Research and Planning - Video

Case Study - Dear Dad by Shauna

‘Dear Dad’ is film which has a generic of comedy and is shot in a linear narrative. It is a short film which is filmed in live action and is about a girl who plays a trick on her father. She writes a letter explaining that she wants to leave the “nest” and go off with her boyfriend and that life is not all about education and money. This is a bit ironic as her boyfriend has no money or education. The dad is shocked with this news and is in disbelief but as he reads on he finds out that she is only joking and she’s popped round to the next door house. The film starts off with a low angle shot showing the protagonist entering her room.  Then a mid-long shot introduces the location which is her bedroom. We are shown the protagonist tidying up her bedroom and some non-diegetic upbeat music is played throughout this scene. In this scene the director has used mostly mid-shots and a few close-up shots. In the end of this scene the protagonist is seen writing a letter and leaving it on the bed. A low angle shot has been used to maybe show that the protagonist is powerless over the father that is the reason why she wants to leave.

The next scene we are introduced to the father. He is first introduced through a high angle shot and this shows the power he has. The producer has also used diegetic sound when introducing the father. Editing is used here to add the footstep sound which creates a realer effect.  A close-up shot is then used of him heading up the stairs and again the producer has decided to use diegetic sound of footsteps.  We are shown the father reading the letter and here a close up shot is used. Editing is then used to add a dream state when the father starts reading the letter and a flash is shown of how he thinks things will be like. He is shocked by what he is reading and finishes reading the letter. But then he turns over the letter and notices some writing at the back and this informs him that she is just joking around with him. During this scene the director has edited in a drumming sound to show the tension which is felt by the dad. But then an abrupt screeching sound is followed which illustrates it was all a big joke. The father is relieved and run’s downstairs and here the director has decided to use a low angle shot of the father and this is a contrast from the beginning as he now feels powerless.

The target audience for this film are children aged between 16-24 and also parents as the film shows the bond between a father and the daughter. Groups such as teens are portrayed in this film as being very humorous as the protagonist, Rosie, plays a prank on her father. The youth here are shown in a positive light in contrast to the media which shows them in a bad light. The producer has not needed to use much props as everything happens in one day.  Looking at this film has given me many ideas such as the shots which I can use in my own film. The low and high shots in this short film has mainly attracted me as I can use low or high angle shots to show how powerful a character is. The scene in my film where the protagonist reads the letter and then runs down the stairs, here I will use a high angle shot of him running down the stairs to show how powerless he is right now. The editing techniques which have been applied in this film have been an attracting point for me as I have decided to utilise these techniques in my film. Such as the fade effect which connotes a character going into a dream state. I will apply this technique to my film when the protagonist is going through the flashbacks so the audience are aware that he is going into a flashback state. Another effect which I have decided to use from this film is repeating the flashbacks. When the protagonist in my film is going ballistic, I will keep repeating the flashbacks very fast for a short period of time to connote that his mind is everywhere, he is not focused whilst driving and he is going mad Studying this film has also given me ideas of adding a comedic element to my film to appeal to my audience more.