EXPLOSIONS- Initial research into Short Films

Pink- Camera Work
Blue- Music
Green- Mise en Scene

The film starts with a slow motion match on action of a hand pulling back a curtain. As this is happening, a non diegetic soundtrack of a high pitched sound is continued, which sounds eerie and extra terrestrial. The colours are dull and dark to set the mood for the film, the grey curtain and sleeve shows that the film is going to be grey and depressing. As the curtain is pulled back, a focus pull is used to highlight the people floating into the sky. There are black crows flying in the sky, which is a semantic code to signify death and the fog and dark storm clouds also represent pathetic fallacy, the idea that something bad and dark is going to take place. As the people are seen floating up towards the sky, the non diegetic soundtrack crescendos, building up tension. As the crescendo hits its peak, another focus pull is used to show a CU of a man being taken into the sky. The CU is used to show his facial expressions of scared and worry and this adds even more tension to the shot as he looks distressed and like he is crying/screaming yet we, as the audience, cant hear him or do anything to help him.

The next shot is used to show someone floating towards the sky, with one shoe on, as a lady is shot at a high angle in a CU and holding their other shoe. The CU is used, again, to show her expression of sadness and worry and as we see she is holding their shoe, this indicates that she had obviously tried to save this specific person. She is shot at a high angle to show that she is feeling small and powerless at the situation and that she has been unsuccessful in saving him and this makes her feel like she has let him down and that she is now vulnerable to the weird events taking place, suggesting to the audience that this was her husband or someone who looks after her. The music is made up of high, minor notes, which make the audience feel sad, yet on edge as it sounds eerie.

After the lady runs away, the people floating into the sky are shown in the shot through the car wing mirror, to indicate that she is trying to run away, escape from it all and leave it behind her. A CU of her fuel tank shows that it is empty and this could be used to portray her emotions, she has lost someone that she had tried to save and is now trying to escape from whatever tragedy is taking place (it is still ambiguous as to what is exactly going on at this point) and the empty fuel tank is to show that she too is feeling empty, tired and weak and that she can no longer carry on (her escape journey and her emotional journey). A high angled shot is again used here to show her vulnerable position, of how small and weak she is feeling.

A LS is then used to show her getting out her car and running and being lifted into the air. This builds tension as the weather is dangerous and we see her being fully lifted into the air. The LS is unique in this situation as it shows the contrast of her emotions and the situation taking place. We see how calm she is and how still her body is and how she doesn't struggle and this contrasts with the dark storm clouds, a semantic code, representing danger and the eerie, high pitched music, conveying something super natural and powerful. The soundtrack here gets darker and more orchestral and the weather is used to add tension, with the pouring rain and the strikes of lightning. An ECU is used to show her closing her eyes after she witnesses other people turning into white spirits/dust and this leaves the audience on an ambiguous ending, showing just a street lamp flicking in the storm, conveying the idea that nothing has happened.

The titling is shown after the big build up of tension from the crescendo and is a quick change to a background of dark, stormy clouds with the title 'EXPLOSIONS' in grey letters in the foreground. The grey colours are used again to show the dull, darkness of the piece and to represent the idea that it is that of a depressing storyline. The music dies down here, to a quiet, high pitched drown, like the one heard at the beginning of the piece. After the film has ended, a black screen is shown for ages before the credits start, The credits are shown in silence, with white writing and a black background. It carries on with simplicity and the idea that nothing has happened.