SHORT FILM ANALYSIS

PROXiMITY A Short Film by Ryan Connolly

Proximity is a short action film by “Film Riot”. The film includes a thrilling story of a man who avoids death, we see him battle for his life as he is hunted down by a mysterious gang of trained hunters.

The 2 antagonists seam to have done this before as we see them casually let the people free and take pleasure in watching them flee, not knowing that their death is inevitable. All four hostages have a ankle brace locked on to them, which detonates when a 2 people separate.

We see the leading protagonist realize that when the pair of people separate, the charge in the ankle brace detonates. We this information he picks up his unconscious partner and begins to sprint.

There is only one main character in the short film, the other characters are only seen in the film temporarily and are killed off pretty quick

First Frame Impressions The first frame really connotes

what direction the narrative is heading in. The colour correctionused gives off a rustic, dirty sortof image which reflects thecharacters clothing and situationThey are in. The rusty van seenin the background and bag over thecharacters heads, allows the audience to gain a insight onto what the film is going to be about, it wastes little time by getting straight into the action, grabbing the audience’s attention. The dirty clothes also shows that the hostages have been treated poorly and have taken a beating. This all helps to raise the drama and build tension

can be a brutal murder as he will show no compassion. The shot allows the audience to see that he is a smoker, this reflects his image making him seam more brute and rough, the shotgun being casually held in his hand also connotes an image of abnormality, as if this is just another day at work.

The close up of the main antagonists allows the audience to gain an insight on what kind of character the leading antagonist is. From the shot used we can see the slicked back hair and fresh hair cut connotes to the audience that the antagonist is very confident and with this

The leading protagonist is stated from the very beginning as we see a closeup of his face. He is first to be shown out of the fourhostages. We see that he does not look concerned orconfused, he remains calmand shows a little confidencewhich represents a leading protagonist very well.

The use of the close up allows the audience to see his facial expression to having the bag removed from his head. We see the man look around, looking at the environment which surrounds him, he does not look worried nor confused, as if to suggest he has been here before..

A rustic look has been given to the film through colour correction and the time of day filmed, this adds a nice dramatic effect to the action being seen. The remote area to which the film was shot adds a thrilling/horror effect to support the narrative. It builds tension as we see the characters being released into the woods, a typical place used in horror films, yet in this we see the characters attempt to escape from the hunters.

A combination of Wide shots, Medium shots, Tracking and Close ups are used to explain to the audience how the ankle brace works. We see how the two hostages at the beginning run away from the two hunters and separate in an instant. Through the use of a close up we can see the ankle brace turn red and then within 10 beeps it blows your leg off. This harsh method of torture, is used for an unknown reason. Nevertheless the leading protagonist clocks on to what is going on and decides to outsmart the hunters.

The soundtrack used in thebackground cleverly reflectsthe action being witnessed onscreen.

The hard hitting sound of the drums and snare, buildstension and creates drama. We hear the beat get faster as we witness the leading protagonist attempt to escape.

The soundtrack is used through out the entire running scene, the use of different orchestral sounds makes the action being witnessed on screen seam faster and therefore pulling the audience to the edge of their seats. It makes the running scene more dramatic and pleasurable to watch

Tension builds as we see the main antagonist heartlessly kill one of the innocent hostages crawling to save his life.

Through the use of a low angle the, we see the blown off foot in the corner of the screen, as well as the body of the hostage in the rest of the upper corner of the framewith a shotgun being held to his head. This connotes to the audience that the

antagonists of the film are heartless and brutal. The use of the dark woods creates a dark atmosphere which heightens the tension, as we fear for the surviving hostage, who has no idea who he is up against.

In the next running scene the use of quickfast paced shots allows the audience to fullygain the thrill and rush of the scene.

The audience can relate to the sheer terror of the protagonist as he chases down the other hostage in order for them not be killed

Through the use of medium closeups and wide shots, the fast paced action is presented in a way to which the audiencecan appreciate. They will be able to feel the rush and tension building as they witness the main protagonist fight for his life

In the final fight scene we see the two Characters, brawl in muddy water.

Multiple camera shots are used to present the fight scene to the best it can be. Close ups are used when punches are thrown, this allows the audience to appreciate the brutality of the fight and see the damage up close.

In this scene there is no soundtrack being heard in the background.This allows you to appreciate the 1 to 1 fight.It allows the audience to purely concentrate on the fight that is taking place in the muddy lake, the frantic sound of the men throwing their bodies around in the mud in order to throw punches or try to avoid a grapple.

The close up used, shows the protagonist now in dark black clothes. It shows a contrast from theprotagonist and now antagonist through the use of clothing.

The clean, sharp, black t shirt similar to the look of the previous antagonists appearanceis cleverly used to show the cycle of how you become a hunter. Once you kill a hunter, you then become one.

The soundtrack used is very low pitched, symbolizing the danger of the situation, also that we have just witnessed the protagonist become a antagonist, the audience feels a slight sense of disapproval.

Summary Overall the video is very clever. It contains a smart story line which

is presented in a creative and professional way. Through the use of the location, actors, editing and camera work ‘Film Riot’ creates a action packed, fast paced short film which will leave you on the edge of your seat.

The actors used played their roles very well and the location fitted the genre and narrative perfectly. The narrative is not something that is common, it is very different and stands out which therefore makes you want to watch to the very end. This is what makes the short film so successful.