The Plan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OGX8iYBBCE&feature=related
The Plan is a short film about a man putting everything he has in his life on red at a Las Vegas casino. His mission is to go back to the days when life was easy and things happened by chance and to find a new love in his life.
The codes and connotations of the short film suggest a modern day setting with parts of the past leaking through. A central object of the short film is the mans vintage camera that prints onto film instead of being digital; this object records his journey until it is stolen by a mysterious woman. The costume of the man suggests a laid back character with an average income; his phone however also has the same amount of screen time as his camera as it has the opposite message to convey; while his camera represents the freedom of his past, his phone represents the restriction of his present and possible future because of the constant calls from his girlfriend. The props used in the film such as the camera and the phone have an important role to play in the film as well as the mains small over night bag "filled with the essentials of survival" which help to show some humor in the character. The setting connotes freedom as he travels down a highway, the open spaces and mass of sky connote this also. The setting changes when the man meets the women and she steals his camera; trucks are parked in the open space, clouding his view of the woman and threatens to send him back to the modern world he is so desperate to get away from.
A long shot is used to show the man walking away from the camera towards the bank, this puts an emphasis on where he is going and not where he has come from at this point because the money is a very important part of the story and it is established in this shot.
A mid shot is used to highlight certain points of the mans newly found freedom, one is in the car when he is singing along to his radio. The mid-shot focus's the audience on the man and his actions rather then the cars outside.
Close-ups are used in the film to show the man enjoying his journey and taking in the surroundings and gives the audience a chance to see the mans face a bit clearer at this point of the film for a longer take.
An over the shoulder shot is used when the characters girlfriend is calling on the phone; the shot puts the audience in the position of the character and makes the audience either relate to a simiular experience they have had or sympathise with the character. This adds to the relationship between the audience and the character.
Another shot of the character involved the camera spinning around him in a moment of panic and frustration when his camera is stolen. This involves the audience in the fast of movement of the scene but also the head spinning frustration of the character. The type of shot not only adds to the intensity of the scene but allows the audience to see the entire surrounding area of the charcater which adds to the reality of the situation.
An Extreme close up is used when the lady hands the man his chips for the roulette table, this connotes the importance of the chips and the part they have to play in the up and coming scenes.
The entirety of the short film has been made black and white; this could connote many different things about the character and the situation. The black and white filter could connote the characters life that is still haunting him as it was not the life he wanted and may have drained his living of colour. Another reason for making the film black and white could be so that the audience dont focus too much on colour and dont get distracted by it but instead focus on the image. The varity of shots used espically in the montage of the man getting ready help move time along and show more of the characters experiences.
Slow motion is used as the man approaches the casino and throughout the scene as he bets on red and loses. This heightens the tension of the scene and makes it go a painfully slow for the audience to build anticipation. Throughout the slowmotion used on the betting table you see no people apart from the dealers hands to completely focus the audience on the table and nothing else.
Music is used throughout the film and heightens when the camera is stolen and when the man sees the picture of himself on the wall. Other sounds such as the ringing of the phone is quite piercing and is used to unsettle not only the character but also the audience. During the slow motion casino scenes a loud drawn out bell sound helps build tension for the audience and only stops when the game is over. Voice overs are used mostly in the film to connote the characters inner thoughts and feelings and is used effectively when the man is packing for his long journey to emphasize what is going on.
The target audience for this short film would range from modern young adults to adults maybe reaching the peek of middle age. This range would form as the young adults would recognize the modern setting, clothes and props whereas the storyline of adventure and escaping may appeal to older adults. The connotations created by the props would also appeal to middle aged people as the camera and old western style shack may remind them of places, movies and items they might of owned years before or maybe a lost passion.
The film was written, directed and produced by Matthew Kalish who is a 33 year old short film and video maker from New York. The film has been rated 6.1 on IMBD and follows a list of other successful short films produced by Kalish.
Leah Brine
The Plan is a short film about a man putting everything he has in his life on red at a Las Vegas casino. His mission is to go back to the days when life was easy and things happened by chance and to find a new love in his life.
The codes and connotations of the short film suggest a modern day setting with parts of the past leaking through. A central object of the short film is the mans vintage camera that prints onto film instead of being digital; this object records his journey until it is stolen by a mysterious woman. The costume of the man suggests a laid back character with an average income; his phone however also has the same amount of screen time as his camera as it has the opposite message to convey; while his camera represents the freedom of his past, his phone represents the restriction of his present and possible future because of the constant calls from his girlfriend. The props used in the film such as the camera and the phone have an important role to play in the film as well as the mains small over night bag "filled with the essentials of survival" which help to show some humor in the character. The setting connotes freedom as he travels down a highway, the open spaces and mass of sky connote this also. The setting changes when the man meets the women and she steals his camera; trucks are parked in the open space, clouding his view of the woman and threatens to send him back to the modern world he is so desperate to get away from.
A long shot is used to show the man walking away from the camera towards the bank, this puts an emphasis on where he is going and not where he has come from at this point because the money is a very important part of the story and it is established in this shot.
A mid shot is used to highlight certain points of the mans newly found freedom, one is in the car when he is singing along to his radio. The mid-shot focus's the audience on the man and his actions rather then the cars outside.
Close-ups are used in the film to show the man enjoying his journey and taking in the surroundings and gives the audience a chance to see the mans face a bit clearer at this point of the film for a longer take.
An over the shoulder shot is used when the characters girlfriend is calling on the phone; the shot puts the audience in the position of the character and makes the audience either relate to a simiular experience they have had or sympathise with the character. This adds to the relationship between the audience and the character.
Another shot of the character involved the camera spinning around him in a moment of panic and frustration when his camera is stolen. This involves the audience in the fast of movement of the scene but also the head spinning frustration of the character. The type of shot not only adds to the intensity of the scene but allows the audience to see the entire surrounding area of the charcater which adds to the reality of the situation.
An Extreme close up is used when the lady hands the man his chips for the roulette table, this connotes the importance of the chips and the part they have to play in the up and coming scenes.
The entirety of the short film has been made black and white; this could connote many different things about the character and the situation. The black and white filter could connote the characters life that is still haunting him as it was not the life he wanted and may have drained his living of colour. Another reason for making the film black and white could be so that the audience dont focus too much on colour and dont get distracted by it but instead focus on the image. The varity of shots used espically in the montage of the man getting ready help move time along and show more of the characters experiences.
Slow motion is used as the man approaches the casino and throughout the scene as he bets on red and loses. This heightens the tension of the scene and makes it go a painfully slow for the audience to build anticipation. Throughout the slowmotion used on the betting table you see no people apart from the dealers hands to completely focus the audience on the table and nothing else.
Music is used throughout the film and heightens when the camera is stolen and when the man sees the picture of himself on the wall. Other sounds such as the ringing of the phone is quite piercing and is used to unsettle not only the character but also the audience. During the slow motion casino scenes a loud drawn out bell sound helps build tension for the audience and only stops when the game is over. Voice overs are used mostly in the film to connote the characters inner thoughts and feelings and is used effectively when the man is packing for his long journey to emphasize what is going on.
The target audience for this short film would range from modern young adults to adults maybe reaching the peek of middle age. This range would form as the young adults would recognize the modern setting, clothes and props whereas the storyline of adventure and escaping may appeal to older adults. The connotations created by the props would also appeal to middle aged people as the camera and old western style shack may remind them of places, movies and items they might of owned years before or maybe a lost passion.
The film was written, directed and produced by Matthew Kalish who is a 33 year old short film and video maker from New York. The film has been rated 6.1 on IMBD and follows a list of other successful short films produced by Kalish.
Leah Brine
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