Short Film Feedback

The film’s opening is successful with the audio and visual combination of the police siren and the CCTV style footage. Shot variety could be developed, as we remain on the one frame for an extended length of time. Numerous scenes would be improved by having shot variety, and utilising this in order to tell the story visually, and to create an audience response of empathy for both characters which unfortunately does not happen to the extent that was discussed in the planning stages. For example it is not revealed to the audience what is on the letter, and a climactic scene is missing from the interview room which would reveal their characters and the predicament for both. The scene in the mother’s bedroom could have been created with a variety of shots, again to emphasise the boy’s plight but also his vulnerability, for example a midshot of the boy from behind the bedpost would emphasise his emotional state and sadness due to his sick mother .

The mise en scene is effective in costume and props (such as the recording machine), and particular settings such as the police station and office, however other settings such as the boy’s home could have been dressed to create a more poverty stricken environment, which would have created more empathy from the audience and would then also be a binary opposite to the police officer’s home, which is a believable setting.

The performance of the police officer is effective and convincing, however the boy, at times looks like he is reading from a script (police interview room) and does not convey emotion as the film develops.

Conventional drama framing and storytelling is used and is effective; in particular the car scene, which stands out as it has a variety of shots which creates pace. The officer’s office scene is effective in mise en scene and there is a successful focus pull from the board of statistics to the anxious police officer, therefore revealing the narrative more visually, however it then remains on the one shot for the remainder of the scene. The transition from the police interview room to the car scene is executed successfully and visually interesting. The final scene at the police officer’s home is framed well and uses continuity, however the dialogue is ineffective as he answers a question to his wife which she does not ask.