Analysing a short film

Replay (Animated Short film)-ANIBOOM
(8:45min)

It starts off with a low level angle of someone running and you can just see their shoes. This creates a sense of urgency and danger. The audience instantly know that there is something wrong and that he or she could be running from something. You first think that this is a man because of the clothing looks stereotypically what a man would wear. When she runs in and then shuts the door there is a red and green light. This is a semiotic symbol because most people recognise the green light as good and the red light as bad, so when the red changes to green, the audience knows it is now safe. It then zooms in at the bag and you know that the bag or something in the bag is significant to the main story.
She then comes into a room. A low lighting is used to show that this is not a happy place and they could possibly be somewhere where it is dark such as underground. They are not rich as the walls are made of metal and it does not look like they own many things. This is confirmed when she says that she has to sell the things that she found. It then shows a close up of his face and looking at the voice recorder and there is red lighting. This implies that he wants the voice recorder and is possibly thinking of taking it.
After he runs away, there is an establishing shot. This shows the outside of where they live and it looks like they are in a desert. This then shows why they live the way they do. As the boy is walking through the streets, you then realise that they are not living in the desert but in a place (town) that has been deserted. The gas mask implies that the reason for this is because of some gas or something that is in the air. Soft, classical music is played. This non-diegetic sound is used because it is trying to show that he is happy and amazed about what he is seeing. It also shows that he is in his world and not taking into reality about the state of the town because this is the first time he has ever seen it.
While this is going on, there are other sounds that are used such as breathing. The breathing is a significant part in the film as the whole reason why they have to live underground is because the air is toxicated. A match cut is used when the boy hears the sound off the church bells ringing. He first hears the sound on the tape recorder and then he sees the church at the same time.
The children that he sees are of a lighter colour than the surrounding area. This shows that they may not be real and are possibly a creation from his imagination. There is a fade out to white and fade in after he goes to play with the children he is imagining. This shows the audience that it is no longer his imagination but reality. That is why you know that when you see him on the floor, he did not really play with the children but could have possibly died or was unconscious after he took the mask off. Before he took the mask off, his face was in the dark (shade) and when he took the mask off; his face was in the light. This could be trying to represent the fact that he now feels free.
They show a close up of the voice recorder, the object that started this problem. At first it was still playing the children talking but then it broke and stopped playing. You then knew that the animation/story had ended.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-cFHeoXAw8 ) -LINK