Textual Analysis - Salaryman 6

Click here to watch 'Salaryman 6' via BBC Film Network

Salaryman 6 is a seven minute drama that is based on one character called Shiode. After Shiode loses his memory, he pieces together his rather boring and repetitive life with the help of his modified camera. 

This short film begins with the ending of Shiode waking up from his daze, starting his memory loss. Although, it is more a case of Short Term Memory loss, in that he cannot remember what happens the day before. Shiode is a very isolated person that is very alone. This is not only portrayed through the physical sense that he is never with anybody else, but the sheer size of his apartment block and that every apartment is identical. His apartment is this tiny little part of this huge block, much like he is one tiny little part of not only the world, but his corporation. 

He explains that he decides to take pictures of his days, but using his specially modified camera that takes pictures automatically. He hangs the camera round his neck so that it takes pictures all day. 

As the film begins, the pace is quite slow with slow editing, but as the film progresses the rate of editing becomes much faster as though the audience knows what is happening and Knight (The Director) is just trying to show us the important parts of the camera flashing. 

Near the end it is revealed to us how mundane and repetitive his life is, showing the same four pictures over four days. The whole concept and ideology within this film is about loneliness and solitude. And it is conveyed through all Shiode's surroundings being white. White being a blank canvas. A canvas for his whole life to start again. 

Textual Analysis - Ashes

Click here to watch 'Ashes' via BBC Film Network. 

Ashes is a ten minute improvised drama about a man who travels to Anfield in order to scatter his father's ashes. It follows the two characters not only on their physical journey, but also the emotional journey as they become closer and closer as father and son. 

Being an improvised drama allows not only the actors to play around with dialogue, but also allows the camera shots and movement to be a bit experimental. It also means that some of the camera shots are filmed in a voyeuristic style as they couldn't give away that they were filming the two actors. It had to seem as though they were two ordinary people. This meant that when the father was asking for directions from the Taxi Driver, there were doors being opened in the way and people were walking across in front of the camera. 

As the short film progresses, the audience begins to feel attached to the two characters and almost as though they are actually father and son. You also feel quite sad for the Father after the son throws the Urn into the Mersey. However, despite this, you get a feeling that perhaps the Father doesn't mind that this has happened. The Father is a Liverpool supporter (the football shirt gives this away) and could suggest that his father was a Liverpool supporter. It suggests that it was agreed that his ashes would be scattered in the place he loves, but not quite in the sense that he was finally left bobbing up and down amongst leaves and various bits of rubbish in the water. 

I think this film is a really effective production, especially being improvised. It seems to have a more realistic flow as opposed to something that has been completely scripted. 

Directors

Many Directors of feature length films came from a background of short film making. Among these is US Director Martin Scorsese and British Film Director Shane Meadows. 

Meadows has been making short films since 1994 over 40 short films. Some of these were promotional music videos, some were documentaries and some were films. He has also directed eight feature length films, his most famous, 'This Is England' winning him the British Independent Film Award 2006. 

Meadows suffered from bullying when he was at school after his father was suspected of killing a child that he discovered something that comes across in some of his films. 

Despite having made it in the feature length films, Meadows continues to create short films as he stated in an interview that he would never forget what got him to where he is, something that some Hollywood Directors originating from short films seem to forget. 

'The Stairwell' Shane Meadows' shortest film lasting 39 seconds and was filmed on a mobile phone. It features two people walking on a staircase, one heading up the other heading down, until the meet by violently bumping into each other.

It is a very simple situation, that happens to everybody. However, Meadows has created huge tension in the build up to the incident and has made the incident more violent than you would think by the huge reaction by the two actors. 

The use of the shots when the two characters are walking up the stairs seem as though the characters are gliding like ghosts, but this may be the way Meadows has attached the camera. It may be on a pedestal or attached to the actor itself. 

This all adds to the tension of not knowing what is going to happen, and the lighting helps to achieve this also.  

As mentioned above, Martin Scorsese started out in the short film area. One of his most famous films, 'The Big Shave' was a six minute film produced in 1967. It features a gentleman shaving away his hair, then his skin in an increasingly bloody and graphic bathroom scene. A number of film critics have interpreted the process of self-mutilation as a metaphor to the "self-destructive involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War," which was prompted by the film's alternative title, 'Viet '67.'  This was considered due to idea that this man is continuing to shave, when it isn't necessary, similar to that of the US being in Vietnam when it wasn't necessary. 

The very graphic dripping of blood into the very white sink can also be linked to the metaphor of the Vietnam War. The blood was staining the sink, but this person continued without even hesitating, whilst people were dying in Vietnam and it didn't seem to bother the US. 

Unlike Shane Meadows, Martin Scorsese didn't return to making short films after his success with feature length films such as 'Taxi Driver' and 'Goodfellas'.

Distribution of Short Films

Short films very rarely have a successful distribution. Unlike that of mainstream, where Production companies rake in the profit during this process. Because short films aren't as popular as mainstream cinemas it can be seen that there isn't much of an audience, and they cannot rely simply on box office and DVD sales. 

There are a number of successful short films that make it onto Compilation DVDs. These feature a number of different short films that have been successful and these are most useful in schools that are studying short films. Very few make it onto a DVD on its own. One such exception was Chris Cunningham's 'Rubber Johnny.' This was a 6 minute film that was distributed by Warp Films in 2005. It was suggested that this was released on its own as it was an accompanying video for the music of Aphex Twin and it seemed that this may help sales of their records. 

Another example is the work of Shane Meadows who has a DVD Compilation of just his work. 

With the technological advancement and convergence, short films are becoming easily accessible via the internet. Sites such as Youtube and BBC Film Network this is a quick process of distribution and it is beneficial to short film makers as it doesn't cost them a lot of money, and their work can be broadcast around the world.

Recently over the Christmas holidays, iTunes had an application called '12 Days of Christmas.' This was free to download from the App Store and each day consisted of the user receiving a free gift. One of these gifts was 'Peter and The Wolf' - a short film that has been distributed to viewers via iTunes and an Application.  

Exhibition of Short Films

The exhibition of short films within cinemas is almost impossible. Nowadays, the most likely places to have your short films exhibited are short film festivals or specialist screenings, and now with the increase in modern technology, on the internet. 

They are now even more ways of broadcasting short films over the internet and to a better level than Youtube. These can include 'Future Shorts' although to view the short films, it transfers you to a Youtube Channel. 

One that is slightly more recognised is BBC Film Network. It is an easy to use platform that allows young aspiring filmmakers to upload their short films and to be able to view other filmmakers videos also. 

It is structured in the same way as BBC iPlayer. It has a simple layout with tabs that are easy to navigate between pages and uses labels and tags to make it easy to find a particular film or genre. 

Production of Short Films

Coffee Films is a British Independent Film Company. It was established in 1996 as a Short Film Collective and Coffee Films incorporated in 2003. Within a year, it was recognised as one of Europe's best young production companies. It later progressed to creating documentaries on wildlife and music and gained critical acclaim for its documentary 'Last of the Scottish Wildcats.'

Over the years, Coffee Films has produced a huge range of different films, experimenting with technique, style, genre and generally the moving image. They range from classic five minute black and white films to hour long documentaries.

These include 'How To Disappear Completely' - an 8 minute DV film following a young photographer who can no longer stand the ugly face of society and turns his back on it. Shot for just £500 "the film they called a waste of time" has won several awards, been called a masterpiece and screened across four continents over the last three years.

Click Here to watch 'How To Disappear Completely'

They are currently producing three more films concentrating on realistic, gritty storylines such as 'Dealer' - a low budget 40 minute Hi-8 black and white/colour short following a week in the life of a young drug dealer living in the south east England commuter belt.

They also work in collaboration with Coffee Shorts. Coffee Shorts is an independent short film production company that was founded in 2003. They have only produced and released 7 short films, but they also showcase other young aspiring filmmakers work.

Development of Short Films

Cinema Extreme is a major UK Short Film funding awards scheme. It was founded in 2002, and is funded by the UK Film Council's New Cinema Fund and Film 4. The project has been managed by The Bureau with the aim "to seek out and develop filmmakers with a distinctive directorial voice and cinematic flair."

Since it's launch in 2002, it has been highly successful and has helped many aspiring filmmakers and directors to create a short film, that has actually helped them get into the film industry. The awards that have been given have ranged from £25,000 - £30,000.

One example of this is Andrea Arnold's short film Wasp catapulted Andrea to direct Red Road which won the Cannes Jury Prize in 2006.

A Clip from Wasp

Red Road Trailer

The Cinema Extreme funding scheme allowed Andrea Arnold to create her short film which has then pushed her into creating a British feature film, which won a number of awards.