Hannah Holden

Analyse the technical codes used in the short film ‘Smashed’ by Peter Snelling and how these contribute to creating an appropriate effect on the audience.

I am going to be focusing on analysing ‘Smashed’ directed by Peter Snelling, a short BBC film based around four young adults who end up in un wanted situations due to the misuse of alcohol. Within this, many different technical codes are used to create an impact on the audience and convey the overall consequences of the main moral; alcohol abuse. The film cleverly links the four protagonists as we discover that two of them have previously had a one night stand consequently leading to Estelle becoming pregnant. All four meet coincidentally in a club (a place which would be directly connected to binge drinking and the younger generation) and as Estelle comes to terms with her pregnancy leaving her unbeknown baby father in the club, she leaves her girl friend to get into an unlicensed taxi whilst the male leaves his wing man to drunkenly call his ex to suggest they get back together; all of these actions almost certainly only occurring due to their decision to over drink. In this essay I aim to explore the ways in which technical codes are used to create meaning and the effect this has on the audience. When considering the setting of the piece, it can be decoded that the events take place mainly near a residential area and clearly in an urban suburb. The urban vibe is signified by the tall buildings similar to that of council estate residence indicated by the commonly used small windows and large street lamps. Immediately, the audience understands that the characters are from an average background possibly in the poorer sector due to the area in which we are presented. Also many shots are shot from a slightly higher angle than eye level therefore signifying the demographic that it is using e.g. setting and characters and also its targeted audience. On a wider scale of setting and looking at the weather, we can see from a long shot that the sky is dull and cloudy creating pathetic fallacy with an insight to the negative mood displayed throughout the short film. As the film progresses the characters move throughout the urban residential areas, which are further signified by typical set such as bollards and concrete pavements. The fact that the two female protagonists are drinking alcohol whilst travelling through the area signifies a stereotypical view of how society associates binge drinking with the poorer sector of the younger generation. Each of the four characters presented in the film are used to portray the young adults of society and their approach to alcohol. To show many situations of the misuse of alcohol, each character symbolizes one bad choice that has been made. Estelle, the first character we see spends the entirety of the film worrying about an un wanted pregnancy, the result of a one night stand after a night of drinking. The props which are used in this film are all of relevant the storyline in some form. One highly symbolic prop focused on in the opening titles is an egg lying in the road. The food on the ground is a possible signifier of food dropped from the evening before relating to known view of going out, drinking and buying food in the early hours of the morning. This egg is shown in the opening titles when views of the urban area are shown to create the setting. When the first male protagonist is introduced he is jogging through the estate area and treads on the egg causing it to break. As he runs away the egg is shot in a close up and the title ‘Smashed’ appears on the screen. This breaking of the egg is a signifier relating to

Hannah Holden

the egg inside a woman’s womb which will grow into a baby giving an insight to Estelle’s dilemma and her suggested pregnancy. Other props used include the constant close ups of glass’s, bottles and cans one after the other to relate back to the alcohol theme and to indicate units which are being drunk. The camera and editing is used with the intent of displaying a reality style drama however there are constant close ups on the characters throughout to display their emotions to the audience. Throughout the whole film the transitions mainly used are cuts, keeping to the reality genre and retaining the pace of the story. Only a few other transitions are used for interest effect and to link different themes within the story together as well as characters e.g. dissolves as a pan of the camera is the only visible change from one scene to the next. This is done in the scene where both female characters are sitting in the window of the fish and chip shop used primarily to quickly swap from the two male protagonists and to indicate that all characters are at this point in the same locality. The first character shot is of Estelle looking into a mirror, cleverly using a close up on one side of her face to signify how anxious she is feeling at this point in the story. The mirror as a prop itself and the close up of this shows Estelle looking at herself and almost judging what she sees before her tackling the issue of struggling with one’s identity to further enhance the idea that she is confused about her situation to the audience. As we enter the scenes in the club and we know that all four have had a lot to drink already a short scene takes place where one of the males calls an ex in desperation. This whole section is recorded with a body cam to give the effect that he is drunk as he staggers outside the toilets on the phone. This puts the audience into his position and signifies the unsteadiness that he feels as the camera shakes and becomes slightly distorted. The camera is positioned purposely at this point to catch Estelle fleeing from the club in the background using a high angle to link the characters at this specific point. The lighting is a crucial technical code used not only to help signify points of relevant to understanding the plot of the film but also to enhance the others technical codes. E.g. the lighting in the beginning shots is dull to represent that a sombre mood is in store although natural lighting tells us that this point of the story is set during the daytime. Most seemingly lighting is natural throughout, for example in the pub and in the chip shop, which helps to keep the reality aspect of the drama. However it is noticeable that during moments of speech when close ups are used that only one side of a characters face is lit allowing the theme of uncertain identity to follow through. This is present when the one night stand male is speaking to his friend in the pub and he is talking about whether he should call Estelle or not. Another good use of lighting includes the club scenes particularly when Estelle and her admirer unexpectedly meet. The general club lighting is present in flashing colours to indicate the setting , yet the coloured light shines on each of them brightly in close ups while they converse. This is a technique to signify the mixed emotions that each feel towards each other. Sound proves to be important during ‘Smashed’ not only from establishing the setting but for creating atmosphere and indicating to the audience what is happening on a more enhanced level. The beginning starts with diegetic sound, an instrumental that has a calm mood to begin the piece which allows the normal reality scene to be set instantly. This accompaniment is continuous until the title appears on the screen and

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non-diegetic sound is used until the end of the whole film when the beginning instrumental returns. The sound is used also to indicate the time of day for example the up tempo music begins to play when we enter the scene at the club which indicates that it is night time. For the sound to be picked up in the club from Estelle and her admirer it is important that no other noise would be made therefore it is clear that the club music and people around them are diegetic sound however it is seemingly non diegetic for the reality effect to be continued. There is a slight change in the amplification of sound when the two characters start to speak as the background noise becomes quieter indicating where the buzz track has been changed. I feel that ‘Smashed’ by Peter Snelling is a piece which conveys the message of consequences which can occur when irresponsible drinking takes place and does this successfully through its technical codes paying particular attention to shots and editing. The close ups help the viewer understand the pain of the characters and how drinking irresponsibly has caused their mental state to deteriorate on a general scale concerning all protagonists. The displaying of drink throughout, with close ups of beer bottles and cans as well as close ups on negative situations which occur e.g. the unlicensed taxi and the gambling machine in the pub, help to emphasize the destructive nature of alcohol and its constant use in modern everyday life.