Marcus Pelham Short Film Analysis - 'Mixtape'

'Mixtape' by Luke Snellin [2009]:

GENRE: Romance

The theme of romance is conveyed through the relationship between Ben and Lily; the use of a mixtape denotes 'young love' and innocence whilst the use of parallel editing suggests a relationship between the two. Sound is also used effectively to communicate the concept of love, with the lyrics of the diegetic soundtrack declaring 'I wonder where my baby is tonight'; it also enforces the parallel editing as they both are shown to be singing to it

NARRATIVE: 

'Ben spends his time listening to his Dad's old 70's vinyl and making mixtapes on an old double deck tape recorder. He makes a tape to try and woo the girl next door, Lily, the girl of his dreams' -synopsis from the director, Luke Snellin

The narrative used is simple and relies upon archetypal characters [ie. the shy young boy in love and the girl next door] - this is important as, due to the short amount of time the film has to communicate the narrative to the audience, the audience has to be absolutely sure on each character's purpose immediately

The narrative also covers a short amount of time and is shot in two settings, representing a 'vignette' in the lives of the two characters; this high level of focus on the protagonists communicates to the audience that they are to be sympathized with - this is also supported by camerawork

I believe that using a simple narrative is key to creating a successful short film - in our film, we will look to include stereotypical characters and limit the amount of settings we use! Also, unless we decide to create a thriller short film, we would look to utilize a linear structure to offer the audience as much information as possible from the opening

SOUND:

Opening shot in Mixtape

The use of sound is vital to communicating the narrative to the audience in this film. For example, the plot itself revolves around the idea of a mixtape, a means of sharing music. This is shown in the first shot, accompanied by the diegetic sound of the tape reel recording a new tape. This immediately signals to the audience that the film is all about music, but more importantly, the role of music in bringing people together.

Sound also enforces the connection between Ben and Lily; after receiving the mixtape, Lily is shown singing to it, followed by parallel editing showing them both dancing to the same song - this creates the impression of their unity as they are both listening to the song at the same time.

Close up of facial expression used
when Ben leaves the house

In addition, sound is used to generate mood. For example, when Ben leaves the house to give the mixtape to Lily, the soundtrack becomes more upbeat and uses distorted guitar, creating a sense of determination as well as anxiety. This enforces the facial expression shown in the corresponding shot. In a similar manner, the soundtrack used in the final scene implies happiness and romance, supporting the dancing that both characters are shown doing.

CAMERAWORK / MISE EN SCENE / EDITING:

Closing shot of Mixtape

There are several interesting uses of camerawork, mise en scene and editing in the short film. Firstly, I feel the closing shot really emphasizes the narrative concept behind the entire film. It is a form of two shot, but covers two settings, encapsulating the relationship between the two. It also clearly highlights the body language of both characters and suggests that both are thinking of the other. I would like to include a shot like this in our piece as it is a simple shot to shoot yet effective and it contributes a significant amount to the narrative.

The use of the mixtape is also effective. During the film, it serves two main purposes; firstly, it establishes the theme of romance, with it's connotations of young love. However, it also works as a way of creating a link between the two characters, without the need for dialogue or lengthy explanations. This use of mise en scene is an interesting one and is often used in complicated thrillers [such as the diamond in Guy Ritchie's Snatch] to communicate a link between a diverse range of characters. However, by using this technique in a simple setting, it also works as a good way of managing time in a short film.

Parallel editing sequence from Mixtape [Left-to-Right]

Parallel editing is essential to this film; without it, the narrative would become difficult to follow and thus, become less effective. It is a very simple way of creating a link between characters. As a group, we tried to use this technique in our AS product. However, we didn't use parallel editing to inform the audience but to confuse them. It would be interesting to use this technique in a similar way to Mixtape in our film and develop an audience's understanding of the narrative through it's use.

THEMES / REPRESENTATION:

The main theme in Mixtape is that of young love, which is presented in a positive manner throughout. There are no 'heavy' meanings or purposes behind the film and it's main aim appears to be to entertain. It also relies heavily upon stereotypes to convey information about the characters efficiently, which is a technique our group should consider as one of the main criticisms of our AS piece was that the narrative lacked clarity and confused the audience.