Craig Fanning Film: Smashed : Analyze the short film applying technical terms The film I am focusing on in this

essay is named smashed; it was directed by Peter Snelling and was made in 2009. It is set in the southwest of England. The film is about being young, getting drunk, and facing the consequences of your actions. The film starts off using establishing shots to signify the surroundings to us; we are also introduced to four characters who appear at different times in the film, they all seem to be looking to have a good time (drinking alcohol) and in fact all end up in some sort of crisis. When analyzing the setting of the film we are only shown some brief shots of the area, in particular we are shown the housing and the local shop, and this signifies that it is an urban area by the presence of the buildings we see. Once we find out it is set in an urban area this then connotes to us the type of lifestyle and environment we are likely to expect to see and it also connotes that it is likely to be a lower to middle class area. The characters within this film play the key part when focusing on the moral of the film, at first we are introduced to the girl (Corey) at first she comes across as quiet as she doesnt speak until spoken to, we also see her drinking wine particularly early in the morning, this conveys a sense of anxiety as if she has a problem or a worry that is majorly concerning her, we later find out what it is. Also the close up shots of Corey looking in the mirror and drinking a glass of wine imply she is on edge about something and isnt feeling very confident. Estelle is the second female character in which is shown at first to be on the phone, and seems like a very social and talkative person, both girls in the film seem fairly intelligent by the way in which they speak in terms of the pronunciation of their words, we are also shown a sense of reliability in the way that before going out partying, Estelle takes a cab card in which reflects a sense of awareness and leads us to believe she is sensible.

Both male characters are introduced together walking through a rundown street, they are both drinking alcohol and so this first signifies they are curious about something in life, as they are around 25 years old, this isnt typical of a 25 year old, as you would expect them to be at work or at least not drinking at this early time in the morning. At first they also talk as if they are fairly educated, however they are talking about having a one night stand, which seems fairly irresponsible but perhaps not too irregular for men their age. The condition of the two men denotes that they are wearing average casual clothing, and this signifies and makes us believe that they have a fairly lower-middle class lifestyle. When studying the props used in the film, one in particular is the packet at the beginning, at first it is crumpled up, but is of significance later on in the film, the bag is emphasized by the type of shot used at the beginning. This is to perhaps signify its importance later on in the film as it also plays a big part in conveying a moral or a symbolic sign for the film, i.e. pregnancy, drinking irresponsibly. Other props which are used purposely to catch our attention in the film include many empty and full alcohol bottles, cans etc. This really signifies the kind of lifestyle the characters live and how drink is now a part of their lives, and we later find on how it affects them in different ways. Also I feel another prop used appropriately was the cab card in which was focused on by the close up shot of it, the cab card shows us the sense of responsibility and initiative Estelle had to take one in the first place however drinking then affected her decisions and we are shown how it could have then led her to be raped. Finally the most established prop was the egg at the very beginning, we are shown the egg in perfect condition which is also emphasized by the pull focus shot (at the start), we then see the same egg later being smashed or trodden on by one of the male characters, this provides a contrast within the film because not only was the egg smashed, we also find out how the characters all end up getting smashed via alcohol, and how their lives can turn upside down from then on. The camera movement/shots play a large part in the film and allow us as an audience to perceive things differently, firstly the shot at the beginning of the egg, here the camera is specifically focused on the egg blurring out the background, and this then

makes us look closely to focus on the egg and informs us of its significance. At the start there is also a mirror shot of the first character (Corey) this signifies a form of identity crisis, and straight away we believe that this character is having problems emotionally. Another focus by the camera is on the various bottles of alcohol and drink which is bought and is being drunk, the purpose of these shots is to really underline the effects of alcohol, and how easy it is to purchase and this really backs up the moral of the story and reminds us how easy it is to lose responsibility and initiative temporarily. Another important series of shots used is when the male character is talking to Corey in the nightclub; the camera focusses in on their faces whilst they are talking and this implies that the place is very crowded and it shows the emotions they are both experiencing by the looks on their faces. The lighting of the film coincides with the camera; in most cases the lighting is actually present to add emphasis to key parts in which the director wants you to look at. The first case where the camera is used to create effect is when it has brightly lit up one side of the egg at the very beginning, I feel that this has been done because normally the audience would not make much of an egg in terms of what signs it communicates, however by lighting it and focusing in on it, it makes the audience draw attention to it, and makes us believe it has some sort of key importance in which is revealed later. Another key use of lighting is when Corey rushes to the toilet in which she then take a pregnancy test. The toilets are lit a red colors which signifies some sort of danger. When in the bathroom the camera zooms in to her face and her eyes are well lit, as though she is in the spotlight; by focusing on her eyes this also reveals a sense of the rush and panic in which is going on in her mind at the time. The music within the film is used to set the mood of a scene. At the beginning whilst scrolling though various snapshots of the area the film is set in (from the egg to the corner shop), an acoustic guitar is played at a slow tempo, this signifies to us as the audience a sense of calm in the village and settles us prior to the uproar later in the film, this starts when the 2 female characters head off to a nightclub in which more upbeat music, with a faster tempo and louder bass starts to play, this straight away gives us a sense of partying vibe and the speed of the music in with the nightclub

makes it seem crowded and rowdy. The music is played in both cases in sync with what is going on, on screen and at the end of the film the noise of dogs barking is also added in, this is actually discrete however it does make us feel more intense about what is happening (when the male character was in the fight), Also the guitar is played at the very end again to bring us to another calm stage and the characters feel a sense of realization and a return to some sort of equilibrium. Overall the different aspects come together such as setting, props, camera angles and arrangement of certain objects and characters and this influences the audience in what to perceive, e.g. with the egg, and the pregnancy. However I feel the four main characters are the biggest influence when making us believe and understand the world they live in, because of their actions and their lack of responsibility. And this also reflects to some cases in real life, and so the relevancy of this film to a real life situation helps to engage us. I do feel that this situation and the theme of this short film isnt very common in day to day life, however the signifiers such as the smashed egg, and the pregnancy bag, drag us down to the emotional level of the film and this also withdraws the audiences sympathy as well as attention.