Convention Explanation Professional Comparison Use, develop or challenge Effectiveness – Success/unsuccessThe bigger picture

5% 10% 15-20% 35% 25%Short film – less dialogue, minimal as possible

Very few exchanges of dialogue, used only when essential to narrative progression or revealing important aspects of character/narrative/settingMilgram: maximum speed, minimal dialogue

The Most Beautiful Man in the World – mother spoke to on the phone giving background detail about her character, situation, lifestyle, which inevitably affects the young girl. No exchange between girl and man, woman and man

Use – very little dialogue between each character, only used when necessary. Girl & woman reveal home life aspects key to narrative & overall meaning to film. Man also reveals key character aspects. Nothing said that isn’t relevant – developed as the little dialogue between “family” indication of distance in relationship, isolation, doesn’t speak unless spoken toDeveloped – at minor moments the main character talks with herself, not due to lack of other characters but to reveal aspects of her caring personality. Speech increased as film progressed, climax approaching, relevant/vital information exposed, ties loose ends mentioned previously (e.g. beginning = “druggie son” near end = “where’s my gear”)

Success – follows the form of social realist texts and shorts [not much room for lengthy dialogues]Dialogue was able to impose nature of characters: i.e. woman = aggression, lack of care/responsibility, priorities revealed. Man = cares solely for himself and his belongings. Girl = values life – all without the need of added action using vital screen timeMore focus is spent on the girl and bird growing relationship: girls determinism for good, her rejection from woman, loneliness and isolation from everything.

Location Setting

Majority of social realism films reject artificial sets. Prefer real, natural, authenticTypically run down areas around cities

Fish Tank, Kidulthood – uses real East London council estateGasman, Cubs – both location shootsExteriors and interiors selectively chosen on their aptitude to best represent the identity of the characters and their situation

Use – authentic, natural settings, characters of origin. Adds realism/verisimilitude, audience can relate to a high degree – house with unfinished construction, rusty trampoline, leafy/muddy grass garden, unkempt flower beds. Realistic to have a messy garden, not always to the standards depicted in films. Large garden yet not much to play with (child is less of priority), locked sheds, doesn’t dare approach one hidden in the corner – why?Challenged – not such typically run-down place, not in a city. Change of scenery from council owned housing: characters involved can/could afford this housing but still needed [repair] work (scaffolding). Middle class home housing lower class citizens (man using it for his criminal activities – i.e. sheds locked for illegal purposes)

Success – exteriors/interiors matches/expands upon characters needs/wants/obligations.Girl needs contact so the outside gives her a bird. Wants to help/be distracted but obliged to woman on sofa.

These micro elements neatly add to the desired macro effects: neglect, pre-occupation, isolation, loneliness.

Untrained Acting crew

Social realist films often use untrained,

Fish Tank – Katie Jarvis plucked from the street by Andrea Arnold

Use – actors of the location setting origin chosen for added realism – believability that they come

Success – willing participants, some with unofficial acting experience. Able

inexperienced actors, largely unknown - enhances verisimilitude – audience unlikely to recognise them so will be perceived as normal people.Use of actors of location setting origin also adds to verisimilitude

after witnessing her argue with her boyfriend

from there, familiar with the setting (same accent/costume as locals). Unknown actors to keep a “normal person” status (better known actors likely carry a certain fan base/admirers who expect certain styles of work – could affect honesty of film review or how actor perform)

to build upon the verisimilitude of the film with their understanding and interpretation of the script

Social issues / themes explored

Social realism texts frequently combat social hardships of the lower economic class

The Most Beautiful Man in the World – bare living room, nothing for a child to play with, neglect or economic hardship?About a Girl – teenage pregnancy, ignorance, neglectTwo Cars, One Night – neglect, self-entertainment, bonding

Challenged – the issues/themes explored are not to do with such a lower economic class like the majority of social realist texts but the hardship of an overlooked and under estimated class, middle class youth: isolation, loneliness, neglect, goodwill, determination.Developed – the prioritised themes/issues are not associated with lower socio-economic class crime, like typical realist films largely focus on, but to add further gritty, realist conventions a sub-narrative was introduced as the Man and his suspicious, likely crime-related behaviour. However, some of the characters are of lower economic class status but their surroundings are not.

Success – the issues and themes featured in the short are of common ground for most people, no matter what class or status you are. This greatly increases not only the relatability of the film but also its verisimilitude.

Success – By featuring a mixture of social class and status develops on the very specific class and status of characters social realist texts often use and allows greater relatability from a larger range of audience

World, Character, Problem

Marilyn Milgram – short films have limited time to effectively develop each element (W/C/P) that any dramatic narrative requires

Two Cars, One NightThe Most Beautiful Man in the WorldStripes –Each has as few characters as possible, revolving around a primary character and therefore their one world and problem.

Use – the focus of the story centres on one character, the young girl and her world. Mentions of other potential narratives, the narrative derives its dramatic elements from the limited focus of the young girl, her world and her newly introduced problem.Developed – sub-worlds, supporting characters and extended problems were introduced. There exist not just the one world, problem and character but another set intertwining with the one being demonstrated. The man and woman’s

Success – the girl is the main character, her world is the centre of the narrative, and her problems drive it onwards.

A main W/C/P and smaller ones add to a complex narrative but effectively drives a harder impact since the audience is forced into decoding the subtle hints so this added analysis allows the audience to understand the character, world and problems on a

worlds and problems clearly intervene and affect the girl’s world, inevitably causing problems. By subtly hinting at these other worlds/problems is developing on Milgram’s strict suggestion to keep the narrative simple.

deeper level

Natural Lighting

Social realist texts often use low key lighting to match the tone, mood, atmosphere of the filmNatural lighting is a large factor in obtaining verisimilitude

The Most Beautiful Man in the World – dark indoors, daylight fighting to get through the window blinds and piercing uncomfortable burn of daylight in exterior scenes: in equilibrium in either world

Use – using natural lighting allows me as the filmmaker to state that this film is a representation of natural situations, adds to the verisimilitude of the narrative. Contrast of dark interior vs light exterior

Success – the clean natural lighting of the outside world allows the young girl character to be represented as pure and innocent (as intended).In-equilibrium in either world (social realism convention) established

Diegetic sound – absence of non-diegetic

Large factor in obtaining verisimilitude

The Most Beautiful Man in the World – can hear only what is in the scene, i.e. pond, water, birds, flies etc.Stripes – kettle boiling used for tension build up instead of artificial/external music/sounds.

Use – same statement as natural lighting, natural sounds increase verisimilitude and the realism of what’s happening on screen/in the film. Camera wild tracks – pre-recording of non-dialogue outside scenes (back up in case action is great but unexpected noise interrupts)Birds in the garden indicate peacefulness and freedom, like the girl is trying to achieve

Success – much more concentrated expression of emotion from characters with no non-diegetic to distract the audience from obtaining the wrong idea about the situation. Much more pure and focused on the physical aspects of the film

Film Review – Synopsis box

Usually an all one grey colour box that contains the synopsis

Sight and Sound film reviews – solid grey background for the synopsis box

Developed – have used the same design but not kept the solid colour scheme. Developing on it by using a gradient of grey to represent the beginning, middle, end of the synopsis

Success – allows greater impact when reader, further understanding from the audience as the beginning, middle and end have been stated more clear than an ordinary review

Film Review – Font sizes

Increased font size for beginning of the title letters. Increased font size for the first couple lines of the initial review

Sight and Sound – often as one size per feature i.e. title all one size, review itself all one size etc.

Developed – have placed the title, production credits where they are usually found on professional texts but have developed on them by altering some of the sizing of the letters/text

Success – allows the title of the film to be noticed and remember much more from its alternate style

Film review – production still

Not a production-still was used as an image to represent

Sight and Sound – always have production stills to accompany their reviews as a form of

Challenged – not used a production still at all. Cartoon imagery. Has had a picture effect placed over it completely challenging the naturalistic

Success – tells you more about the film than if a production still were used

the film representing the film in its element (naturalistic/gritty etc.)

production stills used in professional reviews

Film Poster Used - Success – not a typical poster. Inspired by a unique style format