The term "short film" refers to a film with the maximum length of 40 minutes. Unlike a feature film, short films do not necessarily have to follow the three-act structure but shots are normally thought over to create the same emotion as a feature length film. Short films are made by filmmakers to gain film making experience and to promote their skills for future film projects that may need a bigger budget. Budgets for short films are often low or they don't have a budget at all. They are normally non profit as they are made by independent film companies. Filmmakers can get some funding, if needed from non profit organisations, sponsors or through personal funding.
Short films started to appear in cinemas around the 1920's. These were often comedies and animations are were part of the cinematic experience at the time. When you bought a ticket, you would watch the feature film, the newsreel and a short film as well as several other secondary films. In modern times, short films are now mostly shown at short film festivals as now, very few short films are shown in cinemas. Originating in Australia in 1993, Tropfest is now the world largest short film festival in the world and takes place across the globe. It is often said that Tropfest started the new popular interest in short film over the recent years.The Black Hole - Future Shorts:
To introduce the title of the film, the editor decided to include a circle transition to open the film. The use of this particular transition links to the rest of the film plot as it is a reverse 'black hole' as the circle transition goes from a black screen to the open shot through a opening hole.
There is then a pan to the protagonist and the only character within the short film. The pan shows the importance of the character as the camera immediately gravitates towards him, rather than anywhere else in the setting. The setting is an office. This can be told by the props around the character and his costume. There are desks and computers in the room, as well as the photocopier. The pan then leads to a mid close-up of the protagonist, who is wearing a shirt and tie, but is scruffy which suggests that he has been at work a long time. There is a green/blue tint over the shot which suggests a dull atmosphere, which is supported by the diegetic sound a the protagonists deep sigh. This first setting can be seen as the equilibrium according to Todorov's theory of equilibrium.
Sound throughout the short film is entirely diegetic, however there is no dialogue. The sound of the photocopier and other office machinery supports the setting as being an office. The photocopier is louder than the other diegetic sounds, signifying proxemics as well as the significance of the machine. There is a close-up of the protagonist starting the photocopier, return to the mid close-up and the back to a close up of the photocopier but from a different angle. The changing of shots allows the film to show the protagonists reaction to the photocopier not working. The use of the angled close-up could symbolise the protagonists confusion on why the machine isn't working.
Once the photocopier is working, the machine prints out a black dot, shown within a close-up. Again a close-up of the protagonist's expression shows him to be confused. There is a high angle to show the protagonist. There is round black frame which signifies that the audience is looking through the black dot, implying that it possibly is not a dot, but a hole, hence the title 'The Black Holes'. There is then a high angle shot again where the protagonist looks directly into the camera, breaking the fourth wall. This creates the idea that he is looking directly at the audience, creating suspense and the audience is still unsure of what is happening at that moment and what the protagonist is actually looking at.
The audience is then shown that the implication of the dot being a hole is correct when the protagonist places his hand inside to retrieve the cup he dropped inside. This is where the audience discovers the capabilities of the hole, shown by a tracking shot to a vending machine. The protagonist then reaches through the hole into the vending machine to grab a chocolate bar. This then makes the audience wonder what he is going to do next.
The protagonist is then shown that he is getting ahead of himself when he starts retrieving money from a safe. First there is a zoom towards a door which has the sign "KEEP OUT" on it. However the protagonist ignores the sign and enters anyway. This may be because he knows what is behind the door as he works in the same area. As he enters, the audience starts to expect something to happen to the protagonist but we are not sure what it is yet. There is the a shot, framed centrally by the door frame, of the protagonist reaching through the hole inside a safe. As he gradually quickens his pace with bringing out the piles of cash from the safe, tension is built as the audience is still expecting something to happen to him. There a quick cuts showing that he is anxious to retrieve as much money as possible incase someone catches him in the act.
There is a close-up of the tape which is holding the paper in place to show it moving. This indicates to the audience that the paper could come off the safe, but doesn't confirm it. However, after a quick cut from a close-up of the tape to a framed shot of the safe, the implication is once again confirmed which shocks the audience and makes them wonder how he will get out. The cut back, showing the framed shot as a medium shot, concludes the film. The audience can hear knocking, showing that the protagonist is actually in the safe and has no way out as his escape routine has gone.
Once the photocopier is working, the machine prints out a black dot, shown within a close-up. Again a close-up of the protagonist's expression shows him to be confused. There is a high angle to show the protagonist. There is round black frame which signifies that the audience is looking through the black dot, implying that it possibly is not a dot, but a hole, hence the title 'The Black Holes'. There is then a high angle shot again where the protagonist looks directly into the camera, breaking the fourth wall. This creates the idea that he is looking directly at the audience, creating suspense and the audience is still unsure of what is happening at that moment and what the protagonist is actually looking at.
The audience is then shown that the implication of the dot being a hole is correct when the protagonist places his hand inside to retrieve the cup he dropped inside. This is where the audience discovers the capabilities of the hole, shown by a tracking shot to a vending machine. The protagonist then reaches through the hole into the vending machine to grab a chocolate bar. This then makes the audience wonder what he is going to do next.
The protagonist is then shown that he is getting ahead of himself when he starts retrieving money from a safe. First there is a zoom towards a door which has the sign "KEEP OUT" on it. However the protagonist ignores the sign and enters anyway. This may be because he knows what is behind the door as he works in the same area. As he enters, the audience starts to expect something to happen to the protagonist but we are not sure what it is yet. There is the a shot, framed centrally by the door frame, of the protagonist reaching through the hole inside a safe. As he gradually quickens his pace with bringing out the piles of cash from the safe, tension is built as the audience is still expecting something to happen to him. There a quick cuts showing that he is anxious to retrieve as much money as possible incase someone catches him in the act.
There is a close-up of the tape which is holding the paper in place to show it moving. This indicates to the audience that the paper could come off the safe, but doesn't confirm it. However, after a quick cut from a close-up of the tape to a framed shot of the safe, the implication is once again confirmed which shocks the audience and makes them wonder how he will get out. The cut back, showing the framed shot as a medium shot, concludes the film. The audience can hear knocking, showing that the protagonist is actually in the safe and has no way out as his escape routine has gone.
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