Textual Analysis: Film 1

*LOVESICK- By Kevin Lacy- Director at The American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles*

The sequence opens with a close up of a female character in which her facial expressions and body language allow the audience to gain knowledge that she is angry/upset. Due to the background being out of focus, it can be argued that the female is therefore the most dominant within the scene; however through the use of a voice-over, non-diegetic sound takes the central focus of the clip. The use of slow-motion as well as a slow push out zoom leads into the introduction of the main character within the film- the male. An over-the-shoulder shot is then used in which the mise-en-scene remains blurred in the background. 

The sequence then pauses whilst the voice-over continues; as well as this the pause of ambient sound creates a sense of humour within the clip. When the title is introduced, the main character is reinforced as a central focus as he is positioned in the centre of the 'O'. The continued slow motion alongside the contrasting soundtrack of a very happy and peaceful atmosphere creates the effect of foreboding as the audience is then lead to await or expect some sort of event. 

As the character's emotions change to a more positive and hopeful outlook the speed of the background music increases and becomes more joyous. This is then followed by two close-up shots of both the main character and his new love interest; however, when referring to the rule of thirds, the male remains to the right of the frame whereas the female is positioned more centrally- implying that she possesses the upper-hand. A vintage effect is then used to portray a flashback type sequence; this reinforces the females dominance due to her being portrayed as some sort of fantasy. Match-on-action shots are consistent throughout this short film in order to show progression and emphasise the extent of the journey. 

As well as this, the use of high angle tracking shots in use with the increased speed of the soundtrack conveys a sense of desperation in which can be reinforced through the diction of the voice-over. Amateur camera work (hand-held camera, shaky effect) is used when the main character is running towards his destination; this is effective in producing a realistic and engaging sequence in which the audience can match the desired emotions portrayed via the main character. When the location changes to some sort of alleyway or tunnel, back lighting is used to emphasise the main characters silhouette as well as the following use of brief high key lighting to display feelings of hope and excitement; this is later knocked down when the main character encounters a problem (getting knocked down by a car) - disrupting the equilibrium of the plot. 

The pace then quickens once more to match the emotions and facial expressions of both the main character and the little boy referred to as 'Bieber'; both the excitement and the frustration both result in the increase of speed within the soundtrack to reinforce the action seen within the clip. 

The music then decreases in both pace and volume until it comes to an ultimate stop; it then re-enters the same soundtrack used to introduce to clip, implying a that there is/will be a cyclical nature of events. The main character then sees the love interest once more, this provokes the non-diegetic sound of wedding bells; upon entering the long awaited conversation between the two, the audience are left to lip read the sentence 'I'm so in love with you - marry me?'. Through not being able to hear this diction the audience is left to rely on the following action (her response) in order to follow the scene progression. The same speech that was introduced within the beginning of the sequence is then used once more, reinforcing the repetition of the plot. The typography is large, bold and very circular in font; this is a very effective as it can be interpreted as a representation of the short itself- impulsive, child-like and making a statement. 

Upon initially watching this short film I enjoyed it as a whole, however, when watching it a second time I found myself easily distracted as due to the genre of a romantic comedy I found it quite cliche and very predictable. There are certain aspects such as the repetition that I do not wish to repeat within my own product however there were certain technical skills (such as camera work) that I plan to experiment with and portentially apply to my own work.