Short Film Analysis:
Otherwise Engaged (2015) - Directed by Alicia MacDonald
Run Time: 04:33
Otherwise Engaged (2015) - Directed by Alicia MacDonald
Run Time: 04:33
This short utilises a select few micro-features in such a small amount of time in order to illustrate it’s exact point. This film is a dramatic satire on how consumed people are by the age of technology. A couple who get engaged, ruin the moment by being so obsessed with sharing their experiences with the world of social media. The director, Alicia MacDonald, mainly uses cinematography and performance to really demonstrate her point to the audience. The themes revolving around this short are that of isolation, romance, consumption and naivety.
As humorous as this film may be, it touches on quite a prominent subject matter. However MacDonald does this in order to make audiences fully aware of the situation. The location that was selected for the filming of this short was purposely done in order to show the isolation in which the 2 characters of the film live in. The film takes place at the top of a hill in which no-one is in close proximity to, much of the film is shown through mid-shots allowing for expression of each of the characters body language as well as to illustrate the loneliness in which they both live. Since the age of social media is said to make the world a smaller place allowing everyone to connect and always be in reach of each other, MacDonald shows the reality of it through her use of cinematography, showing the actuality of the world we live in. Over the shoulder shots of the female protagonists phone helps to realise the same point. From her view, we see her boyfriend down on one knee proposing, although through the view of her phone he seems very isolated and unnatural.
Further exemplifying the point of ‘the unnatural’, the female protagonist tries to have her boyfriend restart his proposing speech just so she is able to record it. The performance of both characters helps show how realistic they both seem to be. The sincerity of how she delivers her reaction helps the audience know what kind of characters we are dealing with. It seems that the male protagonist isn’t quite set in the same way, he isn’t as absorbed in the same way as the woman although he is still to blind to notice her blatant hypocrisy when she tells him “enjoy the moment”. These characters are both written and performed in a unique way, allowing the audience to see exactly what the point of the film was. Both characters are shown to be both absorbed in the lives contained in their phones but also to be reliant on the approval of others. Even though it may not seem like much, I picked out the fact that during the closing credits, both characters express their concern for the fact that no-one has replied to their post about being engaged, they then proceed to harass those who do reply to them.
A micro-feature that isn’t used as significantly as the others is sound. Since the setting is on the top of a isolated hill, the film uses very little non-diegetic sound. Most of the sound in the film is dialogue, however everything is for the most part left in silence. I believe that as well as showing the audience about the horror that is technological consumption, MacDonald also wants to heavily convey the theme of isolation. Sound is used as another prominent factor when enforcing this theme.
Both micro-features that are prominent in this short are clearly there to portray a message and create meaning to audiences who watch it. Although, both the cinematography and writing are unique in the way that they show the message. Never is it outright said what the point of the film is, however through the comedy and clear expressions of the actors (conveyed through both cinematography and performance) we can see what MacDonald is trying to say.
As humorous as this film may be, it touches on quite a prominent subject matter. However MacDonald does this in order to make audiences fully aware of the situation. The location that was selected for the filming of this short was purposely done in order to show the isolation in which the 2 characters of the film live in. The film takes place at the top of a hill in which no-one is in close proximity to, much of the film is shown through mid-shots allowing for expression of each of the characters body language as well as to illustrate the loneliness in which they both live. Since the age of social media is said to make the world a smaller place allowing everyone to connect and always be in reach of each other, MacDonald shows the reality of it through her use of cinematography, showing the actuality of the world we live in. Over the shoulder shots of the female protagonists phone helps to realise the same point. From her view, we see her boyfriend down on one knee proposing, although through the view of her phone he seems very isolated and unnatural.
Further exemplifying the point of ‘the unnatural’, the female protagonist tries to have her boyfriend restart his proposing speech just so she is able to record it. The performance of both characters helps show how realistic they both seem to be. The sincerity of how she delivers her reaction helps the audience know what kind of characters we are dealing with. It seems that the male protagonist isn’t quite set in the same way, he isn’t as absorbed in the same way as the woman although he is still to blind to notice her blatant hypocrisy when she tells him “enjoy the moment”. These characters are both written and performed in a unique way, allowing the audience to see exactly what the point of the film was. Both characters are shown to be both absorbed in the lives contained in their phones but also to be reliant on the approval of others. Even though it may not seem like much, I picked out the fact that during the closing credits, both characters express their concern for the fact that no-one has replied to their post about being engaged, they then proceed to harass those who do reply to them.
A micro-feature that isn’t used as significantly as the others is sound. Since the setting is on the top of a isolated hill, the film uses very little non-diegetic sound. Most of the sound in the film is dialogue, however everything is for the most part left in silence. I believe that as well as showing the audience about the horror that is technological consumption, MacDonald also wants to heavily convey the theme of isolation. Sound is used as another prominent factor when enforcing this theme.
Both micro-features that are prominent in this short are clearly there to portray a message and create meaning to audiences who watch it. Although, both the cinematography and writing are unique in the way that they show the message. Never is it outright said what the point of the film is, however through the comedy and clear expressions of the actors (conveyed through both cinematography and performance) we can see what MacDonald is trying to say.
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