AICE Media Studies

Hello, my loyal listeners!   For this short film research, we will be reviewing the short film, Fort Irwin. In Fort Irwin an amputee veteran acts in a realistic military simulation to confront his past trauma. Common sounds used in the short film were loud noises meant to sound like bombs to trigger the veteran's trauma on explosions which is likely how he lost his legs, sounds such as gunshots and heavy breathing are also emphasized reminding the veteran of the war and his struggles to deal with the trauma of it. The costumes used in the short film are similar to the outfits used in war with camo helmets, jackets, and pants, while others don Arab clothing to differentiate the enemy. The lighting uses natural lighting and the make-up used is extremely realistic bloodied depictions of injuries in war, for our main character he has blown off legs and we see another actor with a revealed brain. The props and sets are meant to simulate actual war with the setting being a dusty and...

  Hello, my Loyal Listeners! Welcome back to another blog. Today we are analyzing Laymun By Catherine Promise and Hannah Quinn .   Laymun was released in 2017 and is a part of the dystopian drama genre. The film tells the story of a woman who grows and plants lime trees ( laymun in Arabic) in a desolate and war-torn environment. Using these trees as symbols of hope and resistance, the protagonist contrasts the destruction around her with the act of cultivating life. When analyzing the sounds in Laymun there is both uses of Non-diegetic and Diegetic sounds. The non-diegetic sounds are the eerie drones or melancholic music which show the emotional depths the films portray. These sounds and their effects in the piece are common in war fiction short films. Like other War fiction films the Mis-En-Scene has dark natural lighting that emphasizes the destruction of war, and the costumes are torn and dirty representing the struggles they face in war. There are two major types of...

  Hello, my Loyal Listeners! Welcome back to another blog. Today we are analyzing Two Soldiers by Aaron Scheider. Sound plays a pivotal role in setting the tone for films like Two Soldiers . From subtle diegetic sounds like footsteps on gravel or distant gunfire to emotionally charged orchestral scores, the genre relies on audio to evoke tension and emotion. In wartime dramas, silence is often as powerful as sound, creating moments of reflection or tension. Another sound used is ambient noise that immerses viewers in its rural setting, such as rustling leaves or chirping birds, contrasting with the looming realities of war. When analyzing Mis-En-Scene again we can see common uses of costume in war fiction genre is costumes have to be authentic like in the other short films we analyzed the people must have worn torn clothing. In Two soldiers they specifically have accurate clothing to represent the soldiers and the accuracy also the use of war props that again look authentic re...

 Hello, my loyal listeners! Come with me to analyze! Common sounds for short films in the war genre are explosions which would be diegetic noise, there is also music for tense scenes which is non-diegetic. When listening for certain sound cues, one thing is very noticeable on the opening scene of this short film. That is its diegetic sound. There is the sound of a plane flying above which is somewhat disorienting . It provides a good insight on the setting of this film and makes the audience uneasy yet captivated to see what happens next. Dialogue is rarely considered to be a huge feature in war films, and in the case of this particular short film, dialogue is not used at all which is unique.      Mis- en -scene plays a big role in the authenticity of a short film in the war genre. Costumes mainly are the focus. They have to look like they belong in the overall setting and time period for the audience to take the film seriously. Props such as weapons also sho...

  When analyzing the video "How to Make a Short Film", I managed to take a few valuable notes on what could be implemented into my own short film in the future. Immediately, casting was brought up. Ryan explained that casting is important because your actors need to take their roles seriously in order to "sell the moment" to the audience. I found this to be a very interesting point because when writing the script, each character needs to have their own respective strengths and weaknesses. This should correlate to each actor's strengths and weaknesses in order for the acting to look more natural. Through my own short film, I believe getting to know each of my actors better will help me find out these specialties. My crew likely will not all be able to be on set so the main focus will be on the actors.     Considering logistics in production, there must be a certain degree of comfort for the actors when on set. Ryan makes the point that you should feed your ...