Short Horror Film Analysis - CellGENRE - PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR BY EMILY HUMPHREYS

Mise-en-Scene- location In the short film, cell, you see a change in the type of setting three

times. The first is where the main male character has a display of pictures and notes (his memory's). This abandoned room has bare walls (other than the pictures) and is void of color, used to represent the characters mind / his head space. This apparent abandonment of his conscience (the room) is used in this location as it can tell the audience that what's going on in the characters head is bigger than in his mind (his mind being the room) by using a larger room than needed to show this. 

The second location is where Sara kills herself in an empty room with a razor blade. This location is cold and has a blue color pallet to it. This shows the audience that the location holds a cold and lifeless

presence for the main character as not only did a girl kill herself there but the blue overlay (cold, lifeless, depressing) is soon covered in blood, to signify that danger, death and once-alive-romance, the

connotations of red, have been spilled.  Thirdly the other location is what looks like a mental hospital. This

location is to show where the main characters own self is in the real world and is also a way for the audience to see the difference

between the main characters point of view and what has really happened. The location also shows the severity of the characters

illness or delusions as he has had to be hospitalized.

Mise-en-Scene - lighting When looking at the lighting, something that also relates back to the

location, you can see a varied approach to the techniques used to show different moods or emotions going on in the scene.

For example, when the scene is focusing on the abandoned room which we have established to be the characters brain/thoughts, there is always a

spot light directly in the center of the room. This creates a black background around this circle of light  in which (dark) memory's resurface

in the film. When looking closely at the film you can see that the white spot light becomes smaller, as it has once shone across most of the room, creating the effect with the lighting that the characters thoughts or control

over them are becoming smaller and smaller until he walks into the darkness around him. This creates the impression that this character wont be coming back and has lost control over himself, so much so that he cant hold onto the light side, in this case being hope to get his memory's back.

Lighting is also well used in the flashbacks to the empty room where the female character dies. The blue or very bright white lights creates the idea

that the girl in the scene is a unwillingly rememberable memory to the main character as the connotations of blue are cold and lifeless. This could

also be seen as ironic as the color blue, when looking at it spiritually, is considered good for the mind and body, which in this case is the complete

opposite.  

Mise-en-Scene - costume Greg, the main character, literally has no costume when

we look at him in his own mind. This is because it shows us him at his most vulnerable state, in his own mind, where he cant hide from himself and his thoughts. Its also because he's in his mind that he doesn't have clothes as he doesn't have to wear anything as on one else (other than memory's) will be in his head. 

He is later seen in a dressing gown and pajamas which indicate a weakened state and is being pushed around in a wheel chair by a man in white scrubs. This is also an indication that he is in a hospital and that he is getting help as the white has connotations of purity. 

The girl is also seen in a white dress which is used as a way for the blood in the scene to seemingly wash away safety and purity, indicators that are given off by this dress.

Mise-en-Scene - props The props in this film are a way for progression to take place for the

viewer as the props are a way for us to see what has happened or how it has happened. 

Largely one of the most important props is the photos and pieces of paper Greg has on the wall or the photo of Sara that he keeps close to him. This is because they are his memory's and through out these props start to wined down until only one remains, the most important one, a picture of Sara. This prop shows us Greg is over-ridden with thoughts of her and her 'suicide'. This could be seen as guilt as later on another prop is used, a newspaper, to show the audience that the girl in the photo was actually murdered.

Another prop that gets used a lot is the razor blade. Not only is it the weapon that is used to kill the girl in the photo, but it is also used by the main character to try and slit his eyes open with. This is significant as it shows the audience once again guilt and sadness as the weapon that has been used in a deadly act is also used in the act to try and clear his thoughts of his memory's (to literally cut them out).

Lastly one lesser used prop is the black of coal he is using to wright with. This gives us the impression already that he's done something bad as coal is usually only given to people in pieces if you have been bad.

Mise-en-Scene – movement of actors

The most movement in this film is from Greg, the main character. His movements are usually very static and clumsy as we can see from the opening scene with the coal block as he is frantically trying to wright down names on the wall or try to escape the room. This type of movement shows us that he doesn't want to be locked in his own mind and that he is also desperate to hold onto his memory's.

This changes soon though as he moves as if he is paranoid, which considering he is in his own head would be impossible. This dose show us that Greg is very hyperaware and his jumpy movements could indicate to the reader that he knows he is losing his memory's but wants to hold on. 

Towards the end, when compared to Greg here, he seems to just give in. His movements become lazy and less self aware as if he just doesn't care as his change in character is because he has given into the darkness that is surrounding his mind. 

We then see him in a wheel chair, in a completely comatose state. This shows us that towards the end of the film Greg's mind, the only thing he can control by himself, has replicated his physical shape showing the viewers that his movements have stopped because he has lost all little he had left.

sound The sound is a constant in the film as away to show the pace or if

there will be any shocks or scares.  Commonly used sound effects were the non-diegetic sounds of a

heartbeat pumping in tense scenes. This asynchronous sound shows the audience how the character is feeling in a scene, in this case scared and worried, as it picks up and up when in dangerous or tense situations. 

Another non-diegetic sound was that of the sharp searing sound that is heard when there is a flash back. This is a way for the audience to feel how the character dose. This is because the noise is very high pitched and painful at a high volume. If this nose is in the characters head then there is no escape from it, meaning that when he sees a flash back to the girls death he is in pain too.

camera Wide shots established were we are

abandoned room  Close ups and extreme lose ups shows

emotions and the toll the main character has taken in his own mind. Close up to show he is unable to move or control himself –saliva

High angle shots suggest that the flashbacks and memory's in his head are seen as the focus. 

Pov shot shows us his pov and how he is seeing it –woberly- and what he is seeing. 

Editing Transitions are commonly used to show how

disorientated the main character is.  Could show a passing of time  Shows how his mind and his physical state

are being effected by his actions and events around him

Pace of the film is constant and had spikes when a flash back is involved.