The short film Proximity tells the story of a man who must battle for his life as he is hunted by a gang. Four hostages are forced to flee or be killed when their ankle bracelets detonate if two people separate. The protagonist realizes this and carries his unconscious partner to escape. Through tactical camerawork and editing, the film builds tension as the protagonist fights for survival against the ruthless hunters.

1. PROXiMITY
A Short Film by Ryan Connolly

2.  Proximity is a short action film by “Film Riot”. The film includes a
thrilling story of a man who avoids death, we see him battle for his
life as he is hunted down by a mysterious gang of trained hunters.
 The 2 antagonists seam to have done this before as we see them
casually let the people free and take pleasure in watching them
flee, not knowing that their death is inevitable. All four hostages
have a ankle brace locked on to them, which detonates when a 2
people separate.
 We see the leading protagonist realize that when the pair of people
separate, the charge in the ankle brace detonates. We this
information he picks up his unconscious partner and begins to
sprint.
 There is only one main character in the short film, the other
characters are only seen in the film temporarily and are killed off
pretty quick

3. First Frame Impressions
 The first frame really connotes
what direction the narrative is
heading in. The colour correction
used, gives off a rustic, dirty sort
of image which mirrors the
characters clothing and reflects the
situation they are in. The rusty van
seen in the background and bag over
the characters heads, allows the
audience to gain a insight into the possible outcomes of the
narrative. The dirty clothes also shows that the hostages have been
treated poorly and have taken a beating. This all helps to raise the
drama and build tension. it wastes little time by getting straight into
the action, grabbing the audience’s attention.

4. The close up of the main antagonists allows the audience to gain an insight on
what kind of character the leading antagonist is. From the shot used we can see
the slicked back hair and fresh hair cut connotes to the audience that the
antagonist is very confident and with this he could be the cause of a brutal
murder. The shot allows the audience to see that he is a smoker, this reflects his
image making him seam more rough, the shotgun being casually held in his
hand also connotes an image of abnormality, as if this is just another day at work

5.  The leading protagonist is
stated from the very
beginning as he is first to
be shown out of the four
hostages connoting a sense
of importance. We see that he
does not look concerned or
confused, he remains calm
and shows a minority of
confidence which represents a
leading protagonist very well.
 The use of the close up allows the audience to see his facial expression to
having the bag removed from his head. We see the man look around,
looking at the environment which surrounds him, he does not look worried
nor confused, as if to suggest he has been here before.

6. Again a rustic look has been given to the film through colour correction and the
time of day filmed, this adds dramatic effect to the action being seen as it
makes the . The remote area to which the film was shot adds a thrilling/horror
effect to support the narrative. It builds tension as we see the characters
being released into the woods, a typical place used in horror films.

7. A combination of Wide shots, Medium shots,
Tracking and Close ups are used to explain to
the audience how the ankle brace works. We
see how the two hostages at the beginning run
away from the two hunters and separate in an
instant. Through the use of a close up we can
see the ankle brace turn red and then within 10
beeps it blows your leg off.
This harsh method of torture, is used for an
unknown reason. Nevertheless the leading
protagonist clocks on to what is going on and
decides to outsmart the hunters.

8.  The soundtrack used in the
background cleverly mirrors
the action being witnessed on
screen.
 The hard hitting sound
of the drums and snare, builds
tension and creates drama.
We hear the beat get faster
as we witness the leading
protagonist attempt to escape.
 The soundtrack is used through out the entire running scene, the use of
different orchestral sounds makes the action being witnessed on screen
seam faster and therefore pulling the audience to the edge of their seats. It
makes the running scene more dramatic and pleasurable to watch

9. Tension builds as we see
the main antagonist
heartlessly kill one of the
innocent hostages crawling
to save his life.
Through the use of a low
angle the, we see the
blown off foot in the corner
of the screen, as well as
the body of the hostage in
the rest of the upper corner
of the frame.
with a shotgun being held to his head. This connotes to the audience that the
antagonists of the film are heartless and brutal. The use of the dark woods
creates a dark atmosphere which heightens the tension, as we fear for the
surviving hostage, who has no idea who he is up against.

10. In the next running scene the use of quick
fast paced shots allows the audience to fully
gain the thrill and rush of the scene.
The audience can relate to the sheer terror of
the protagonist as he chases down the other
hostage in order for them not be killed
Through the use of medium close
ups and wide shots, the fast paced action
is presented in a way to which the audience
can appreciate. They will be able to feel the
rush and tension building as they witness
the main protagonist fight for his life

11. In the final fight scene we see the
two
Characters, brawl in muddy water.
Multiple camera shots are used to
present the fight scene to the best it
can be. Close ups are used when
punches are thrown, this allows the
audience to appreciate the brutality
of the fight and see the damage up
close.
In this scene there is no soundtrack being heard in the background.
This allows you to appreciate the 1 to 1 fight.
It allows the audience to purely concentrate on the fight that is taking place in
the muddy lake, the frantic sound of the men throwing their bodies around in the
mud in order to throw punches or try to avoid a grapple.

12.  The close up used, shows the
protagonist now in black
clothes. It shows a contrast from the
protagonist originally seen at the start
and now antagonist through the use of
clothing. The use of the colour black
connotes darkness which is usually
associated with danger or evil.
 The clean, sharp, black
t shirt similar to the look of the
previous antagonists appearance
is cleverly used to show the cycle
of how you become a hunter. Once
you kill a hunter, you then become one.
 The soundtrack used is very low pitched, symbolizing the danger of the
situation, also that we have just witnessed the protagonist become a
antagonist, the audience feels a slight sense of disapproval.

13. Summary
 Overall the video is very clever. It contains a smart story line which
is presented in a creative and professional way. Through the use of
the location, actors, editing and camera work ‘Film Riot’ creates a
action packed, fast paced short film which will leave you on the
edge of your seat.
 The actors used played their roles very well and the location fitted
the genre and narrative perfectly. The narrative is not something
that is common, it is very different and stands out which therefore
makes you want to watch to the very end. This is what makes the
short film so successful.