Short Film Analysis #5: "From Dust"

I've chosen this short film to look at as the grainy, black-and-white style of this film draws parallels to my own short film idea. "From Dust"is an epic, animated film that captures the lift-off a rocket ship, juxtaposed by an interesting and reflective non-diegetic poem. The film can be watched below;

Mise-En-Scene: The film uses popular symbolic iconography of space travel, looking as though it was based upon a NASA-like take-off.  Images that resonate with this idea includes the futuristic style of the control room and the spaceman's outfit. Moreover, there is a sense of patriotism in the way in which the film has been crafted; the male spaceman has a hardened facial expression and looks suitably macho, making him appear to be strong and in control. Moreover, the presence of the American flag, coupled with the expensive looking spaceship and equipment, all the reinforce the idea of American superiority. Indeed, the way in which the spaceship flies towards the sun holds some metaphorical resonance, as though anything can be achieved, an idea complemented by the video's rags-to-riches title.

Cinematography: I really enjoyed the stylistic approach of the way in which the film was captured. The grainy style of the film made it appear to look old-fashioned, which perhaps contradicts with the futuristic style of the music. It almost feels like its been shot on Super 8 (which of course it isn't given it's animated), which is kind of similar to the style in which I want my "VHS" section of my short film to look like. The black and white style of the film adds to the melancholic and reflective nature of the short; this allows the orange of the sun o hold even more dramatic weight in the story, to be representative of hope and achievement in an age that's otherwise totally drained of colour. Consequently, the cinematography used in this film is really effective in the way in which it captures the epic and symbolic tone of the film and its underlying message.

Camera: The use of camera angles are also significant in the way it conveys and adds to the overall tone and message of the story. The first shots put the audience into the spaceman's shoes, the long ride up in the lift and the walk down to the spaceship adding to the anticipation and tension as the audience awaits lift-off. An extreme long shot of the rocket creates this idea of scope and magnificence; moreover, tension is reinforced  by the close-ups of the control panels and the spaceman's hardened facial expression. Long shots of the rocket rising up toward the camera, as well as shots of the tail end of the spaceship looking down and the satellite adds to the epic nature of the piece, taking the breath away. The final shot, a long shot from the reverse of the ship as it approaches the sun reinforces the idea of human ambition and determination.

Sound: The futuristic tone of the film is created by the spacey, Daft Punk-style non-diegetic music. The hopeful, ethereal tone of the sound adds to the bittersweet message of the film. The diegetic sound of the rocket enforces the idea that the take-off is momentous, and the ambiguous nature of the non-diegetic words add to a sense of mystery and intrigue.

Editing: The editing gives most prevalence to the astronaut to show his significance as the main character in the short film. Moreover, the lenghty nature of the cuts shows a confidence in how the take-off will be exciting and thrilling, without a load of quick cuts.

"From Dust" was interesting, albeit perhaps lacking in plot. The quality animation, coupled woth well thought out shots make this a breath-taking short film.