HW 1b - Reflecions on my film still (BLK)

19/9/16 Film Still Analysis 

Q1: In what way can the film still be described as signifying your chosen genre?

• This film still depicts the silhouette of a man with his hands clasped to the sides of his head; this stance is typical of internal torment, signifying that the man is suffering from inner demons; this is a theme that is often explored in the psychological-horror genre. 
• The still is mostly shrouded in darkness, with rays of light highlighting the silhouette and the curtains, yet dissipating near the edge of the frame; a contrast is therefore made between the light and the dark, further insinuating via the overwhelming abundance of darkness in the shot, that the darkness is overpowering the light; this connotes the struggle between good and evil, another common theme in the psychological-horror genre.

Q2: How did you direct the shot to achieve the desired effect?

• A light source was placed behind the head of the man in the shot in order to create a silhouette of the man's torso; this achieved a light outline of the man's head and arms to obscure his facial features, but still outline his pose.
• The shot was framed as a medium-long shot, which meant that the man was the focus of the shot, but was far away enough from the camera in order to create a tunnel effect (or a frame within a frame), created by the light reflecting off the curtains.
• Enough space was left to the left/right/above the man so as to contrast the small size of the man with the enormity of the space and darkness that surrounds him; this had the effect of making the man appear overwhelmed by inner demons.

Q3: How did you intend the audience to 'read' or interpret your still?

• I wanted the audience to interpret the multitude of darkness (both surrounding the man and the darkness of the silhouette himself) to be symbolic of mental torment, or else any multitude of internalised feelings that are overwhelming and feel like they consume you (e.g. guilt, grief, self-doubt)
• I also wanted the audience to interpret the silhouette and the dark spaces around him to be significant to the character's mental state at that point in the film; it would seem, by the darkness and his frustrated stance, that perhaps the pressures caused by the film's disruption have finally began to take their toll on the character; maybe they are succumbing to insanity.
• I wanted the audience to interpret that the omission of the man's face connotes that the man is undergoing/ has undergone a change as a result of the mental conflict; he has lost what he used to be and is unrecognisable from the person he was earlier in the film.

Q4: What is successful about your shot?

• I think the silhouette, although not as pronounced as I would've preferred, successfully covered the facial expression of the man. This meant that the audience has little to interpret about this man from this part of the film, so his silhouetted pose is foregrounded to show his internal conflict.
• There is a nice balance of darkness and light in this film still which shows the audience a clear contrast that is commonly associated with good versus evil.

Q5: What would you do differently in hindsight?

• I would've used a larger, brighter light source behind the man to create a better defined silhouette and put more emphasis on the man's pose, thus foregrounding his torment. Also, I would change the medium-long shot to a very long shot if a brighter light source were available, so as to maintain a similar light/dark balance in the original film still.
• I would've cleared the set but for the curtains (i.e. take away the step ladder/turn off the lights to the corridor) so the audience's attention is only on the silhouette. This would also make the contrast between light and dark more pronounced and therefore make the subtext of mental conflict more pronounced.