SOFT
Writer: Simon Ellis
Director: Simon Ellis
Producer: Jane Hooks
Awards: Best British Short - British Independent Film Awards (Won - 2008), Sundance Film Festival - Short Filmmaking Award (Won - 2008), Flickerfest International Short Film Festival - Best Short Film (Won - 2008), BAFTA Awards - Best Short Film (Nominated - 2008) and many more.
The set-up begins with high stakes as their is a pursuit straight away and also the controversy of the happy slap, as when this film came out, happy slapping was a big event in youth at the time. Micro elements from the technical category of camera movement - hand-held is deployed at the beginning of this film, as a phone camera is used by one of the characters and this technique creates a sense of realism and intimacy to the audience as it is from a point of view shot and therefore makes it feel as if they're part of the entourage. This technique of found-footage adds texture to the film as it contrasts the rest of the film's high clarity and quality shots. The reason for their use of this technique when introducing this film is because it is symbolic towards the genre of social realism as it creates a gritty and realist aesthetic. Furthermore, micro elements from the technical category of mise-en-scene - costume are being deployed as they make the gang of boys wear tracksuits, sportswear, trainers, snap-backs etc. as this creates a representation of their gang and characterizes them as chav's. This representation of the gang is strengthened with the use of the micro element from the technical category of sound - dialogue as they have a distinguished accent, terminology and slang to their vocabulary that tells the audience that they are stereotypical chav's. It begins to explore the generational gap through the use of the micro element from the technical category of sound - diegetic sound as there is the youth with bass booming and no regard for the parent and the parent feeling very agitated by the music, this begins to show a theme of respect vs. disrespect. Also, a theme of strong vs. weak appears as micro elements from the technical category of camera angle - high angle is deployed as we look down the stairs and see the parent as a small figure, this begins to show signs that the man is weak and vulnerable and because the son is unaware that the father is trying to tell him something or he is ignoring him, it creates a dominance between the relationship and shows the son as the alpha. The theme of appearance vs. reality now begins to become apparent as the father and the neighbor interact and due to the previous scene, the audience understand that he’s not happy but acts happy towards the neighbor anyway. Micro elements from the technical category of editing - cross-cutting is being deployed as this builds tension between the two characters and the different lives they live due to the generational gap. Tension continues to rise when the father walks to the shop, as the micro elements from the technical category of sound - non-diegetic is being deployed as the sound is very bare and stripped out, this allows the audience to become a part of the film and to only experience the bare and gritty diegetic sound - this creates intimacy towards the viewer, making them once again feel a sense of realism. Micro elements from the technical category of mise-en-scene - hair and make-up is deployed as they create visual symmetry of the son and father's face injuries, this begins to provoke a theme of 'the circle of life' and shows that the son is on track to become a recreation of his father. Finally, the resolution is that the son breaks these thoughts of 'the circle of life' and fights back with a cricket bat and shows his power and freedom as he is not conforming to what his dad says and is becoming his own self.
Themes
Violence
Weak vs. Strong (Power)
Youth stimulation
Boredom
Anti-social behaviour
Parenting (Neglect)
Realism (Authentic)
Class confrontation
Resentment
Fight or Flee
Issues
Imprisonment vs freedom
Misguided
Hiding
Bullying
Illegality vs legality
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