Short Film Analysis: Heartwork

The very first thing we see in 'Heartwork' is a shot of blurred lights. The camera moves quickly to the right. This immediately disorientates the audience and is a good way to represent the general theme and mood of the film. Music then begins to play as a shot of rubbish on a train-track is shown. The music sounds electronic, and makes the viewer feel uncomfortable. The repetitive music adds to the urbanized location in which this short film is set, which is perhaps an extended metaphor for the repetitiveness of every day routine. We then see a shot of a girl sitting on a bench. This is intercut with several close ups, including her hair, her headphones and her eyes. The use of editing is effective. An eye-line match is used, which shows the girl looking at train times above her. This allows the audience to connect with her, and shows her purpose in this scene. The editing is quick and fast-paced, despite the slow music. It also shows the girl smoking a cigarette. This mixed with his headphones, this immediately gives the audience a sense of her age group - teenage/young adult. The night-time setting reinforces this idea. The camera is frequently positioned in such a way so that we do not see the girl's face fully. This means that the audience cannot read her facial emotions, which adds an element of mystery to her character. A train arrives, and when the character sits down we finally see her face. The frame consists of the character on the right, sitting down, and the window on the left. Rain droplets fall down the window, causing lights on the outside to be amplified. Close-ups of the window are intercut with images of the girl. This represents her disengagement in her current mental state. The scene then cuts to show the girl sitting at a bar, alone. This shows her sense of isolation. A man then comes over, and there is no dialogue, instead we just see her facial expressions. The lighting the bar is low, yet feels warmer than the train. This creates a sense of safety in the urban area. The camera cuts to a night-club as a louder beat can be heard playing in the soundtrack. The lighting here is blue and dark, which is in direct contrast to the safety of the bar. Despite the newly introduced drum-beat in the soundtrack, the music is still relatively dull. This matches the visuals which we see, which appear to be slowed down. This makes the setting seem dream-like. The shots of the girl dancing have her in focus, and do not clearly show any other people. This shows us that the narrative is pivotal around her. We then see the girl standing against a wall smoking. The lighting on her is dark, yet in the other half of the screen is the same un-natural blue of the club. This shows her detachment from everyone else in the scene. A man then dances with girl, and the camera work becomes less stable and moves with more energy. The music also intensifies. This suggests the intimacy between the two characters.