Ben - Get Off My Land Research

Get Off my Land is short film by Douglas Ray. Standing at 4 minutes and 20 seconds, it details adventure of a young couple who perhaps wandered into the wrong field.

It all begins with Diegetic bird songs and a Medium Long Shot, Slight High Angle of two pairs of legs walking down a wet, muddy path. Right here, the bird song acts as a Semantic code for morning and the outdoors, the later being confirmed on the fade in. The camera Tracks backwards, moving down with the legs, while also tilting up slightly to show one of the characters brushing mud off their trousers. This is likely on a Steadicam due to the gentle, controlled swaying. The Complementing bird song can be though of as a Sound bridge as they Crescendo before the Fade in to the first shot. However, typically a Sound bridge would be leading into the next Shot or Scene; while here it is only the start of the film. Next shot is an Extreme Long Shot, Eye level of the two legs (now with bodies) still walking, but in a larger field. From their Costumes, Body Language and positions it can quickly be assumed by the audience who was who and learn a little about them too. The person at the front, a woman, is wearing Grey, baggy trousers and sturdy looking hiking shoes with a light grey waterproof jacket. She is walking confidently, with hands in her jacket pocket, paying no mind to the wet ground below. While the man is a very different story. His Costume is Jeans, a fleece like jumper, and white flimsy trainers, not made for anything close than walking through the countryside. He is the one who was trying to clean the already muddy jeans. His bad footwear shows in his Body Language. His steps are forced and land heavily on the ground. His arms are also away from his sides, showing he is trying to keep a better balance lest he falls.

Sturdy hiking boots

Flimsy Trainers

Kizzie and Harry

These little bits of information can already say something about these characters. The woman (now Kizzie for sake of convenience) knows what she is doing and she knows how to get ready for things to come. The man, (now Harry for sake of convenience) on the other hand, isn't quite so prepared and is falling behind because of it. This would be the reverse of the Stereotypical Gender roles wherein, a man would be confidently in front 'leading the charge' while a woman would follow suit from a safe distance. This film challenges that by having the Kizzie 'rush into battle', so to speak. Harry is made to be the one being lead by a leash, metaphorically speaking. At this point, the Story is still in the 'Equilibrium' or the 'Ordinary World' stage. The beginning of two Narrative theories by Tzvetan Todorov and Chris Vogler respectively. Both these theories detail a plan which  all Stories follow. While both have the same basic structure, Todorov's Theory is the simpler of the two. It details five steps: Equilibrium, Disruption, Conflict, Resolution and the New Equilibrium. To say this film has a resolution is a bit of a stretch but more on that later.

A Fade to black into a simplistic title screen (white, Sanserif text on a black background) and a fade back into a 'Wobbly gate'. Kizzie walks on up the hill in this Eye angle, Long Shot, while Harry is testing the weight support of a wooden gate, a gate which Kizzie has already surpassed, assuming by the fact that she is walking away from it. Watching Harry slowly climb over this fence reinforces my previous analysis on the two's representation where Kizzie is the more capable of the two in this sort of environment. Kizzie's feelings on the matter are quickly shown in a Cut to her (Close Up, Eye Level). She stops to look back at Harry, her Facial Expression is largely relaxed, except for her eyebrows which are crossed. It appears as if she is trying to understand Harry. She is definitely thinking about him, as the Eye-line match shows she is looking directly at him. However, From the eyebrow game (Kizzie's Make up), it could be possible that she is not expressing any emotions. I find this unlikely however as anyone will look at that face and think of it as a passive aggressive look of inquisition that is saying "What is up with you?". The film does not disclose much on their relationship. It is clear they know each other and Kizzie does pull on Harry by the chest and arm later on perhaps suggesting more of a friendship. It is possible that they are a couple but there is nothing definitive.

Simple title, here then gone.

Bad outdoor skills = Bad gate skills

Close Up of Kizzie

Kizzie: "Come on"
Harry: "We're not harming anyone"

As Harry climbs over the fence, he gives off a sigh, likely for the displeasure/discomfort of this experience, but he plunders on. A Cut transition to the new and main Setting introduces the audience to the Antagonist. The farmer comes down the hill to Harry and Kizzie by jeep in an Extreme Long Shot, Slight Low angle. Once out, we see him for what he really is, a farmer. He is an older gentleman, maybe between 40 and 50 years. He has an unkept stubble and medium length blonde/grey hair hidden underneath stereotypical farmer's flat cap. Speaking of caps, his costume his very plain colour wise. A black outer jacket, a green cardigan with a white undershirt collar. Overall very earthy, it creates a semantic code denoting him as a farmer. The Farmer is intended as the Antagonist of this film, or as Vladimir Propp would call him, the Villain (Morphology Theory states there are set characters, events and conflicts for every Narrative), however this not very clear right away. For now he is just the land owner who has walked up to Harry and Kizzie, with hands in his pockets, to politely tell them to bugger off. He argues with them sure, but there is no direct Binary Opposition (Claude Levi-Strauss: all Narrative conflicts are structured between opposites). It's not until, in Todorov's, the resolution arrives that he is for sure, the Antagonist.

Extreme Long shot, Slight High angle 

Green thumb with a cap

This film does not portray or represent English farmers in the best manner. The Farmer knows the laws regarding his private land, and will make sure they are held up to high standards, perhaps going somewhat too far in the resolution. Farmers from in the South of England (judging by the character's accents) are shown to be impatient and rash, easily irritated to insanity, with little moral compass or acknowledgements of their wrongs. Perhaps a rather dark explanation but it's what I got. All this comes from the impulsive yet methodical actions performed by the farmer. He confronts Harry and Kizzie for being on his land outside of a public footpath. - Side note: Upon hearing this, Harry turns to Kizzie, holds his arms out, opens his mouth and sighs heavily, clearly annoyed. Yet again showing Kizzie is the boss of the outdoors in this reversal of gender stereotypes. This is shown in a Medium Shot, Eye level to fully show the Body language - Harry gets into a nonsensical Shot-Reverse Shot argument (beginning in a Close Up, getting smaller, down into Big Close Up) about ownership leading him to say "I'll fight you for it". Cut to a Medium Shot of Kizzie and Harry as he takes his jacket off. Second Cut to a Long Shot showing all three characters, plenty of room for Harry to 'hand' Kizzie his jacket and walk up to the Farmer. These two shots again tie into Representation where Harry is perhaps trying to regain or uphold a sense masculinity. As I've mentioned before, gender roles suggest ways for both sexes to behave, very much like what Harry is doing. Kizzie attempts to protest, producing a simple "What?" of Dialogue, but is cut off on receiving the jacket and Harry moving up with strong body language to the Farmer. He leans forwards slightly towards the farmer, this would make him seem bigger and stronger. His posture of strength would be amplified with a Low angle, however that is not the case. The Eye level is prominent in this entire film. This may be because the large majority of the film is the Dialogue between the three characters. It is not until the end that one of the three prevails as the strongest, therefore keeping them on an equal standing while changing from a close to wide frame and back will either show the Facial Expressions or the Body Language of the characters. The Farmer laughs at Harry's challenge. A small smirk and Diegetic laugh shown in a Close Up Over The Shoulder shot. He walks away at which point Harry revels in his supposed victory.

Harry annoyed at Kizzie for losing the path

"I'll fight you for it"

Quickly walk up, show of force

Challenge rejected?

In a BCU, Eye level Pan, we see Harry being exhilarated at his ability to diffuse the situation, with a Facial expression which with one, relatively small smile says "Yeah, I did that. That's right. Yeah.". A cut is hidden in this shot, cutting from one take to another. This is clear from the jump cut and when Harry takes his jacket twice. Kizzie is clearly not happy as shown by her Facial Expressions, Body Language and Diegetic sound. She turns her head away from Harry, and with a slight frown says "hmph". This is again a Big Close Up to show her expressions in detail. But the Farmer returns, and a Tilt down from his face reveals the shotgun he is toting. Right away, his Dialogue "Okay, let's fight" with his action of loading the shotgun denotes nothing good. The Semantic code of the gun (Iconography) only connotes death and pain. The Farmer's Body Language and his tone of voice remains very calm, as if this is everyday or at least as if it is not the first time.

Happy Chappy "won" the race

disappointed and annoyed

BCU to create an "Oh s**t" moment

 The Farmer points the shotgun at Harry. No one is smiling, no one is not taking this seriously. There are two shots of the shotgun. One Medium Shot straight on at the farmer, and another Medium Shot  facing Harry and Kizzie, in which the shotgun is poking in at the edge of the frame. The Lighting for this shot has the sun behind Kizzie and Harry, hence the strong Back Lighting on them both. Back Lighting comes from the Three Way Lighting system where Back Lighting is used to separate the subject from the background. Looking at Kizzie and Harry while the gun looms over them shows what sort of fear they would be feeling to the audience. While Kizzie is trying to get them out of the situation as quickly as possible, we Cut back to  the Farmer taking the shot, the Prop shotgun flashes and we Cut to an Extreme Long Shot of the field and our characters. This is where Harry drops with the smoke of the gun, becoming clear to the audience what has just happened. The Extreme Long Shot pulls the audience away from the action, but everything is still understood perfectly. This is because they are shown the true perspective of a bystander, looking from a distance. This shot would also save on Make Up and Special Effects as they don't have to show the shot impacting.

Trying very hard to leave

ELS saves money

Kizzie is shown next in Close Up with Harry's splattered blood on her face. Her Facial Expression is of pure horror and shock as she is frozen still with her mouth and eyes wide open. Soon however she catches up with her self, realising what has just happened, she begins to sob in fear. This attracts the attention of the Farmer who was, at that moment, walking away. With the Farmer facing Kizzie standing next to Harry's body (shown in an Extreme Long Shot, Slight High angle) there is a seemingly irrelevant cut to a forest tree line. The audience, who were expecting Kizzie to go at the hands of the Farmer are instead met with this Extreme Long Shot of trees. During this shot, another gunshot is heard, scaring birds which fly away. A very classic shot, it emphasises how something bad or undesirable created that sound. Of course the audience will know that as a gunshot and who it was aimed at. As if facing away, this shot gives a sense of finality and lack of control. There is nothing that could be done and the audience as the innocent bystander turns away, knowing what will happen. Furthermore, this is an example of Roland Barthes' Action code wherein an action is suggested or implied and the audience predicts the plot, in this case being Kizzie dying.

Shock, Horror and a beautiful sunset

Shotgun highlighted by the sun

Barthes' Action code

It's after this that the Sub-Genre of this short film is shown. Where until now it would be described as a Thriller with its elements of Shock and Suspense. However, on The Film Network page for this film, the Genre is written down as a comedy. This is due to the last piece of dialogue from the Farmer. With the bodies of Harry and Kizzie behind him he says "I think this is a public footpath" referring to why the argument between the three had started in the first place. While it is a humorous joke, it is one line of dialogue. There are 4 minutes before this that do not follow the Conventions of a comedy, perhaps excluding Harry's pitiful hiking skills.

LS away from the crime scene

The very casual "Whoops"

The audience for "Get Off My Land" is rather broad. With strong Representation of both Sexes, Kizzie and the Farmer are shown in relative positions of power. Kizzie as the navigator and the Farmer as a land owner. While the Farmer comes out on top, this pretty even split would not differentiate between a male and female audience. As for the Genre audience, Thriller/Action lovers will not be disappointed with its simple yet shock-full Plot and Story. However, there is also the comedy sub-genre which can be thought of under Steve Neale's Repetition and Variation theory. The basic Genre conventions are repeated, and variations are made, making something new, evolving the Genre. The introduction of comedy to thriller, or thriller to comedy, is one such variation which adds new elements to improve on the Genre, thus creating a Hybrid Genre. These new Genres are able to tap into two separate audiences and attract both. For example, Romance and Action. While it does not seem like a particularly plausible combination, if done right in a way that pleases both fans of the Genres, the combined audience would be enormous.

The Narrative of this short film is a Linear one, going from A to B in chronological order. This makes it possible to apply Todorov's theory, giving the outline for the Plot. The Equilibrium is of course the beginning of the film, with the Disruption being the introduction of the Farmer. The Conflict and Resolution finish very quickly when both Harry and Kizzie die. This leaves the New Equilibrium as a world without Harry and Kizzie; not very different but different enough. This separates the film into simple sections that together describe the basic Plot. "Get Off My Land" does not use large amounts of Enigma and what it does is largely shock, coming from the sudden death of Harry and Kizzie. The Suspense is between the two's death. Kizzie, shown in a Close Up with Harry's blood all over her face, has the well deserved panic attack. During this, the Farmer is clearly shown to walk away back to his jeep and then turn back. Right after Harry is killed, the audience is asking what is going to happen to Kizzie and wether she'll be able to escape. Instead the Farmer turns around and as I mention, the Action codes help the audience predict the Plot.