Student Video Analysis- 'Survival' (Tom Easden, 2011/12)

For further research into similar products I decided to look at a short film from a former student at our school. I will discuss the micro elements used by the student (mise-en-scene, camera, sound and editing) as well as the structure of the narrative and how the characters are represented. I will also highlight any ideas I’d like to take into my own project, and the things I think could have been done better.

The video that I shall be analysing is ‘Survival’, a 5 minute short film created by Tom Easden in 2011/12. The film tells the story of the main character, and his struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. The story is narrated By Peter Dodds who plays the main character. The script is good, but in my opinion, the narration does not sound rehearsed or revised, and this reduces the impact the film has upon its audience.

Another problem within this short film is that, in my opinion, the lack of transitions and the simplicity of the text design (i.e. credits etc.) along with the constant camera shake makes the film seem rushed and unprofessional. However, the camerashake also gives the impression that the film was shot as a ‘spur of the moment’ idea using a cameraphone, perhaps as a sort of ‘video diary’ for the characters. This works well in my opinion due to the context of the film.  

In terms of mise-en-scene, the lighting in the film is completely natural. This highlights the fact that, after ‘armageddon’, the characters can no longer enjoy artificial luxuries such as heaters or lights, as their main priority is merely surviving. This is also shown by the complete lack of make-up throughout the piece.

Also, one of the props in the film (i.e the handgun) looks very unrealistic, and this only further reduced the impact of the film upon its target audience

The costumes used within the film are stereotypical of modern-day teenagers. Also, Peter’s costume (a mainly black hoodie with a light purple inner lining) works well, as black denotes the characters loneliness, while the light purple of the hood’s inner lining denotes Peter’s inner hope now that he has found a comrade to help him. 

Lewis’ main costume, a black leather jacket, is also a good choice as leather is used by bikers to provide a high level of protection against the threat of injury. It signifies Lewis’ immunity to the disease that has spread across the entire planet.

The locations used within the film emphasize the plotline well. These locations include old, derelict buildings, that denoting both characters low quality of life and the lack of civilization due to 'armageddon'.) and  also the forests, which show how the characters have to rely on their natural instincts in order to survive)

Overall, while, in my opinion, the film has good points, (such as the costumes and locations), they are outweighed by the need for improvement on many of the shots, particularly in terms of the camerashake, which, although it works well on some shots, is vastly overused. This makes the film seem unprofessional and reduces the impact that the film has upon it's target audience.