Analysing the short film 'Paradox' for media studies.

1. The title of the film ‘Paradox’ fades in with a white-coloured serif
font against a black background. The old-fashioned fade transition
and serif font suit the old-fashioned connotations that come with a
mental care institute. An eerie non-diegetic soundtrack
accompanies the title, along with some dripping in a hollow room,
suggesting the story takes place in a trapped environment.
The introduction to the protagonist positions the audience
on the same level of knowledge of the situation as him.
This is emphasised from starting off with a close-up then
the camera craning outwards to provide more puzzle
pieces to the narrative. They use a low angle shot to
emphasise how far down he is, shown through his muscle
shadows.
As the camera cranes outwards, it stops once another
figures arm emerges in the bottom corner, allowing the
audience to understand where the camera is focusing
at in the next shot. The low angle shot continues for
the next character, however with the mystery of not
knowing who he is, he appears superior and
intimidating.
Using a shallow focus and (presumably) a tripod for the
camera, the cameraman has created a shot where the
clarity of the protagonist’s features become sharper,
making a bigger impact on the audience from the facial
expression. These shots create tension and suspense,
while providing the sense that the situation is closer to
a solution.
The contrast between the two prime locations make
the twist even more impacting, the low lighting and
gloomy appearance of the well juxtaposed with the
white gowns and sunny estate.
Paradox (2014)