The location of the film is seen to be a very open space in a street
in the middle of the night, which is shown as a chilling and creepy place to
be. The lighting is dark due to the time of day, which can also add to the
negative representation of the night. The first character we are introduced to
is the young, which shows him walking outside on his own. This can suggest that
the boy is vulnerable to his surroundings and he can be seen as quite isolated
from everything. The young boy is seen to be wearing casual clothes such as
jeans, a t-shirt and a hoodie, which fits the stereotypical look of teenage
boys.
The use of non-diegetic sounds within the background of the first
few shots are sounds taken from an electric guitar, which seems to fluctuate
from loud to quiet throughout. This also helps build a climax in the film as
these sounds create a very negative atmosphere and help to foreshadow the
events later on in the film. The use of a hand-held camera throughout the film
helps to make the film appear as more realistic towards the audience and shows
the perspective from the characters eyes throughout. There is a frequent use of
jump cuts from the different shots, which allows the audience to follow the
narrative easily until the very end. The titles of the film are clearly shown
in the first 30 seconds of the film, so it has a clear structure and does not
allow the audience to become bored as the film begins. The typography of the
titles is very simplistic, as they have used a thin, white font, which contrast
against the dark background and is easy to read throughout.
When the titles are finished the audience is introduced to another
character known as ‘The Smiling Man’. The use of a long shot shows the man
wearing a suit and what appears to be him dancing towards the young boy. The
camera continues to follow the boy as he assumes the man must just be
intoxicated with alcohol. Then it cuts quickly onto a shot of ‘the smiling man’
who is staring at young boy. The use of a loud ambient sound creates a sense of
shock and fear towards the audience, as it is not expected. There is a close up
of the young boy’s reaction towards the man, which suggests he is scared and is
not amused by the smiling man’s actions.
The smiling man could be seen as going against stereotypes and the
representation of young people in society as it is usually the young people who
are the ones that are seen as a threat if they appear to be drunk. However,
within this short film it implies the elder man as being the one who is being
presented in a negative light throughout. In the middle of the film it reaches
a climax, where there is a mid shot of the young boy turning around to face the
smiling man in the street. As the smiling man begins to get up the music
becomes louder and faster in the scene. The music could suggest how the young
boy is feeling as he becomes more panicked and weary of the man. As the man
moves closer the non-diegetic sounds begin to change and this creates an even
tenser atmosphere.
The sounds are then cut and dialogue is introduced with the boy who
asks, “What the hell do you want?” but the man refuses to answer and continues
to dance himself away. A close up shot of the young boy shows him taking a deep
breath, which suggests he is relieved that the smiling man will no longer
bother him anymore. Surprisingly, that is not the case as there is a long shot
of the man running towards him soon after. The non-diegetic sounds are also
used again and the sound of an alarm is introduced. This creates panic and
chaos towards the audience, as they don’t know what could happen next. The
smiling man is now portrayed as someone who could be psychotic or have mental
health issues, as he will not leave the young man alone. The sound effect of a
heart beating is used throughout this scene as it could symbolize how the young
man is nervous and does not know what to do with himself. The short film then
ends with a high angle close up shot of the smiling man and the narrative ends
on a cliffhanger. This leaves the audience puzzled and wanting to come back for
more.
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