Short Film Task - Closed Doors Analyse.

Closed Doors - written and directed by James Button, 2011.


Synopsise of this short film:

Closed Doors is about a young man (early twenties) who over hears banging sounds from his neighbours flats, and fears it might be domestic violence, having dealt with it between his own parents he goes to investigate. As he knocks on the door a woman answers and tells him nothing is wrong though he doesn't believe her, she closes the door and the main character begins to walk back to his flat when she spots a drop on blood from his shoe. He knocks back on the door again and the same woman answers only this time with a nose bleed, which leads him to believe she is being beaten up by her partner. he questions her again and she still insists nothing is wrong and closes the door again. the main Character steps back from the door and beings to dial "999" on his phone when the woman's partner opens the door and questions him. Still believe some abuse is going on he invites the woman to come with him to which her partner pushes him and tells his to leave them alone and begins to close the door.

The main character begins to get angry and begins to have flash backs of his abusive father. The main character kicks the door open and begins a fight with the woman's partner until repeatedly hitting him with a bottle, the same as a flashback of his father doing the same. As the woman's partner lies on the floor the main character begins to calm down he looks at his shoe and there is not stain from the drop of blood nor is the woman's nose bleeding, as he continues to look around the room he sees candles and roses meaning possibly meaning no violences was taking place and he imagined the blood. He quickly leaves and returns to his flat shaken up by the events and sits back down at his desk were he began and the beginning of the film, and takes a creased picture of himself and his mother out of a frame and straighten its out revealing his father, to which he stares at and folds back over.

As this piece contains flashbacks that have happened in the past the structure of this piece is non linear as the time line continuously chances from what has happened in the past and what is in the present.

How are the characters represented?



Use Of Camera?

Use of Editing?

This Editing in 'Closed Doors' helps to create a suspenseful feel to the short film. This is done through the fast cutting rate between the shots as it shows that a lot is going on during the scene. Another kind of editing technique used in this short film is shot- reverse- shot. This is used during scenes of conversation to make it clear to the audience who the character is talking to as well as capturing their emotions and reactions to what is being said during this conversation.

Mise-en-scene: Location, Lighting, Costume, Props and Make Up:

• Location: the location of this piece takes place within a block of flats and however directing in the two flats and the hall way between the too.

• Lightning: The lighting in this short film plays are large part in creating a suspenseful tone as well as giving out a certain vibe that would be in a horror film. The lighting throughout is low however this could be used as a metaphor to represent the dark undertones in this short film such as domestic violence.

• Costumes: The costumes within this piece are not very significant. As the characters are all dressed in causal clothing, though it could be argued that the colour choices convey the emotions for example Red equalling anger. 

• Props: There are a few props within this piece that play some importance to the storyline for example the cup at the beginning which the main character uses to try to listen to what is being said through the walls. The second important prop is the bottle which the main character used to beat the other male character with, as well as appearing in the flashbacks of his father. And the final prop is the picture in the frame on his desk of himself and his mother and father though his father has been folded over so his does not appear through the frame metaphorically saying that the main character wants to cut him out of his life.

• Make up: only a small amount of make up is used in this short film (that can be seen) which is the blood dripping from the female characters nose at the door or her flat and throughout the fight scene.

Sound

The sound used in this short film is extremely importance as it creates the feel of the short film and relates to films of a horror and thriller nature. A number of sound effects are used throughout and each contribute to the suspense of the short film. These include Echoes, which make the scene feel big and empty, Bass notes and flat line noises that create tension, a heartbeat effect which shows the fear of the characters and silence which creates suspense as it makes the audience think that something is about to arise.


Target Audience?

The target audience of this film would be those aged between 18- 30 years old as it contains strong language and violence. This short film will also be for those who are fans of horror or thriller films as this piece touches on these genres.

What ideas could you use in your own short film?

I could use a number of things from this short film as i hope to create one of a similar genre, though i would not take any ideas from the story but the way this short film managed to create suspense by looking at the editing and sound effects in detail and look at the why the short film is shot such as by using low lighting.