A Short Film Analysis: 'The Wait'

 'The Wait'

This short film cuts from black to this shot of a microwave. There is J sound as we hear a voice over from the main character before we see any visuals. The film is about waiting for food to finish in the microwave however on a deeper level it is also about waiting for lockdown and the pandemic to be over so life can continue. The microwave could symbolise our homes we were told to stay inside for months until it was safe to socialise again. The microwaves slow count down could be us anticipating the day we are allowed out as time seems to be standing still or go by very slowly. When the timer is done, we are free. Due to the microwave being such an important part of the storyline it is framed centre screen taking up mainly the centre third. The opening 10 seconds is focused on the microwave which remains at the centre of the frame. This establishes its importance to the plot as the whole short film revolves around it. The light in the microwave further draws in our eye as it is the brightest light in the shot and everything else in the shot is very dull with limited colour. 

 

The setting is relatable as it is a standard kitchen which is an organised mess which could show that there is a loss of motivation due to being trapped inside for so long. The relatability of this feeling allows the spectator to understand this short film on a greater level as it is so relatable. 

This is the first proper look at the protagonist. Our focus is not drawn to the character but rather to the chopstick in his hand due to it being in the centre box of the frame. He could be doing this for two reasons: one being that he is fidgeting because he is bored, the other could be to show his anticipation to be playing the drums again and expressing his musical abilities.

 

His relaxed clothing shows he is not planning on seeing anyone as he is in lockdown. On his shirt it says ‘converge’ which means coming from different directions and meet at a place. This could be illustrating that the two different settings come together and meet through music. 

 

The camera pushes in which emphasises this moment and acts as a visual queue to the audience that this is important. This allows the filmmaker to direct the spectator’s attention to a specific detail. In this case our point of attention is focused on the chopstick in his hand. This could be foreshadowing later when he is holding 

drumsticks instead and playing the drums. 

We then cut to a medium shot on the protagonist who is looking at something off screen, an eyeline shot. This shot uses three key lighting to perhaps illustrate it is a normal day and nothing special is happening. The mis-en scene is very dull which could perhaps be showing his boredom of being stuck inside on his own. Each day feeling the same as the one before. This shot is very short as it cuts to what the character was looking at. 

We then have a close up on a clock. At this moment we hear the clock ticking quietly. We slowly zoom in on the clock which is drawing our attention to a specific detail. This detail being that the clock hand is moving back and forth which is impossible. 

We then have an extreme close up on the clock hands. This is to ensure that the spectator has realised the abnormal movement of the clock hands as it is a crucial part of the narrative. It shows that the perception of time changes depending on what we are doing. When sitting still, time stands still but when he is playing the drums, time flies. 

Rather than the clock ticking normally like before it has a loud boom instead which mirrors the sound of a drum beating. This could be showing that this character finds music in the things around him, so the ticking is now part of his song. Or this could be just to emphasise that the clock is repeating this movement. 

The drumming is a sound bridge into the next scene. This shows the way the character is navigating his thoughts in the internal music. He is creating the beat in his head which is waiting to escape. The extreme close up on his eyes acts as a way to understand what is happening in his head creating a closer relationship between the spectator and the character. 

We then cut to the character banging his chopsticks on the table which creates asynchronous sound. Rather than hearing chopsticks hitting a table we hear actual drums playing. This cleverly captivates the spectator and changes the previous tone of the film. This ensures that the spectator remains interest in the story and doesn’t get bored of the lack of action. This uses a range of shots, angles and camera movements. One is a high angle on the character’s drumming which nicely shows the skills this character obviously has making us believe he must be a professional. Another is a pan which shows how much the character enjoys what he is doing and clearly has a love for music. This pan heightens the energy of the shot which reflects the characters enthusiasm for the music. The range of shots makes us feel like we are part of the music and keeps us engaged as we are constantly jumping from shot to shot creating a kinetic camera and brings energy and passion to the scene. 

 

This shot changes setting from a dining room/kitchen to a proper performance studio. The match on action was smooth which allowed for a brilliant transition from one scene to the next. The whole aesthetic of the film changes. The room goes from cold tones to warm tones which could illustrate his change in emotion as he is now happy that he is playing the drums rather than just sitting and waiting for the microwave timer to go off feeling boredom and loneliness. The lighting also changes from a harsh white light to a soft yellow light making the atmosphere more intimate and comfortable. The lighting now is top lighting and has chiaroscuro. It is also motivated lighting as it is now an element of the scene itself. The dramatic lighting shows that he is very serious about playing the drums. It also could be that his is where he is most comfortable. The lighting and aesthetics of this scene I find mirror that of ‘Whiplash’ which is a feature film about drumming. This could perhaps hint to the fact that the character drums so much that they can’t separate themselves from the instrument so everything they do, and every object can be used to create that drumming music. However, he does seem to enjoy playing the drums. Especially since the time seems to pass so much faster when he is playing not just for him but also the spectator. The character plays the drums for 17 seconds, yet it does not feel that long. Both the spectator and the character get lost in the music. 

This film has used the perfect balance of close ups and wide shots. The film is only a minute long but does not feel rushed. The pacing is well thought out as it constantly keeps the spectator engaged and tells the story clearly. The duration of the shots was well selected, and the film did not contain shots that seemed unnecessary; all the shots worked well to carry the narrative. Although only being a minute long it did not need to be longer. 

 

I also found the vagueness of the character made us able to relate to him as we all had to go through lockdown as well and that constant feeling of waiting was evident. The performance of the character was limited as it seemed the music was actually the main character. We did not need to know this character in depth as his musical performance allowed us to see a more profound part of him.