Analysis of short film - Lock up

Lock Up

 

Link to Lock Up film

The narrative of the film is very simple but effective as it focuses on fear of the dark which is a classic fear to play on and is seen as quite childish by most people but is likely to be something that most of the audience are actually scared of but may be reluctant to admit.

Cinematography

The use of the CCTV footage shots throughout the film gives the impression that someone or something is watching the character throughout the film and the fact that it is a high angle shot makes the character appear even more vulnerable.
Towards the end of the film the close up shot of the main characters face in the foreground is a subtle way on showing the villain character and is an effective way of adding to the fear of the audience.
The close up of the keys towards the beginning of the film indicate that they will be significant later on as it forces the audience’s attention to them

Sound

The sound of breathing alongside the ascending music creates tension and the audience know that it is building up to something that is going to scare them.

 

Mise en scene

The red light shining out of the door signifies blood and death which relates to how the main character is killed later in the film and is a typical convention of a horror film. The use of very dark lighting plays on the fears of the audience as most of them will fear the dark and it allows the fear of the audience to increase as they can’t see if anyone is there.

The flashing of the torch alongside the breathing and ascending music also helps to build fear to the point at which the masked killer appears.

Editing

The pace of the editing slightly increases when the character realises that he has forgot the keys and when the lights fail to turn on as this is when he begins to fear the dark himself, it then speeds up further when he is walking down the corridor and repeatedly hear noises as it shows his panicked state as he realises he might not be alone in the dark.