Research Task 7-Amie Nelms

Eight (Daldry), 1998

Genre-Social Realism

• Naturalistic lighting, low key lighting (watching football on TV)


• Costume related to context-film subject on football and Jonathan's Dad (who died at football match), football shirts


• Iconography of football-shirts, football, matches (on video/TV), tape playing of football game


• Exterior shot-shed


• Slow motion-used to emphasise joy/highlight the football gesture/celebration of shirt over head


• Beach-freedom, be able to think about Dad; home-restricted, confined-Dad's death upsets Mum


• Desaturated colour palette


• No football in house=Mum healing, reminder of her loss
  

Narrative

• Equilibrium-boy, introduces himself at beach; Disruption-on going thoughts of Dad, find put about teasing at school, struggle at home, find out he died; Resolution-on beach, boy thinking about Dad, wanting a new one-left to audiences imagination to what happens next


• Opening and ending-on beach, only place so he can think of Dad in private/play football
  

Sound

• Language in dialogue used for Jonathan to address the audience- "bye"


• Beginning-introduction of line- "I am Jonathan and I am eight", emphasising character information


• Scouser accent-Liverpool, reflects area where he use to live


• Diegetic sounds-eg. TV, radio/tape


• Silence used (when eating dinner), to create tension, emotion, gives audience time to reflect on information learnt so far


• String and guitar non diegetic soundtrack-emotive towards boy and his loss, yearning for a Dad


• 'Never Walk Alone'-Liverpool FC anthem, boy singing it on beach at end, to remind him and audience of connection of Dad and football-memories, emotive song in itself, haunting end


• Soundbridge of boy narrating thoughts of his Dad
  

Themes and Issues

• Football-perhaps metaphor for his Dad, only thing he knew of his Dad (interest)
  
• Abuse- friend gets hit every time he doesn't eat pudding


• Childhood-Imagination, role play, creating football world through play


• Grief-for Dad, Mum banning football in house


• Over extension of 'Dad'-on pier, he's seeking for a new 'Dad', goes up to stranger, thinks everyone could be his Dad-when you only can have one true Dad
  

Comments

• Extremely emotive short film, clever use of boy narrating and talking to audience to create the emotional connection


• Use of fades-to white


• Interesting use of location-beach, watching train, relating to jobs his Dad could have done


• Range of shots-definitely incorporate in own short film eg. very high angle shot of putting football shirt on shelf.

Amie Nelms