Comparison Of Wasp And Soft
Both 'Soft' and 'Wasp' are British short films. Wasp, was directed by Andrea Arnold and was released is 2003. Soft, was directed by Simon Ellis and released in 2007. Both short films look at the trouble families are faced with, however they're portrayed in different ways. In the short film 'soft' it shows the problems that a father and son have been faced with. Whereas, in the short film 'wasp' they look at a young single mother who wants to go out with an old friend, while still having to look after her four young children.
Soft, is set in a urban area in the UK. We know this because at the beginning there is a establishing shot of the setting surrounding them. This has connotations that the family is middle class. We are also shown the father wearing a suit, which has connotations that he is a business man. Whereas, in Wasp even though they use an establishing shot we're shown a completely different setting, we're shown the estate in which the family live on. This has connotations that the family doesn't have a lot of money.
Both 'Soft' and 'Wasp' are a drama based short film, this can be seen in 'Wasp' when Zoe; the mother of the four children, starts fighting with another women. The camera shot used in this scene is a low angle shot, this has connotations that they both have power. Whereas, in 'Soft' the drama is based around the son, this is first shown at the beginning when a phone camera is recording a fight between the son and another group of teenage boys. The drama then continues throughout both short films.
A theme which explored in both 'Soft' and 'Wasp' is the difference between generations. This is explored in 'Soft' by showing the different attitudes the father and son have towards the teenagers outside their house. In 'Wasp' it's explored between Zoe and her eldest daughter, who has been told to look after her younger siblings while her mum goes on a date with an ex boyfriend. In these short films it shows how differently the parents have been brought up, as in 'Soft' the father doesn't want his son to get into fights and tries to protect him, however this fails. Whereas, in 'Wasp' it shows the audience how immature the mother is, as shes letting her eldest daughter (who is still very young) look after her younger siblings, this shows that she's not protecting her children.
In conclusion, both these short films are similar however, they also have a lot of differences. They both also explore how different social classes are from one another.
Soft, is set in a urban area in the UK. We know this because at the beginning there is a establishing shot of the setting surrounding them. This has connotations that the family is middle class. We are also shown the father wearing a suit, which has connotations that he is a business man. Whereas, in Wasp even though they use an establishing shot we're shown a completely different setting, we're shown the estate in which the family live on. This has connotations that the family doesn't have a lot of money.
Both 'Soft' and 'Wasp' are a drama based short film, this can be seen in 'Wasp' when Zoe; the mother of the four children, starts fighting with another women. The camera shot used in this scene is a low angle shot, this has connotations that they both have power. Whereas, in 'Soft' the drama is based around the son, this is first shown at the beginning when a phone camera is recording a fight between the son and another group of teenage boys. The drama then continues throughout both short films.
A theme which explored in both 'Soft' and 'Wasp' is the difference between generations. This is explored in 'Soft' by showing the different attitudes the father and son have towards the teenagers outside their house. In 'Wasp' it's explored between Zoe and her eldest daughter, who has been told to look after her younger siblings while her mum goes on a date with an ex boyfriend. In these short films it shows how differently the parents have been brought up, as in 'Soft' the father doesn't want his son to get into fights and tries to protect him, however this fails. Whereas, in 'Wasp' it shows the audience how immature the mother is, as shes letting her eldest daughter (who is still very young) look after her younger siblings, this shows that she's not protecting her children.
In conclusion, both these short films are similar however, they also have a lot of differences. They both also explore how different social classes are from one another.
You have identified some really strong points Rebecca you identify the directors and the years of production. You correctly identify the genre and some key themes. Going forward research and explore the findings surrounding the production elements of these films, who what and why? Well Done!
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