Analysis Of Short Films

Analysis of Short Films

Tick Tock

The genre of ‘Tick Tock’ is mystery, as it doesn’t imply any typical genre conventions such as horror or comedy. The plot consists of a man running backwards and travelling the opposite direction through time, this initially confuses and audience, and raises curiosity, which helps this short film to fit into the mystery genre. It follows a man who believes is in the last few minutes of his life, however his story is told in reverse, automatically alienating the audience. It begins with a apologising to his, we assume, girlfriend. The film then runs backwards through his school/college campus to a point which we realise his friend has told him he has a few minutes to live.

In these screen grabs we see a clever technique used in short films which demonstrates a familiar picture being shown at the beginning and the end of a short film. It creates the illusion that we began the film where we started, and helps to draw a nice conclusion. This also indicates to the audience that the film has finished, and gives them the chance to track over what they have just seen and appreciate it. Also, the familiar image of something like a clock being shown at the beginning and the end of a short film, gives the viewer a sense of satisfaction, and creates the idea that they have come full circle with the characters. Furthermore, a clock is used in this case as it is in close relation with the story line, and so a relevant object or shot could be used to create this illusion in my project.

Moreover, the technique used in this screen grab is a quote from a significant figurehead of a celebrity. These are used in short films to enhance the idea that they are representative of some kind of motto or have a deeper meaning that the audience will have recognised by this point. I think this is an effective technique to use, as it not only underlines the film’s further significance, but it also ties everything up and allows the audience to understand the storyline fully.

I think the techniques and ideas I can take away from ‘Tick Tock’ are nothing specific, but the concept that short films can be completely outside of the box and strange, to a point which it must be watched a few times to fully understand, as long as there is a strong moral message behind the madness, because ‘Tick Tock’ is far from easy viewing, but a sense of gratitude is still achieved by the end of every viewing.