Short film research: Fort Irwin

  For this short film research, we will be reviewing the short film, Fort Irwin. In Fort Irwin an amputee veteran acts in a realistic military simulation to confront his past trauma. Common sounds used in the short film were loud noises meant to sound like bombs to trigger the veterans trauma on explosions which is likely how he lost his legs, sounds such as gun shots and heavy breathing are also emphasized reminding the veteran of the war and his struggles to deal with the trauma of it. The costumes used in the short film are similar to the outfits used in war with camo helmets, jacket, and pants, while others don Arab clothing to differentiate the enemy. The lighting uses natural lighting and the make-up used is extremely realistic bloodied depictions of injuries in war, for our main character he has blown off legs and we see another actor with a revealed brain. The props and setting are meant to simulate actual war with the setting being a dusty and torn apart town with fake explosions going off in the background and the props used are fake guns, on hand medical equipment, and in one instance a explosive vest. The editing used in the short film was quick and sudden cuts to show for fast war happens and the suddenness of everything happening at once not giving anyone time to process the events unfolding, slowed down shots of explosions and gun fire were also showed followed by a close up of our main character to show how the events are effecting him and zooms in on specific details likely reminding him of the day he lost his legs. 

Short films Laymun shows the trauma of war well and the Buzkashi boys show how a war-torn place can have long lasting effects on people. The elements I like in the genre is the action which can be an easy way to build tension and create conflict in a way that has the audience hooked. The more psychological aspects of war also appeal to me as internal conflict is a great way to show character progression and how they have different views on the world and the way they behave. The elements I don't like on the genre is that many could seem similar, and this could be a struggle to have people interested in the film if it's identical to others they watched in its genre and this could lead to the audience wanting more to set it apart from others like it.