Not Over, Till It Ends Within by Alexander Alexandrov from Ben Trovato on Vimeo.
I really liked this short film. Some of the open framing shot types really echoed the idea of how empty the world is after the apocalypse.
I also liked how it challenged conventions by showing the positive side as well as negative side to the apocalypse- the world looks like a happier place and we appreciate things in life more e.g. literature like in this screen grab.
However, there is no dialogue in this short film which can be positive and negative. Positive because it is open to interpretation, shows the silence of the world after the apocalypse, and doesn't rely on acting skills. Negative because it maybe too open to interpretation and doesn't confirm any narrative. Also, the film focuses more on the locations and includes impressive mise-en-scene, such as the character's clothing, than narrative. I would like my project to have both.
REMNANT (Post Apocalyptic Short Film) from Thanos Kermitsis on Vimeo.
I really liked the power and symbolism of the silence in this short film, diagetic and non diagetic. It shows he is the only one left with no one to talk to, isolated. The mise-en-scene of the dolls and the pictures of his loved ones added to the alignment of the protagonist and created empathy.
The low key lighting was also used to to their advantage to show the antagonist as 'shady' with something to hide. The locations used too were impressive with various urban decay to show the decay of civilisation from the apocalypse. I really liked the canted angle used at 9:42 and the jump cuts near the beginning to show time passing.
However, I felt like the music used at the end credits do not match the narrative, creating a juxtaposition but not in a good way.
Purgatory - Short Film from Joao Filipe Silva on Vimeo.
This short film really challenged the conventions of the post apocalyptic genre. The main factor (despite it being in a different language) that shows this is the fact it is in black and white, symbolising the dullness and sameness of life after the apocalypse- it has drained the colour of the world away. The narration of the short film also challenged short film conventions as we typically find narration in trailers (see my trailer analysis post), plus, it's a narration based off a letter (a true story?) creating empathy in the audience, making them wary of what the world could become.
This short film also challenges convention by having a sub genre of steampunk as show in the mise-en-scene, e.g. the 'eye protection', making it stand out and appeal to different audiences.
The film also used cross cuts to their advantage to show hope (e.g. when he releases the lantern) vs. hopelessness (e.g. when he walks alone outside with open framing).
Sacrifice from Eric Wostenberg on Vimeo.
This short film was just... weird! It's like Les Miserables with zombies! It's... definately challenging conventions with a mixture of different genres; "A post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror musical", widening their target audience. However, I do not think a post-apocalyptic musical fits- it's just too weird and too much juxtaposition! I still found it oddly entertaining and wanting to see what happens next. However, this short film seemed very long compared to the others, and the dialogue seemed very unnatural.
They have used symbolism, camera shots and very impressive mise-en-scene (such as the costumes, the location, the props, etc.) especially to their advantage in this short film.
The idea of hope is shown through the mise of the protagonist's acting, cuddling and comforting the child. The theme of hopelessness is also present with the use of pathetic fallacy of the rain outside, foreshadowing danger and a not-so-happy-ending. Thunder is also shown through the use of handheld camera which I found very effective. There are also constant cross cuts/flashbacks of the protagonist and her child- a constant reminder and showing how history is repeating itself.
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