Short film research: Reverse

 Conventions within the film:

This film has a constant flow of dramatic tension. There are several times where there is a build up of ambient sound as the main character’s fear level rises. After this build up, however, it returns to silence. 

The use of car sounds creates a sense of dread for the audience. They directly reflected the amount of tension present in the scene. The constant click of the reverse blinker represents a rise in the tense atmosphere from the silence that was broken. There are various shots from the backup camera of the car. This is because there are some things that only the camera picks up. It gives off the feeling that the camera is more alive than just a camera, with it having its own viewpoint.

When all of the car sound effects occur at once, the suspense is at its maximum. There is a car alarm and a frequent change of camera angles with constant cuts. The shot lingers on the blinking lights of the seat overlay to express the main character’s disbelief at what he is seeing. Then an over-the-shoulder shot from the perspective of the mirror slowly zooms in on the main characters face. This shot is similar to the one with the backup camera, from the viewpoint of something non-living. The tension takes off much faster this time than the previous ones. This is meant to take the audience off guard. This scare is what ends the film.

After constantly faking out the viewers, the film delivers on a scare, slowly revealing it rather than it jumping out at the camera.