Mabel Whall's Blog

• Where do you watch films? Frequently I watch films at home, either on the television with my parents or alone, or on an iPad alone. Sometimes, I go to the cinema to watch films; I either go to Peckham Plex or the Dulwich Picture House. If I go with my parents I always go to the Dulwich Picture House, but sometimes, when I'm with my friends, I go to the Peckham Plex because it is £5 cheaper. • What devices do you use to watch films? How does this change the viewing experience? If I'm not at the cinema, I either use the television, an iPad, or a bigger, projector screen in my house. I rarely watch films on a laptop, because I don't own one, so I would have to be at a friends house. The projector is definitely more atmospheric, because of the wider picture and the louder sound, so the viewing experience is more effective. The television is smaller so the viewing experience is less effective, but the television gives a wider picture and more sound than the iPad. However,...

'THE ARRIVAL' SHORT FILM 'The Arrival', by Daniel Montanarini, is about a pregnant woman who sits in a café, and a voiceover of her voice presents her thoughts and debates about whether she should keep her baby, while waiting for the arrival of someone in the café. The woman is sitting in a café, made obvious by the mise en scene (the setting and the props); the coffee cup, small jug of milk, the booths and the menu. The woman is sitting in a booth, and the background is dark and black. Her white hands stand out against the black background, making her stand out as the main subject of the shot. I also noticed a link between performance and mise en scene when an old lady in the shot talks about the time while standing under the clock - showing thoughtful blocking. The café also looks a little like a train carriage, the curved lamps on each table emphasising this atmosphere. The idea of the train insinuates the woman is on a journey - this metaphor relevant because...

'ECHO' SHORT FILM In terms of mise en scene, Caroline is wearing her school uniform at all times; the same costume. This reflects on the same 'performance' she carries out on the phone in front of strangers. The setting is usually on the street; very grey, non artificial colours, and is similar every time Caroline makes a phone call - implying what she does is a regular activity. The film is based around Caroline making fake phone calls pretending her father has been involved in a motorbike accident, so strangers give her money for cabs to the hospital; therefore she steals this money. Therefore, the phone is an important prop. At the ending, Caroline is crying but there is no sound at all,  not even ambient sound. This is very effective. It gives us silence to wonder whether we should be disgusted by her actions, or whether this time she isn't really pretending.  As for cinematography - there is a close up on her reaction to the first phone call - we...

'OVER' SHORT FILM The setting throughout this short film is the same calm neighbourhood, with houses, roads with a junction, and grass, with the exception of a few shots of the victim's clothing and items which seem to be taken at a police station. At the end of the film, when the victim is lying on the road, runners run by not noticing the victim, because of the obstruction of a car. Two people on bikes cycle pass and the victim remains unnoticed because they are on a separate road. Finally a man walking his dog finds the victim, because he is walking on the grass opposite the road where the victim is lying. Therefore the setting is important because it is used as a device to show how the victim was found. Sound is used to make this film really realistic, and I found this interesting. At 4:20pm, you can hear the non diegetic s sound of someone practising piano inside on of the houses. This is parallel sound; it represents a friendly, normal neighbourhood, which ma...

'TIGHT JEANS' SHORT FILM 'Tight Jeans' follows the conversation between three older teenagers as they sit on  a wall waiting for their friend, Tyrone, to leave his flat and give them a lift in his car to Battersea.  In the opening to this short film, the average short length is shorter compared to the rest of the film. Different shots show a market, selling men's trousers on sale, and groceries. Another shot also shows two teenagers playfully playing football and shoving each other in a park. This opening creates a feeling of ambiguity about what the film is going to be about.  All three boys are wearing baggy denim jeans. They are each wearing either a red hoodie, a striped orange and grey hoodie or a blue hoodie. The teen in the red hoodie is wearing a black cap. As for setting, the three teens are all sitting next to each other on a wall. The bright colours of their hoodies stand out against the brown / dark grey background of the estate. The sett...