Red: short film analysis

Red is a psychological thriller short film about a group of people that wake up in a room with no idea where they are and have no idea why they are there. The film lasts for just under 8 years and stars five people, two females and three males. 

The use of mise-en-scene in the short film is very simple as everyone is wearing casual modern cloths that include jeans and a white T-shirt apart from one of the guys who is wearing a red t-shirt which makes you think you should watch him more closely for some reason as red becomes your focus point.  They also use objects such as a clock as a prop to add tension and suspense to the film. Overall, I would consider their mise-en-scene choices interesting as they add a lot of tension which builds throughout the film. 

The short film also uses a wide range of different camera shots and different camera techniques. For example, from the start of the film until around 34 seconds into it you have this long take 

which really makes you feel you are in the room for a long time with the characters. Next, a series of over the shoulder shots and pans make you feel part of the film before some high a low angle shots makes you feel like an observer again. High and low angle shots are also used to show who is weak and dominant at different points in the film. Cut aways of the ticking clock also create a lot of tension. 

Throughout the short film the camera work is well thought out and I think it adds to the pressure and suspense.  

Moving onto sound, the dialogue that is used in the short film is really good because it helps establish the setting it also helps develop the character though the short time of the film. Sound effects like the ticking clock also add tension. One thing I will say about the dialogue is that is could have been delivered better at times to get emotions over but this is because the actors are quite amateur and they did do well most of the time to get their points across. However in some parts of the film it seemed as if they just weren't there and by this I mean it seemed that they were playing a completely different character. When we cast and start filming we will have to keep an eye on the performance of our actors.  

In conclusion I believe this film is a primary example of how you can make a short film on a low budget and that sound is very important because if the dialogue is not right the story won;t come across. In this film the diegetic clock sound and the prop of the clock was very important because it showed 

how time was running out for the people inside the room. The clock also added a sense of drama to the scene that would have been missing if there had been no clock.