Monday, 15 September 2014

Task 2: Research - UNWIND

Case Study 3

Title: UNWIND - Short Film
Director: Mainstay Productions
Date: 22 April 2012

Genre: Horror
Summary: This short film is set after a war fought about abortion. The outcome of this war concludes as they have reached an agreement in which the parents can choose to have their child between the ages of 13 to 18 'unwound' which means they will have any tissue or organ in their body removed from them and given to someone else who needs them. It has a linear narrative structure and is filmed in live action.

This short film shows the procedure of a girl getting 'unwound' as she is kept concious throughout the whole procedure. It expresses her thoughts and emotions through each step of the process.

The main character who is getting the treatment is represented as a strong character especially at the beginning however as the procedure goes on and she can see them operating on her, she becomes more aware to what is happening and gets worried - but it is too late.
The surgeons are represented as a female and a man. The man is carrying out most of the procedure which is a typical stereotype as men usually take responsibility. The female surgeon gives the girl an injection however is more concentrated on working the oxygen levels and consulting the girl to stay calm. The surgeons make the procedure look normal and do not seem phased by it at all showing that they're experienced and have gone through the procedure many times. The female surgeon talks to the girl as if she were a kid showing how powerless the girl is.

Camera Techniques:
Close up











A close up has been used here showing the top half of the main characters face throughout her operation. This is the main shot they have used throughout their film as they express agony and thoughts from the characters eyes alone.


Point of view shot











This has been used to show how the girl sees the things happening during the procedure before her own eyes.

Extreme Close up








A extreme close up of the girls eyes has been used here underlining her agony and emotions.

Tilt down












A tilt down has been used here when the girl is looking around and also looking at her feet. One side has also been more blurred to show her dizziness.

Editing:
In this film a variety of editing techniques have been used.
Cuts - This has been used to change the different scenes.
Transitions - They have used this in between shots so that the change of cuts go smoothly.
Cross Cutting - This has been used between shots of the character and shots of the equipment that suggest impending danger.
Establishing shot - They used an establishing shot of the girls surroundings at the beginning to set the scene in a hospital room.
Eyeline match - Show the girl and the female surgeon talking.

Mis-En-Scene:
Location - The location that the whole film has been shot in was in a hospital room as they were operating.
Lighting - They have used lighting to make the room look bright but dimmed to make it easier to view.
Costume - The short film has used typical surgeon clothing for the surgeons.
Props - They have used many hospital equipments from tools to the oxygen level monitors.
Make-up - The girl has casual everyday make up on.
Sound - Diagetic sound has been used in this film as you can see the patient and the doctors talking to each other. They have also included diagetic sound of medical equipment such as the machines and equipment to show that this is a real hospital setting. Non-diagetic sound in the use of background music have also been used which helps to show suspense in the film/

Target Audience: Adults as it may seem unsuitable for audiences younger than that due to the levels of thought.

Ideas I could use for my short film:
- The use of camera shots such as close ups to convey a lot of emotion / expressions.
- They have used the focus really well to show that the girl doesn't like the way she's in the room and by being unfocused in some bits shows that she may feel 'dizzy.'
- This film uses only one location to tell the whole story, we could implement this into our own film to make it more simple to film.

As this is a horror unlike my other case studies, it will allow me to present more than one idea to the audience as my group are still unsure whether we want to use the first film idea or not.



1 comment:

  1. This case study has some useful techniques you have looked at. Careful not to confuse camera and editing. Also you could link closer to your own ideas, for example only using one location is a good idea. Again no consideration of sound here and also this is horror and rather different to your other case studies and ideas so what else is useful to note about this film?

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