Tight Jeans

'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 modern attitudes towards other cultures.
The opening shots of the film are of a busy and diverse marketplace, which sets the tone for the the film's motif of culture conflict. The loud music that is played over these shots lends a slightly aggressive feel to the film, emphasising this idea. 
In terms of mis-en-scene, the film is set in a housing estate, shown by the fenced gardens and blocks of flats. This gives the film a raw, British feel to it, once again setting the tone for the narrative. The three boys on the wall are wearing brightly coloured hoodies, which causes them to stand out from the estate background. This gives the characters a perceived importance, allowing the audience to listen to, and respect their views. 
The slow zoom, from behind the characters, welcomes us into their thoughts and feelings, allowing us to become part of their discussion. The silence emphasises the length of their waiting, creating a restless atmosphere. Whilst the characters are speaking, the camera zooms along the line of them, adding a sense of dynamism to the stillness of their waiting. This helps to build tension to the sequence as the restlessness is emphasised.
Editing is used cleverly in the sequence, especially the use of shot-reverse-shot. For example, when the camera pans to the man in tight jeans, and then jump-cuts are used to show the reactions of the men on the wall. This captures the audience's attention allowing them to focus on both the man in tight jeans, and the reaction of the young men. 

Mis-En-Scene and cinematography are used together, in order to effectively convey information about the characters. This is important ad Destiny only has a short 8 minute running length to portray her characters in. She uses eye line shots of the boys on the wall to convey their equal level of importance to the audience, which mirrors the regularity of their conversation. 


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