This Is Me Analysis - (Ella)

This short film is mainly a comedy, however with a subtle dark side. Using Rick Altman's theory, we can identify the semantic and syntactic codes that defines this film's genre.

Semantic: Titling – Rounded letters are known for comedic purposes and it doesn't quite fit with imagery.

Mise en scene – hospital bed, tubes, motionless body, dark/grey lighting, daunting

Amusing graphics – bright colours, entertaining animation, crude

Change of lighting – changes mood, bright outside vs grey dull hospital

Syntactic: Breathing and hospital ward – could suggest illness/death

Sarcasm – talking about something that has already happened, building up to something

Close ups on writing – all link to something, pinpointing, leading up to an event

Model plane - words 'the end' engraved, could be suggesting the end of his life? Darker undertone

Sound: Breathing – harrowing. 

Voice over – humorous accent, sarcastic undertone

Music – slow but not monotonous, almost comedic, changes to upbeat cheerful music, positive atmosphere

Music cuts off – back to dull atmosphere, sudden stop

Applying Steve Neal's theory to this short film, expresses how the director may have wanted the audience to see the darker side to the comedy. Evidently, through the comical visuals and music, the darker almost morbid undertone of illness/death leads the spectator to feel uneasy. This has been done before, however it still keeps the spectator on edge and so they will be entertained. A dark comedy definitely catches the spectators attention because it's an interesting genre choice.

There isn't much within this short film to apply to David Buckingham's theory, but there are still some aspects of it. The man is seen sitting in his back garden and it's not very big or luxurious and its shown to have planes flying over it frequently. This suggests that they don't have much money but they do what they can with what they have. When he's in the hospital, he mentions they now have £10 million in compensation from the aeroplane company, and how the wife spends it.

This could be classified as new luxury, however the man is in a coma, so it's luxury for the wife. As portrayed, she doesn't really care that he's in a coma as she can do what she likes with the money. It also shows that she doesn't think much of spending time with him whilst he's in hospital, when she sets the timer for only ten minutes and just sits next to him and reads a magazine.