Analysing Short Films- SLAP

SHORT FILM- SLAP (2015, ROWLAND)

Nick Rowland’s BAFTA nominated coming-of-age short film SLAP is about a teenage male boxer who finds that expressing himself with makeup and female attire gives him a sense of freedom. SLAP aggressively confronts standards of masculinity in sports culture and how one young man attempts to construct his own sense of masculinity under unyielding gender-defined conditions.

Rowland explains his inspiration: “Growing up my idols were the likes of Eddie Izzard and David Bowie. I have always admired people who have the courage to express themselves in any way they want without it necessarily having anything to do with their sexuality. I’m interested in how people like to put others in boxes. If someone can’t be put neatly into a certain box, people don’t know how to label you and they freak out.”

The film was co-written with fellow National Film and Television School student Islay Bell-Webb. Similarly, she felt a “strong sense of duty, both as a storyteller and a member of the LGBT community, toward those who do not fit into a strictly hetero-normative culture.” This embrace of outsider culture became the catalyst for SLAP’s creation.

SLAP not only received a BAFTA Film nomination for “Best Short Film” in 2015, it also garnered a BIFA nomination for “Best Short Film”, a “Best Narrative Short Film” at Cinequest Film Festival, and “Best Short Film” at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

representation

- struggles of being gay and transgender

-representation of the LGBT community

-the mental struggle of not being accepted by the people he loves (his gf lola reacts very badly)

narrative

- 3 act structure 

micro elements

-sound- the foley sounds are very emphasised such as the door opening when Connor's dad comes home when he's in full makeup

-mise-en-scene

costumes- the dress Connor wears is very significant in showing his femininity, as well as the makeup he wears 

props- makeup especially a lipstick he stole from his girlfriend, boxing gloves
location/setting- a house, a boxing club/ ring
composition of shot

-editing- montage scene where Connor is in a dress and it flicks between him dancing and boxing 

-performance- the actor is incredible at showing the raw emotions of connor in the end when he keeps punching the guy, as well as in the scene where he's crying into archies arms moments before he outs him to everyone

-cinematography

there's lots of mid shots, over the shoulder shots, the hand-held camera shots make us feel included and there in the moment

there's quite a few mirror shots which shows how he's seeing himself 

meanings/ messages 

-how being different from others leads to struggles as society often isn't very accepting

- connor said many times his reasoning for dressing that way was because it just felt right and made him feel alright