Research Tasks 2 {[Hollie]}

Lou-Lou Lives Here … 2003 … Hazel Grain

1. Genre and Style:
The short film ‘Lou-Lou Lives Here’ is a 4 minute long short film. The film is very clever in terms of its mise en scene, the film is shot in a rural location which gives the impression of being isolated, also, the film is in black and white and the camera work is shaking in parts, which gives the impression of a dog as they are colour blind. This helps the viewer to understand that the girl and the dog are the same character. The girl also behaves in a very dog-like fashion as she licks a graze on her leg and runs up to a dead rabbit at the side of the road. The sound of the piece also helped to create tension in the viewer. For example, the silence and diagetic sounds give an eerie atmosphere to the piece. Also the man’s voice doesn’t sound human and is almost demonic so it positions the audience to be wary of him. The narrative of the film is restricted as the audience does not know that the girl and the dog are the same. As the audience we can only see as much as the girl, although, it is unclear why she is running from the man or who the man is. Perhaps the man is trying to abduct the girl but perhaps he is trying to catch the dog. As the viewer I found it slightly confusing and I’m not sure that I would want to produce a piece like this in my project.

2. How does this film use genre and style conventions uniquely?
From this film it is unclear what genre it is. It could in one way be described as a horror or thriller but the film does not make it clear. Its storyline is unclear. Has the girl run away from home or is she going home? This style is unique to this film as I cannot recall any other films that use this convention unless all is revealed in the end. This film does not do this and so is very unique. This feature is very interesting as it really makes the audience work but in this film i feel as though not enough is revealed to the viewer in the resolution and it leaves them feeling confused, which I as a viewer find makes the film less enjoyable.

3. How does the film use the short film format?
The basic structure for all narratives and stated that films and programmes begin with equilibrium, a calm period. Then agents of disruption cause a period of unsettlement. This is then followed by a renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end. This is the simplest form of narrative and is sometimes referred to as ‘Classic’ or ‘Hollywood’ narrative. The film ‘Lou- Lou Lives Here’ twists this format as when it begins it is already in a state of disequilibrium as the audience gets a sense of foreboding and feel that every thing is not as it should be. This could be done because in a short film narrative there is not as much time to introduce characters and settings. The film simply cannot have the amount of time devoted to setting the scene as a feature film would. The equilibrium at the end is also much briefer. Again this is due to the lack of time to tell the story in a full and entertaining way. This short film uses restricted narration for the entire film to help create tension and mystery. The viewers are only able to see what the character sees and so are unaware of the things that are happening. For example we are not sure who the male character is or why he is there. We also only find out at the very end that the girl and the dog are the same character. This is done quite cleverly by the dissolve effect as both the girl and the dog are running.

4. What is interesting about the use of sound?
The use of sound, in ‘Lou-Lou Lives Here’ is very interesting as it only uses diagetic sound. The only sounds are the girl panting and the sounds of the woodland as well as the van pulling up. The only dialogue within the piece is the man saying ‘Lou-Lou’ it has been edited to sound very distorted and deep and create tension and foreboding in the viewer. They don’t know who he is and don’t like that he is trying to get the girl to go with him. Silence is used very well as it is so quiet, in some parts, that it is almost suffocating to the viewer, this creates the feeling of intensity and a feeling of enigma. The silence creates a foreboding atmosphere that puts the audience on edge and makes them think that something bad is about to happen.
As in the film ‘Joy Ride’, which i previously studied, I particularly like the use of silence and nondiagetic sound as it creates and intense atmosphere and really puts the viewer on the edge of their seat. I would like to use a technique such as this in my own piece to create a sense of foreboding and enigma.

5. Themes, issues and representation?
It is unclear what this film is truly about but I feel that it is about a young girl walking home in dangerous circumstances. It positions the audience to be wary of the man as we all have preconceived notions about the typical ‘white van man’. We are afraid for the girl and almost feel as though she is about to be abducted by the man. One particular point of interest is when the man appears behind the girl. The audience tense up and are almost on the edge of their seat as the fear what is about to happen next, however, the girl attacks the man in the form of a dog and manages to escape. This is quite unique as most stories of men stalking girls end in much different circumstances. This is a sympathetic representation of the young girl as the audience want to look out for her and keep her safe. She appears helpless and this compels the audience to relate to her. The stereotype of the ‘white van man’ is played on in this film and the audience are position to fear and resent such a character which I think is true of real life as most people are wary of leaving their children in close proximity to a man such as this.