Initial Research into Short Films - Shortcut

Shortcut is a mysterious short film that involves a man continuously running..but from what?..

Media Language:
'Shortcut' has a  short non diegetic soundtrack at the beginning that is very suspenseful and unpleasant to hear, building an eerie atmosphere to the film. 

long shot showing the location

A long shot allows us to see the location - the terraced houses and dump skip imply that the area is run down. 
The lighting used is low key which makes shadows appear more apparent and the use of just one street light creates enigma as we want to know the unknown of what is down 'Santayana's Passage'.

the passage sign

The passage sign appears to be quite run down due to the untidy paint and the wall having several cracks demonstrating an unpleasant and derelict area. 

diegetic sound definition from filmsound.org

The diegetic sound of the mans heavy breathing conveys how he is feeling scared and panicky and is reinforced by his body language; he is very hesitant as he walks going rather slowly, and also tilts his head slightly to try and anticipate what is coming up...

The prop of the beer bottle is another factor which shows the derelict area he is in - it conveys low class and somewhere quite dirty and untidy. Its sudden movement also makes the audience question whether he is alone. 

At the end of the film, the non diegetic sound returns but is now more dramatic -  including loud drum beats and a diminuendo of piano notes. These create an abnormal and thrilling atmosphere.


Genre:
Steve Neale's theory of repetition and variation
Neale's theory suggests that a genre of film will repeat conventions of the genre formula but also make new variations in order to make a profit. If not, the genre will not succeed in such a competitive media world.

He proposed that to be successful, a film must be creative which I think 'Shortcut' has done.
The plot shows the man running down an alley to then find somebody else also there. He then turns around to see another man who appears to be the same man.
When he runs from him he ends up back at the start where he began. The men also appear to be doing the same thing which causes confusion and enigma for the viewer.   

Rick Altman's theory of Genre
According to Altman we associate particular objects (otherwise known as codes) with certain genres - when we see these codes, it allows the audience to conclude what genre it and therefore know what to expect from the film. 

Semantic codes are ones which convey a meaning to the viewer, so for 'Shortcut' these include:

• the dark alley - this is very stereotypical of thriller or horror films so we associate with that genre.
• low key lighting - this creates shadows and silhouettes which is typical for the genre as it adds suspense.

• diegetic/non diegetic sound - the sound used in 'Shortcut' uses a range of low and high pitches which creates an inconsistent and therefore on edge feeling. The music sets the tone so therefore allows you to associate the genre from it.  

Narrative:
David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson - Plot & Story
Bordwell and Thompson distinguished the difference between plot and story. 

Story - is everything that has happened to the characters. This doesn't always include events that the audience sees. The viewer has to assume what has happened 
Plot - only includes the events of the story that are seen by the viewer in the film in the order chosen to tell the story. These events are 'plotted' to create the narrative. 

In 'Shortcut' we are only shown the plot. The audience are unaware as to why the man is running and where he has just ran from, hence creating enigma. Other questions raised are:

Diagram I have made demonstrating story and plot.

• where is he?
• who are all of the male figures?
• why is he there?