Short film research: Whittling Away

 The movie I wanted to see was "Whittling Away" by True Intent. The film has an interesting use of camera angles, movement, and mise-en-scenes. The first thing that struck me was the use of sound. The film begins with the soothing ambient sounds of a forest. This gives the film a very calm and relaxed atmosphere. Light, relaxing, lo-fi teenage music  begins to play, adding a sense of calm to the movie. The sounds suddenly stopped as the  girl revealed that she had a knife. The sudden turn of events is shocking and tells the viewer that this scene may not be as peaceful as it seems. This is a common trick in mystery movies to make the viewer believe that everything is normal. As we transition to the next scene, the setting changes from the forest to a seemingly normal house. With this change in environment, the lighting changed dramatically, moving from the cool tones of the forest to the bright, warm lighting of the home. Dark forest lighting is common in crime movies, but brightness and warmth are less common, but create a nice contrast. There is no music in this scene either, which brings back a sense of everyday life. The father is sitting in what appears to be an office, wearing brightly colored clothes. This is perfect for the atmosphere and will probably make for a happy home. As the camera follows the father, taking tracking shots over his shoulder, it creates tension as the viewer wonders what the father will find and whether that will explain why the  girl is in the forest. When the father finds his daughter's note  about walking the dog, dog leashes flash around the house and eerie music  is suddenly added, recalling the tension common  in crime novels. In a scene where the father appears to be on the phone with the girl's grandmother, the contrast in angle and lighting makes the film even more intense. It's common in crime movies to use close-ups only  to hide most of her face and perhaps her intentions. It is also a common practice to use dark lighting to portray characters as mysterious or suspicious. Towards the end, a wide shot reveals that all the tension turns out to be unwarranted. The young girl just carves a turtle from wood.  As with most mystery movies, the "mystery" was eventually solved. The ending is very different from most mystery films, such as Saltburn, which often have creepy and sad endings. I really liked the use of light in this movie. Using contrast in the lighting between two characters is an effective way to create tension. I also liked the use of close-ups to hide details from the viewer and increase the tension of the film. However, the one thing I completely didn't like was the unresolved blood scene at the end. Many crime movies leave small details revealed at the end, and I don't really like that. There is no satisfying ending, and the lack of answers creates endless curiosity. 


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