CODES AND CONVENTIONS

A WAY IN WHICH SOMETHING IS USUALLY DONE.

TEXT

STORYLINE▸ Story is kept simple and easy to follow▸ Can often be based around a proverb ▸ Most short films have a moral basis to them

▸ For example in Room 8, the moral is to not mess with that, which you don’t know

I WILL BE USING TWO SHORT FILMS

IDENTITY ROOM 8

TO SHOW CODES AND CONVENTIONS

CHARACTERS▸ Characters often have no introduction ▸ Back Stories are often brief and not in depth▸ Commonly there are only 1/2 main character and no secondary

ones▸ This allows the audience to connect to the character/s in a short

amount of time

▸ Identity follows one main character▸ Room 8 contains 2 main characters

and one secondary (the guard)

LENGTH▸ Short films are often short in length ▸ The maximum length is around 35 minuets ▸ Generally short films do not extend the 10 minuet

mark ▸ The longer the film, the more expensive it will be to

make▸ Identity is 5.12 minutes long▸ Room 8 is 6.22 minuets

TWIST▸ Many short films contain a twist at the end ▸ Twists are to make the story line more interesting ▸ Often the twists come at the end and are unexpected▸ Film makers take an everyday situation, and turn it on its

head▸ Without twists a short film would be uninteresting and boring

▸ In room 8 the twist is when thethe old man collects the otherprisoner in the match box.

SITUATION/UNIVERSE▸ Short films often take a common situation then turn it around, into

something bizarre and flipped▸ This allows the viewer to connect to the situation while still being

entertained▸ Often short films are used in music videos

▸ In Identity the situation they situationtook was, not being able to be who you want to be, and leaningto be yourself.

BUDGET▸ Budget for short films are often very low ▸ This is as most are made independently, and by film-makers

who are just starting out▸ Funding is not generally available ▸ Budget is kept low by use of few actors and as few locations

and costumes as possible

▸ For instant identity was shot on one location, had one main actor and costumes were extras own clothes.

▸ CGI such as magic or explosions is scarcely used in short films

▸ Any CGI is kept very simple, with normally only one element needing animation. Such as in the black hole, only the one hole needed CGI

▸ Narration or Voice-over are regularlyused to convey information to the audience quickly, or where not appropriate to show as action

RECURRING THEMES