Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Length: 5 minutes
Creator: Toby Meakins
Awarded with the Maria Best Short Film Award.
BREATHE from Toby Meakins on Vimeo.
The film opens with an establishing shot showing a well-dressed male character centred within a deep space shot setting up for a ritual. His costume enforces the idea upon the audience that he is trustworthy. The setting is exhibited within this opening clip and represented as a church to the audience through the props of biblical wall hangings in addition to the mise-en-scene of high ceilings and stain glass windows, each holding connotations of religion. Juxtaposed to the ideology that churches are a safe haven the setting appears dishevelled featuring dirty walls and flooring. A twist within the story line is foreshadowed to the audience through low-key lighting as well as eerie, high pitched music providing the film with a sinister atmosphere.
A sound bridge of a disagreeing voice over allows the clip to cut to a mid-shot whilst keeping good continuity. The mid-shot introduces us to a second male character, his body language appears reserved whilst his costume of a loose jumper suggests he is delicate. The camera dolly’s in isolating the two characters whilst high pitched music continues to play. The flow of the shots is very slow paced creating tension.
A cut leads the camera behind the two characters within a mid-shot, allowing the audience to achieve a sense of being their within the setting and heightening the tension within. A ghost female figure appears due to after effects. She is centred within the deep space shot indicating she is the main focus within the film, the non-diegetic music progresses to incidental as the ghoulish sounds mirror the on screen context and reach a peak in volume.
The shots which follow are extremely fast paced emphasising the second males shock from the appearance of the ghost, further proven through facial expression. Juxtaposed to this the first male character appears calm implying to the audience this is a ritual he has performed several times before. Shot reverse shot editing is used throughout dialogue where the second male reluctantly agrees to try the procedure for a second time.
A close-up presents the original male character with a persuasive facial expression. Chiaroscuro is used casting a harsh shadow along one side of his face. This connotes both a good and evil side to the character implying to the audience there is more to the male that meets the eye and he is a possible danger.
The following shot is a medium close up allowing the audience to witness the second male’s tense, shocked facial expression. The ghost is shown touching his lip in a tempting manner. Shallow depth of field is used to cause the audience to focus on the characters interaction. Despite this the first male is clearly shown to be always watching the ghost female in a monitoring manner. The following shots return to a slow pace as the first male leaves the second alone with the ghost.
The context within the story is revealed within these fast paced clips, whilst the second male holds his breath to interact with the spirit the first begins to choke him. His breath is visualised through after effects shown to be entering the ghosts ‘body’, this represents him breathing his life into her, reviving her for the ending of the short film.
The killing sequence is finalised by a cut to a close up expressing the second male’s lifeless eyes. High key lighting is used to suggest he died an innocent victim.
The true relationship between the male and the female ghost is revealed through a medium close-up of the two kissing passionately. A plot twist shows the woman fading back to a ghost signifying that by killing a person she only gets to live for a few moments.
An ariel shot presents the male removing the corpse suggesting this is a routine carried out many times before forming a sinister mood the film. The film finalises with a fade to black.
The short film subverts Todorov’s theory of narrative as it does not end with re-equilibrium instead with murder and disruption within society.
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