Office Space
'Office Space' directed by PJ Liguori
(14/03/2013)
Found on: YouTube
Watched on: YouTube
This short film is about a man who is bored with his job and tries to find enjoyment by doing
childish things. He gets told off constantly for doodling and daydreaming until one day he devises a plan to
escape from his life by going to space.
The opening starts with diegetic ticking of a prop alarm clock. This acts as a sound bridge to a close up of the clock and it starts to ring diegetically on-screen. This turns into a series of fast paced cuts of close ups of a kettle and then to the protagonist tightening his tie. These props, costume and editing techniques already reveal to the viewer that this is a routine for the main character; it has a montage effect.
There is a pan as the protagonist, Jones, walks into frame and sits down. His facial expression is bored and he sighs before throwing down his prop satchel (exploring the stereotype of adults in an office all having satchels and laptop bags to make it clear to the viewer that Jones works in one). The non-diegetic music sounds grainy like static, representing the boredom of the protagonist. The camera is composed to look out of the window while Jones does his work which represents his mind wandering, it is also at eye level so that the viewer sees the world as he does: on the other side of the window.
Another character walks into a low angle two shot. It is clear by his costume (a suit) and authoritative tone of voice in the dialogue that he is Jones' boss. Jones is shown to defy the stereotype of age by being told off for drawing "silly little doodles" (said by the boss in the dialogue) over the work, which is something people associate with troublesome school children. The non-diegetic music is louder than the dialogue, showing that, as stereotypical of a schoolchild and a teacher, Jones is not really listening to the boss. By doing this, Liguori lets the audience question about when people start to "grow up".
In the description of the video Liguori stated "in an office, no one can hear you dream", showing that adults still have dreams but society doesn't allow them to be vocal about it. I like the way the short film begins to question and challenge social norms and would like our own short film to have a strong message that lets the audience begin to question society's expectations of us.
There is a similar montage edit to the beginning of the film where there are fast paced cuts between close ups of the lock, the kettle and the setting of Jones' living room. This emphasises the sense of routine Jones feels. The colours are darker inside of the house, representing Jones' inner boredom. The room expresses the emotion that Jones doesn't. Throughout the film, the protagonist doesn't say a word of dialogue (it is just the boss, or rather the antagonist). This could be expressive of expectation that adults have to be collected at all times, especially men who are expected to be less emotional.
Another character walks into a low angle two shot. It is clear by his costume (a suit) and authoritative tone of voice in the dialogue that he is Jones' boss. Jones is shown to defy the stereotype of age by being told off for drawing "silly little doodles" (said by the boss in the dialogue) over the work, which is something people associate with troublesome school children. The non-diegetic music is louder than the dialogue, showing that, as stereotypical of a schoolchild and a teacher, Jones is not really listening to the boss. By doing this, Liguori lets the audience question about when people start to "grow up".
In the description of the video Liguori stated "in an office, no one can hear you dream", showing that adults still have dreams but society doesn't allow them to be vocal about it. I like the way the short film begins to question and challenge social norms and would like our own short film to have a strong message that lets the audience begin to question society's expectations of us.
There is a similar montage edit to the beginning of the film where there are fast paced cuts between close ups of the lock, the kettle and the setting of Jones' living room. This emphasises the sense of routine Jones feels. The colours are darker inside of the house, representing Jones' inner boredom. The room expresses the emotion that Jones doesn't. Throughout the film, the protagonist doesn't say a word of dialogue (it is just the boss, or rather the antagonist). This could be expressive of expectation that adults have to be collected at all times, especially men who are expected to be less emotional.
There is match on action as Jones' looks through the prop bills. Heavenly non-diegetic music plays as he finds the holiday pamphlet. This expresses the childish joy he feels but can't express verbally.
The montage from the start repeats once again. The use of this and linear, chronological narrative shows to the audience that this routine is very repetitive. This is effective because the viewer doesn't need to see a lot, just a series of fast paced cuts. This shows that, in terms of Bordwell and Thompson's narrative theory of plot and story, the viewer doesn't need to see the entirety of Jones' story and routine, only little snippets chosen for the plot which communicates effectively to the audience this sense of cycle.
The prop paper airplane and doodles of space of the work foreshadows Jones' plan as well as connoting freedom (especially when he throws it in the setting of the garden overlooking the city at a very high angle). It goes against the stereotypical adult, leaving Jones free to dream.
Heavenly music plays as he begins creating. Shallow depth of field with the prop tools communicate their importance to the protagonist. Several cuts between very low angles looking up at the sheet and very high angle and blocking looking down at Jones creates mystery about what he has created.
The flash to white transition as he pulls the sheet off the rocket keeps hold of the viewer's attention as the cardboard rocket is revealed. The use of cardboard makes the audience think of children playing, going against the stereotype of people his age. This is accentuated through the very high angle and his costume of a cozy jumper as he gets inside, his body language hunched and hugging the prop of his bag wearing a big grin on his facial expression.
However, the use of lighting of the window and on and off screen diegetic whirring of the rocket communicates to the audience that he succeeded in following his dreams. The cutaway to the cardboard rocket in space makes the audience question whether Jones' actually succeeded or whether he god caught up in an elaborate fancy in his imagination (like a child might).
The short film subtly follows Todorov's theory of classic narrative. The equilibrium begins with Jones' daily routine, showing the normality of everyday life. The disruption is when he gets told off by his boss for not completing the work, his childish nature shining through. When Jones quits his job is the confrontation stage, finally standing up against society's expectations for how people his age are supposed to behave (which is what the antagonist represents). The resolution stage follows Jones building the rocket, beginning to find his happiness which leads to the new equilibrium in space.
The montage from the start repeats once again. The use of this and linear, chronological narrative shows to the audience that this routine is very repetitive. This is effective because the viewer doesn't need to see a lot, just a series of fast paced cuts. This shows that, in terms of Bordwell and Thompson's narrative theory of plot and story, the viewer doesn't need to see the entirety of Jones' story and routine, only little snippets chosen for the plot which communicates effectively to the audience this sense of cycle.
The prop paper airplane and doodles of space of the work foreshadows Jones' plan as well as connoting freedom (especially when he throws it in the setting of the garden overlooking the city at a very high angle). It goes against the stereotypical adult, leaving Jones free to dream.
Heavenly music plays as he begins creating. Shallow depth of field with the prop tools communicate their importance to the protagonist. Several cuts between very low angles looking up at the sheet and very high angle and blocking looking down at Jones creates mystery about what he has created.
The flash to white transition as he pulls the sheet off the rocket keeps hold of the viewer's attention as the cardboard rocket is revealed. The use of cardboard makes the audience think of children playing, going against the stereotype of people his age. This is accentuated through the very high angle and his costume of a cozy jumper as he gets inside, his body language hunched and hugging the prop of his bag wearing a big grin on his facial expression.
However, the use of lighting of the window and on and off screen diegetic whirring of the rocket communicates to the audience that he succeeded in following his dreams. The cutaway to the cardboard rocket in space makes the audience question whether Jones' actually succeeded or whether he god caught up in an elaborate fancy in his imagination (like a child might).
The short film subtly follows Todorov's theory of classic narrative. The equilibrium begins with Jones' daily routine, showing the normality of everyday life. The disruption is when he gets told off by his boss for not completing the work, his childish nature shining through. When Jones quits his job is the confrontation stage, finally standing up against society's expectations for how people his age are supposed to behave (which is what the antagonist represents). The resolution stage follows Jones building the rocket, beginning to find his happiness which leads to the new equilibrium in space.
No comments:
Post a Comment