STORY-TELLING UNIT: Research - Short Film - 97% by Ben Brand (2013)

One of the short films I chose to research was 97% by Ben Brand. I actually stumbled upon this short film by chance but ended up really enjoying it.

Synopsis:
"Via an app on his phone, Bert discovers that a 97% love match is near. Will he be able to find her before the subway train reaches the final station?"

97% (Short film) on Vimeo

Review:

- I liked the establishing shot at the beginning and how it follows the central character (Bert) to the subway. I like how it helped to set the scene for the action and how it was easy to follow.

- I liked how the main theme of the short film was established within the first minute of the film. The character looks at a couple going the opposite way on the escalator sharing an intimate moment, suggesting he is looking for a similar sort of thing.

- The story telling was very clear, the plot was very easy to follow despite there being no dialogue.

- I liked the director's choice to use no dialogue, it makes the piece unique and captivating. It also prevents there being a language barrier, meaning anyone from any country can enjoy the piece.

- There are many twists and 'moments' in this short film, making it very interesting which helps to keep the audience's attention. 
e.g. the man who thinks Bert is looking at him romantically, the white van that almost hits Bert, the woman who Bert thinks is looking at him but is actually looking at her boyfriend coming up being him etc.

- The shots used help to tell the story in a creative yet clear way. The character is looking for his love match but uses methods such as looking in the reflection of the window to try and find them.

- The final twist of losing the 97% love match but then gaining a 98% love match was very entertaining and helps to show that you can carry on throwing twists into a story right up until the end.

How it influenced my short film:

- The film made me realise that I could use a mixture of tripod and handheld shots to convey my character's emotional journey. During an interview with the director Ben Brown, he revealed that "The start was all shot from a tripod. We wanted to slowly come closer to the main character and sort of unveil him on the escalator. For the rest of the film (from when he gets the love match message) we wanted to suggest some uneasy feeling of the main character by going handheld."
e.g. in my film I could start off by using tripod shots and then as my character becomes increasingly stressed and distracted by his alter ego, I could switch to using handheld shots to convey his emotional vulnerability.

- The lack of dialogue in this short film really influenced me to think about having less dialogue in my short film. The story was told very clearly through the camera work, sound design (non-diegetic background music) and editing. 
e.g. when my character is contemplating jumping off the pier, slow orchestral music can be used to convey his mood / emotional state.