analysis of the short 'unleaded'

1. Openswitha blankscreenwhichcreatesasinisteratmosphere.
Nondiegeticsoundof petrol stationstartssuddenlyasthe title
of the shortrevealsitself tothe audienceshowingconventions
of a thrillerasitjumpsquicklyonthe screen withthe intention
to startle the audience.Jumpcutstonextshot.
Wide angle showsalmost3D image of petrol count,thiscouldbe seen
as a countdownof some sorts once againcreatinga sinister
atmosphere asthe numberschange.Diegeticsound of petrol being
pumped
Thisshot alsorevealsthe locationasit’sat a petrol stationasyou can
tell fromthe petrol count.Camerajumpcuts to nextshot.
Blurredmidshotof mysteriousfigure,the blurredimage allowsthe
audience towonderwhothe personisas the tense openingof this
short continues,showingkeyconventionsof athriller.Diegetic
soundof the constanthummingnoise of the petrol pumps
continuingfromthe lastshot.The figure walkstowardsthe camera
as it beginstofocus.
As the figure walkstothe photoit createsa close upshot revealing
the character. The fact that she is female couldtake awaythe
sinisteratmosphere due tostereotypesbutshe isyoungandhas her
hoodup the mise enscene couldrepresent herasviolent. Diegetic
soundof the constanthummingnoise of the petrol pumps
continuingfromthe lastshot. Backgroundisblurredto focuson the
unveiledcharactersuggestingimportance.Once againjumpcutis
usedto transitiontonextshot.
Trackingmid shotseeminglikeapovfrom the female character,
showingtwomalesbarge intothe shop;as the diegeticsoundof the
bell ringingitforeshadowseventstakingplace ahead.Mise enscene
isusedto show violence withinthe propof a gunused,showingthis
genre to be a thriller.Jumpcutsto nextshotto perhapskeepthe
pace andcreate a panickingatmosphere.The costume of the male
characters inall blackalso representsthemasviolent.

2. As the character entersthe shopwe getto this,a overthe shoulder
shotof one of the robberspointingagunat the teen,thisviolent
scene containslouddialogue andnon-diegeticsoundof tense
music.The use of vulgarlanguage bythe robberonce again
portrayshimas violent.The robberisblurredbutthe gunisclear
suggestingthe gunisthe mainfocusin thisshot.It thenjumpcuts
to the nextshot.
In thisnextshotthe hoodedteenisclosedupbythe camera
blurringthe robberandthe gunand the use of camera,blankfacial
expressionandheadphonescancellingoutbackgroundsoundit
suggestthe teenisina worldof hisownonce again basingitof a
youthstereotype. Diegeticsoundof musiccomingthrough
headphones.
Thispointof view shotrevealsthe people drivingthe parkedcar,
and addscomedicvalue asthese twocharacters seemtobe on
drugsbasedon theirfacial expressionrevealedbythe close up
POV.Breakingthe tense atmosphere,the diegeticsoundof
dialogue introducesthe new characterscomedicpersonalitythen
jumpcuts to the povcharacter to reveal himtoo.The use of these
characters beingyoungrepresentsthembasedonkeystereotypes
as theyseemtobe irresponsible.
Thisclose up shotrevealinganew characteralsoadds comedic
value asthe character seemtobe on drugs basedontheirfacial
expressionrevealedbythe close up.Butthrough dialogue yousee
tensionthroughthe charactersand volume increasesto
emphasise the argument.Alsomusicinthe background
contributestothe youthstereotypesbutalsoaddscomedicvalue,
thenjumpsto nextshotof himgoingto the shop.

3. Diegeticsoundof aggressive dialogue andthisisa negative
stereotype onblackpeople linkingthemtocrime.Close upof
the shot showsthe aggression onhisface once againplaying
on the violentstereotypeof blackpeople.
Close upshotof the phone showsthatthe character ison the
phone revealingthistothe viewerbutnotto the restof the
characters explainingthe confusionof the robbers.Thisadds
humourto the scene throughthe dialogue usedbetweenthe
characters onthe phone,butonce againthe use of aggressive
dialogue fromthe robbersbreaksthe humourandcreatesa
hostile atmosphere inthe scene.
As the shotjumpcuts to thisyousee whichrobberisshouting
and usingaggressive dialogue.The propof the gun supportsthe
use of aggressive tone inthe soundof dialogue.Thenthe shot
jumpcuts to the nextshot.
Thisnextshotof a close up showsthe otherendof the phone
call and once again humourisshownthroughdialogue.There is
low keylightingandbecause of thisitcreatesa menacing
atmosphere,butthisiscontradictedbythe dialogue.
A quickjumpcut comesto a low angle shotof the bell forthe
shopdoor. Thisshotlastsbarelya secondas thishostile
situationgetsmore intense.The diegeticsoundof the bell
almoststartlesthe viewerandthisquicklyjumpstothe next
shot.

4. Because of the quickjumpcut the nextshotisa mid-shotof
the robberfiringhisgun,the expressiononhisface is
capturedperfectly itshowsthe robbersaggressive character
and intenttokill.The diegeticsoundof the bell ringsontothis
shotbut it’soverpoweredbythe gunshot.The shotthenonce
againjumpcuts to the next.
In the final shotthisoverthe shoulderangle showsthe shocked
face of the shopkeeperasthe character in the greyhoodie
wentaboutnormally.The diegeticsoundof dialogue of the
character buyingsomethingcreatesasense of normalitybeing
put back intothe scene as itcomesto a close.
The soundcuts to create a realisationof whowasshot,the
victimwasthe accomplice. Thisclose upshowsthe shocked
expressiononthe victimsface andseemstomake the viewer
empathise withthe characterastime seemstostandstill with
the lack of sound.In the backgroundyousee the most of the
wordswarningand securityforeshadowingandjuxtaposingthe
eventsthattookplace.
As the victimandrobbersare nowhere tobe seenthe main
character isconfusedasto what justhappenedonce again
representingthe youthasunaware.Thisclose upfromlooking
intothe shop window showsthe charactersblankexpression.
No soundisstill goingonmaybe todescribe the atmosphere as
shockto perhapsthe shopkeeperbutalsothe normalitytothe
character inthisshot.