New BoyNew Boy

Directed by

Steph Green

Message..

• The message of this film is equality. Just because someone is different racially or culturally, doesn’t mean they are not as good as you or that they should be treated any differently.

• In this film we see a very single cultured school in Ireland and the introduction of a black African child. We see how once they overcome his diversity, they realise that they can become very good friends.

Camera techniques..

• An over-shoulder shot showing his perspective looking at the classroom and all the children looking back at him.

• It makes the audience aware of how big a deal it is for one small boy joining a big class where he doesn’t yet know anyone.

• From this shot we are also made aware that, racially, Joseph is different to the rest of the class; this could become a factor later in the film.

Camera techniques..

• Joseph has a flashback to his life in Africa, the camera movement is much less, implying there is a much more relaxed atmosphere and he is much happier and content.• There is always a close-up of Joseph’s face when he is being spoken to by the teacher or other members of his class, this is so we can observe his reactions to what is going

on around him. • As Joseph pulls Christian to the ground, there is a real

contrast to the previous shots. The camera is almost level on the ground with Christian, looking up at Joseph making him look superior for the first time in the film.

Camera techniques..

• The camera is positioned at quite a distance and remains still as the children run out of the class to break but when they have all gone, it takes a slightly closer position to show Joseph slowly coming out and grabbing his coat by himself.

• It then goes back to a further distance showing how alone he is and magnifying how small he looks in the big walkway of an empty corridor.

• The camera pans as all of the other children playing out in the playground, screaming and having fun, but as it reaches Joseph it creates a different atmosphere as it stops and just focuses on him as he approaches the other children.

Camera techniques..

• There is then a replica shot in Ireland as the one we see in Africa – the close-up of Joseph’s face as his father gets shot in front of him and when Christian throws something at him at school in Ireland.

• There is a long shot of the 3 boys standing out in the hallway waiting for their telling off.

• There is then a close-up shot of Joseph and Christian as they both begin to laugh, and then again of Joseph as he smiles and laughs for the first time in the film.

• There is then a mid shot of all 3 boys standing close together, much more relaxed, all laughing. This shot alone creates an entirely different atmosphere as you can see that they are now friends and there is no longer any tension.

Sound..

• Throughout the film there is diegetic sound of the teacher and the children talking and playing, but there is also non-diegetic sound of the music playing over the top of the dialogue.

• The music fits perfectly as it emphasises the loneliness and sadness that Joseph feels but then as his mood becomes happier and he gains acceptance amongst the other children, the music picks up and becomes more upbeat, fitting the mood of the film.

Framing..

• A majority of the shots have Joseph at the centre of the framing, even when Christian is tormenting him; he is in the foreground with Christian either in or out of focus behind him, depending on which one of them is talking.• This shot and use of framing is very common

throughout the film and shows a perfect representation of the characters as it show Joseph as the focal point which indicates to the audience that he is the focus of the film.

Mise-en-scene..

• The genre for this short film is drama.• Although at the beginning of the film Joseph is seen as an outcast, one thing that brings him and his classmates together as equals is their costume. They

are all made to wear the same school uniform which makes them all the same as each other.

• The location makes it very clear to the audience from the off that it is set in a primary school -the bright lighting and colourful decoration is the typical image of a primary school.

Editing..

• The editing and sound for this shot is very effective as it almost continues from Africa to Ireland, this is because just as Joseph is having his flashback of the bang of his father being shot, Christian throws something at him, this creates a similar noise and therefore they use the same shot. This is the case for all of the flashback scenes, they fit perfectly with the current storyline in Ireland and therefore the editing has created a perfect flow from past to present.