Thursday, 25 September 2014

Textual analysis: Identity (a YouTube short film)

Textual analysis:
Identity (YouTube short film)


As the film begins we listen to non diegetic music distorted as if playing we are listening to a record being played too fast or perhaps backwards, upon seeing the rest of this short film I’ve made the assumption that this is a representation of life it self. An attempt to show the audience that life moves too fast or is too blurred to understand its true meaning and only by removing the mask can we truly see what life is.
The first visual representation of this is a medium close up of the protagonist as if through a mirror, a young female student judging by her setting and clothes mimicking that of teenager. As the scene progresses you can notice that the this scene is shot in reveres broken with some forward chronological motion and the non diegetic sound glass being broken in slow motion however there is a total lack of diegetic sound forcing you to concentrate on the symbolism of the scene and how the scene plays out through an effective choice of editing techniques e.g. extensive use of jump cuts to further reinforce the fractures that she is experiencing.
A glaringly obvious point of focus in this scene is the fact that the actress is wearing a mask, all be it not at the beginning but for the majority of the scene and the film itself her face is covered, hiding what she is from the world. A further representation of how the world we know is not the world that is in fact real.

The choice of reverse editing continues for the next few shots showing a brief confrontation with some other female teenage characters both wearing masks as seen on the main character. As the camera follows her movements, with an over the shoulder mid shot, walking through a cliché American canteen.

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