

Lighting in Comedy
In contrast to the bleak, eerie lighting implemented throughout the horror genre, the comedy genre opts for a brighter, more colourful approach to its lighting preferences. This is utilised to set the mood and project the preferred audience reading a positive, humorous demeanour.

One example of

How Meaning is Constructed in Film through Analysis of Visual Signification- Lighting in Horror

Meaning is constructed in film through visual significance through a number of methods and techniques. These include Lighting, Mise-en-scene, Representation, Actors/Actress, etc.

Lighting in Horror

Lighting is one of the easiest, yet most useful techniques utilised to construct meaning in film. An example of this is the contrast in lighting between different genres. Take horror films for example, where as this genre conventions detail that lighting should be dark, with use of shadows to connote a sense of danger and fear. On the other hand, a more mellow genre such as comedy, would prefer to implement a brighter lighting to set a more relaxed, humorous mood. 2 supporting examples to back up this theory can be seen below. The use of low-key lighting techniques could be said to represent a Freudian need to repress the Id or signify that there is an aspect of the villains personality that is evil.

In this official movie trailer for 'SAW II' (2005), clear use of high contrast lighting and shadows are present within the first 10 seconds of the video clip. Used to set an eerie atmosphere; a technique used consistently throughout the horror genre.

Similarly in the movie trailer for a more contemporary text, 'Annabelle 2' (2017), even as early as the first scene, the establishing scene is set to low brightness to give the preferred reading of darkness and evil. Shadows are then utilised in the establishing shot; the next scene inside the house to set an terrifying atmosphere.