-Short Term 12 Analysis-

Short Term 12 is a 96 minute linear drama presenting social realism. It was directed by Denson Daniel Cretton.

It is a touching film which portrays the life of being in care realistically. The film enables the audience to easily connect with the characters and feel personal to them. This is partially done by the camera shots used. We are close up and personal, giving us the sense of involvement in the lives of the characters. 

Alongside with the camera shots, there are other visual codes such as the plain colours throughout the film. This could be a way of expressing the lack of colour and liveliness the under privileged children in the film have. This makes us emphasise and sympathise with the children, further intriguing us into the film. 

There are also a number of audio codes used in the film, these consist of the instrumentals used. I personally noticed the type of music change with the characters feelings, this puts emphasis on the emotion being presented or suggested. Furthermore, there is often a suspenseful feeling in some of the instrumentals, this builds tension which engages the audience. 

Although this film is a drama, there are also strong aspects of romance and sometimes slight comedy. I think the fact that the mood of the film changes drastically so quickly is good because it keeps it interesting and also may be relatable to many watchers who have experienced the realism of the situations in the film. A prime example of a quick switch of mood can be when the two main Characters, Grace and Mason, who are careers and also in love, are sitting on the sofa and go from being happy drawing each other, to having a deep conversation when Mason is feeling distant to Grace, to them kissing, to her panicking and stopping then going to sleep. Another example could be from the scene at Mason's parents anniversary when he proposes to Grace and they are joyful, to the next morning when they get the phone call telling them that her dad is being released from prison in a month. These scenes are not only touching and interesting but they also portray the struggles in a relationship and in life, rather than the typical Hollywood, perfect lifestyle. 

I really liked the film and found it so insightful. One of my favourite scenes was when one of the children, Marcus, was rapping his own lyrics about his mother. The lyrics seemed like they were actually real and like they were actually coming from his heart. It really made me feel close to Marcus and have so much sympathy for him and it allowed me to be understanding to why he may have a short temper. I also found it clever how the film started the same way as it ended, with Mason telling the new member of staff, Nate, a story, and then them all having to chase Sammy. 

Id also like to pick up on the advertising poster for the film, although it is not strictly the film. I think the poster is cleverly misleading. This is because the scenery is so neat looking, for example the trees are perfectly proportioned. This is completely opposite to what the lives of the characters are actually like. I found it amusing and very clever how there could be a hidden metaphor in the poster which could be representing that things may look great on the outside, but inside they are not great at all.