This short film by Shane Meadows tells the story of a young boxer whose life takes a turn for the worse after he accidentally kills someone. It uses techniques like camera angles, lighting, sound, and mise-en-scene to convey themes of death, family, prison, violence, and poverty. Though shot on a low budget with a minimal crew and simple shots, it effectively captures the main character's gloomy and restricted lifestyle through visual and technical elements.

1. A short film by Shane Meadows, starring
Paddy Considine. It's part of a project called
Shane's World (2000), consisting of five shorts.
It's the story of a young
and promising boxer,
who's life suddenly takes
a turn for the worse after
he accidently kills
someone. It is also shot in A film directed by
black and white. Shane Meadows.

2. The film starts off with just a few simple stills
which portray, death/ family/ prison/ violence/
poverty – these are all the typical conventions
in the film and they manage to get them all
across in just a few simple stills at the
beginning.
It does this through the variety of camera
angles, levels and distance techniques.
• Through the Diegetic and non-diegetic
sounds.
• And the mise-en-scene contributes as it’s
what we visually see and these things will be
associated with the character and his life.

3. Medium – long shot
Chiaroscuro shot –
The type of costume used on the character Eye level camera angle So it can show a lot of the gloomy/shadowy
is general comfortable clothes, which have a
So we are seeing ‘eye to background which gives the lighting
sport element to it suggesting at his boxing audience an understanding
eye’ with the character Gives connotations
story line, the general non professional look about the conditions of his
and can look into them of his life to be the
indicates at his working class status. lifestyle and he is strategically
and sympathise same (gloomy and
placed in the middle, to show he
Shack gives dark).
is in the middle of all this waste.
possible
connotations
Black and white
In the back ground editing effect
the audience can
see a small shack Connotation of his
like structure life, which is boring,
which is likely to monotonous, with
be where the rest nothing special in it.
of the scene is set Dull colours
and so gives the meaning his life is
audience a feel of dull. This highlights
small and his struggles.
insignificant feeling
that he may give
Simple
himself.
Although the shots
are very simple as
he is just sitting
down with nothing
My drawings happening, this
His looking says a thousand
of the shots. down could words about his life
indicate a loss and how he feels.
of identity.

4. Mise-en-scene shows the scraped
The main themes are clearly quite paint and only shows a bare
The still shots get further in from evident in this shot being death, family, minimum showing that he doesn’t
medium shots to close–up’s, this is to prison, violence and poverty, which is live well but also showing his life as
show that it is personal to him and why the stills are so good because you being scrappy as well and not
about his life. get so much info from so little. having much.
Eye-level,
side on shot.
He is not the
main thing in the
shot as he is not
in the middle and
barely in the shot
suggesting that
he is not the
important aspect,
it is showing you
the environment
to tell you a story
on his life.

5. Only thing in the room is a few The large shutter doors suggest it
punch bags and a boxing arena may be an abandoned community
shows he lives off only the bare service station. Suggesting it may be
minimum in a tiny warehouse illegal or seriously cheap and worn
suggesting he’s on a budget. down showing he doesn’t live well.
This is the only camera zoom in the whole film, otherwise
everything is really basic.
The zoom is very effective as it represents a look into his
life to make the audience feel empathetic.

6. •The high frequency lexis and repetition,
especially preference for rough language adds to
the detail on his restrictions on life for education
and language choice, showing he comes from a
working class background emphasised by the •Non diegetic, slow, emotional music
long shot showing the almost empty room again, with acoustic guitars shows a sad or
suggesting at the working class hero stereotype. a mellow atmosphere. The band is
Clay Hill, they are often used in
•Camera angles include low angles and eye level Shane Meadow’s productions
angles predominantly, with little camera because it sets the tone of sadness
movement because of the web-cam effective and makes you feel empathetic
diary. towards the character. Also the song
•There are only 2 main shots that are repeatedly didn’t quite match up to his life, which
used, this lack shows the main story line being indicates at the low budget the
the only important thing and makes it more production people may have been
natural emphasising the political intent that most on.
films in this genre have, being that things aren’t
always what they seem and people need to •There was a close up reaction whilst
realise that. he was talking about hitting someone
showing how he feels guilty about it
his situation, so the audience don’t
blame him.
•This leads to the sound-bridge of
him talking over the next shot, this
indicates that he feels a presence of
not being able to escape.

7. •Long shot of gym shows few
punch bags, a Union Jack flag
and English flag which links to a
•Transitions include slow changes
male dominance. Also boxing is
a very male and working class that are basic and long winded
sport which puts him in a light of suggesting again at his lifestyle.
an aggressive man who is in an
unfortunate situation with his •There was a small crew making
general living conditions. use of only 1 actor and few
camera men, showing that these
•The lighting is always dark and genre of films are often low
gloomy throughout, suggesting
budget but also very effective.
his life will continue to be the
same.
Mise- en-scene makes use of only
•Below eye line, low angle shots the essentials, and nothing else
are used to try and put the suggesting sub-standard living as
audience in his shoes. everything is bare. And also
suggests that his life may as
empty as the room is.