The Arrival - Going inside a character's mind

The initial shot of this film sets us up for the messy and crowded thoughts of the main character, as we are shown a fogged up window with her the other side, until the door moves away, giving us a clear image, almost as if she has time to clear her head and think to herself.




The simple wide shot, slowly zooming in to a close up allows space for the internal monologue to breathe, as well as the clever audio and lighting effects which dramatize the situation. Sound effects of thunder play in the background every so often, heightening the scenario, as well as the incredibly dramatic train sound effects and lighting, which make us empathise with the character and understand how it can feel sometimes to have crowded thoughts, and feel completely overwhelmed despite being in a tranquil setting.


A great comical moment occurs when a baby enters the coffee shop, heard via audio before we see it being pushed in a pram, and Anna (protagonist) loses complete focus on what she is doing and ends up pouring coffee all over the table. The lack of dialogue in this moment presents to us the incredibly scared and anxious emotions Anna is feeling internally, without her saying a word.


A great and easy way to jump straight into a characters mind is to have internal dialogue, as it is a convention that the audience will always understand to be inner thoughts.


I don't think that the overall format of this short film is particularly appealing to me, nor would I replicate it. However, I personally really enjoyed the comedic shot of the milk-spilling, and found dramatic use of sound and lighting a great way of presenting over-crowded thoughts, something every audience member can relate to. Therefore, I think I may want to replicate this technique in my own short film.