Textual Analysis: Film 2

*NIGHT NIGHT NANCY- By Lewis Farinella*

The opening titles for this short film is presented through a text message; not only does this fit into the overall storyline, it is also very effective as towards the end it is revealed that her boyfriend (the person who she is exchanging texts with) is actually the threat towards the main character (Nancy). I found this interesting as what is seemingly a loving goodnight text is soon uncovered to have a double meaning, not only saying goodnight, but also saying goodbye. As my own piece is in relation to a society which is too often consumed by technology, I may choose to do something similar.

Through my AS research of the horror/thriller genre, I found that low-key lighting is very typical of this genre and in this case, I found it to be very influential in setting the tone and mood of the film; as well as this, the darker tones also emphasise the white text which appears in order to divert the audiences attention to reading the storyline.

Due to the representation of technology and the influence it has on the audiences understanding, I presume that this short film was made for a teen/young adult audience due to the modern portrayal of a teenage girl and the social entity to which the story is maintained.

The lack of diction throughout is very effective in this particular genre and it builds tension/suspense, leaving the audience questioning the nature of the film and causing them to keep watching. The backing track is introduced mid-sequence (when the disequilibrium is introduced). This causes the scene to become very intense as the protagonist/victim finds photos of herself sleeping on her phone, alerting her of the intruder inside the house.

The mise-en-scene is well suited to the setting and the time of sequence as the main character appears to be in bed clothing whilst wearing minimal makeup. As well as this, the setting of the room is very plain and understated; this is so that the audiences attention is not diverted from the media appearing on screen.

Numerous tracking shots are used which suits the overall storyline as it alludes to being followed- this arouses a sense of both fear and paranoia from the audience. This is followed by a match-on-action as the main character enters/exits the room; this puts the central focus on the main character, appearing almost as if the clips are appearing as she sees them herself (point of view).

The audio (backing track) halts when a feeling of comfort/relief is introduced, almost to the effect of a cliffhanger as the audience is left on edge. The antagonist/villain is then introduced into the sequence followed by a close up of the female's facial expression in order to emphasise her fear. The pace and tempo then increases with the speed of the clip, the music peaks as the character runs. There is also consistent diegetic sound from this point onwards as we have now been aware that there is an intruder in the house- hearing him approach from the next room.

A point of view shot is used in order to put the audience in a position of fear and vulnerability- almost as if they are the victim themselves- we see what she sees whilst she is hiding in the wardrobe.

The rule of thirds is also used as the antagonist is positioned slightly to the right of the frame, he then continues to walk into the centre once acknowledging her hiding place- this belittles her and puts him in a position of dominance. He is framed into the shot using a medium shot whereas she is featured through the use of close-ups.

The antagonist then re-enters central screen with a close up of the mask- as he disappears again the music pauses for dramatic effect. There is diegetic sound effects as the phone rings; we then see an extreme close-up of he hand as she reaches for the light, therefore emphasising the suspense of her actions- also allowing the audience to sympathise with her fear.

High-key lighting is used when the bloody figure is seen which is then followed by the only piece of diction within the entire piece of media- "Night night Nancy". This interlinks with the title and is therefore effective, engaging with the audience and emphasising the relevance of the title. The lights then turn off and the short film is left on a cliffhanger.

The typography appears almost floating in order to create an eery effect alongside the music; this reinforces the desired genre and may or may not impact the audience's perception of the tone/mood.