Task 2: Research - Gift (Singaporean Inspiration Drama Short Film)

Case Study 2


Title: Gift - Singaporean Inspiration Drama Short Film
Director: Daniel Yam
Date: 6 March 2014

Genre: Slice of Life (a story that is realistic and could happen in everyday life)
Summary: This short film follows a young boy and his resentment towards his father during his childhood and whilst he was growing up, only to realise that his father actions were for the benefit of others and he was a great, selfless and kind man that that done good deeds without others knowing.

The narrative structure is linear. It is filmed in live action.

In this short film, it shows a kids life being shown through his own perspective. There are two main characters, the kid himself and his father, of whom he resented as a child.

                                                         

The film begins with a frame of the kid when he was older, reflecting on what happens on the past he immediately tells the audience "I didn't like my father." By saying this he sets the tone for the film.

                                                       

At the beginning, his father is represented as a man that works hard as it shows him doing multiple jobs such as packing stuff in a van, handing out leaflets and delivering stuff. His kid is represented a boy that wants attention from his dad however his dad always seems busy and does not give him attention, this makes him begin to resent his dad. An example of his resentment is shown in this film as his dad gives him pocket money only for it to be taken from him to be taken as 'taxes'.

                                                     

These 2 screenshots shows the example and this - through the kids eyes, was his dad doing wrong through his perspective and therefore made him begin to hate him. However as the film goes on and as his father dies, he finds that his father was in fact donating to kids in his sons name and only had good intentions for every action that made his son resent him.

Camera Techniques:
Over-the-shoulder Shot

                                                   

A over the shoulder shot has been used here to show the father talking to his son. They have used shadow depth to focus the scene on the kid.

Long Shot

                                                                                             

A long shot has been used here to show the kid sitting on a bench by himself, whilst doing work which shows how dedicated he is.

Two Shot

                                                           

A two shot has been used here to show the son and father talking to each other in a single scene.

Cut-In

A cut-in has been used here to zoom up the coin as it is the point of the subject.

Medium close up

                                                     

A medium shot has been used here to show the clothes the man is wearing whilst also capturing his face and emotion. Here it captures the emotion of the dad who is clearly teary eyed and conveys the message in the film.

Close up

                                                     

A close up has been used here to show the subject in most of the frame, again capturing emotion. The son looks focused in this season as he seems to be focused on one object.

Editing Techniques:
This film has used many different styles of editing throughout
Cuts - They have used this to change the scenes.
Jump cuts - They have used this to show the character at one scene then at another.
Matched cut - This has been used this to continue an action that a character has done e.g. the son walking from outside the door into the room.
Shot reverse shot - Showing the son talk to the guy in a wheelchair whilst they are talking about the good deeds his father had done.
Establishing shot - This has been used to set the scene of the film.
Cut-away - Cut away has been used to focus on different things apart from the subject e.g. into the coin or paper.

Mis-En-Scene:

Location - The location they have used is Singapore where they have produced the film. The main locations they have filmed at are in an apartment, office, school and childcare home.
Lighting - In this film they have used lighting effectively for example in a dark room they have used lighting to make the father and son stand out whilst they are collecting their 'taxes'. They have also used lighting to make some parts look more visible than others to capture the viewers eye.
Costume - During the film they are usually wearing casual clothing an everyday person would wear however there is also use of a clown costume that the father uses to entertain kids. This is suitable as a clown usually matches with fun.
Props - They have used school equipment such as books and pens as the son studies.
Sound - They have used background music and sounds to match the scene.

Target Audience: Teenagers / Adults - This film would suit this target audience as it is more about life and has a deeper meaning behind it - whereas younger people would prefer something with more entertainment.

Ideas: Some ideas I could take from this film is:
- Focusing on certain aspects of the scene using shadow depth.
- Beginning the film with a flash forward to give the film more context.
- The use of camera techniques such as close ups to convey emotion.