Having a Good Time (Thriller Analysis)

 Today is an intense day. Today I'll be talking about and critiquing one of my favorite thrillers of all time, Good Time. I know I've talked about this production before, but I didn't really go into as much as depth as I would have in an analysis, and this piece is something I'm heavily inspired by, both thematically and stylistically. 

Good Time follows a young man Connie, and his brother Nick, who has a mental disability. Connie elects to rob a bank with his brother to get enough money to leave town, which ends up triggering a sequence of events that doesn't let up until the movie concludes. After a successful heist, Nick opens up the bag with money in it, only to find it has been rigged with explosive paint, causing him to start panicking until the commotion eventually draws cops, and Nick is arrested while Connie barely escapes.

Two elements I am most inspired by are the overall look of the production, and the way it manages to blur the lines of what is moral and what is not.

As in many other of their films, including Marty Supreme and Uncut Gems, The Safdie brothers have an iconic, grainy, gritty look which adds to the overall intense tone that defines all of these productions. Whether this have to do with a specific camera or post-production is something I'll be sure to delve into in my planning phase, but this look truly elevates these films from a story to what feels like an experience.

What further immerses the audience into the Safdie style is their immersive dialogue, characterized by mundane realism, and often interruption and characters speaking over one another to the point where it grows overbearing.

They also use immersive long takes focusing on one specific action to make the experience of their films grow more immersive, even on the most simple, seemingly insignificant tasks, such as when Connie dies his hair to conceal his identity.

Connie goes to extreme lengths in order to attempt to free his brother from jail, even breaking into the hospital in which he stay in attempt to break him out. However, after doing so he realizes he broke out the complete wrong person, and instead uses him to get enough money to pay Nick's bail. This, to me, embodies the concept of blurring the lines between morality, as his overwhelming love and worry for his brother forces him to commit felonies and even steal people's identities in hopes to even potentially help his brother escape. 

In my own short film, an idea me and alejandro have been messing around with is the image of a school custodian who forgets to put up a wet floor sign late after hours, resulting in the death of an employee, forcing him to hide the body. He has some sort of ulterior motivation to keep the job like keeping his family fed or something along those lines, and he fears losing his job. I think it would be really interesting to explore the concept of what is moral and what isn't like the Safdie brothers in this scenario and simultaneously see just how intense I can make it. 

Comedy Short Film Analyses

Today, I'll be watching two short films that fall primarily within the comedy genre and analyzing how they recreate this genre most effectively.

Lie Detector:

This film was hilarious. It essentially follows a man as he undergoes a job interview, but as you might've guessed, he is attached to a lie detector which obnoxiously beeps whenever anyone in the room tells a lie. 

The mise-en-scene elements work to assert the environment quite vividly, as both the costume and set design make the office setting come to life, and it is truly believable that this could be a real job interview.

For the most part, the use of editing is limited, but extremely motivated, as whenever a character has a notable reaction or response, the continuous two shot cuts to one of their faces on a close up. However, something that this film does that I would really like to create is the interruption of some sort of third party on a continuous sequence, as this serves as a nice break up from the continuous dialogue while also reinforcing the comedic aspects

The repeated interruption of the lie detector in response to anything separate from the truth helps the short film use this repetition to its comedic advantage. The lie detector even turns on the interviewer as his boss comes in to ask if he's finished an assignment, to which he must reveal he hasn't. 

Overall, this film is hilarious not only because of the writing, but also in part to its masterful use of deadpan delivery to make certain lines all the more hilarious.

Stapler:

This film was very over the top and best serves as an example of the power physical comedy holds on creating absurdity and humor. It follows two office employees as they discover that they are both out of stables, and engage in an extreme face off to let fate decide who ultimately deserves the staples retrieved from the other side of the office.

It uses really unique visuals to amplify the overall absurdity of the film, such as following the staples as they fly through the office like bullets. The use of action-packed, fast paced music accompanying these absurd shots reinforce the degree of action. The overall juxtaposition of two such unlike concepts, an office building and a high-stakes fight sequence works most effectively to create the level of ironic humor this short film contains.

Something I really enjoyed and can take inspiration from is the ending. The film ends just how it started, only this time, both employees realize they are out of coffee, ending on a cliffhanger suggesting these unlikely and over the top fights are seemingly a neverrending cycle. I feel like the thrillers I watch that most stick with me are the ones with inconclusive endings, so incorporating something like this into my own production would be cool.

Thriller-Comedy Short Film Analyses

 I've decided it would be best for me to first research short films that blend thriller and comedy aspects, and then research short films that are more comedic and more thriller-like rather than a blend of the two to ensure I get an equal balance of both of these aspects. Today I'll analyze two thriller-comedies.

"Put Your Shopping Cart Away"

This short film follows a man who shops at a grocery store late at night and decides to not return his shopping cart after loading his car, despite a sign clearly asking all customers to do so. An employee is then seen menacingly staring straight at the protagonist, who then terrorizes him and his family for the rest of the piece, dismantling their home and even killing his wife. At the end of the film, the main character is homeless and sleeps outside of the grocery store and sees another man decide to not return his shopping cart, and before being able to warn him, the same employee holds him back and gives rge man the same menacing stare.

The thriller elements of this film come most directly from the soundtrack and lighting, as whenever the protagonist feels as if his antagonizing cart-pusher is nearing, a bone-chilling, eerie score is heard in the background. The combination of this with low-key lighting such as when he sees his wife's lifeless body laying on the ground ultimately work to create unsettling sequences with claustrophobic and seemingly unescapable circumstances, aligning with thriller conventions.

The comedic aspects of the film come from its overall absurdity in terms of plot, and physical comedy as well. I mean the entire concept of having a cart-pushing, psychotic killer is pretty absurd in and of itself. Additionally, the concept of dragging out aspects of everyday life to completely new extremes is evident here, as it is common knowledge that grocery store employees are inconvenienced by those who refuse to return their carts, but this film questions how psychotic this aspect of everyday life could possibly make someone

The protagonists questionable and often abnormal response to the terror he is experiencing also add to the overall comedy in the film. For example, when he hears his wife and daughter screaming and begging for help, when he sees his wife recording, his first response is to fix his hair in the mirror as opposed to rushing in to help them. 

Overall, it feels like this film's absurdity in terms of plot help reinforce both its degree of being a comedy and being a thriller, as the plot is equally as comedic as it is intense

CROOK$:

This film centers around two friends who decide to rob a liquor store for reasons that aren't made abundantly clear, but have something to do with their dog Heisenberg's health. Once they infiltrate the store, however, they find that the cashier is actually another robber who was knocked out and taken the place of the actual cashier, and therefore can't access the cash register. Alarmed, the girls flee the scene, but ultimately decide to return to defeat robber and claim all the liquor in the store for themselves.

The most clear convention of thriller followed by this film is how it blends the line between good and bad, as obviously robbery is a crime and moral wrongdoing, but it is difficult not to sympathize with 2 friends who just wish to help their dog. Thriller is further reinforced through intense visuals and the use of violence, such as when the girls break a bottle over the robber's head.

The reveal of the unconscious body behind the cash register is equally as intense, and the change in sound from completely diegetic and empty sound to a haunting score help intensify this reveal and make it clear that the threat of another criminal is deathly close.

The comedic aspects of the film come almost entirely from the use of dialogue. For example, in the very opening sequence of the film, the two friends argue over whether or not they'll wear a mask during the robbery as the other friend wishes to look 'cute' on camera. Continuous, uninterrupted 2 shots where you can clearly see both character's expressions help enhance the comedic effect of this particular sequence.

Despite clear attempts at it, I feel this film falls a little short in terms of its degree of comedy. Just relying on dialogue rather than working some funny elements into the story itself is pretty risky unless you know for a fact your dialogue is hilarious, which in this case, quite honestly it felt kind of unnatural and unnecessary.

Overall, from my delving into hybrid thriller-comedies, I've found that the most engaging and enjoyable ones find a way for the plot itself to create the comedy and thriller instead of forcing one aspect for the sake of forcing it. I'll be sure to keep this in mind as I continue crafting my finalized narrative for my short film.

Thriller-Comedy Genre Conventions

 Over the past week of deliberating with my portfolio project partner Alejandro, we've pretty much settled in on the thriller-comedy genre. In this blog post, I'll be researching the conventions of this genre to help ensure I know what rules to follow and which ones I might decide to break as I further develop my narrative.

Thriller

First and foremost, a common mistake film viewers make is grouping thrillers and horrors into the same group, which is incorrect. The goal of a thriller is to induce anxiety and keep the audience on the edge of their seat, while the goal of a horror is to terrify, frighten, and even revolt the audience in some cases. Some defining characteristics of thrillers are:

• High Stakes - Something of great value to the main character is in jeopardy
• "Unity of Opposites" - A character is locked into a problem and unable to escape the situation
• Odds that seem impossible for a character to overcome, even to the character themselves, making the audience feel greatly uncertain to what the outcome will be
• Ticking clock - A clear shortage of time on the protagonist's hands in order to ramp up the amount of tension in the film. Picture a story where a man must drop off money by midnight to save his daughter and now must scramble to get the money for his daughter.
• Moral struggle, blurring the lines between what is objectively and subjectively good and bad based on the character's needs and priorities.
• Intelligent protagonists and antagonists aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses
  

The rivalry between Batman and the Joker best embodies these thriller archetypes, as they are so familar with each other they are virtually always in a game of chess, predicting the other's next move before they are even able to act.

Comedy

Originally, the definition of a comedy was anything with a happy ending, but it has evolved over time to be known as anything containing elements of humor, and is therefore super easy to fuse with virtually any genre. Some defining characteristics are:

• Relatable reflections of the truths of everyday life, but in greatly exaggerated manners. Think McLovin from Superbad, a reflection of typical depictions of relatively unpopular high school kids, but with virtually everything cranked up to 10
  
  
  
• Shot composition and camera movements that are motivated to create comedic effect
• Specific character deliveries that suit the comedic needs of a media text at a given point in time. The needs are entirely contextual and can range from dead pan to overly emotional and dramatic.

  
  
• Slapstick - physical humor created from over the top performances or uncoordinated movement, or violence

In my short film, where I seek to create a blend of these two genres, some conventions of each I most definitely plan on recreating are deadpan delivery, blurring of morality, and impossible odds. I feel like my sense of humor in real life is pretty deadpan so I would like to see how I can recreate this in a thriller comedy, and I feel like these thriller elements are the most iconic and reinforcing of the thriller genre.

Portfolio Project Schedule

 Below is the schedule me and Alejandro plan on following for the next 2 months to complete our project in the most organized and efficient way.

Week One:

-Select project route

-Brainstorm plot/soundtrack ideas

-Settle on choice for genre

-Watch short films for inspiration

-Complete blog posts
 
Week Two:

-Further develop story/outline of plot

-Research thriller genre conventions

-Watch more thriller short films for inspiration

-Research desired techniques to implement within the short film

-Write/Start recording 2 pieces for the soundtrack

-Complete blog posts

Week Three:
-Complete rough draft of script

-Research social media pages for similar short films

-Research more desired technique to include within our short film

-Begin storyboard

-Meet with other groups in class

-Find actors and reach out to them

-Create Instagram page

-Complete blog postings

 
Week Four:
-Finalize storyboard

-Settle on shooting locations/get permission to film

-Finish 2 pieces for the soundtrack

-Construct/find needed mise-en-scene elements

-Film opening sequence

 
Week Five (Spring Break):
-Finish filming the short film

-Begin editing

-See if soundtrack pieces work well with the video component

-Post to social media

-Research similar short films and brainstorm ideas for the front and back of the postcard

-Finish blog posts

 
Week Six:
- More editing

-Rewrite/Rerecord any soundtrack songs if necessary

-Find SFX from online databases

-Rough draft postcard

-More social media postings

-CR research

-Complete blog posts

Week Seven:
-Finalize editing/Soundtrack

-More social media postings (Edit potential teasers/bloopers)

-Finalize postcard

-Research for CR/Begin writing CR

-Complete blog posts
 
Week Eight:
-Last touches to short film

-Final social media posts

-Finish writing CR

-Reflect on project as a whole

-Post all components to blog

I really want to take advantage of the free time of spring break to knock out the most intimidating part of the project - filming. Not only does doing so ensure the filming gets done early on, but it also leaves us with a lot of time to edit the project and designate proper time to fulfilling the other project components. I've never really edited an original narrative of this length so I want to make sure I give myself enough time to learn and adjust.

Additionally, I made certain I left time for the whole soundtrack thing because, as I discussed in my last post, something I really hope to do in this project is create an original score. The approach I think would work best is settling on a mood/tone and then writing 2 instrumental tracks and scripting to fit this tone. By knocking out the soundtrack early on, I have more time to write new tracks or change my approach altogether if I feel it doesn't necessarily work.

I didn't use this last year what are you talking about

 

A Level Project Thoughts and Deliberations

Hey there. Remember when I told you guys that I'd be back on this blog during and after the documentary project? And then didn't say anything for like 2 months? Well I'm actually back now! 

This week is a very important week, as it marks the official start of the A Level Portfolio Project. This past week I've been thinking constantly about what route I could possibly want to tackle for the next 2 months, as each route is so separate from the next yet interestingly challenging. However, after a few days of deliberation and finding who I think I'll be pairing up with this year, Alejandro, we're definitely leaning towards making a short film.

Our instructor has been going over each individual project choice in class and even showing us past project examples, which has been pretty awesome. Alejandro and I both share a very strong interest in music and we've been sharing some songs we like throughout the year with each other, so we know one thing for certain - music must play a huge role in this film, whether it be through the narrative or soundtrack, or both. Over the past few months, I've gotten super into media where stuff just happens. Sure stuff happens pretty much all the time. You could listen to a Bon Jovi song and argue that stuff is "happening", even if it isn't because it's a Bon Jovi song for god's sake, but I mean media that's just as eventful as it is immersive and sticks with you long after you consume it. A film that perfectly captures what I mean is the 2017 thriller Good Time. This movie was insane. Every plot point in this film could probably be expressed in like 4-5 sentences, but it's just so immersive and raw each plot point occupies like 30 minutes of the entire film.

Within the short film, I can see this style of immersive and intense plot as well as raw dialogue being influenced heavily by projects like this. Additionally, while Ale and I both hold a deep love for music, a significant obstacle I also ran into last year is the enormous task of getting permission to use the songs we wish to use. Therefore, something I've been contemplating for a while is scoring my own short film. While this sounds like an enormous task - creating a short film and also scoring it - not only will lit let me carry out a specific vision to a greater extent, but it also adds a unique aspect to our project that not many people will have attempted before.

That's pretty much all we know about our future project so far. While the plot is still in the air, we definitely know the approach we're going to take, which I think will prove to make our project all the more stylistic and reflective of the vision we wish to bring to life.

Critical Reflection

 The goal of our documentary I wish I had your class for lunch was to explore the unique benefits music education has for children with special needs, allowing for communication, expression, and also looking at the best way of effectively bringing music education into their lives.

The research for my documentary included a balance of both in class viewings to familiarize myself with the conventions and techniques associated with documentaries, as well as further technique and subject-specific information. Out of all documentaries that I viewed for class, Oasis, a New York Times op-doc was the biggest influence. While being similar thematically, centering around the distancing relationship between 2 brothers, one neurotypical and one neurodivergent, as they age, I found myself drawing from more technical and symbolic elements. I was heavily inspired by this documentary's emphasis on diegetic sound, as other documentaries we had seen had generally not constructed such lush soundscapes, but the nostalgic and sentimental tone throughout was heavily corroborated by such a vibrant soundscape. This can be really clearly seen where Dr. Laz talks about his student's reaction to a torrential downpour, and we cut to the long shot of the street light in the rain, accompanied with rain and leaves and wind in the background to create something that seems like a memory close to how Dr. Laz portrays it.

I also drew inspiration from the title card and the intimacy of certain shots. The title card below is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also serves to introduce setting and I felt it matched the sentimentality I was going for I so I was heavily inspired by it.

Oasis title card

My title card

I was staggered by how intimate the creators were able to get with certain shots while somehow still getting the subjects to act as if there wasn't even a camera there. This added such a level of realism to the piece that I really wanted to recreate, only mine was less polished and stylized in a grittier manner. I feel having a documentary stylized as aesthetically as Oasis almost reads like more of a third person observation than the immersion into the classroom that I was going for.

I also conducted research on effects like the typewriter effect as seen on Dr. Laz's name card and the title card and taught myself how to drag and crop each frame to produce the effect. I then researched specifically on the relationship between special needs individuals and music to inform my voiceover and the information I found shaped the direction my documentary went in, discovering a correlation with stronger absolute pitch and pitch discrimination, supporting that music can be used a strong alternate means of expression for special needs individuals.

The conventions we chose to both follow and challenge were all purposeful as a means of engaging the audience of my piece. The target audience of the piece is students with classmates who have special needs, educators looking for classroom strategies, as well as families and friends of those with special needs who wish to be able to engage and bond with them more effectively. Perhaps most notably, I included several segments in which no interview was being conducted at all, instead I featured performances by Dr. Laz and the students, including "8 days a week" and "I wanna hold your hand". I used inserts to highlight all the different student's levels of excitement and engagement through their facial expressions. This amplified excitement in turn engages my target audience through highlighting the profound impact music has on those with special needs. A crucial convention we followed was the use of interviews to create a narrative format. Dr. Laz's answers each red as short stories and I felt my task was to match the visual engagement with the auditorial engagement. I did this through additionally incorporating copious b-roll in the form of animation, static b-roll, and typical videos of Dr. Laz engaging with his students.

We structured the piece with the attention of engaging audiences throughout, mirroring a day in the musical education of a special needs student - walking into class, greeting the instructor, talking to him, playing some music, and expressing yourself. We similarly attempted to increase the level of intimacy of the questions throughout to mirror the effect of the special bond these students develop with Dr. Laz throughout their educational careers, starting broad - why did you become a music teacher for special needs children - to more personal and meaningful - what have your students taught you about listening and communication.

The introduction sequence fell short of fully engaging the target audience. It fell flat and felt sort of out of place since my voice never made a return. Had we included an animated sequence to tie the piece to a more coherent conclusion or a visual motif that recurred throughout the piece, the intro would feel a lot less out of place. To further engage my audience, I should have dispersed the research throughout the piece, revealing it as it becomes more relevant rather than frontloading abstract concepts to the members of my target audience less familiar with music. This would have created a stronger foundation and increased the likelihood of engaging the audience directly.

Surrounding representation, my documentary directly responds to and conflicts with dominant ideologies in the educational and disability spheres. Individuals with disabilities are often framed in a way that focuses on their deficits and hardships, with trends such as inspiration porn being at the modern forefront. For example, the Paralympics are recurringly plagued with coverage focusing solely upon the disabilities of the athletes, not their talents, skills, or even their personality. Framing disabilities in such a debilitating manner only fosters less understanding and human connection.

Instead of depicting special needs students as passive in their education, we depict them as active, motivated, engaged, and able. The b-roll incorporated heavily reinforces this through emphasizing independence in their musical education. We also challenge typical prevailing ideologies surrounding education with respect to how it should be standardized and non-fluid in order to effectively measure intelligence and success. The instrument jacket, as well as the vastly different ways Dr. Laz interacts with each individual student make it clear that especially in special needs settings, typical methods of measurement and standardization of education are outdated and ineffective.

Ultimately, through countering these dominant ideologies that are ingrained into societies globally, even without these societies truly realizing it, we clearly denounce feelings of pity and misfortune towards individuals with disabilities, promoting inclusion and making a true attempt to shift broader audiences away from a single-deficit-centered-story, and towards one of ability and equality.