NEA Evaluation

1. Evaluation Tom Telford 7128 Alleyn’sSchool10802
Short filmsare bestdefined,unsurprisingly,bytheirshorterdurationthanafeature lengthfilm.The
Academydefinesashortfilmas an “original motionpicture thathasa runningtime of 40 minutesor
less,includingall credits”. Whilefeaturelengthfilms,throughtheirextendedruntime,canexpand
drasticallyandcreate intricate storylines,shortfilms,asaresultof theirshorterduration,mustfind
waysto adapt and change howtheirstoryis told,eitherthroughnarrative structures,theirmicro-
elements,ordevelopmentof characters. Shortfilmsvarysignificantlyasaresultof these narrative
structuresand aestheticsbecause,while yes,theyare all simplyconstrainedbythe lengthof time to
whichtheyrun, there isno true definitionof ashort film.These aspectsof shortfilmare bestseeninmy
film,‘VX22’,throughthe use of the microelementsof soundandmise-en-scene. The shortfilm‘The Fly’
by OllyWilliamsisadrama surroundingthe situationof agetawaydriverina bankrobberyand focuses
on buildingtensionrightthroughtothe climax atthe end,particularlythroughitsuse of microelements.
My filmalsoaimstohave a sense of buildingtensionrightfromitsinception.
In VX22, we followthe journeyof Tash,andin part herbrotherJack, whoruns away,throughan
apocalypse scenariothathasrisenas a resultof the vX22 Virus,ultimatelyculminatinginanopenending
that leadsusto believeboththe protagonistsare killedbytwoof theirinfectedfriends.The presence of
an openending,andrejectingconventional narrativestructure, matchesfilmslike LewisArnold’s Echo
and Dan Sully’s TheEllington Kid, whichdeliberatelyleave asense of ambiguity,inthe case of Echo to
allowa sense of openinterpretation. Echo endsonthe maincharacter engagingina con as theyhave
throughoutthe film,butasa resultof the eventsprior,itishard to determine whetherthisdirectly
followswhathasjusthappenedorisactuallythe con thatstartedit all.I wantedtoreplicate thissense
of open interpretation,andthisiswhyI didnot show the deathof Tash and insteadjustcut to black.
Anotheraspectof Echo that resonatedwithmyideasandultimatelymyfinal productisthe editingand
more specificallythe pacingof the editingandhow thatcontributestothe buildingof tensionandan
actual sense of danger.The editingin Echo isdynamic,anddevelopsasthe storyprogresses,beginning
slow,butgraduallypickinguppace andculminatinginthe creationof a panickedandfranticsituation
for the maincharacter. Thisis somewhatmirroredin VX22as the editingisveryslow pacedatthe
beginning,particularlyinthe world-buildingandopeningdialoguesections,butasthe sense of isolation
for the characters rampsup, sodoesthe pacing of the editing.Thisislaterbuiltuponbythe imminent
dangerthat Tash and Jack findthemselvesin duringthe confrontationwithJack’sinfectedfriends,
particularlyshowcasedbythe lastfewshotsof the film,whichare intercutshotsof the twoinfectedand
Jack and Tash thatreduce in lengthtosimulate the infectedrapidlyapproachingthe siblingand
drasticallyincreasestension.
Final sequence of shotsinVX22that has the highestincrease of pacinginthe editing,
dramaticallyincreasingthe tension.

2. Evaluation Tom Telford 7128 Alleyn’sSchool10802
Despite the limitationsof amaximumof five minutes, VX22issplitintothree clearcut sections,fitting
intoTzvetanTodorov’snarrative structure,the three-actmodel,consistingof asetup,aconfrontation,
and a resolution.Todorov’ssuggestionwasthatwithinastoryline,the charactersgofrom a sense of
equilibriumintoasense of disequilibrium, whichtakesplace duringthe setup,andthentothe endthe
sense of equilibriumhasbeenrestored howeverwithsome changeshavingtakenplace.Myfilm’suse of
an openending,however,doesleadtosome questioningof whatthe new equilibriumis,whetherthat
be a newequilibriumof Tashescapingdeathafterthe cut to black,or the siblingsbecoming one with
the infected.One thingisclear,though,whichisthatthere isa new equilibrium, andthatthis
equilibriumisuptothe interpretationof the viewer.
The first‘act’ consistsof the openingmontage andworld-building,aswell asTashand Jack’s first
interactioninwhichhe runsawayto be withhisfriendsthatwe onlymeetinthe resolution.The
montage situatesthe viewerinthe time andspace of the film, andthe followingsequence acquaints
themwithTash andallowsthemtoquicklyunderstandthe relationshipbetweenherandher brother;
withherbrother’s departure markingthe switchfromthe firsttothe second‘act’. Jackleavingmarks
the momentthat Tash’slife inthe situationisnotasit was before asshe findsherselfcompletely
isolatedandalone,whichisthenreflectedinthe use of adesaturatedcolourpalette andhow the shots
single heroutwithplentyof openspace aroundher. Thisswitchmarksthe endof ‘The Setup’andthe
filmquicklyprogressesintothe secondact. The secondact marksthe confrontationasTash preparesto
leave home andnavigatesthe space of the apocalypticworldinsearchof her brother.The secondact
goesthrougha jumpin time thattakesus to the woodswhere Tashfinallymeetsherbrotheragainand
leadsusquicklyintothe third act and resolutionof the filmasJack’sfrienddisappearsandthe siblings
findthemselvesthreatenedby twoof Jack’sinfectedfriendsandwe enterthe resolutionof the film.
Duringscreeningof the film, Ireceivedfeedbackthat the storyof Tash’sjourneyandreunionwithJackis
clearwithinthe narrative andthe openendingatthe endof the resolutioniseffective.
OllyWilliams’‘The Fly’issimilartomyfilmin itsuse of sound inparticularto buildtensionthroughout
the film,particularlythroughthe use of ambientdiegeticsound.The keydifference betweenVX22and
The Fly intermsof soundisthat ambience is mostlyderived fromnon-diegeticsoundinmyfilm. InThe
Fly,there isa constantbuzzingthroughoutthatbuildstensionasthe getawaydriver’sfrustrationwith
the flyinthe car beginstoexplode. The soundbuildingtensioninthiswayismostsimilar tothe final
sequence of myfilmas itusesan eerie brokenbellsambience trackthatI mixedtocreate a tense
atmosphere thatispunctuatedby heavyanddistortedhitsof drumsthat,similarlyto TheFly, helpthe
atmosphere of tensiontoexplode intoone of panicand intensity.
An issue thatfacedmyfilmwasthat goingfor an apocalypse-type scenariomeansthatanelementof
world-buildinghastotake place inorder to setthe filmup.To do thisI useda montage sequence that
setup the aestheticand useda radiobroadcast to voice whathas happenedinthe hoursleadingupto
the story that we see inas minimal time aspossible.Thisnarrative voice reappearsinthe montage of
Tash preparingtoleave the house.Intermsof the aesthetic,Iwantedevery shottohave thissense of
isolation orlonelinessasa resultof the apocalypse scenario. While none of the shortfilmsIviewedin
researchwere setinan apocalypse scenario,some didinvolve adrainingof colourfromshotsto create
that sense of isolation.Forexample, NickRowland’s Slap,whichfocusedon ateenage boyandhis
relationshipwithmasculinityandfemininity,featuredthe use of muchmore saturatedshotswhen the
leadwasputtingon makeupandwearingfeminineclothing,anddrainedthat colourawaywhen
representinghisisolated,masculinemoments. The sense of isolation inVX22isfurtherbuilt onbythe

3. Evaluation Tom Telford 7128 Alleyn’sSchool10802
camera positionandhowcharactersare framed withinshots,oftenbeingsituatedquitefarfromthe
camera withan expanse of open,empty,desaturatedspace aroundthemthat buildsontothe isolated
situationthattheyare in.
Word Count1405
The teenage boyin ‘Slap’ andTash in VX22
bothisolatedbya drainingof colourand
the way that theyare framedby the camera
Shotof Tash in‘VX22’ – she is
isolatedandalone withnohint
of humanactivityanywhere.