5th short film- Megan

Connection

(click title to view film)

 

Nobody has the right to look down on others

 

Bird's eye view

    Representation:

 I believe class is represented  throughout the film in both a  positive and negative way. The differences between classes are extremely noticeable throughout the short film by the use of facial expressions and camera work used on different characters. I believe the two upper class characters are portrayed in a negative and selfish way as they take no notice of the homeless guy that is noticeably looking for loose change. The homeless guy is portrayed in a positive way, he is shown to be harmless to anyone. The audience can tell the difference between classes through the use of mise en Scene, the costume, props and facial expressions are key to giving away the way class is portrayed and how the upper class characters look down on the homeless man. Eye-line match is used at a high angle to show the upper class looking down on a lower class. The audience are put in the position to feel sorry for the homeless man.

  Media Language:

 In the short film, Connections, they use a variety of shots to portray the differences between classes. The film opens to an extreme close up shot of a sleeping bag which instantly tells the audience that there is someone trying to keep warm. The slow camera tilt up is slowly revealing the character to the audience. The extreme close up then reveals a man that looks a bit rough around the edges, someone that seems to be shivering. A slow non diegetic soundtrack is played over a variety of shots to perhaps set the mood and atmosphere of the short film which would be sympathy towards the homeless guy. The diegetic sound of the man walking past with a suitcase shows how the homeless guy gets a lot of people walking past him daily. With the contrast of the diegetic sounds with the soundtrack played it shows the audience that perhaps this homeless man is having a tough time.

\From homeless man's view

As the loose change drops we hear the sound of it hitting the pavement and the soundtrack stops. This could be because the director is trying to show that as soon as the homeless guy comes across loose change his mood instantly starts to increase, hence the sharp cutting of the sad music as the loose change drops. It then cuts to a low angle of a new character introduced, someone dressed in a suit that looks well presented. This low angle could perhaps be the perspective of the homeless man. This low angle also shows the difference between classes.  The upper class guy dressed in a suit shows that he is looking down on the homeless man. We are then introduced to the next character which is a woman dressed in a suit. They both seem to have a connection when they both go to pick up the change as they both start to tease each other about who should have the loose change, baring in mind there is a homeless person right by them. This shows act of selfishness between the characters.

We then can instantly see the contrast within the two characters and the homeless man as the male and female characters are both dressed in suits and look neat and tidy. We can tell this by their costume and how this adds to the effect of the short film the differences of class within society.

As the two characters are talking, the homeless guy reveals to crawl across the floor between them and pick up the loose change by their feet. The dialogue then stops between the two characters as the homeless man picks up the change. This could add to the fact that the two upper class characters are looking down on the homeless man as they are shocked that he is picking up the loose change.


High angle shot
 

  It then cuts to a high angle of the upper class characters perspective of the homeless guy. This high angle shot shows how the upper class characters are looking down on him and if he is not like them.  It then cuts to a close up of the male character looking down towards the homeless man with a slight look of shock and confusion on his face.

As the two upper class characters walk off it then goes back to the soundtrack played at the beginning of the film, similar to the camera work it returns to the same as the opening of the film adding to the effect that this is almost one day out of many the homeless man experiences that are the same as everyday and is back to his equilibrium of the plot, whereas the storyline would continue as this on a daily basis.