1. SHORT FILM ANALYSIS
1 – THE DATE
Sharna Mandil

2. The Date (iCandy Productions)
 This is a short romantic comedy film, which has no dialogue
throughout and instead has sound effects and music playing.
 It is based around one central character, a male, whom we know no
personal information about (age, etc), who sets up a date from his
home. However, his date stands him up... Or so he thinks.

3. Film analysis
 The film opens with simple text,
which connotes to the audience
that the film isn’t going to be too
extravagant and over the top, but
instead a short simple film that
gets its point quickly.
 Behind the text is a boiling
saucepan which also connotes to
the audience that the film may
involve some sort of cooking,
potentially for the date, and sets
up a scene for the audience of a
kitchen, as this is where cooking
takes place.

4. Film analysis
 An over the shoulder shot,
reveals the setting of the opening
scene to the audience, along
with some close up shots of the
food he is preparing.
 The opening setting of the main
character is in the kitchen where
he is preparing food for his date.
The setting of the kitchen gives
the audience quite a homely feel,
and the bright colours of the
opening setting creates a warm,
calm atmosphere.

5. Film analysis
 The music within the opening
scenes of this short film is fast
and snappy, which shows the
characters anticipation for his
date, and throughout the short
film the non diegetic score music
changes depending on the
characters mood.
 The characters clothing in the
opening scenes is quite casual
and laid back and
fashionable, so we as an
audience assume he is quite
young.

6. Film analysis
 The director has chosen to use
an establishing shot to tell the
audience that the majority of the
action will take place within the
dining room, where he is
preparing for his date.
 The non diegetic music has now
sped up, which further highlights
and connotes the characters
anticipation for the date, as we
assume as an audience he has
never had a date before as he is
rushing around even though he
has plenty of time.

7. Film analysis
 The next few shots within the
dining room, show the character
placing numerous items on the
table such as candles, roses and
red wine onto the table.
 The director uses close up shots
so the audience can be shown
detail of the items. This also
shows to the audience that the
character is presumably a
perfectionist and is going to all
lengths to ensure his date will be
romantic as possible.
 The items such as candles and
roses, connote love to the
audience and are typical
conventions of a romantic film.

8. Film analysis
 The non diegetic background
music has further sped up, again
highlighting his anticipation. The
following scenes are of the
character getting ready for the
date.
 The typical stereotype of males
when they get ready for dates is
that they try everything to look their
best and scrub up well so that they
can impress their date, which is
what the character shows. He is
shown in a medium close up shot
in the shower lathered up in
soap, it is also presumed that the
character is singing as he is
moving his mouth. However, we
can’t hear him as the whole film
has no dialogue. This adds to the
comical side of the film as by his
mouth movement the audience
can presume he is singing quite
loudly, perhaps because he is
extremely happy and excited for
his date.

9. Film analysis
 The scenes when the character
is in the bathroom, add to the
comical genre of the film, and
also are a convention of
comedy/romantic films, as it is
showing a character trying their
best to look as good as they can
to impress their date.
 The extreme close up used also
adds to the comical element, as
the audience can focus on the
characters facial expressions
more, which adds to the humour
of the film.

10. Film analysis
 The audience are then quickly
introduced to a new setting with
the help of an establishing
shot, and also by the change of
the score music in the
background.
 The setting of the mans room is
a typical stereotype of a typical
males room, as it is blue, messy
and unorganised, which is the
common held view of what males
rooms look like, and this setting
conforms to that stereotype.

11. Film analysis
 Throughout the bedroom scene
where the man is deciding what
to wear, he does very typical
male things. Such as seeing how
“ripped” he is in the mirror, which
is a typical stereotype of males
as they are believed to do this.
 The characters attire in this
scene is of just him in his
underwear, which adds to the
comical genre of the film.
However, the underwear seems
to have a comic strip design
which can be seen as childish as
this is what a child would
wear, which connotes to the
audience that this character may
also have an immature, playful

12. Film analysis
 The mans attire has changed to
more formal wear, which shows
the audience he is now ready for
his date.
 The audience also know the man
is ready for his date as he
checks his watch, which
connotes he is now just waiting
for his date to arrive.

13. Film analysis
 As the date is further approaching the
music slows down, which suggests to
the audience the date is arriving soon.
 However, the equilibrium is soon
disrupted when he cannot get through
to his date.
 The audience are notified by this as
the non-digetic dialogue says, “the
number you’re trying to call has not
been recognised”, and also through
the clock which has been faded in into
the background which connotes that
time is passing and that she is late and
therefore, isn’t going to show up.
 The audience then empathize with the
character as the music slows down
and alters the audiences mood.

14. Film analysis
 The director has chosen to use
an extreme close up of the mans
face to show in detail the
characters downbeat, upset
facial expression and mood, as
his date has stood him up.
 The director also alternates
between different types of shot to
show his upset. For example, the
director uses an establishing
shot of his bedroom to show him
being alone. A bedroom usually
connotes a place of personal
space which you can go to when
you want to be by yourself as it is
an escape from everyone, which
is why the director has used the
location of the bedroom to show

15. Film analysis
 The director uses a mid shot to
show the character alone at the
table, and has also slowed the
score music down even further to
create a sad, alone atmosphere
for the audience, so we
empathize with him.
 The props used in this scene
further help the audience to
empathize with him, as the lit
candles and the rose create a
romantic scene. However, no
one is there to share it with him.

16. Film analysis
 As the man believes his date has stood
him up, the mood completely changes
with the help of the non-diegetic
background music, which is now quite
loud and bold.
 The close up over-the-shoulder shot of
the man shows him aggressively eating
the dinner he prepared for himself and his
date in time with the background music.
To add to the comical genre the man also
eats his dates dinner too, which again is a
typical stereotype of a man, as a typically
held belief is that men eat a lot.
 The man also drinks the whole bottle of
wine. Wine is typically associated with
romance. However, the character finishes
the whole bottle of wine in an aggressive
manner, which connotes to the audience
that the man is drinking the wine to drown
his sorrows as his date didn’t show up.
The close up of him drinking the wine
shows him greedily finishing off the bottle.

17. Film analysis
 After the man has drank his
sorrows away and finishes the
meal, the director uses a mid
shot to show the man sitting
alone depressed as his date
didn’t arrive. The mid shot, is
quite a distanced shot which may
be a reason the director wanted
to sue this shot, as the shot
reflects the characters mood
(distanced).
 The lighting is also quite dull, and
dark with only a small lamp
providing a small bit of
brightness. The dull lighting may
also be reflecting the characters
mood.

18.  The background music has now
quietened down drastically, and
is interrupted by a message tone
from the mans phone (diegetic
sound).
 The director uses an extreme
close up shot to show to the
audience the mans
confusion/shock as to why he
has received a text.

19. Film analysis
 It is then revealed to the
audience using an extreme close
up shot of his mobile phone, that
his date in fact is coming to
date, however, her phone was
just playing up.
 An extreme close up of the
phone is used to make the
audience aware that the female
companion is now coming, and
to add to the comical element as
it comes to the audiences
attention that the man has just
ate all of the food and drank all of
the wine even though his date is
coming.

20.  The director then uses an
extreme close up of the
characters expression to show
his wide-eyed shock emotion and
panic.
 The director then also uses an
extreme close up of the man
looking up at the clock to show
that the time is now 9:30, the
time Chloe said she was going to
get there for.
 This whole scene is a typical
convention of a comedy film, as
in comedy films people are
usually late which adds to the
comical genre

21. Film analysis
 The director has chosen to fade
the music out of the final
scenes, so that the audience can
hear the diegetic sound of the
doorbell (presumably his
date, Chloe) which creates a
comical ending to the film, as we
are left on a cliff hanger of what
is he going to do next as he has
eaten all the food and drank all
the wine, so there is nothing left
for his date.
 The final close up of the man
used, shows his awkward
nervous expression as he has no
idea what excuse he can come
up with to his date as to why
there is no food and wine left.

22. Film analysis
 The film then cuts to black, as we
are left on a cliff hanger and the
end credits are shown.
 Like the beginning of the film the
ending credits are also in
simplistic text, which shows that
the film was simple and had a
clear simple narrative easy for
everyone to follow.