Convention

Explanation

Professional Comparison

Use, develop or challenge

5%
Short film
less
dialogue,
minimal as
possible

10%
Very few
exchanges of
dialogue, used
only when
essential to
narrative
progression or
revealing
important
aspects of
character/narrati
ve/setting
Milgram:
maximum
speed, minimal
dialogue

15-20%
The Most Beautiful Man in
the World mother spoke to
on the phone giving
background detail about her
character, situation,
lifestyle, which inevitably
affects the young girl. No
exchange between girl and
man, woman and man

Location
Setting

Majority of social
realism films
reject artificial
sets. Prefer real,
natural,
authentic
Typically run
down areas
around cities

Fish Tank, Kidulthood uses

real East London council
estate
Gasman, Cubs both
location shoots
Exteriors and interiors
selectively chosen on their
aptitude to best represent
the identity of the
characters and their
situation

35%
Use very little dialogue between each
character, only used when necessary.
Girl & woman reveal home life aspects
key to narrative & overall meaning to
film. Man also reveals key character
aspects. Nothing said that isnt relevant
developed as the little dialogue
between family indication of distance
in relationship, isolation, doesnt speak
unless spoken to
Developed at minor moments the
main character talks with herself, not
due to lack of other characters but to
reveal aspects of her caring personality.
Speech increased as film progressed,
climax approaching, relevant/vital
information exposed, ties loose ends
mentioned previously (e.g. beginning =
druggie son near end = wheres
my gear)
Use authentic, natural settings,
characters of origin. Adds
realism/verisimilitude, audience can
relate to a high degree house with
unfinished construction, rusty
trampoline, leafy/muddy grass garden,
unkempt flower beds. Realistic to have
a messy garden, not always to the
standards depicted in films. Large
garden yet not much to play with (child
is less of priority), locked sheds, doesnt
dare approach one hidden in the corner
why?
Challenged not such typically run-

Effectiveness
Success/unsuccess
The bigger picture
25%
Success follows the form of
social realist texts and shorts
[not much room for lengthy
dialogues]
Dialogue was able to impose
nature of characters: i.e. woman
= aggression, lack of
care/responsibility, priorities
revealed. Man = cares solely for
himself and his belongings. Girl
= values life all without the
need of added action using vital
screen time
More focus is spent on the girl
and bird growing relationship:
girls determinism for good, her
rejection from woman,
loneliness and isolation from
everything.
Success exteriors/interiors
matches/expands upon
characters
needs/wants/obligations.
Girl needs contact so the
outside gives her a bird. Wants
to help/be distracted but
obliged to woman on sofa.
These micro elements neatly
add to the desired macro
effects: neglect, pre-occupation,
isolation, loneliness.

down place, not in a city. Change of

scenery from council owned housing:
characters involved can/could afford
this housing but still needed [repair]
work (scaffolding). Middle class home
housing lower class citizens (man using
it for his criminal activities i.e. sheds
locked for illegal purposes)
Untrained
Acting crew

Social
issues /
themes
explored

Social realist
films often use
untrained,
inexperienced
actors, largely
unknown enhances
verisimilitude
audience
unlikely to
recognise them
so will be
perceived as
normal people.
Use of actors of
location setting
origin also adds
to verisimilitude
Social realism
texts frequently
combat social
hardships of the
lower economic
class

Fish Tank Katie Jarvis

plucked from the street by
Andrea Arnold after
witnessing her argue with
her boyfriend

Use actors of the location setting

origin chosen for added realism
believability that they come from there,
familiar with the setting (same
accent/costume as locals). Unknown
actors to keep a normal person status
(better known actors likely carry a
certain fan base/admirers who expect
certain styles of work could affect
honesty of film review or how actor
perform)

Success willing participants,

some with unofficial acting
experience. Able to build upon
the verisimilitude of the film
with their understanding and
interpretation of the script

The Most Beautiful Man in

the World bare living room,
nothing for a child to play
with, neglect or economic
hardship?
About a Girl teenage
pregnancy, ignorance,
neglect
Two Cars, One Night
neglect, self-entertainment,

Challenged the issues/themes

explored are not to do with such a lower
economic class like the majority of
social realist texts but the hardship of
an overlooked and under estimated
class, middle class youth: isolation,
loneliness, neglect, goodwill,
determination.
Developed the prioritised
themes/issues are not associated with

Success the issues and

themes featured in the short are
of common ground for most
people, no matter what class or
status you are. This greatly
increases not only the
relatability of the film but also
its verisimilitude.
Success By featuring a

bonding

World,
Character,
Problem

Natural
Lighting

Marilyn Milgram
short films
have limited
time to
effectively
develop each
element (W/C/P)
that any
dramatic
narrative
requires

Two Cars, One Night

The Most Beautiful Man in
the World
Stripes
Each has as few characters
as possible, revolving
around a primary character
and therefore their one
world and problem.

Social realist
texts often use
low key lighting
to match the
tone, mood,
atmosphere of
the film
Natural lighting

The Most Beautiful Man in

the World dark indoors,
daylight fighting to get
through the window blinds
and piercing uncomfortable
burn of daylight in exterior
scenes: in equilibrium in
either world

lower socio-economic class crime, like

typical realist films largely focus on, but
to add further gritty, realist conventions
a sub-narrative was introduced as the
Man and his suspicious, likely crimerelated behaviour. However, some of
the characters are of lower economic
class status but their surroundings are
not.
Use the focus of the story centres on
one character, the young girl and her
world. Mentions of other potential
narratives, the narrative derives its
dramatic elements from the limited
focus of the young girl, her world and
her newly introduced problem.
Developed sub-worlds, supporting
characters and extended problems
were introduced. There exist not just
the one world, problem and character
but another set intertwining with the
one being demonstrated. The man and
womans worlds and problems clearly
intervene and affect the girls world,
inevitably causing problems. By subtly
hinting at these other worlds/problems
is developing on Milgrams strict
suggestion to keep the narrative
simple.
Use using natural lighting allows me
as the filmmaker to state that this film
is a representation of natural situations,
adds to the verisimilitude of the
narrative. Contrast of dark interior vs
light exterior

mixture of social class and

status develops on the very
specific class and status of
characters social realist texts
often use and allows greater
relatability from a larger range
of audience

Success the girl is the main

character, her world is the
centre of the narrative, and her
problems drive it onwards.
A main W/C/P and smaller ones
add to a complex narrative but
effectively drives a harder
impact since the audience is
forced into decoding the subtle
hints so this added analysis
allows the audience to
understand the character, world
and problems on a deeper level

Success the clean natural

lighting of the outside world
allows the young girl character
to be represented as pure and
innocent (as intended).
In-equilibrium in either world
(social realism convention)
established

Diegetic
sound
absence of
nondiegetic

is a large factor
in obtaining
verisimilitude
Large factor in
obtaining
verisimilitude

The Most Beautiful Man in

the World can hear only
what is in the scene, i.e.
pond, water, birds, flies etc.
Stripes kettle boiling used
for tension build up instead
of artificial/external
music/sounds.

Use same statement as natural

lighting, natural sounds increase
verisimilitude and the realism of whats
happening on screen/in the film.
Camera wild tracks pre-recording of
non-dialogue outside scenes (back up in
case action is great but unexpected
noise interrupts)
Birds in the garden indicate
peacefulness and freedom, like the girl
is trying to achieve
Developed have used the same
design but not kept the solid colour
scheme. Developing on it by using a
gradient of grey to represent the
beginning, middle, end of the synopsis

Success much more

concentrated expression of
emotion from characters with no
non-diegetic to distract the
audience from obtaining the
wrong idea about the situation.
Much more pure and focused on
the physical aspects of the film

Film Review
Synopsis
box

Usually an all
one grey colour
box that
contains the
synopsis

Sight and Sound film

reviews solid grey
background for the synopsis
box

Film Review
Font sizes

Increased font
size for
beginning of the
title letters.
Increased font
size for the first
couple lines of
the initial review
Not a
production-still
was used as an
image to
represent the
film

Sight and Sound often as

one size per feature i.e. title
all one size, review itself all
one size etc.

Developed have placed the title,

production credits where they are
usually found on professional texts but
have developed on them by altering
some of the sizing of the letters/text

Sight and Sound always

have production stills to
accompany their reviews as
a form of representing the
film in its element
(naturalistic/gritty etc.)

Challenged not used a production

still at all. Cartoon imagery. Has had a
picture effect placed over it completely
challenging the naturalistic production
stills used in professional reviews

Success tells you more about

the film than if a production still
were used

Used -

Success not a typical poster.

Inspired by a unique style
format

Film review

production
still

Film Poster

Success allows greater impact

when reader, further
understanding from the
audience as the beginning,
middle and end have been
stated more clear than an
ordinary review
Success allows the title of the
film to be noticed and
remember much more from its
alternate style