Stucco - Horror

This short film is about a girl who lives alone in deep

fear of leaving her house. Her fear is seen as a lingering
darkness in a hollow wall that leads to the outside
world. The short film is based on raising awareness for
those with depression or anxiety. The genre of the
short film is horror. We can tell it is horror due to the
three micro aspects used in the making of it. This is
shown through the character, the setting, and through
the climax of the girl when she broke through the wall and walked through the wall. This also links to
Todorov’s theory as we have a equilibrium at the start of the short film to give the audience an idea
of where they are and what is happening. Which then lead to a disruption when the girl is being
forced sit on the throne of human limbs and is crowned. Then the climax comes when she begins to
escape the throne and manages to pull herself away. The target audience for the film are those
suffering from anxiety or depression, as this film is there to raise awareness and help those with
anxiety and depression by indicating that they should face their fears and stay strong. Those with
depression and anxiety are also more likely to watch it as they may see a slight resemblance
between the girl in the short film and themselves.

Sound

Using the heavy breathing of the girl shows the girl is in distress and to show that she is scared, this
is diegetic sound that we can see on screen. This helps to build up the suspense of what is on the
other side of the wall as she is so scared that it is affecting her breathing. This has been used
because it emphasizes how the girl is feeling which then affects us as an audience, because we then
feel bad for the girl, it also means that we as a audience can understand the genre more as she is
scared so it shows that it is a horror film. This is conventional to horror because females are usually
lead characters in this genre. The victim also uses diegetic sound through their screams or shaky
voice to show they are the victim and that they are scared. An example of this is Michael Myers
where the mother is the lead character and her granddaughter was the victim. Also, when the
crackling sound on the wall near the end of the film goes silent indicating something may have
happened to the wall or on the other side of the wall. This is conventional as no one knows what is
on the other side of the wall until the end which is very common in horror movies to add a sense of
mystery so the audience will feel uneasy.

Cinematography

in this short film there were many different uses of

cinematography to show of the emotion of the girl
such as close ups. During this scene the close up,
emphasises on her facial expression at which she looks
frightened and as if something or someone is looking for
her. This puts the audience in question of who or what it
is that is looking for her and what is its end goal. This is
very conventional in Horror movies and is usually used in scenes where the characters are hiding to
show the audience how they are feeling in that exact moment. The close up also confirms that this is
indeed the main character in the film and that is conventional to films in general is it’s a very
commonly used technique for the audience to determine a main character. Close ups were also used
in the short film to show how scared she was when she heard the crackling nose of the wall. the
close ups were used so that the audience can see the fear in the girl’s eyes and so that it then makes
us feel more gripped into the genre as the fear in her eyes and the expression on her face shows that
the genre is horror. Over the shoulder shots were used so that we as an audience can see what she
is looking at, and doing, like when she was looking at the sledge hammer, her eyes were watering,
showing she was about to cry. Over the shoulder shots are conventional because they show who is
in power and also helps the audience determine who the lead character is. Crying is used to show
how much a character is deep in fear and shows that they are feeling helpless.

Mid shots were used in the film to see the setting

of the house and also what was being focused on
within the shot. Although all we see is a leaking
wall. The camera and lighting are focusing one the
hole. We know this because the light on it is acting
like a spot light, as well as that the hole is in the
centre of the shot indicating something
supernatural is going on within the wall. The fact
the film relates to the supernatural also shows
that its conventional to the gender as most horror
movies include some sort of supernatural energy or monsters such as “Cabin in the woods” where
monsters are being made as experiments The mis shot draws attention to the hole to make more
dramatic and letting the audience know that it is has some sort of effect on the girl. The hole is also
being shot from a low angle which is conventional to horrors as it lets the audience know what is
causing the characters distress and how strong it is compared to the victim, indicating that its not a
normal wall and that something about the wall is off and may even be dangerous. Another midshot
was used after she broke through the hole and she was in complete darkness. This shows that some
sort of devilish, or monstrous energy is surrounding her, emphasising the supernatural events within
the film.

Editing

The editing of the film started with slow cuts and

a lot of long shots. This is to make the audience
feel at ease so they can be caught out by a jump
scare at any time. Throughout the movie the cuts
gradually get quicker and quicker to increase the
tension and suspense. This puts the audience in a
state of fright because of the fear of the
unknown. This also warns the audience that
something bad is going to happen and the fast
cuts usually lead up to a scare or to the disruption of the film. Short takes are conventional to horror
film as it tells the audience that something scary or bad is about to happen, it’s also used to build
tension and suspense across a short period of time. The genre of horror has been shown using slow
transitions of cuts to help build the tension and show the surrounding area to create an idea of
what’s going on. This has been used so that the audience can recognise that due to the pace of the
video that it is a horror, as most horror movies are slow paced until the climate (which is when the
girl is escaping the throne of human limbs)

Mise en scene

The film resolves around one character being a girl who falls victim to a hole in a wall.

Throughout the whole film there is lowkey lighting to represent the girl living in fear of something.
This also creates tension and tells the audience that something bad is going to happen. This is
conventional to horror films as most horror films are set in dark places to keep the monster or being
hidden. The film is set in one location being a house. The girl lives alone in the house and rarely gets
visited. This shows she is in her own personal space which links to Todorov’s theory of equilibrium.
This is also conventional to horror films as many horror films are set in a house such as insidious,
chucky or scary movie. This is done so the audience become more familiar with the characters and
the being that’s hunting them.

Pain Killer - Dark comedy

This is a short film about a young man robbing a

store using a firearm gun. One of the customers
are going through depression and asks the
robber to shoot him because he does not want to
be alive anymore. We can tell this is dark comedy
due to the comedic element of the film as well as
it being offensive to some people that watch it.
This is also shown by scenes that are funny, that
are not supposed to be funny, such as when the
shopkeeper had his thumbs shot off, or even
when he died. We can also tell it is dark comedy from the three micro aspects of the film being, the
characters, the setting and the climax. The story goes against Todorov’s theory as through the film
the only sign of equilibrium was near the end, while the disruption was at the start.

people watch dark comedy movies is because they want to laugh and be entertained. People like to
be entertained because they want to relax and try to escape from reality, so due to this the target
audience for this film would be older teens and young as most teens have a stressful work or college
days and watching a dark comedy would cheer them up due to the effects of the film making them
laugh, this will change the mood

mise en scene

The film resolves around two people being an old Asian

man and a young robber who both fall victim to each
other at different times in the film and the Asian even
falling victim to himself. The robber wore sark genes, a
black coat and a black hat, this is typical for robbers to
dress like this as it helps them stay lowkey so people
don’t see them. However, when he steps into the store
its broad daylight and he has no mask which the
audience may find funny because of how bad a robber
he is. This is conventional because in dark comedy, characters tend to be less intelligent than usual.
The Robber is clearly seen to be the villain as he came with the intent to rob a store and kill someone
if he had to, he threatens all the people in the store with a gun(prop) showing the killer is very
dangerous. Guns are conventional as they are a very versatile weapon everyone is aware of which is
good for threatening people, killing people or injuring. The film is set in only one location being a
corner shop which is conventional as dark comedies are usually filmed in one location and that
location will be very different to other genres. This helps the audience understand the characters
and the situation of what is happening on a deeper level. An example is the Short film “Master-piece
of meat” which is set in a house and the characters in the film stay in the house throughout the
whole film

The short film starts with the robber smoking at the bus stop. This shows that he is at ease, he also
seems very calm even though its late at night suggesting he goes out late a lot. This is conventional
as dark comedy films usually go against Todorov’s theory with his equilibrium which is especially
shown at the end. Dark comedy usually goes against Todorov’s theory because they usually consist
of many twists making it unpredictable for the audience. This is to make the film more comedic.

. While they are doing this the shoot the shop keepers thumb off. The shopkeeper then lets out a
funny sounding scream and soon after his other thumb accidently gets shot off by the Asian man
reminding us of the genre being dark comedy. The robber also makes fun of the Asian man’s shoes
by saying that’s the reason his wife is cheating on him. At the end of the film the robber said a
speech to the Asian man about what he should appreciate in life and why he shouldn’t kill himself
and soon after the Asian man unexpectedly shot himself in attempt to shock and make the audience
laugh due the robbers wasted, emotional speech also reminding use of the dark comedy genre. In
Dark comedy, villain characters are usually stereotyped to be made a fool out of and are shown to
have twisted emotions or insights about certain situations

Cinematography

In this short film there were many different uses

of cinematography to show of the emotion of the
worker such as close ups. In this scene a close up
is used to show the workers facial expression.
The worker is also being held at gunpoint at this
time of the film and the emotions that are picked
up from his facial expression are surprised and
confused. This is conventional because he is at a
point of near death, he is no sign of fear within his expressions which is funny to the audience which
is also what makes a dark comedy. The shop keeper did at some point throuout the film have a
scared facial expression however it looked exaggerated and sarcastic to make it funnier

two shots and shot reverse shots. Two shots were

used in the short film to show the relationship
between the robber and the Asian man to show the
audience their opposite personalities. This was used
so the audience can see how different they are and
how they struggle to get along and understand each
other which is what the audience find funny
although its not supposed to be funny considering the Asian man wants to commit suicide
throughout the whole the whole film and the robber is struggling to understand as to why he would
go as far as to try to kill himself. Two shots and shot reverse shots are conventional in dark comedy
because it shows the conversation and relationship between the two characters. Dark comedy is
usually known to have offensive conversations while also being comedic.

Close ups were used to show the robbers. and

the robber had an angry facial expression but
again looked exaggerated and sarcastic to
remind the audience that this is a dark comedy.
Its as if the actors were purposely acting badly
which is what made it funnier for the audience.
Also, the fact that the robber had sympathy for
the Asian man that wanted to kill himself, even
though he had already thought of killing him.
The robber also has a cut in his lip indicating he
had recently been in a fight or regularly robs
stores. The slits in his eyebrows also suggest he
is relativley young as tats a trendy fashion style for teenagers. This is conventional as the asian man
is characterised to be the complete opposite being old, working regularjob,have a family and has no
sense of fashion.

Over the shoulder shots and low shots are also used on the robber to show that he is in power and
least vulnerable. The robber is shown to be superior. Low angle shots are conventional as it helps
the audience determine character roles as well as levels of power or authority, they have over each
other. However, he lets his guard down and gets his own gun stolen from him which is funny to the
audience as his whole persona switched up and now, he was in a position of being scared. The Asian
man then points the gun at his own head and the robber instantly reacts by insulting the Asian man
and trying to fool him into robbing the store but backfires when the shop keeper is accidently killed.
This is conventional as dark comedy is known to have many twists within their story.

Editing

Throughout the film the editing cuts are relatively fast as there was always something going on,
however despite that fact it still increases, especially when the robber and the Asian man are
fighting over the gun and accidently kill the shop keeper. Although increase pace in scene cuts
usually raise tension, in this particular film it felt like the complete opposite. The coming of the
climax was as if the audience is expecting something really funny to happen at which it did when the
shot both of the shop keepers thumbs off. This is conventional as in dark comedy, even the tensest
moments can ease you off from laughter.

Shot reverse shot is also used in this film when the

robber and Asian man are arguing against each other
whether the robber should kill him or not. The
audience may find this funny because their roles
switch when the robber is trying to convince the Asian
man why he shouldn’t kill him while the Asian man is
trying to convince the robber why he should kill himself. This makes the audience laugh because of
how ironic the moment is and how unexpected behaviour is seen from both characters. This is
conventional for dark comedy as dark comedy is full of twists so the audience never know what to
expect. The shot reverse shot consisted of two close ups showing the audience the two characters
facial expression. From their expressions one character is angry at himself while the other one is
happy with himself; this is also said when the Asian man was about to shoot himself.

Deep it – Drama

This short film is about a man telling a

story about an incident that happened
when he was younger. Kadz and Myles
were best friends but during their time
Myles got beaten up by Kadz girlfriends’
brother. What makes this a drama is the
action and dialogue that fits within the
short film. This fits Todorov’s theory as
there is equilibrium at the start of the
film when they are just hanging out and
then the disruption comes when Myles
takes a knife to stab Kadz girlfriends, brother. This was noticed by the audience when Kadz
accidently got himself stabbed by holding Myles’ knife behind his back to stop Myles from doing
anything foolish. This also shows that this is a drama film due to all the controversy going on as well
as all the drama going on. This short film was made to bring awareness to knife crime and to
encourage people not to go down the path of crime. The target audience of this film is teenagers, as
they are ones most affected by knife crime and also most likely group to watch the short film.

Cinematography

Wide shots were used at the beginning of

the short film to show the relationship
between all the characters in Myles and
Kadz’s group. From the scene it shows
that Kadz is popular and well liked
however the main character Myles, is
disliked by Warren and Tobi. This shows
there will be conflict between them
throughout the film and that will influence
someone to make a bad decision. This is
conventional to drama films such as
Shiro’s story when Bailey being friends with Shiro’s best friend tried to kill Shiro. This sends the
message of friends not being who they seem to be. It also shows that violence shouldn’t be the
answer to any problem as it only makes the situation worst. The wide shot was also used to show
the setting that they live in being near a block of council flats, indicating Myles and Kadz come from a
lower-class family. 2 shot was also used to show the audience how close Kadz and his girlfriends are
which switched to a mid-shot of Myles by himself, emphasising that Myles is alone or the odd one
out in the group which later leads to him making a foolish decision later in the film.

High shots were used on Warren and Tobi (Kadz friends) to show they are in less power and more
vulnerable, especially when low shots were used on Lara’s brother (being Kadz girlfriend) to show he
is indefinitely in power and control of the situation. Later on, Myles is given a low shot when he goes
to pick up a knife to show his vulnerability is going away as his anger rises from being humiliated.
This is conventional as most drama films ending result is due to a characters need of revenge which
ends in something bad happening.

He is also given a low shot at the end to show that he has

learned from his mistakes and that he is smarter, and
wiser now. This reflects the genre of a drama as it is
conventional for characters to learn after their mistakes
after a major loss. Most dramas consist of best friends
falling out and one of them getting into trouble, which is
usually the one the audience least expect to get in
trouble. Dramas also usually end in the main character
regretting their decisions because either them or their
bestfriend has gotten hurt. An example of this is the
movie that recently came out near the end of last year called “Blue Story” where 2 boys being
bestfriends, fall apart because of the influence of gangs. The result of this ended in one of the
bestfriends dying. Usually Drama short films based in London are used to send a message such as
unnessisary violence or stopping knife crimes/getting involved in drugs. Lower class is conventional
to drama as it shows the character comes from an uneasy lifestyle which could contribute to the
decisions they make throughout the film. Two shots are also conventional to show the connection
between two of the characters.

A wide shot was used during the short film to show

the relationship between Myles and Kadz’s group.
From the scene it shows that Kadz is popular and
well liked however the main charcter Myles, is
disliked by Warren and Tobi. This shows there will be
conflict between them throughout the film and that
will influence someone to make a bad decision. This
is conventional to drama films such as Shiros story
when Bailey( being friends with Shiro’s bestfriend)
tried to kill Shiro. This sends the message of friends not being who they seem to be. It also shows
that violence shouldn’t be the answer to any problem as it only makes the situation worst.

Mise en scene

The short film revolves mostly around one

person being Myles who got int conflict with
Lara’s brother because he was mistaken to be
someone else and as a result was pushed on
the floor and embarrassed in front of people
he used to hang out with. It is clear he is the main protagonist due to his change in behaviour. The
characters in the short film, all tend to wear dark clothes and usually wear jeans, this is typical for
London teenagers and is also trendy for gangs to wear this type of clothing. This type of clothing is
conventional as they are very popular in Dramas to show that the characters are going to get
involved in a bad situation.

A knife was used within the short film as a weapon prop (which is a typical drama weapon) to
illustrate violence in London. Knives are very conventional in drama short films based in London due
to a high percentage in knife crimes compared to other weapons. The prop was going to be used by
Myles to attack Lara’s brother until Kadz took it off him. Lara’s brother decided to fight Kadz but
during this moment he made Kadz accidently stabbing himself in the back with the knife, paralysing
him from the waist down. The knife is seen as a symbol of trouble within the film and is something
that should be despised. As for the costume, Myles is always wearing dark clothes which is typical
for gang members. This indicated to the audience the Myles may be up to no good or may get into
something he is not supposed to get into. Lara’s Brother is also wearing a sleeveless denim jacket.
This is done so that the audience can see his muscles and see that he is far superior than any of the
other characters within the short film. He also has his hood up that could indicate that he is keeping
lowkey and is up to no good.

Editing

The first half of the film started with a lot a slow-paced cut,
mainly because there were no major moments or events
happening and instead was more of an introduction of the
characters and their personalities and relationships. This was
done so the audience understand why certain characters acted
the way they did. As the film got closer to the climax the cuts
started to speed up, even when Myles went out to stab Lara’s
brother, the scene cuts were going fast to match the rise of
tension. Slow paced edits are conventional in dramas, especially in states of equilibrium so the
audience know to focus on the dialogue instead of the action.

There is also a shot reverse shot when Tobi and Warren are talking to Lara’s brother and being
pressured to tell on Kadz and reveal where he lives even though they are very good friends the still
decided to turn their back on Kadz. This makes the audience feel sympathetic towards Kadz as he is
now in danger. The shot reverse shot implies that Lara’s brother is a threat and there is conflict
between Kadz and Lara’s brother which is conventional as many drama films involve a lot conflict
between the main characters. The shot reverse shot goes from a two shot of Tobi and warren to a
close shot of Lara’s brother to show all of their emotions. Lara’s brother looks confident implying he
is not phased by the situation at all however Tobi and Warrens expression said the complete
opposite as they are very scared and don’t want to be involved in any trouble. During this moment
the editing slows down so the audience can notice how the characters are feeling.

Sound
During the early stages of the short film, happy upbeat music was used to being in sync with the
equilibrium of Todorov’s theory. This was show through the scene of Myles working his Job that he
didn’t seem to have a problem with. Diegetic sound is used when Myles is angry for getting beaten
up and said “So you want to stand there and laugh at me, why are you laughing at me!” in an
angered and frustrated tone showing he is clearly in angered state which influences the decisions he
makes. This also showed us a different side of Myles we had never seen so it was a surprise to the
audience. This is conventional as in drama, the main character usually has some type of fallout and
gets unstable and then starts acting recklessly.