Evie Stylianou's Blog

• Where do you watch films? I usually watch films at home or at the cinema. e.g. East Dulwich Picture House or the Ritzy. • What devices do you use to watch films? How does this change the viewing experience? My laptop or projector screen at home. When I watch films on my projector screen the experience with the film is more interactive - I usually enjoy the film more as there is surround sound speakers and the screen is larger. Whereas, when I watch films on my laptop I do not always connect with the film in the same way and tend to get distracted more easily. • Are there certain films you prefer to see at the cinema? If so which? Personally, I prefer to watch films at the cinema that are known to be about a serious or sad topic. This is because I feel as though I can connect with the film more than when I am watching it at home, as my entire attention is focused on the film. For example, I wanted to see Dunkirk at the cinema as the sound and aesthetics could be appreciated mo...

'Over' is a short film, directed by Jörn Threlfall. The film is told through a series of static shots, enabling Threlfall to create a very different approach to the telling of his story. This enables the audience to be involved in the unravelling of the story. This technique largely relies on interest in order to keep his audience interested. Threlfall explains this by saying, "I make the viewer be the detective." He goes on to explain that he, "Didn't want to tell it in a conventional way. The story was so sad and desperate it needed a different way of telling... It's like shards and fragments, it was quite an intense way of making sure the viewer stayed with it. In the cinema I see viewers leaning forward, as if they want to go closer but can't." The film starts with a slow zoom into the road, where the story takes place. The zoom signifies an acceptance for the viewer, into the story, allowing them to be part of what is to come. Howeve...

'Tight Jeans' is a short film directed by Destiny Ekharaga. It is about three black teenagers who are waiting for the friend. They are all sitting on a wall, bored and aimless; the perfect conditions for starting an interesting discussion. Whilst they sit there, a white man walks past wearing very tight jeans, which sparks an argument concerning race and culture. The film was loosely based off personal experience from the director and writer of the film, Destiny Ekharaga. Destiny and her brother were walking down Deplored High Street in London, and a man walked past wearing very tight jeans. Off the back of this encounter, she wanted to create a film that reflects everyday conversation, whilst depicting her observations of how young black men speak to each other. She feels as though her approach is different as this is not something that is usually seen on mainstream media. 'Tight Jeans' is an interesting short film because it is a comedy that touches upon the issue of ...

'The Fly' is a dark comedy, directed by Olly Williams about a getaway driver and his stressful encounter with a fly. The film is reflective of slapstick comedy, where the main comedy stems from Jack Doolan's exaggerative measures in removing the fly. Williams wanted his film to be extremely fast pace, making "something that grabbed the audience by the balls and didn't let go." This intensely captivating short does exactly that, primarily through his use of cinematography, editing and sound. From the beginning of the film, small diegetic sounds are heightened, such as the windscreen wipers. This creates a contrast between the sheer silence and the small noises, which grasp the audience's attention and set the tone for what is to come. As the film progresses, the sounds become louder and more intense. For example, when Doolan hits the horn and it gets stuck. This adds tension to the film and emphasises the stress and desperation of the situation. Williams ...

'The Arrival' is a short film, directed by Daniel Montanarini. The film captures a woman's internal struggle whilst deciding whether to keep her child. The film is set in a coffee shop, whilst she waits for the arrival of the man who she had a fling with, which resulted in pregnancy. The Arrival was inspired by a documentary that Montanarini was working on called All About Mothers. It followed the relationships between mothers and their children when they realised that they were pregnant, allowing for a more personal narrative. His second inspiration came from a photograph of a young woman sitting in a cafe by Alexander Nesterov. This visual inspiration sets the tone for the perfectly constructed mis-en-scene throughout the film. The colours that are used in the film are cold, muted tones of greys and whites. These colours reflect the serious mood of the film, whilst adding a slight element of discomfort. This allows us to connect with how the woman is feeling, befor...