Textual Analysis On The Short Film "Roses Are Red"

In class today, we watched another short film called "Roses Are Red" by Dean Atkinson. Here is a video below of the short film...


Roses are Red from Dean Atkinson on Vimeo.

This particular short film presents a man is constant confusion and suffering about the sudden death of his loved one. At the beginning of the film, the viewer my assume that the protagonist is a photographer or even a stalker as he seems to be following this certain girl around. However, the audience's perceptive change due to the "twist" being revealed and are therefore able to connect with his feelings, realising that actually he is going through a traumatic time due to this bereavement. The sudden twist of the story is created by the the 4 main technical aspects being conveyed throughout this short film. The technical aspects that are included in Roses Are Red are:

• Camera work
• Editing
• Sound
• Mise-en-Scene

In this post I am going to do a textual analysis of this short film to show how they made it successful by using these technical aspects.

 Camera work:
Throughout this short film, there are a variety of camera shots such as tracking shots, mid shots, wide shots, low angle, high angle etc. However, there are particular ones that I thought were incredibly clever and help make this clip successful in conveying it's chosen message. For instance the first example that the audience see is a shot reverse shot of the protagonist about to take a picture of this girl through a water fall. This is particularly interestingly for the viewer, as they can instantly recognise a connection between the two characters at first glance without properly knowing the full story behind it all. The next example of good choices of camera work shots are the wide shots and the use of the tracking shots together, as the audience are able to follow the protagonist movements going after this girl. The panning shot of the protagonist as he picks up the rose from the floor, helps to signify the importance of the flower (although the viewer may not realise until the end of the film) showing that the falling of the rose is a key part to the message of the clip. The over the shoulder shot of the protagonist looking at the pictures he has took is also another vital camera shot, as it helps to make the audience realise that he is just seeing things because the girl is not there anymore. Lastly, the high angle shot of him looking at the photograph and the close up of him crying, also helps to confirm the viewer presumptions that something bad has happened to the girl and she is no longer apart of his life.

Editing:
Editing is another technical aspects that is included in this to help make the short film as creative as they did. One of the first editing techniques that the viewer sees, but may not realise it's importance, is the use of the font when they introduce the title of the film. The fact that it is in white, sans serif font could connote the idea that his life without Rose is now plain, dull and boring, compared to what it use to be with her. Another editing technique would be the slow motion of the flower falling down onto the floor. This could foreshadow that her life is slowly coming to an end or even convey that life without her time goes so slowly. Additionally, the use of the blur when the protagonist picks up the flower from the floor and holds it in his hand, could signify him getting emotional, as this flower could mean sentimental value to him. One technical aspect I would comment on in this bit (although it is a camera shot) this could have been improved if there was a point of view shot of him looking down to the flower, as it would be able to express his emotions clearer, as it could look as if he is getting teary, when he holds something that reminds him of her in his hand. Furthermore, the use of the fade from where she is seen walking off into the distance, to turning round the corner is also cleverly used in this film, to not only show that time is passing but to connote the idea that her life is fading away before the protagonist's eye.

Sound:
Sound is another component that makes up the 4 technical aspects and helps to create a successful short film in my eyes. One of the main sounds included in this short film is the incidental music played throughout in a minor key. This is due to the fact that the piece of music seems to have an emotional feelings towards it as you normally associate piano with moving parts of a film. Additionally, it helps the audience to connect to the deeper message to the film because without it, the clip wouldn't be as moving. Lastly, by the incidental music being played pretty much throughout the film makes a connection with the protagonist, reinforcing the idea that wherever he goes he has a constant reminder of her and has to deal with the never ending pain and suffering for his lost loved one. On the other, the incidental music is not the only sound used in this clip, some ambient sound is used when he approached the car to help to show that once he realises he has got the wrong women, a sense of reality starts to kick in. By not including much dialogue in the clip, personally was the best idea, as this could of detracted away from the message they were trying to put across and it would have been less moving if the viewers were getting told what was happening rather than figuring it out for themselves. The use of the non diegetic sound of the voice over being repeated at the beginning and at the end "they say a picture is worth a thousand words", helps to reinforce the whole message of the film, showing that the photograph/s will always remind him of the amazing memories they shared together, when he maybe upset and lost for words. Lastly, the sound effect of the radio broadcast was another main sound included in this short film, as it helped confirm to the audience what has truly happened to the girl and why the protagonist was so upset. It also helps to show that he is constantly replaying the events in his head, again reinforcing the message of this clip.

Mise-en-Scene:
This is the last of the technical aspects that I am going to analyse about this film. Probably one of the insignificant aspects the producers of the film may not have intentionally meant to include, was the film being produced on a dull day. I could be wrong and they may have actually planned to record their footage on a cloudy day, however, I believe this was just a spot of luck which did them a favour as it helped to reflect his down and upset mood. The use of location where there are limited people in the area, again do not detract from the actually story of the film, which was a good aspects to think about in my opinion. The camera that the protagonist holds throughout was rather vital as it linked in with the idea that "a picture is worth a thousand words" to imply that he will treasure the pictures he has of them. It also conveys the idea that the memory of her will be with his camera, so he will carry her memory with him wherever he goes, which is represented by this prop. Another mise-en-scene they took into consideration, was the car that the other girl drove away in, as this could foreshadow the accident that happens to the girl he was actually looking for. Furthermore, the photograph which he knocks off and smashes on the floor is rather significant, as again it links to the voice over and could connote his heart is broken like the glass ever since he found out about his loved one dying. Moreover, the most important prop I thought included in this short film was the rose she was wearing in her hair, as when she drops it on the floor it signifies her life fading away and falling through her hands. Not only this, but is links well to the title or the film and the name of the girl character, which helps bring all of the elements of the film together in my opinion.

Conclusion:
Overall, I would say this is an extremely inspirational short film, as the "twist" in the film really creates a moving ending. I think that the producers of the film really paid attention to detail when it came to the technical aspects, as they seem to have included certain camera shots, editing techniques, particular sounds and props on purpose to help make sure that their story line is understood by their viewers. Due to the textual analysis I have just made, has help me take into consideration that these for textual aspects are extremely important if I want my short film to be successful in conveying its message. Therefore, I will need to pay attention to detail and think about what I am doing, rather than just filming and hope for the best that it turns out okay.