Group presentation on film analysis

Film analysis was very new to me like many other, so I felt the need to take as many notes as I possibly could on how we analysed each animation during the lectures. For my part of the project, the Mise-en-scène, I thought it would be interesting to focus my attention on elements if taken out of the short would not make fearnando what it is. I wrote small paragraphs about each element, be it an object, scene or the character himself based on keywords I wrote down asking myself why it was used, what could be the goal to make me as an audience feel and how is it related to the main story.

I picked out two contrasting stages and three objects, I felt were essential to the story, as well as the character himself but I did not include this in my presentation, keeping in consideration that I needed to give enough time for my other group members to speak.

To develop my ideas for the first stage, which is the hallway, the references that came to my mind was the hallway of the hotel in the shinning and Coraline’s house when they first moved in.

I first noticed that the set is not dense with props, but not to the point of it being empty either. It is right in the middle, so it is easy on the eye. However, it feels cold, it is very put together and not “lived in”, like a gallery. Unlike the boy’s bedroom, it created an uneasy feeling. I would not perceive this as a welcoming home, although wood usually brings warmth to the place, but not in this case. It led me to wonder and research why an old home would make us feel troubled, which would lead us to understand the choice they made in its use in this short film. The use of wood for everything from the floor, the walls, the ceiling and the furniture, one could only imagine how much noise that would make when someone is walking at night or when there is a storm outside. The creaking and squeaking sounds they emit as well as the loud ticking of the grandfather clock, interrupts the silence and creates this tense atmosphere, that helps create suspense, keeping us the viewer on edge.

On the other hand, the second stage, his bedroom, felt like walking in a safe space. Asking myself the necessary questions of, why do I feel this way. It felt like looking at a bedroom full of childhood nostalgia, and newfound memories of teenage interests. The clutter is the first thing I noticed, in comparison to the hallway; it is lived in, messy, cluttered with toys, books, posters, figurines, it feels like a teenager’s bedroom. The light next to him which looked like a nightlight, reminded me of a child’s fear of the dark and how much this light helps ease their worries, a nostalgic feeling. It creates a contrast between two different kinds of history; the old hallway, which is unnerving and vulnerable and the childhood bedroom, which is nostalgic and safe.

But the safety of the room is only for short amount of time, until the power goes off. It somehow summarised the beginning of fearnando’s story of a supposedly secure environment that turned out to be welcoming a monster. I felt the following keyword’s best described the feeling the short film is trying to convey to us the audience: vulnerability, suspense and feeling uneasy.

The three objects I focused on which I believe were essential to communicate those feelings to the audience are: the pictures of the mother and son, the lighter and finally the grandfather clock.

Starting off with the pictures, the clash between the number of pictures we see of the two together and her absence during the entire short, I think had the intention of supplementing the feeling of vulnerability that the protagonist felt as well as putting us in his shoes, when he called out to his mother, and no one answered. That can be said by thinking about how she is the parental figure, the only one, which for a child and even a teenager would be a protective figure, someone they would turn to when they are afraid. And reminds me of the concept of what truly makes a house a home, is family. So, the lack of one help build suspense with the idea of the lack of safety in one’s home, which then makes them feel vulnerable.

The lighter, the only source of light he has, a guiding light through his dark home. My first thought was that the source of light is ridiculously small, they could have given him a flashlight. Therefore, there’s a reason behind this choice. The lighter as well as the glom it’s producing is minuscule compared to the space that it’s in, it barely even helps us see a thing. It created a belittling feeling in this dark space. Similarly to the character being the prey and the monster is the predator, making him feel vulnerable in his own home.

Finally, the grandfather clock, the object I believe broke this tension built up of suspense. And announced the count down before the jump scare. Something that caught my attention was the exact hour it chimed at, as well as the tone of the ringing. At 3 am it rang, I associated it with the witching hour and with a little research I discovered its folkloric origin as well as its other name, which I found more fitting for this part of the short animation, the “devil’s hour”. As for the ringing it reminded me of a funeral toll. Overall, it seems to be foreshadowing the arrival of the monster who will soon pounce on its prey, as if announcing what is about to happen next.