MRANG in 'Cluck' - 3rd Short Film Analysis

Applying the 5 Key Concepts to the Short Film 'Cluck'

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Brief Summary

 

 

 

Media Language

• Range of extreme close up shots showing the chicken prop.

• Dissolve transitions are used to link the shots of the chicken prop.
• Superimposed shots are used to show one shot of the chicken prop over another.

• Crescendo sound effect is used leading onto the titling.
• Titling is shown over a black screen and consists of an entertaining informal font in bright and bold colouring.

• Sound effects are used to demonstrate the sound of the chicken toy prop.
• Point of view shots are used from the chickens perspective (shallow depth of field) showing an extreme close up shot at mid angle of the bars.

• Cut transitions are used juxtaposing the good life of the chicken imagining how his life will be compared to how it will actually be.
• The parallel music soundtrack used is melancholic and eerie, coupled with the desaturated colouring this adds a tense and dark impression to the short film.
• High-key lighting is used throughout both in the scenes involving the dog and the shots without.

• Close up shots are used at mid angle to show previous dog toys that have become poorly kept.
• Very low angle long shot is used showing the bus prop out of the window in the car setting as a point of view shot from the chickens perspective.
• Colour becomes less saturated as the chicken toy prop is removed from the car at close up mid angle suggesting the transition to a dark life.

• Another range of interesting shots are the close ups of the dogs at high angle and birds eye view after a range of cuts of the dog.
• Extreme long shot at worms eye view as point of view shot shows the sun prop.

• Fast pace (manipulation of time) at close up and big close up shots of the dog playing with the chicken.

Representation 

The titling used helps to construct the representation of the short film being humorous and of the comedy genre.

The low-key lighting and desaturated colouring of the shots of the dog, toys and garden setting create the representation that the setting is dull and sinister.

Sound effects used along with the music soundtracks used help to create a representation of some settings being more lively and uplifting, e.g. the shop, car, etc. contrasted to more melancholic and sombre settings, for example the garden.

Previous dogs toys props appear poorly kept, this creates the representation of the dog being vicious and perhaps in need of new toys.

Audience 

The target audience for this short film is not as difficult to identify as the others I have researched. Being in the comedy genre the obvious target demographic is young adults from the age of 12-25. This film is definitely more suited to an audience of that age than an audience who are around middle aged. 

The target demographic for this short film is identified as young adults through the humour used and the props, e.g. the chicken.  

The music soundtrack and sound effects also appeal mostly to an audience of a younger age as it is adventurous and adds to the comedy of the piece.  The drama of the entire short film is basically shown to appeal to a psychographic who enjoy childish and flamboyant humour.

Narrative

This short film follows a linear narrative making use prominently of unrestricted narration though some restricted narration is used in the shots of the dog. The unrestricted narration creates dramatic irony by allowing the spectator to see that the prop is being brought for a dogs use.

Bordwell and Thompson - Story: The story consists of a toy that has been left in the store for a large amount of time and who is desperate to be brought. As the toy finally gets brought it becomes euphoric and extremely excited about the arrival at its new house. When the chicken finally arrives at its new house all is not what it seems as it realises it has been brought for a dog. The chicken is then tortured by the dog and eventually joins the rest of the dogs poorly-kept toys.

Plot: The plot of the short film consists of a toy being brought from a store and embarking on its journey to its new house. As it arrives at the house all is not what it seem as the chicken realises it was brought for a dogs entertainment. The dog then plays with the chicken which becomes dirty and poorly-kept and eventually unwanted.

Todorov - Todorov's 5 stage theory can almost be applied here, though there is no repairing of the damage.

1. Equilibrium: Prop for sale in the store and on journey to new home.
2. Disruption: Discovering its new owner is a dog.
3. Recognition: Screaming as the prop flies through the air.
4. Repairing the damage: N/A
5. New equilibrium: Being left unwanted in the garden setting.

 Barthes - Enigma codes:

• Being brought - Where is the chicken going? Who is buying it? What for?
• Toy props, desaturated colour and melancholic sound - What happened to those toys? Why is it so much more sombre here? Who did this to the toys?
•  Car journey setting - Where is the prop going?

Action codes: 

• Being chosen of the shelf prop - The toy is getting brought.
• Dogs paw prop - Being shown to show the spectator that the prop is going to be a dogs toy.
•  Dog toy props - The owner of the toys doesn't treat them very well.
• POV camera shot - In car setting allows the spectator to understand that the toy is going to a new home.

Strauss - Binary Oppositions:

• Dark versus Light - Showing the contrast between the props current life and new life.
•  Active versus Inactive - Contrasting the real life dog and fake prop chicken.

Other theorists unmentioned are difficult if not impossible to apply to this short film. 

Genre

Rick Altman's Semantic and Syntactic Codes Theory -

Semantic Codes	Syntactic Codes
Setting, props and décor –Very iconographic to similar short films of the comedy genre.	Binary Oppositions – A binary opposition is very common in the comedy genre and helps to create more humour within the short film.
Desaturated colour - Can be quite common of the comedy genre and helps to create intensity.
Shot sizes – Close ups, big close ups and extreme close ups are very commonly used in this short film and can also be used a lot in other short films of the comedy genre.
Soundtrack – Parallel soundtrack to the comedy genre used to enhance the humour and add suspense.

Steve Neale's Repetition and Variation Theory - This short film embarks on a new idea to create variation in the comedy genre by using no human characters. This creates variation within the genre and makes the short film more diverse than other comedic short films that just use repeated ideas.
The short film does also use repetition as well though by using an informal font for titling and some loud and exotic music it becomes very stereotypical to the comedy genre and relates a lot to others of the same genre. 

David Buckingham's Negotiation and Change Theory - Similar to aforementioned in Steve Neale's theory the short film does make some changes to the comedy genre but mostly sticks with negotiation.