Short Film Essay (Black Button)

　
The video is a stereotypical 21st century short film, aimed at the male and female. Probably teen-adult audience because it is mysterious and a younger audience many not understand what is happening. The clip shows the binary oppositions of good vs. evil because Geoffrey had a choice to kill someone and take ten million dollars. The short film has high production values because there are props such as a golden lamp, silver door handle, big symbolic chair. The sub genre of black button is fantasy because everything that is happening is mysterious.
In this essay, it shall therefore be discussed how the micro elements of mise-en-scne and camera work is used to create a macro meaning of representation of wealth and power to engage the audience .
Generic settings include set design inside a white room. The colour white represents and importance. Iconography such as silver door handles, golden lamp, and white briefcase represents wealth and richness.
Character costumes have been used effectively to represent wealth and dominance. The mysterious man is dressed in a smart black suit so he looks smart and dressed well. Geoffrey is dressed a bit untidy so this suggests he is less dominate than the mysterious man.
Acting gestures from Geoffrey such as his mouth wide open and looking around shows Geoffrey as being confused and not knowing where he is. Also his eyes watering and shaking his head show he is upset by the mysterious man. This represents mysterious man as being more dominate than Geoffrey.
The mysterious man is shown to be more wealthy and dominate because he has props such as a big wide desk, golden lamp and a white briefcase that contains 10 million dollars. Geoffrey is represented as being less wealthy and less dominate as the mysterious man because he has no props. The two characters are both sat on chairs. The mysterious man has been represented as richer and more powerful because he is sat on a large symbolic oak chair. Geoffrey is seen less powerful and less important so he is sat on a small wooded chair.
Lighting and colouring have been used effectively to create representations of wealth and power. The mysterious mans room is brightly lit so this shows he is dominant. When it show a flash back to Geoffrey’s car crash the scene is dark and badly lit to show that he is less dominate. Light colours such as white symbolise purity and wealth. The mysterious mans room is all white and he has a white briefcase that contains ten million dollars. This symbolises the mysterious man as being rich and dominate.
Camera work is uses to create a variety of effects and can therefore contributed to representations of power and wealth in different ways.
Close up shots are used to emphasise reactions and emotions of characters. A close up shot of Geoffrey shows him being confused because he doesn’t no where he is. This represents Geoffrey as being less dominate because he is confused and lost.
Also another close up shot shows Geoffrey being less dominate. He is trying to open the door to get out of the white room but the door is locked so he cant get out. Also the close up shot shows a shinny silver door handle so this represents wealth form the silver door handle and less dominance because the mysterious man has locked him in the white room
A medium shot of the mysterious man show him being dominate because it shows him dressed smartly with a white background behind him. This shows his importance.
Objective POV shots (Over the shoulder shot) are used to put the audience in the action and show us what a character is looking at. In Black Button POV a shot is used to show dominance and power. This is shows that Geoffrey is less dominate than the mysterious man because the POV shot shows Geoffrey being rushed into making a bad decision by the mysterious man.
A two shot is a shot with two people in it, often to show convocation. The two shot also shows the mysterious man being wealth and more powerful than Geoffrey. This has been shown by showing the mysterious man sitting on a large symbolic chair and Geoffrey sat on a little wooden chair/stool.
　
Camera movement is often used effectively to engage the audience with action. Zoom is used to show the mysterious man and the button. It then zooms into the button. This shows that the mysterious man is dominate because he knows what the button does and Geoffrey doesn’t.
Sound is used in this short film all the way. The music is playing in the background and it is a mysterious melody that is being played. The music fits into the short film because the short film is also mysterious and know one understands what is happening until the end when he realises he is dead.