'Soft' Pitch

Pitch for 'Soft' (Simon Ellis, 2007)

https://vimeo.com/19705053
The short film 'Soft' elicits many emotions such as anger and the eventual feelings of pride at the actions which the protagonists perform.

Simon Ellis had the idea when he saw a kid being bullied on a bus and their father was actually the bus driver but couldn't do anything about it.

Pitch for 'Soft':
Genre- Drama/ Social Realism
Setting- Urban/ Council estate/ community
Characters- Father/ Son/ Asbos/ Gang
Conflict- Violence/ boredom/ internal conflict/ emotional
Theme- Do what you think is right/ fatherhood/ fear/ respect/ masculinity
Others- Attitude/ change/ role-reversal/ social community/ growing up/ coming of age

25 word pitch:
Social realist film set in an urban village where both the father and son handle the same situation in different ways, despite internal conflict.

Improvement after feedback- social realist would indicate urban setting:

Social realist film where father and son handle a situation differently despite internal conflict.

Analysis of 'Soft'
-first video shots filmed on rough video phone footage, dates the film slightly.
-father parks up the car and perfects his parking-sensible.
-father steps out of car- wears suit, coming home- suggests afternoon time frame, professional job.
-first shot is used to bookend the beginning and ending- change in events.
-father already in conflict with his son-'Can you move your bag?'. No proper response from the son.
-first sight of cricket bag- foreshadows later events.
-father wears a short sleeved shirt- sensible, normal.
-father makes tea- easy task- routine action.
-first lines of dialogue- inaudible mumbling- father closed off from others.
-shot of father walking towards the camera- claustrophobic framing- closed off character.
-church bell sound- adds to the atmosphere- Bell tolling, leading to death/ execution, towards the gang members.
-no connection between the father and the local shop owner despite supposedly going there several times- proves that the father is not sociable.
-gang leader dance whenever he hits someone- trademark sign.
-father speaks to son almost antagonistically- not a close relationship.
-picture of cricket-foreshadowing- family interest.
-mention of mother- not present physically but in mention.
-dialogue between father and son signifies emotional conflict between the two.
-use of word 'victim'- suggests that the father and son are victims of the gang.
-blinds represent bars, prison- father and son are trapped.
-only time the father shouts is to his son- troubled relationship.
-car alarm in the background- adds to character- like a boiling pot, temper.
-father pov distorted frame, visual imagery of losing control, losing temper.
-cricket bat has been established, does not seem out of place when the son comes out with the bat.
-dropped the cricket bat- father is not worthy of holding the supposed 'weapon'.