The Fly - Written & Directed: Olly Williams

The Fly (2014) is an intense 6 minute short film focusing on a getaway driver who is  waiting outside a bank robbery - having three nerve shredding minutes to get through before his crew returns. All he has to do is focus. There is a good energy to the film, which is mediated successfully through the micro-elements - especially through the use of performance and camerawork. From  the moment it started to it's dramatic conclusion, my eyes were hooked to the screen.

The first thing that caught my eye, was a juxtaposing use of genre mixing within the film. This can clearly be seen during the title sequence. As the fly is introduced into the short film, the film cuts to a white flashing screen with red text of the fly creeping towards the viewer. This instantly gives the audience access to the mood of the piece. Specifically, we get an insight into the decaying mental state of the anxious driver and the bitter and irritable nature of the fly. The title sequence also gives connotations to the B-horror movies that were prevalent through the 80's and 90's. The haunting vocal and orchestral accompaniment, also gives connotations of a horror film - the one that sprang to mind was the title sequence of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'.

The film heavy compromised with repetitive camera work, which by no means is a criticism. Instead, it was actually used to great effect within the film. The focus on the utilisation of close ups and high angle shots, created a disorientating effect on the audience - making us feel sympathy for the man as he finds himself confined to a claustrophobic car with a unwelcome annoying little pest.

The performance within short films is crucial, and this short film is no exception. Lead by actor Jack Doolan, the performance delivered had the audience eating out of his hands. Starting off with low energy - an indication of the characters trepidation and anxiety, the actor slowly begins to increase energy into his performance. Slowly he grows from a calm state into one of anger and then shame.

To conclude, I found that this film was excellent at creating and maintaining energy, and would be a good source of inspiration for when I go about creating my own short film.