Research Task: 'Waiting for the End of the World' By Holly King

Waiting for the End of the World by Lee Deaville: 7 Minutes Long: Produced in 2009

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00f86m6

1. Are identifiable genres used?

• This film is a drama, exploring the life of a young man who works the monotonous night shifts at the local supermarket and is deprived of human contact and has only himself and his imagination as company.
• His voice over describes to us his routine and narrates the film.

2. Does this film use genre conventions uniquely?

• This drama fits the drama conventions in that it is serious and uses a realistic situation (of a young man working night shifts at the supermarket and the effects it has on him), however these effects are quite surreal and make the film almost dream like (unrealistic situations) however it works well with the subject of the film.
• There is also quite  mysterious , surreal element to the film and is quite dark.

3. How does the film use the short film format and Narrative?

• The film takes us through the life of 'Petr'-an Eastern European immigrant, working night shifts alone in the supermarket.
• It shows us his daily routine (of waking up at 20.30) and arriving into work for 21.00-what he does at work, and explores how tedious his life is and repetitive it is. He takes us through his repeated routines at work and the film shows how this happens everyday and how his routine never changes, shows he has a lonely, unfulfilled life).
• It shows us 3 days of his work, and how it is the same everyday and how he finds it monotonous. After everyday he counts down '5, 4, 3, 2, 1' and then the screen cuts to  a shot of the alarm clock waking him up at 20.30 the next night to repeat his work all over again.

Screen shot- Repeated shot of alarm clock waking Petr up
(is shown 3 times)

• This narrative of showing us 3 days of his work and linking them on together is successful as it shows how repetitive and boring his life is. It also emphases to us that his days are the same everyday, and how he is starved of human contact and how this can affect a person (he behaves in a robotic, emotionless way).
• The way in which the short film ends on him saying '5, 4, 3, 2, 1..' (as he says after everyday) gives us the impression this is never ending, and the same events will re-occur the next day, and the day after and so on.

4. What do you find interesting about the use of sound?

• This short film uses both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Throughout the film there is a non-diegetic music track, this eerie track sets a mysterious, slightly hypnotic, dream like mood-Also gives us an impression of how he feels-distant and not fully in touch with reality. There is also a mysterious feeling to the film (as he mentions sometimes he does not 'feel alone').
• There is a lot of diegetic sound effects and i think these sounds are often exaggerated, because there is no diegetic dialogue and these sound effects emphasise what he is doing and it also helps to emphasise his isolation (the only diegetic noises are the ones he is causing).
• The repetitive diegetic sound effects also emphasise the fact that this is all he does, and he does the same things everyday. An example of this is the beeping alarm going off at 20.30 everyday-this exaggerates the repetitiveness of his life.
• There is also a non-diegetic voice over throughout the short film. This is Petr's voice and he talks to us though this voice over narration and explains his routine. What i find interesting about this voice over is the emotionless tone he uses and the way he speaks in a robotic manner-he is not enthusiastic about what he does and from his tone, we can tell that he is not enjoying this constant routine.

5. What is interesting about Camera work, Mise en Scene and Editing?

• The Camera work is important in this piece, often the field of depth changes in shots (shallow depth of field is used) and there is a lot out of focus, creating a dream like, surreal effect. It also gives us the impression he may be sleep deprived or has lost the will to be focused and seems unaware of things, (This effect is used at the start of each day, when he picks up his watch, there is a very shallow field of depth-giving the impression of tiredness/a dream like state).

Screen Shot showing Shallow depth of field

• They change the field of depth to also reveal things, for example something will be visible in the background, but only the foreground is in focus, then the depth of field changes so the background is in focus and the foreground is not. This is a method of camera work that i thin is creative and effective as it can be used to reveal things in a more interesting way.



Screen Shot showing change in depth of field/focus

• There is often long shots and extreme long shots (observational shots) used, to show his isolation and loneliness and maybe his disconnection from people and reality. We are also able to see his body language, and how he moves in a robotic, emotionless way (his boredom and unenthusiastic attitude can be shown here).

Screen Shot showing example of Extreme Long shot

• Close ups are also regularly used in this short film, to focus on the things he is doing and emphasise them (showing them as being repetative), such as swiping his card to sign in and out.

Screen Shot Showing Close up

• Close ups are also used when filming Petr, to show his emotionless facial expressions. We can see his bored, expressionless, tired features and empathise with the character.

Screen Shot showing Close up of face

• Throughout the Short film, there is low key lighting. The shorts although well lit in the supermarket, look very dark and dull (maybe to represent how he is feeling) and how he feels lifeless and uncontent. This darkness creates quite a dark, mysterious, surreal mood.

Screen shot showing darkness surrounding Petr (exaggurating his isolation and lonliness).

• There is also a green/blue Hue to the film, which works well with the darkness. I think this creates quite a mysterious, dark mood.
• The shots are edited together to run in a smooth sequence (as if we are seeing these events in chronological order).

6. Themes and Issues about representation:

• The film is about the repetetive life a young man, who works night shifts in a supermarket. He is deprived of human contact and the audience is influenced to empathise with the character and his monotonous lifestyle. The audience is influenced by the subjective voice over narration (this works with the camera work).