my analysis on the short video 3x3

3x3

http://vimeo.com/6761817

This is my analysis on the short film : 3x3. I think this short film is a representation o karma and how being smarter is better than being confident.

Mise en scene

At the beginning of the video we immediately establish that the settings are that of a basket ball court. The lighting is high key lit strongly by the back light lamps hanging from the roof this highlights the setting well and the characters so we can see them clearly and follow their body language and see facial expressions clearly. I also notice the costumes worn by the two characters the first man has a name tag and a walky talky with shoulder pads this connotes that his position is that of a security guard. the other character however is wearing overalls and has a mop as a prop this suggests that he is a janitor. Janitor is a lower job position from a security guard. However we also see they both have similar skin colour which may suggest they are of a similar race and culture. They are also both wearing blue which bring a sense of some sort of equality between the two characters. We see from the security guards body language that he feels cocky about his scoring and apprehensive almost as he smiles at the janitor whilst showing off this also shows he is quite arrogant. the security guard looks like he has a stronger build and is in general the alpha as he looks more stronger than the janitor who is skinny and weak looking. So from this first impression we would have thought that the security guard is more superior. the colour blue makes a re-appearance when the security guard is in his office as his t.v's have a blue tint which keeps the characters links and also suggests he will see something involving the janitor dressed in blue. We see the frustration on the janitors face a he collapses on his knees that he cannot score. When he is on his knees he looks weak as he fails to score. We get a short reminder that the security guard can play as he throws a it of rubbish into the bin this demonstrates his basket ball skills which were also shown earlier on in the clip. We see the janitor doing maths and measuring and calculations which suggest he is a secret mathematical genius which is proved when he scores all his balls. The colour blue is then introduced a third time in the clip when the janitor gives the security guard a blue basketball uniform to face him and have a game of basketball which shows that the tables have turned and the mind is stronger than the body as he has successfully calculated how to win despite his weak structure and lower status.

Editing

At the beginning of the video we see the credits that fade in and fade out this is so they do not distract the audience from the film as they are not the main focus yet they still have a presence on the film and advertise the names that help create the video. Action matching used alot as the janitor sweeps this is to make this action look fluent and give us a chane to see the same scene from different perspectives and angles without it looking like a bad transition. A cut away is used to a scene with the guard sat in his office so the audience are clearly away of him watching the janitor. Slow motion is used as the janitor runs up to try and score this creates tension and emphasises the dramatic atmosphere of him trying to score. A cut away shot is used again so we see the guard laughing at the janitor this is also in slow motion to create a sinister mocking effect so it looks as though he is laughing at the janitors poor attempts and this adds tension and drama. After this short takes are used in all of his experiments to make the scenes look complicated and busy so we get the feeling of him working it out and figuring out how to score the perfect shot. A long take is used as he scores with all three balls this is so we can see the perfection in one shot and makes it more believable to see him score his three shots in one go. A cut away shot is used to a pair of shoes so we can instantly assume that its the janitor and when the security guards opens the uniform this is proved as we see the janitor on the t.v screen become the whole frame wearing his basketball uniform ready to confront the guard knowing hes been watching him.

sound.

At first all we hear is the bouncing of the basket ball which in my opinion connotes to the sound of a strong hart beat suggesting that this is parallel to what the guard is feeling which is confident and steady. the slight echo of the ball empathises the emptiness of the whole building and makes the bounce of the ball more dramatic as it shadows the first beat of the ball. No dialogue takes place during this film clip and i think that is so we can focus on the actions and music in this clip. I also think it is so the video clip can be understood by verybody so there isn't a language barrier. We hear the quiet music of the accordion and strings which sound upbeat and jokey in a way that we know this is going to be a humorous video.As the janitor runs in slow motion the echo is increased from the bouncing ball this adds dramatic effect and tension as he runs to score. we also hear a very loud slow motion sting as he throws the ball this puts focus and emphasis on the ball and indicates how important this throw is for the character. The jolly accordion sounds are contrapuntal to his frustration but parallel to the guards laughing this indicates the video wants to focus more on laughing and humour. We hear the diagetic sounds of his tape measures and of him writing this is so we stay connected to the reality of the story and so the score of music doesn't completely distract us from the story. The music however has become slower and this puts a more serious note to his working out. this connotes his thorough thinking of how to get it right.as he throws the three balls there is no music at all but just the diagetic sound of the balls bouncing i think this highlights the seriousness and shock of him achieving a score i think this simplicity also confronts the audience and makes them focus on him scoring. The strings then slowly and quietly creep back in at the end of the video to highlight the humour of the situation and help the audience recognise the comedy that was intended.

camera angles and movement

At first a panning shot is used which surrounds the basket ball net this hints its significance and shows that it it the main focus point during the clip. its also filmed at a high angle shot which makes the net look superior and daunting. A wide angle shot is then used so we can see the setting and see him score. A mid-shot is used on the guard so we can see his body posture and his facial expressions. An over the shoulder shot is then used so we can see his cockiness and we feel like an onlooker. a high angle is used as he is in his office this is so he looks a little bit weak and yet comfortable now he is nt trying to impress and show off to the janitor. When he has hold of the ball a tilt shot is used to build up tension.as h runs with the ball a tracking shot is used so we can follow him as he runs to score.there is then a mid close up as the guard laughs and the janitor screams this is so we get a clear view of the facial expressions. As the janitor starts measuring the rule of thirds is used to show he is the main focus point. a close up is used on his maths to make it look complicated. an establishing shot is used as he scores so we see him scoring but he has no audience. eye line match is used as they both look at each other and shot reverse shot structure so we know they have both seen and acknowledged each other. to finish there is a close up on the t.v screen which turns into a big close up so we see the janitor.