Analysis of a Students Film 1

Rural Superheroes



Genre:
Comedy
Action

Editing:

The use of continuous editing means the piece is very mellifluous and easy to follow. Some cuts are included however from scene to scene which can be seen easily and transitions have not been used to blend these cuts in.

Sound:

Within the initial 5 seconds we can here sound. Its a very gentle and calm sound that accompanies the production companies name/titles. After this we then get another titles appear of a chicken, with this we get a non diegetic chicken noise to accompany the image. We then see a gentle pan of a field, with this we have a gentle backing track which appears to set the tone for the piece, until all of a sudden it changes. It changes when the camera pans round more until we can see a tent and 3 people in the shot. A non diegetic sound interrupts the soft music, and with this the camera zooms in and we get a change of music. The music we can now here has a lot more pace too, it is stereotypical country sounding to which links in partially with the genre. Finally, diegetic sound, in terms of speech which allows the audience to understand what is going on in the piece.

Overall I think the group used sound well to help make there piece interesting and keep the attention of the audience. However, some of the transitions between the pieces of music or sound effects didn't always sound great. This could have been improved.

Establishing shot. Accompanied by gentle soundtrack.

Camera:

There is a wide variety of shots used in this piece. To set the scene, initially there is an establishing shot used. This helps the audience understand where the opening is being set. An over the shoulder shot is used on one of the characters which shows us what he's wearing and drinking which helps the audience build up a demographic of the person. It then cuts to a mid shot showing, revealing the characters face while also in the frame is some background, cup and some of his body. Close ups on one of the characters as he cleans his glasses are used to add an extra dimension to the piece. We also see the use of pans which go from one character to another. This helps the audience understand where each character is sitting in conjunction to one another.  They follow the 180 degree rule which is important so you do not confuse the audience of characters positions. In the opening scene, we also see high angle shots, these are mainly used when all the characters are in the frame. It makes it easy for the audience to follow.


Simple, yet effective. Over the shoulder shot.

Overall I think camera has been used effectively however, it could be improved by adding in some more technically difficult shots which show off that you can use more advanced shots and would improve the professionalism of the piece.

Mise-en-Scene:

It is set in a field. This makes it look very natural. Also we can see a tent in the background, this isn't ever used in the opening scene but again builds and sets the scene to the audience. Costumes have been well thought about, and the use of costumes gives the impression of the 'hippy' look to the audience. This links in with the idea of the tent, being scared of technology and sitting in the middle of a field.

Titles:

The titles are all white and appear in the top right of screen. They are very basic but effective. The slight negative is that in some of them, the colour blends in with the background, making it sometimes a little hard to read. The main film title also seems to come and go very quickly, if you weren't paying much attention you might miss it. Therefore I would also have said this could be with being extended and staying on the screen a little longer.

Image showing titles in top right.

Characters:

There are 3 characters, one teacher and two students. It is a very basic storyline, making it easy to follow. Being a film opening however, where it is so basic, I don't think anything grabs my attention and would make me want to watch this film as it doesn't give anything away or lead me on to wanting the watch the rest of the film.

Positives of Opening:

• I liked the use of sound. It helped add an extra dimension to the piece.
• The creativity of the production companies titles and images/sound to accompany these.
• The ease to follow the opening, making it very clear to the audience what is happening.

Negatives of Opening:

• It didn't make me want to make the rest of the film.
• Shots were quite basic- however were good quality.
• Use of main title needed to be improved- this tells the audience the name of the film and it ust wasn't clear I didn't think.