The short film 'Coasting' begins with a medium close up of an elderly lady peering into the distance. The fact that the woman is in the first shot immediately hints to the audience know that she will be the main, pivotal character within the narrative. I feel that doing this is effective as it certainly grips the viewer and raises questions about her worried facial expressions. The shallow depth of field used further enhances the idea that she will be important within the short production. The positioning of the title 'Coasting' next to her face shows that she will be in control of the narrative. The way that this scene is set out is visually appealing, as each item within the frame has it's own individual place. Upon putting my own title in my short film I shall ensure that it looks as though it is meant to be there, as it does in 'Coasting', as opposed to it being an unnecessary add-on. The ambient sounds of nature - mainly birds tweeting - sets the scene without it being too blatant, and enhances the visuals which are being shown on screen. The length of cut of the woman staring is long enough for the audience to embrace her facial expression, yet not too long so that they do not get bored of the idle frame. Gentle piano music then begins to play, hinting at a lighter-themed production as opposed to one which deals with harsh themes. Due to the fact that my own production will be darker-themed, it will be necessary to use the appropriate sounds (whether that be music or ambient sounds) to convey meaning. Despite the fact that the two elderly women are seen to be speaking, there are several shots - like a close up of leaves - in between the dialogue used. This effectively breaks up the medium close up shots and engages the attention of the audience. The close up which is used to convey the woman's expression whilst the other lady is talking is also effective, as it allows the audience to digest the information which is being given to them whilst another character does too. Effectively, this tells the audience how to feel to the dialogue which is being heard. I personally feel that the numerous nature shots which are used are effective, as they are all visually appealing. The shot which tracks the movement of the seagull flying further shows the setting of the film, and also breaks up the long, slow moving takes which were shown previously. Shallow depth of field is used when the woman in the red-jacket is speaking, yet this is only done for a couple of seconds. Then there is a depth of field used, where the red-jacket lady is blurred, yet the other woman is in shot. The amount of time between the two women being in focus is dramatically different, as the second lady is shown for a more substantial amount of time. This shows who the attention of the viewer should be focused on. I will consider using this technique within my own short film. The light-hearted dialogue between the two characters seems to contrast the dark surroundings used - as the colours portrayed in the location are mainly dark green and grey. This shows that the two women are perhaps not used to being in this environment, as they stand out substantially, due to the colour of bright red used for both of the character's costumes. The light-hearted ending of the film is enhanced with the sounds used, the gentle sound of music playing in the background. This is effect as it leaves the viewer feeling up-lifted, and condenses the tone of the film into a short shot. The weaknesses of this short film are that the shallow depth of field technique is used too frequently. I feel that this takes away from it's overall effect of showing meaning to the viewer, as they are more likely to become aware of the blatant portrayal of meaning. I feel that subtler methods should have been used.
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