Simona Molla Unit 5 and 18: Evidence evaluation of suitability of coverage

At the beginning of our short film, we used a flashback to get the audience engaged. The flashback creates an enigma code and gets the audience hooked. The lack of sound and the fast-paced cuts make it clear to the audience that it is a flashback. At the end of the flashback, we get footage of an empty house, this could suggest to the audience that something is not right as it feels eerie.

After that, we get straight into the action where we see the main characters, here they are just talking and drawing. This scene makes the audience feel normal, the use of soft background music makes the scene relaxing. The establishing shot of the park shows that there is no one there except them. This might feel normal to the audience at first but after watching the short film it makes sense that they are alone, as this is all in Selma's mind. That means she chooses who to think of.

The lack of music in the beginning shots of the location and the footage of the food makes the scene a bit awkward. But as soon as they start speaking it's all fine. This suggests that Selima is trying her best to make this situation a reality. Soft-toned upbeat music is used, and it looks like they're having a picnic and a good time.

Selima and her friends having a fun time

However, she can't 100%, and the audience can see right through that as well. When the characters are speaking the scene is also a bit unstable in their delivery at times or has abrupt cuts, showing the audience that they might be present with her and that it's all a dream.

Selimas hazy hallucination

In post-production, we have also added a visual effect overlay on Final cut pro. This helps us in creating Selima's dream-like world. However, we have only used this for the last scene before Selima wakes up which shows that something is about to happen since the scene is so hazy, creating mystery.

Visual effects and colour grading

Selima wakes up

The use of lighting and colour also helps in strengthening what's going on in Selimas's 'dream'. In the above picture, we have manipulated some scenes into having more warmer or muted tones and bright colored or greyer coloured. This is so that the audience can see how Selima's mind changes. At first in the flashback, we cannot make out the lighting as much but after that, we see Selima with her friends enjoying herself, and the scene slowly becomes warmer in tone. Until she is made aware of the situation where her mum tells her that her friends have died in an accident. The switch in colours and tones changes the mood of the aesthetic and makes the audience feel more emotional on a deeper level.