You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift (Music Video)

Despite being a music video, it has a clear narrative and could be classed as a short film too. The narrative is a simple love story, one which a young audience of teenage girls (and boys if roles were reversed) can relate to. The female protagonist is in love with the male protagonist who doesn't realise she likes him. For the obstacle preventing them from being together, a female antagonist is introduced as the male's girlfriend who is the complete opposite of the central female. We, as the audience, can clearly see that the blonde female is clearly the right girl for him so we are wanting to watch on to see if they do finally get their happy ending.

Sound / Music:
Because it is a music video, the track is You Belong With Me which is played throughout. There is no introduction (such as performance before the music begins).
Dialogue is mimed but it is easy to see what is being said because it is over-exaggerated. It is also helped by the expressions shown on the faces.

Cinematography:
Long Shot, Slow Zoom In, Profile Shot, Tracking Shot, Medium Shot, Over The Shoulder Shot, Frame within a Frame, Reflection, Close-Up, Handheld, Zoom Out / Back tracking, Pan Sideways and Up&Down, Tracking, Point Of View.

Editing:
Fade in from black, Fade, Cut, Fade to black.
Shallow Depth of Field.

Mise-En-Scene:
Central Female Protagonist - portrayed as a "geek", un-cool compared to other female. She is blonde and the white dress during the dance is representing purity / innocence / good. Her clothes are comfortable and casual showing she doesn't dress to impress. She tried numerous styles which demonstrate her need to be noticed by the male not her need to change for him.
Female Antagonist - brown haired, red / black colour clothes and red car all demonstrate that she is the "bad" person in the narrative. She is malicious and has everything that most girls want, to be popular and to have the sports-skilled boyfriend. The audience are made to hate her because she purposefully kisses the male infront of the lead female which we know is a sign for her to leave alone.
Male Protagonist - well-dressed, good-looking. Portrayed as sensitive and sweet but masculine at the same time. Stereotypical "dream guy" that most girls want.
Set in America so has many American representations. For example, the football game is obviously American because of the outfits, cheerleaders and large stands filled with adoring fans. The band are also an American reference. The song itself has lyrics which say that that Antagonist is a cheerleader which are associated with America. Also, the weather is sunny and clear which again could suggest the setting is American-based.

Lyrics that could influence my short film:
"But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts. She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers... She wears high heels, I wear sneakers. She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers" - this shows how different the two characters are which I could use in my film if there are two opposing characters.
"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you. Been here all along so why can't you see?You belong with me" - Shows how invisible the person feels and wishes for the person they like to notice them. This sums up how most people feel when they have a "crush" on someone.
"Oh I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night, I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry, I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams, I think I know where you belong. I think I know it's with me" - these lyrics tell the narrative which could give some ideas for my film. It is self-explanatory but it would show the two characters have the "chemistry" that is needed for the audience to believe they are meant to be.


Techniques I could use:
One of the main ones being the notebooks used to have a conversation. I think this is a romantic and different approach to show that the two protagonists can't even speak because they are seperated.
Another technique is the frame-within-a-frame when she is singing in the mirror. I think this adds more depth to the shot and makes it more interesting.

Brainwave - Taylor Swift Songs

Because I was struggling to think of an idea I was happy with, I decided to see if any songs would influence any new ideas. Afterall, most songs are romance-related especially one artist in particular - Taylor Swift. She is one of my favourite artists so I decided to research some of her music videos and lyrics to see if they would influence any ideas... And they did!
I analysed some of her videos which I found were more relevant to my genre of romance and liked some of the techniques I saw which I am hoping to include within my short film.
(Please see blogs after this post to see the research I did).

Conclusions from Short Film Analysis

After looking at the four short films I have analysed, I have noticed many similarities between them:
1. They use a variety of camera angles with the main used being: close-ups, profile shots and tracking.
2. Shallow Depth of Field and / or Focus Shift is a technique well-used in all of the short films. This is to show what the character is looking at and also shows the audience what to focus on.
3. They all use music, this helps set the scene and create a mood. It also helps to tell the narrative or describe the atmosphere in a few seconds, which helps to keep the length of the film down.
4. Fade is also a popular transition used between frames. It suggests passing of time or a flashback/forward to another event.
5. Females in the short films are often dressed in skirts / dresses to make their gender more prominent.
6. Voice-overs are used to allow the audience to know the central protagonists thoughts. It also means issues with other unintentional sounds are minimised (which improves the quality) unless the sound needs to be recorded with the action.
7. The films have very small casts with the most having five members at the most. (This includes extras that only appear for a brief few seconds).
8. They all introduce the film by having the title displayed at the beginning using an editing suite.
Because these similarities appear in most and follow the conventions associated with romance films, I will try to use as many as I can in my film trailer so that I too can follow the codes necessary for the film to be recognised as a romance.


Some techniques which I found were interesting and will try to incorporate also include:
1. The pictures coming to life. I believe that this would be a good technique to use for memories and also adds interest to the film as it isn’t a straight forward narrative and uses different effects.
2. Images on the screen in the short film, Paper or Plastic, at the beginning are used to establish the female protagonist by suggesting she is a student and has typical interests associated with young people, such as a messy bedroom floor with clothes and notebooks strewn everywhere.


However, despite watching these short films (and a few others), I struggled to think of an idea that I could use. So far my ideas included:
- Boy is attracted to girl. She doesn’t notice him. He does numerous things to attract her (for example, leaving love notes in her locker at college or leaving flowers at her front door) but all of his attempts are stolen by her boyfriend or another male who likes her too. When all appears to have failed, the boy returns home upset. All appears lost but when he answers the door, the girl is there and tells him that she knew it was him all along and they end up ‘happily ever after’.
- Girl is wanting to be with a boy but her mother has already got a suitor lined up for her. She doesn’t want to date him but does so anyway to please her mother. However, what she doesn’t realise is that the boy she likes is actually the suitor’s brother! All ends well once more and the original suitor is also paired off with her friend.

Though these couple of ideas would be acceptable, I thought they seemed too dull. So I decided to do a little more research. (See next blog!)

Farewell Love - A Short Film

Entirely told through pictures with underlying music, this narrative shows a couple breaking up. Probably not the most romantic story but it has some features that I could possibly use, such as the pictures to tell a story.
This film follows the Active Audience Theory in that we all decode a media text in a different way which depends on our social background. If someone has been in this situation, they may be more sympathetic towards their own gender or the other.
It has a closed narrative because at the end of the film we can conclude that the woman has left him and they will not be together again. The narrative also follows a linear form because it demonstrates cause and effect - the woman has made the decision to give the ring back, therefore she is leaving the man. It could also fit in to Domaille's theory and can fit into the narrative type of either Romeo and Juliet (A typical love story) or Orpheus (the loss of something personal). In this film, there has been a romance but they also lose each other.

Music / Sound:
Quite an unusual sound. Reminds me of something surreal or sea-associated. Portrays quite a solemn atmosphere and what that is confusing and disorientating.
Diegetic sound of a bell (church?) and a train moving by.

Cinematography:
Though there are no moving images as such, the photographs still show different angles such as: Long Shot, Close-Up, Medium Shot, Profile Shot,

Editing:
Shallow Depth Of Field.
Fade from black to image, slow zoom in, slow zoom out, fade in, fade out to black, cut.
Colour is made to be brighter.

Mise-En-Scene:
Desolate location - suggesting that she needed a quiet location to leave him.
Male is wearing a clean, blue shirt - representative of male gender.
Female wears dark blue dress - again dress symbol of feminime.

Memories - Short Film

Though this isn't a typical romantic genre of film, it was a video suggested to me which I watched. I liked some of the techniques from this , such as the fast-paced fading between frames to represent time going by and especially the still pictures coming to life in the film reel and photo album.
There is no description of the narrative behind this short film, but personally I believe that the central protagonist is remembering memories when he walks around the city he is in (hence the film reel to play the memories) but when he reaches his home he forgets the memory. I wondered if the message behind this was related to dementia and raising awareness for the disease.
The film follows an Active audience theory because each member of the audience will decipher this film in a different manner.
This film follows a multi-strand structure as the male protagonist has flashbacks or memories when he picks up the camera reel. It can be considered to have an open narrative at the end because there are no answers for the flashbacks or what has happened since then. Also, the ending is a fade to black so the audience ask what has happened to the male protagonist, has he died? has he fainted? has he lost his memories?

Sound / Music:
A single track is played throughout the film which is mainly piano to create a soothing and easy-going mood to the film. When the film reel is blowing in the breeze however, that sound is dubbed in so that the audience are aware of what has attracted the male's attention.

Cinematography:
Establishing Shot, Close-Up, Long Shot, Pan (sideways and up&down), Handheld, Upward Tilt, Profile, Zoom, Extreme Close-Up, Medium Shot, Point Of View Shot, Over The Shoulder Shot, Stationary.

Editing:
Fade, fade to white, fade to black / transition of eye closing, cut, fade in.
Overlap of clips, showing passing of time and how many film reels he's found.
The colour seems faded / quite grey and dreary looking for reality. The memories have a fuzzy edge around them to show they're memories and have a sepia tint to them to suggest they're old. Also have an old film effect with lines crossing the picture.
Shallow Depth Of Field - when the man is walking towards the film reel, we see what he is walking to / has his eye on.
His home doesn't have a colour tint, this possibly represents that he is at home and feels welcome there and belongs there, unlike in the city.

Mise-En-Scene:
City is represented as dreary and deprived. Busy city. Grafitti, yobs (male with jacket up in the background), busy working people (woman walks by in office attire on mobile phone), lots of traffic. Set in an English city because of the pedestrian crossing. Establishes it's English.
Home - has a cosy fireplace, representing English again? Solid dining table, net place-mat on table - suggesting the male has traditional values?

Paper Or Plastic - Short Film

This is a short film by Doug Smith. It tells the story of a girl who the audience assume to be an average teenage student when we learn that she wears a paper bag on her head. The narrative is that a boy likes her however she feels too embarassed so to 'win the girl' he decides to wear a paper bag on his head too.
Using Maslow's theory on the Hierarchy of Needs, this film would fit into Esteem and Love/Belonging as the female protagonist has no confidence due to a face deformity, however the film isn't giving the message to confront confidence issues but it does look at what people do to avoid them. I don't think this film has a particularly high level of verisimilitude because there are barely, if any, people that wear paper bags on their head; if anything I think this would draw more attention to them being different than if they didn't.
The narrative is linear, revealing the order of events as they happen. It has a closed narrative because the guy gets the girl following the theory of Domaille who believes that every story can fit in to a certain narrative type, in this case I think it's a Romeo and Juliet narrative or Love Story.

Sound / Music:
Guitar music - often associated with love. Sad piano music, feeling of sadness.
Voice over of central protagonist, reveals thoughts.
Ambient sound of talking - creating the atmosphere of a school / college. Ambient sound of birds when outside.
Diegetic sound of music (opening of drawer, shower) and dialogue.

Cinematography:
Pan, Close-Up, Tracking Shot, Medium Shot, Establishing Shot, Over The Shoulder Shot, Long Shot, Tilt, Point of View Shot (when the boy in the bag holds out his hand) Medium Close-Up / Profile, Match-Cut-On-Action.

Editing:
Transitions - fade, fade to black, cut, match cut on action.
Shallow Depth Of Field / Focus Shift.
Images on screen, sets the scene and tells us about the character.

Mise-En-Scene:
Locations - school, home, library, road.
Paper Bag - different for each emotion. Displays the mood. Hand-drawn adds a comic effect. Bow demonstrates she's a girl (also pink). Wears simple clothes.
Male isn't the 'perfect' type of guy, but is different and wears casual clothes. Artistic?
Fields of flowers, traditionally associated with romantic settings.
Room is a typical teenage room with posters and messy bed.
Students occupy themselves with traditional student apparel, for example laptops, books and bags.

A Hopeless Romantic - Short Film

This is one of the first short films I watched and analysed. It's called A Hopeless Romantic and uses the typical storyline of boy likes girl but is unfortunately unnoticed until the end of the short film. He changes his appearance and personality to try and attract her but it doesn't work.
It demonstrates a passive audience theory because the message/moral behind the film is that when it comes to love, be yourself; so it is trying to influence the way the audience who watch the film behave; known as the Hypodermic Model. It also fits in to Maslow's theory of Hierarchy of Needs into the category of "love/belonging - friendship, family and sexual intimacy." The audience can relate to this film because many have been in the same situation as the male protagonist which suggests a high level of verisimilitude.
It concludes with an open narrative structure which makes the audience question whether the girl felt the same about the central protagonist because she looks up at him at the end of the film. It is also a point of view narrative because we have one voice over telling us the male's thoughts and feelings about the situation and no-one elses. The film is linear because it reveals the events in the order that they happened. Relating to Domaille's media theory that all story can fit in to one of eight categories, this film would fit in to the Romeo and Juliet sub-heading as it follows a love story.

Music / Sound:
Uses a lot of music - changes depending on mood. Soft music for romantic. Changes to rock for "hunk" character. Action-type music for when he changes to a "hunk". Electro music for "geek" character. Underlying music whilst voice over plays. Military music when he is himself and is 'on a mission' to get the girl.
Sound effects - scratched record which stops music. Sound of car horns.
No sound makes the audience focus on the action.
Voice over of main character.

Cinematography:
Tracking Shot (backwards and sidewards), Stationary, Profile Shot, Medium Shot, Long Shot, Over The Shoulder Shot (often used when dialogue - though silent dialogue in this film - is happening), Close-Up, Upward Tilt, Downward Tilt, Medium Close-Up, Point Of View Shot (makes the audience feel involved in the action, eg when he is run over), Handheld, Zoom, Shallow Depth Of Field (blurred background / person in focus, blurred person / background in focus), Frame-Within-A-Frame (adds more depth), Pan, Extreme Long Shot.

Editing:
Transitions between frames - fade, fade to black, match-cut-on-action, cut
Slow Motion - mroe detail on the action.

Mise-En-Scene:
Costumes - "Normal Gregg", simple t-shirt and jeans. He dresses similar to the other males after he's seen their style. "Hunk", glasses, tight top and jeans. "Geek", glasses, shirt, vest and trousers. The female wears feminime clothes such as skirts, dresses and blouses. Colours are delicate and pale eg Pink / Beige. Props are also used, such as book to help portray character.
Blood - used for when he gets run-over. Higher level of verisimilitude.
Intentional lighting when "training"? I.e. him in shadows and light outside. Purposeful contrast?
Quiet town, traffic is minimum. Cafe appears quite secluded and quaint. Small, close community? Set in America? Accent = American. Location suggests American because of hot weather, cars and setting.

The Genre: Romance

I decided to choose the genre of romance for my film as I believe it could be an interesting genre to explore. To help me with the conventions of what a romance-labelled film is, I decided to look at the genre in more detail. However, this genre is also closely linked with the sub-label romantic comedy, so there will be cross-information from both genres. Below is the research I found and some more examples of romantic film.

Romantic films and romantic comedies are usually classed as dramatic, light-hearted stories that focus on the idea of "true love" and the obstacles most couples have to over come to become the "perfect couple".
The narrative is simple to follow and understand; It usually involves two central protagonists, a man and woman, who meet then become separated due to an unforeseen obstacle and have to separate. At first, they do not become involved romantically because they believe that the feelings aren't mutual or there are other obstacles such as a partner or social pressures - like status and wealth. However, from an audience perspective, the film-makers leave large hints to suggest that the two do like each other and want to become romantically involved with the other and we are led to believe that they would be a "perfect couple". When separated, the two have a realisation that they are in love with the other and then after one or both go to an effort to meet the other and claim their undying love (referred to as the grand gesture) they end up coincidentally meeting once more. Though there is often some awkwardness, they end up declaring their love and live happily ever after.
Shakespeare is said to be the inventor of the romance / romantic comedy genre as he wrote the infamous Romeo and Juliet as well as Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream. All of these follow the same basic plotline with the central protagonists becoming reunited and declaring their love.


Conventions:
Characters: Two central protgaonists, often 1 male and 1 female. Usually, these two characters have friends within the narrative who they confide in about their feelings which gives the audience an insight in to their thoughts.
However, sometimes the boy and girl have easily identifiable personalities and lifestyles that appear to make them incompatible. There is often something holding the characters back (the obstacle) whether this be for lifestyle choices or appearances.
Narrative: Boy and Girl meet. Seperate. Meet once more by accident. Fall in love. Declare love to each other. Live happily ever after.
Cinematography: A variety of shots are used, the main being close-ups to reveal emotions, slow-motion editing (such as the running scene) and long shots to reveal isolation.
Sound / Music: A common feature to demonstrate the mood of the characters. For example, a soft melody for the love scene and possibly a mournful soundtrack for the separation.
Budget: Often quite high to be able to achieve typical scenes often found in romantic films. For example, the "kiss in the rain" is a must-have for any romance.

Romantic films are more closely associated with a female audience because of their emotional tear-jerker scenes and because of the stereotypical woman who adores a love story. The idea being that every girl wants a prince in shining armour. In most romantic films, the boy and girl end up together at the end, therefore confirming the ideology that most females have. However, for the audience to be satisfied, the spark between the lovers must be established quickly so that the audience can relate to their relationship and want them to get together.

Examples of Romantic Films include:
13 Going on 30
50 First Dates
Along Came Polly
Beauty And The Beast
Bride Wars
Brokeback Mountain
A Cinderella Story
Clueless
Confessions Of A Shopaholic
Dirty Dancing
Ella Enchanted
Enchanted
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Ghost
He's Just Not That Into You
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
I Love You, Man
Jerry Maguire
Just My Luck
Leap Year
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Love Actually
Maid In Manhattan
Moulin Rouge
Mr And Mrs Smith
Music And Lyrics
No Reservations
The Notebook
Notting Hill
P.S. I Love You
Pearl Harbour
The Perfect Man
Pride And Prejudice
The Prince and Me
The Proposal
& So many more!

Genres of Short Film

Genres are important for any narrative and there are numerous genres which they can come under. Below are the list of genres which we are familiar with and the conventions that come with each.



The Main Film Genres:
Action - Purely designed for audience escapism, action films often have high-speed chases, fight scenes, stunts and continuous action that is fast-paced due to editing techniques. Examples include James Bond.
Adventure - Similar to action films, there is often a lot of energy and excitment for the audience when a hero / heroine goes on an expedition. It often relates back to historical figures or includes them within the film. Examples include The Three Musketeers.
Comedy - These are often light-hearted dramas that aim to make the audience members laugh. The endings are usually happy to allow the audience to escape in the story. Examples include Monty Python.
Crime and Gangster - This is a dark and thrilling genre to explore often following a notorious group of criminals and escaped convicts who involve themselves with police and unlawful deeds. Examples include The Public Enemy.
Drama - Often portraying real-life situations based on real people, drama films are serious stories told to show humans in their best and worst light. However, most film genres have developed from this genre. Examples include To Kill A Mockingbird
Epics / Historical - Based on historical / past events, epics are often made more dramatic by adding elaborate costumes and set designs to emphasise the period that it is set. Examples include The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Horror - Created to scare and terrify, horrors play on the audiences worst fears. They focus on the darker side of life to provoke the audiences imagination. Examples include Frankenstein.
Musical / Dance - Combining music, dance and song, musicals are a popular escape for many audiences and has been considered to be the most popular genre for audiences to lose themselves within. They are usually considered to be 'cheesy' with predictable storylines but offer entertainment for all the family. Examples include Hairspray.
Science Fiction - Or Sci-Fi are often set in futuristic environments that show an imaginative and possible advances in technology. Special effects are widely used throughout most sci-fi films to create higher verisimilitude. Examples include Gattaca.
War / Anti-War - Though quite self-explanatory, this genre usually re-creates historical battles and shows a different perspective to the war, whether from enemy lines or heros from that time. Examples include M*A*S*H.
Westerns - This genre is always set in America as it is one of the defining genres of the American film industry. Westerns are one of the oldest genres still-going and often portray a romantic storyline in a dramatic back drop or harsh terrain.



Film Sub-Genres:
Biographical - These depict and dramatise the life of someone from history. Examples include Evita.
'Chick' Flicks - Considered to be romantic comedies, 'chick' flicks are often aimed at women to provide tear-jerker storylines and emotional situations. The audience experience a mixture of emotional states throughout with a positive and uplifting ending. Examples include P.S I Love You.
Detective / Mystery - Usually from the perspective of a police officer / private investigator, this genre allows the audience to be swept away in to trying to solve the mystery or murder before the characters on screen. Examples include Sherlock Holmes.
Disaster - Based around events that could happen, disaster films tend to scare the audience and ask them what they would do in a situation by taking them on natural or even man-made disaster storylines. Examples include War Of The Worlds.
Fantasy - Usually influenced by scientific truth, this genre takes audiences on a surreal experience where events are unlikely to occur. It is often dependant on the audiences imagination and beliefs. Examples include The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.
Guy - Playing on males aspirations, these films often feature 'hot' women, cars, sexual innuendos and violent fight scenes. Examples include The Godfather.
Melodramas ('Weeper' Films) - The plot is often heightened to increase emotional responses from the audience - mainly women. It combines music within its storyline to provoke the emotional states. Examples include Mannequin.
Romance - Plots that focus on passion, lust and emotion that takes the audience with the characters journey of love. Examples include Romeo and Juliet.
Sports - Set in a sport environment, this genre dramatises a competitive event that are often central to history. Examples include Cool Runnings.
Supernatural - This genre focuses on paranormal activities or ghostly apparitions but not designed to frighten audiences. Examples include The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Thriller / Suspense - To promote suspense and excitement, thrillers are designed to heighten anxiety and tension within the audience. Examples include Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.



Other Genres:
Animated - Using stop-frame cinematography, animations are often computerised or hand-drawn pictures that tell the story. Examples include Mickey Mouse - Steamboat Willie.
Childrens / Family-Orientated - Completely non-offensive and purely entertaining, these films are easy-watching, appealing to family audiences. They often include a child actor / actress to appeal to the children watching. Examples include The Wizard of Oz.
Classic - These are universal favourites that are often repeated with indefinable quality. Examples include Gone With The Wind.
Cult - Usually quirky, surreal and weird, cult films step outside the typical conventions and narratives of films to provide a very unusual experience. Examples include Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Documentary - Non-fictional factual works which are more narrative based. Examples include Let It Be.
Serial - With a simple plot, this genre of film often comes in episodes that were showed over a few weeks or years. They were originally used as shorts before the main film in a cinema / theatre. Examples include Tarzan (and numerous titles).
Silent - These were the very earliest forms of film that came with a musical accompaniment rather than dialogue or other sounds. Examples include City Lights.

The History and Codes / Conventions of a Short Film

The History of Short Films:
Short films originally began in the 19th century. At the time, audiences believed that these were the standard length of films because technology limitations only allowed the films to be a few seconds long. To the audiences, they marveled at the 'new' technology and watched short clips of exotic dancers, circus acts, foreign cities and everyday people. The very first films were shown to the public through Thomas Edison's invention of a Kinetoscope which made the images look like they were moving by a picture reel being quickly passed infront of a light source. One of the best known, and earliest films, using this technology was Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1895) by the Lumière brothers’. Audiences ran away in terror as a locomotive came hurtling towards them on the screen.
These short films suited the Victorian entertainment industry as the films consisted of events that were already known and had been experienced by the public live. It was a new experience however for them to see them on the screen. Already the audiences could relate to the films being shown. Short films were the norm for them and were widely enjoyed.
However, in the early 1900s, advances in technology meant sound and image quality were better and films were made to be longer. Then, in 1910, audiences and theatres demanded that the films be made longer and feature films were produced. Feature films were considered to be more respectable than shorts as their length and more complicated narratives attracted middle-class crowds and helped to invent the "picture palaces" over the next thirty years.
During the Second World War, cinemas played feature films but short films were still made to introduce or warm-up the audience before the main film began - similar to how trailers are played before the main film of today. Unfortunately, shorts or short films were slowly on the decrease and by the 1950s and 1960s they ceased to exist in cinemas, although short cartoon films before childrens shows were still used up until the late 1980s.
Short films however are still about today though are more commonly found on the internet (such as YouTube) where new and old artists post their short films which can last anything from 40 seconds to 40 minutes! This way, they can gain recognition and receive feedback from the audience as to what will and won't work.

Codes/Conventions of a Short Film:
Characters: There is often a small cast and either one or two central protagonists. The story is often told from their point of view and follows their narrative throughout. By using fewer characters, it also helps to keep the duration of the film less and also allows the audience to follow the story easier.

Narrative: Because the films are often 5 minutes or so in length, to avoid disinterest there is often a twist or unexpected plot turn in the story. Often, the films represent every day situations with a slight difference but it also helps the audience to relate to it more.

Cinematography: Is often simple but uses a variety of techniques and shots to maintain interest. Also, because the narrative is often from a point of view of a character, a lot of point of view shots are used to help convey this.

Sound / Music: Voice overs are widely used because of the point of view style storyline and also to keep the audience following the narrative as not all of the story can be told, only assumed or suggested. Music is also common for short films, whether underlying a piece of dialogue on screen or to set the mood. This is because music can help create an atmosphere in a matter of seconds whilst mise-en-scene and cinematography would take more time.

Budget: Because they are only short and have a small cast, the short films often have a low budget.

LIIAR - for a Short Film

L = Language - This is everything that is seen visually on/in a media text. For example, in a short film you see the cinematography, editing and mise-en-scene. All of these help to convey a meaning or message to the audience. Short films are able to send out a moral message in a short space of time.

I = Institution - These are the different processes in which a media text is produced. For example, in a short film, the institution is usually just the director or creator of the film because there are so many individual film-makers that they create their own institution.

I = Ideology - This is what the media text is trying to communicate. It usually involves including what the institution wants to represent in it's text whilst trying to share what they believe their target audience would expect. For example, in a short film the genre has certain conventions that the audience look for, a horror movie, for instance, has fast paced 'cut' editing, a lot of blood and scary music to heighten tension and suspense.

A = Audience - This is the any audience which the media text is aimed at. Each text has a primary (also known as target) audience which is who the text is aiming at; this can be easily identified by looking closely at the text. For example, if the genre is a "Chick Flick" this would appeal more to girls that to the boys because of the narrative. Likewise, "Action" films would be said to appeal more to boys.

R = Representation - This is what the media text is trying to represent and what we have to try to deconstruct. There are many reasons why something has been done in a media text and we have to try to understand what it symbolises or why it's been used in that way. For example, if a short film has a large cast of young females, we would assume it to be more related to the girls and therefore there would be more elements or girl references throughout. (Pink, flowers etc...)

A2 - Advanced Portfolio

Out of the 7 briefs, I have decided to create a short film. Below is the brief: A short film in its entirety, lasting approximately five minutes, which may be live action or animated or a combination of both, together with two of the following three options: - a poster for the film; - a radio trailer for the film; - a film magazine review page featuring the film. I have decided upon completing a short film rather than a film trailer or a soap trailer (which were my other choices) because I've already created a trailer before and wanted a new challenge. The two options which I will include with my finished short film will be a poster for the film and a radio trailer.