NEA Evaluation

1. The Pregame EVALUATION Candidate 7092, OCRFilmStudiesAlevel NEA
The rulesfor determiningashortfilmforthe OSCARsis‘an original motionpicture thathasa
runningtime of 40 minutesorless,includingall credits.’Shortfilmsare usuallycentredarounda
simple premise orsimple narrativestructure.Theydiffer fromfeature-lengthfilmsinthattheyare
oftenmore abstract or artisticapproachestoa subjectmatter.Thiscan be seenwithfilmmakersin
short filmsuchas TaikaWaititi andMartin Scorsese.Astheyhave a shorterrunningtime than
feature-lengthfilms,theyare focusedmore onthe qualityof the cinematographyandother
microelementsthanthe usual appealsof filmtothe consumer.The shortrunningtime meansthe
narrative if used,mustbe well structuredandimmediatelydraw inthe audience.Shortfilmsare
viewedmostlyonstreamingservicessuchasYoutube andVimeo,however,theycanalsobe shown
at filmfestivalsorawardshows.Shortfilmsare a more accessible mediumforamateur filmmakers.
The short filmsflexibilityallowsformore artistic andunique approachestofilmmaking,there is
more freedomof creatingart thanthat of a feature film, asthere islessconsumer-basedartificiality.
The Pregameconsciouslysubvertsthe traditional HollywoodThree ActStructure.InShortFilms,this
structure isoftentimes punchydue tolimitedtime.InOperator, the Three ActStructure was
followed,there wasthe setupof the establishedoperatorroomshownthroughpanningshotsand
diegeticsound,the call whichbeginsthe conflictsectionandfinallythe resolve of the call.However,
Operatorhadan openendingwhenthe phone wascalledagain,givingthe impression thatwe were
seeingasnapshotof these phone operator’slives.Iwanted toimmerse the viewerinthe tension
and excitementof teenagers attendingpartiesandexperimentingwithalcohol,andthe often-
dramaticeventsthatcan occur, so I includedthe setupof the interiorscenesandDuffywalkingto
the house.However,the conflictsectionbeginswithDuffy’srejectionandseemstocontinue until
the openending. Operator’s openendinggivesasense of continuousnessof the Operator’slives
whichallowsusto appreciate thistoughcareer,whereas ThePregame’s openendingwith Zayn’s
reactionleavesaudiencesatthe edge of theirseats.Therefore,bynotfollowingaclear
interpretationof Syd Field’sIwantedtoalignthe viewerwiththe melodramaof beingateenager,
where itoftenfeelsasthougheverythingseemstogowrong.By leavingthe ending ambigiousasto
whatwill happentoZaynand if the groupwill evergettothe party, itleavesthe viewerin the
‘conflict’step,whichIthinkmakesthe filmmemorable.
Figure 1: Still from the open ending of the film

2. The Pregame EVALUATION Candidate 7092, OCRFilmStudiesAlevel NEA
As I hadsuch a short amountof time toestablishcharacters,of whichIhad many,I neededtouse
costume andhair to portray whotheyare.For example,Hugo’sfullblackNike-tracksuitandbeanie
witha hoodclearlyshowedthathe wasimitatingthe ‘roadman’style.Thiskindof stereotypical
attire of the ‘roadman’createdcomedyandfitwith Bede’sperformanceasHugo,whichinhisfirst
interactionwithDuffy,isstand-offishandaggressive. IwasinspiredbyTightJeans,whichsimilarly
usesstereotypestocreate comedy. Idirectedthe characterto initiallyuse an exaggerated South
Londonmulticultural dialect,whichislatersubvertedashe revealshisreal accent,a veryposhRP,
and the fact he is imitatingthistoughpersonaisrevealed. Iusedexpressionisticcinematographyand
lightingtechniques throughoutmyfilmtocreate comedicmelodrama.Forexample,thisisseenin
the fightscene,inwhichIused low anglestomake Hugo lookmonstrous,andslow-motionclose ups
of Hugo’sstrainedfacial expressionwhilstattackingZayn.Iusedcrashzoomsand reactionshotsto
create comedy throughclearsense of satire.The sequence wasinspiredbyboxingfilms,suchas
Raging Bull, init’s stylised approachtoviolence. Ialsomade thissequenceBlackandWhite,to
mirrorthe inspirationfrom Raging Bullforthe sequence.Thisalsoallowedme toenhance the
chiaroscuroof the lighting,tocreate furtherdrama.
Stuart Hall assertsthat we can analyse filmby‘decoding’ameaningasan audience thathasbeen
‘encoded’withinthe text.In ThePregame,Ihopedtocreate comedy withteenage characterswho
are strugglingwithidentity andtheirplace insociety. Thismeaningbearsresemblance tothe self-
discoveryin TheSlap¸ howeverIwantedtoapproach self-identitymuchmore subtlythroughthe
waysmy characters interact.Forexample, Hugoispretendingtobe someone he isnottobe liked
and Zaynoverdrinksdespite hisanxietydue tohisfriend’spressure. Iputcomedyat the forefrontof
the piece throughout,usingelementsof satire tonotonlymockthe Teenrom-comgenre andhow
the romanticisedteenageexpereince infilmandtelevisionaffectsthesecharacters,suchasDuffy,in
theirperceptionof theirlives.Duffy’scharacterwasbasedonthe ‘Nice Guy’trope seeninfilmssuch
as Scott Pilgrim vsThe World and Pretty In Pink,and hisromanticisedview of Lottie issatirised and
latermockedas she isn’tinterestedinhim. Thistrope isdeeprootedina misogynisticview thatmen
are entitledtoawomanof theirchoosingastheyare ‘Nice’to themyet isalsoa staple inthe Teen
Comedygenre.Therefore,muchlikeTightJeans,these charactershave underlyingissuesthatare
Shotof Hugo fromtheFight Scene
Low Angle
High contrasting light and
shadow to create a more
melodramatic, sinister feel
Black and White Filter

3. The Pregame EVALUATION Candidate 7092, OCRFilmStudiesAlevel NEA
deeprootedwithinwhatitmeanstobe a teenager,andbyencouragingthe audiencetolaughat the
ridiculousnessof these tropesandsocietal expectations,Ihope tosubtlyallow themtoexplore
I was inspiredbyahybridof differentfilms,shortandfull-lengthalikeforThePregame.Iwas
interestedinamore expressionistic,fun,comic-bookstyledue tothe dramaticnarrative. My use of
expressionisticeditingandcinematographywasframedaroundthisquippy,retrocomicbookstyle.
For example,the boldandcolourtitlesof the filmwere the fontusedinTarantino’sPulpFiction,
whichhas heavyinfluencesfrom70s film. Inthe endingtitles,Iusedthissame fontinwhite againsta
blackbackgroundand boldshadow.Furthermore,the ‘comicbook’elementswere utilisedinthe
transitionbetweenthe interiorandexteriorscenes throughmyuse of intertitles. Ifeltthischoice fit
betterwiththe eccentriccharactersand plotof the film. The warmcolourpallete reminiscentof 70s
filmIwentfor wasmirroredwithmyuse of colourin post-production,where Iincorporated warmer
yellowsandorangesforthe indoorscenes,andmore pinktonesforthe outdoorsequences. Iwas
alsoinspiredby90s film,andthe colourful hip-hopaestheticwhichencapsulates the culture of
rebelliousyouth,thisisshownthroughmyuse of Boom-Bapmusicinthe beginningsequence.Spike
Lee’sDo The Right Thing wasa keyexample of the hip-hopmusicvideo aestheticcreatedthrough
filmthatinspiredme.Particularlyinthe expressionisticsequence whereBugginOut’sAirJordansare
scuffed, where crashzoomsandclose upsemphasize hishilariouslydramaticreaction.Thisinfluence
isclearlyseenwhenHugo’sNike’sare ruined,withthe use of dramaticcrashzoomscreatingcomedy
as he shouts,‘myNike’s!’ withahorrifiedexpression.
VibrantElectric
blue
background
‘Pulp Fiction’font
Pink and red shadowed
writing,comic book
style
Titles from 'The Pregame'
Stills fromThe Pregame and Do The Right Thing

4. The Pregame EVALUATION Candidate 7092, OCRFilmStudiesAlevel NEA
Steve Neale describesgenre as‘specificsystemsof expectationsandhypothesiswhichspectators
bringwiththemto the cinema, andwhichinteractwiththe filmsthemselves duringthe viewing
process'. filmappealstoaudiencesover15, andI keptthisin mindwiththe amountof violence,
swearinganddrinkingshowninthe film.Thoughitcentresonthemesof identityandgrowing up,I
feel asthoughitwouldbe relatable to audiences uptothirty. Ialso wantedthe filmtohave equal
representationof the experiencesof youngmenandwomen,thereforeIthinkthe filmappealstoall
genders. The filmhasa satirical approachto the Teengenre,forexample,the momentwhenDuffy
opensthe doorto Lottie involvesaslo-moexpressionisticturnintercutwithhisdazedand
enamouredreactionshots. The use of the romanticstringsandfunkybassline inthe songYou To Me
are Everything byThe Real Thingthat playedduringthese slo-moshots elevatedthe cinematography
and animatedperformance fromDuffy.Thisisaclear parodyof romantic-comediesinthe teen
genre,suchas the staircase scene inthe 90s Rom-ComclassicShe’sall That. I was inspiredbythe
satirical take onthe Thriller/heistgenre thatThe Fly used,bycreatinga sense of absurditytothis
archetypal toughgetawaydriverinhisviolentreactiontoa single fly.Thatsequencealsopointedout
the ironyof whatLaura Mulveydefinesas‘the male gaze’.Thisisafeministtheorywhich assertsthe
camera ispositionedtobe male,framingfemale charactersinanobjectifyingwaythatappealsto
the male sexual desires.Asthe shotsof Lottie turningaroundare POV shotsfrom Duffy’s
perspective,the cameraisliterallythe male gaze inthismoment.
1590 Words
Still of Lottie 'male gaze'moment
Glowing, angelic
lighting
Sparkling
‘bokeh’ effect
Slo-mo closeup