This document analyzes and summarizes technical elements and narrative techniques used in a short film about social anxiety disorder. It discusses several shots that effectively convey the isolation, vulnerability, and anxiety experienced by the main character. These include a shaking shot that mimics anxiety and cutaways showing agitated behaviors like fidgeting. The document considers replicating these shots in their own short film to build understanding of the character and disorder. It also analyzes an editing technique where the character disappears to represent feelings of not being missed.

1. S.A.DSocial Anxiety Disorder
A short film analysis regarding technical elements
and narrative hooks.

2. We start off this short film with a shot panning around the subject’s head and we
immediately hear voices in her head, something me and Owen are keen to replicate in
our own short film. This is the equilibrium of the film so we assume that it’s normal for
the girl to have voices in her head. She’s the only one in the, minimalist, shot which
highlights the isolation felt by the character.

3. Again in this shot, we can hear the voices in the characters head. The subject is still the
centre of the shot which could emphasise the idea of her feeling venerable. I also really
like the editing technique used on this shot as there’s a purposeful judder/ shake every
few seconds on the shot, almost as if there’s been an earthquake. This would be a good
aspect to use in our own film as it highlights the anxiety felt by the character. This would
be the exposition of our short film as we’d have just introduced the character. In this part
of our short film, Adam would be walking past the cafe.

4. This shot isn't as technically pleasing in my opinion due to the simplicity and, also, the
content of the voiceover at this point isn't very strong. However, it still successfully
highlights the characters anxiety which is good as we begin to feel sorry for our
character. I don’t want to use this kind of short regularly in our short film and I don't feel
it’s very meaning or necessary.

5. The two shots here are of a
separate character who’s also
hearing voices in his head and
struggling with social anxiety.
These are two quick cut aways
and I really like how they show
the agitation felt by the
character as he’s playing with
his hands and shaking his leg.
These shots emphasise the
nervous disposition of those
struggling with anxiety and,
again, make us feel sympathy
for the character. I’d like to
replicate this kind of shot in our
short film as I feel its affective
in building an overall image of
the character and gives us a
better understanding of what
it’s like in their position.

6. Another interesting editing
technique has been used in
this shot with the girl
disappearing. This is quite a
simple but affective
technique that’s been used
meaningfully to replicate the
idea that people with anxiety
feel as though they would
not be missed if they
disappeared. The shots also
grounds the film with a shot
almost identical to the
opening one. This shot could
therefore have been used to
highlight the repetitiveness
of the disorder.
When we do our practice
shots, I’d be keen to try this
one with intention to perhaps
use it in our own short film.

7. This is another simple but powerful shot as we hear both characters voices in their
heads, however both characters are oblivious to the other ones. This emphasises the
point that although the disorder is very isolating in it’s nature, the sufferer is not alone
in having it as it affects 1 in 14 young people at some point or another. I don’t think
we will use this kind of shot in our film as we want the focus to be on a single
character however we will use the idea of multiple voices in the same characters
head to emphasise confusion.