Short film research: WHITTLING AWAY/Mystery

Common Sound

This short film heavily involved diegetic sound from the river's flowing to the cuts of the knife whittling of the wood. 

Common Mis-En-Scene

This short film used casual clothing. The Dad wore a t-shirt with pants, and the daughter wore a crop top with jeans. The daughter even has her hair a little messy, which contributes to the curiosity of the watchers. Why is her hair messy? Where was she before this? What is she doing? One of the main props is a tiny knife. We do not get to see the purpose of it until the very end of the film. The lightning in this film is semi-dim. The shots in the house are well light while the scenes in the foster are dim, which creates an eerie feeling. There is no makeup present in the film. The setting of this film is set in a rural area. The house is near a forest with a river.

Common Editing

This film used lots of mid-shots. Typically, they were used during the scene between the Grandmother and the Dad. In this scene, the Dad is panicking over his daughter's disappearance. Mid-shots show the Dad while extreme close-ups of the Grandmother's hand are shown. That is the only part of here that we see, but we hear her voice as the call continues. The clips flip back and forth between them. 

What elements of the genre do I like?

I like the sound in Mystery films. The use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound creates a sense of atmosphere so chilling and uncomfortable that makes you feel as if you're in the film.

What elements of the genre do not appeal to you?

I do not like makeup. Usually, the makeup in Mystery films is on the light side. However, it never hurts to make something over the topic 

                                                                                                        xoxo, Dru