Soft by Simon Ellis - A Short Film on sound
Sundance Film Festival 2008 winner - Soft by Simon Ellis.
This short in particular impressed me with its use of sound to build suspense and tension for the two main protagonists, whilst setting up an interesting and unexpected ending.
Like many feature films, Soft goes straight into the story by initialising with a moment of action. However, what makes the opening sequence within this short stand out to me, is the use of degraded sound and audio quality, simulating an effect which implies it has been recorded on a mobile phone. This, along with school uniforms and the shouting of young teens, does not only pull the audience straight into the narrative as the students rush to the scene of the action, but also instantly sets up the context of the story for the viewer. We can very quickly put the pieces together to realise that there is probably some sort of school fight occurring. The choreography of the harsh, brutal punches has a shocking effect on the viewer, setting up a weak protagonist, therefore preventing a foregone conclusion as it is actually the more timid looking character that is ultimately active.
The quiet and peaceful establishing shot of the small street in which 'Scott,' and his father live on directly contrasts the previous action, creating a domestic setting for the audience to recognise instantly. The thumping techno music Scott blaring as his father arrives tells us about his character, by implying his age and showing that he does not want to be bothered by his father, backed up by the shot of his feet as he stops and walks back up the stairs. The silence from Scott after his father calls out to him also represents how he does not want him to see his injuries, as the father appears to be the antithesis of 'soft,' and would therefore be ashamed of Scott.
This short in particular impressed me with its use of sound to build suspense and tension for the two main protagonists, whilst setting up an interesting and unexpected ending.
Like many feature films, Soft goes straight into the story by initialising with a moment of action. However, what makes the opening sequence within this short stand out to me, is the use of degraded sound and audio quality, simulating an effect which implies it has been recorded on a mobile phone. This, along with school uniforms and the shouting of young teens, does not only pull the audience straight into the narrative as the students rush to the scene of the action, but also instantly sets up the context of the story for the viewer. We can very quickly put the pieces together to realise that there is probably some sort of school fight occurring. The choreography of the harsh, brutal punches has a shocking effect on the viewer, setting up a weak protagonist, therefore preventing a foregone conclusion as it is actually the more timid looking character that is ultimately active.
The quiet and peaceful establishing shot of the small street in which 'Scott,' and his father live on directly contrasts the previous action, creating a domestic setting for the audience to recognise instantly. The thumping techno music Scott blaring as his father arrives tells us about his character, by implying his age and showing that he does not want to be bothered by his father, backed up by the shot of his feet as he stops and walks back up the stairs. The silence from Scott after his father calls out to him also represents how he does not want him to see his injuries, as the father appears to be the antithesis of 'soft,' and would therefore be ashamed of Scott.
A very good short, good choice and tight analytics after.
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