A2 short film analysis on the short film 'SEND'.

1. Short film analysis - Send
https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2
015/08/12/send/

2. Send is a short that looks into the
growing need for social media to
communicate with those around
you; as well as how this can have a
detrimental effect on young peoples
relationships and state of mind,
through the sense of performance
that it permits.
Send was directed and written by
Peter Vack, a young actor; who has
appeared in films such as the intern
and 6 years. The short itself was not
filmed using any studio but was
instead funded by kickstarter.com
where 93 backers pledged $20,748 to
help and bring the project to life.
Throughout the short the sense
of theme is consistent, the idea
is that the use of social media
has become a stage for
individuals to perform an
exaggerated perception of their
lives and events that take part in
through.
OVERVIEW OF THE SHORT

3. CULTURAL ZEIGEIST
This short would be seen to link to social issues that have been present
through society. This is primarily due to the growing influence that social
media is perceived to have on our lives; it has been found that when posting
something on social media individuals do it for a level of reassurance from
their peers.
The inspiration behind the creation
of the film is based on the growing
social issue with young people, of
‘nudes’, this is the sending of explicit
pictures, exposing parts of their
bodies to one another via the
internet, to others around them.
Send depicts that many young
people now use these pictures as a
way to receive attention to those
around them.

4. STAR APPEAL
Director – Peter Vack – a actor and short film maker who lives and
works in Brooklyn. Peter Vack has appeared in many films such as ‘the
Intern’ as well as a regular on ‘Mozart in the Jungle’
Main female lead – Julia Garner – This is a young female
actress, who has recently appeared in many films this includes
‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’, ‘The Perks of being a Wallflower’
and ‘Sin City: a dame to kill for’.
Main male lead – Jake Cannavale – is the son of actor Bobby Cannavale,
who is beginning his acting career, has stared as a regular on ‘Nurse
Jackie’.

5. AWARDS
Send had it’s world premiere at the 2014 SXSW film festival, under the
category of Narrative Short Competition. Due to the great reception
from the short throughout the Brooklyn Film Festival it lead to it being
named the Best Short Narrative 2014, as a part of the Spirit Award
Category. It addition to this shown below are other awards that the short
received through the film festival season; in addition to screenings both
nationally and several internationally around Europe.
This would be seen to have an impact
on the SEND, as these awards and
screenings have the ability to act as a
springboard to ensure that the film has
the ability to reach a larger audience, in
addition to making it more known to
other producers and directors that can
give constructive advice and help to
build on it.

6. NARRATIVE

7. ANALYSIS – Introduction to characters Jake and Julia
The first scene in the short aims to introduce the two characters that the short itself is
based around; this would work with the conventions of a general short film due to its aim
to keep as uncomplicated as possible in terms of main characters.
Initially the scene begins with a high-angled close up
shot of Jake and Julia engaging in sexual activity; this
would signify the closeness of the couple and how
their relationship has become intimate. Although
this is juxtaposed by the fact that Jake’s face is buried
into the pillow; this could connote that Jake feels the
relationship is coming to an end and therefore is
merely engaging in this intimacy for her, this would
therefore be preparing the audience for what is to
come, in regards to their relationship.
After the sex scene at the beginning of the short, the scene is edited to fade to black this is
a prolonged pause of a second where the audience can only see the black screen; this then
goes into Jake and Julia cuddling together in bed, this would connote to the audience that
this is an idealistic view of what the relationship has been and that this would likely be the
last time the couple are this close.

8. ANALYSIS – Introduction to characters Jake and Julia
In the short the first piece of dialogue appears at 00:56 seconds, this is Julia (the
girlfriend) saying ‘I’ll miss you’ this would signify that something big is changing that
would disturb the equilibrium of the relationship. This would appear to the audience to
be the fact that Jake is leaving as the speech is directed towards him and his reply of ‘you
better miss me’ this presents to the audience that the relationship will not progress down
the expected path and therefore a large twist should be expected.
The pair when lying next to each other they are
placed relatively close together with their noses
touching after being intimate; when Julia begins to
to speak she moves away from Jakes face; this could
connote to the audience that the couple will express
a sense of distance from one enough. Due to the
couple not moving in closer after they talk, this
would depict that this distance will become
detrimental to the relationship. This will have an
effect on the entirety of the film, due to the
audience being unlikely to realise the sense of
distance that is being presented through their body
language, but instead will come to the realisation
through the dialogue in the scene.

9. Non-continuity editing is used at the beginning of the scene of Julia in bed asleep; this is
juxtaposing the last scene when here and Jake can be seen sharing a bed. By using this
shot it will illustrate to the audience that something has clearly changed, this would
therefore mean that the editing technique has achieved its purpose as the continuity
has been broken.
ANALYSIS – Julia’s ‘summer’
A med shot is used when Julia has woken up, to show her surroundings and how the
space has changed from this first scene. After Julia has moved out of the camera shot,
the shot remains onto the bed for one second; this is primarily due to the bed being the
only location that the audience have actually encountered throughout the short, in
which there is two people, Jake and Julia. It is usual of a short film to only have one or
two locations due to the budget that is made accessible to them.
Julia has been blocked skipping in the centre of her
room for a moment and then lying on the floor
with her computer; these both present her in a
child like manner due to the way she presents her
body innocently. This would completely juxtapose
the first scene it which she is engaging in sexual
intercourse. This could depict to the audience that
Julia’s and Jake’s relationship is not real and is
merely a figment of her imagination.

10. ANALYSIS – The performance
A long shot is used at the beginning of this scene to show a difference in location; this
presents a stage after Julia opens up her social media page through her laptop. This has an
audience blocked facing the stage itself; this would connote the fact that social media can be
used as a way to perform certain aspects of your life to your peers.
The use of a stage throughout the film instead of any graphical overlays would be able to
illustrate that society uses social media as a form of expression, this enables them to depict
themselves in anyway. The director when asked why the stage was used to depict online
activity replied “I feel like what we do online often does fall into the category of
performance”.
Dialogue has also been used throughout with completed silence in the background this helps
to draw emphasis on what is taking place on the stage and what the individual speaking is
saying, this will help to signify how when in real life people feel when they use social media,
it is merely them online.
Julia appears on stage through this scene with
an array of photos made by herself of Julia and
Jake, she then appears on the stage with these
photos that would signify the photos that
appear on the wall, and how much he means to
her as he is the only thing that she wants to
surround her.

11. ANALYSIS – The performance
An audience has been blocked facing away from the
stage, the audience appear to be very disinterested in
what is taking place on the stage itself and are paying
attention to their phones; which could indicate a true
depiction of what our society is actually concerned
with today. Although Julia’s sole focus appears to be
on Jake and what he’s doing, this would suggest to
the audience her real feeling for him and he is her use
of escape; whereas the rest of the audience is using it
just merely to escape from their lives and therefore
aren't really concerned with what’d going on.
Non-continuity editing is used in this scene where it cuts between the stage and reality for
Julia that she is actually experiencing; this would help to imply to the audience that although
she is watching and feeling some involvement in Jake’s performance through social media, in
real life she does very little to occupy himself.
A sound motif has been used when they are transitioning from status to status, this helps
to build up a form of familiarity to the audience, as they can see that it is continuing to be
a sense of performance.

12. ANALYSIS – The party
At the beginning of the party scene it begins with a long shot and moves into a close-up on
Jake and a female dancing together; through using these two camera shots it would be
considered as a turning point in the short, as it shows to begin with using the long shot Jake
still had some loyalties to Julia, although as it closes in on these two it would imply that all of
Jake’s feelings have gone for Julia.
There is heightened sound waves are used throughout this party, this helps to build tension
and show that something bad is going to take place which will have a devastating effect on
Jake and Julia’s relationship.
It then begins to fade to black from Julia
watching the computer screen to Jake in
different compromising positions, this
could be perceived in two different ways by
the audience, as prior to this Julia saw
videos of Jake at a party via social media
and this could all be an assumption of what
he is actually doing at the party; whereas
the audience could think this is literally
what he is doing and therefore its what
Julia has to see through social media.

13. ANALYSIS – Ending
Towards the end when Julia comes to the
conclusion that Jake is engaging in sexual activities
with another women, the camera goes into a close
up of Julia’s face, by using this form of camera
work it allows the audience to focus in on her
facial expressions and display the pain and hurt
that she is feeling as a result of what is taking
place. This would have a direct affect on the
audience, as many would be able to emphasis with
Julia as they have had similar experiences.
When Julia is seen to be taking the ‘nude’
picture, lies have been used to cover certain
aspects of her body this ensures that it
remains decent while also inferring to the
audience what is taking place. In addition to
this a graphical overlay is used to place the
text message the she is sending to Jake over
the picture, this reads ‘THINKING OF U… DO
YOU MISS ME???’ by doing this is shows who
the photo is for and the reason that she is
sending the photo in the first place.
A video webcam is used towards the end of
the short, this indicates the realistic aspect to
the film and how this is actually very relatable
to many young adults; in addition this has
been made smaller in comparison to the rest
of the film this expresses that this is no longer
a performance and differentiates it from the
rest of the film.