Depict Research

Iranshahr

This film uses limited shots, and only two people to deliver a powerful message about 40 girls from Iranshahr city who were raped and feared to tell anyone. The paint that the lady is spreading across her face is symbolic of how she feels trapped in her own thoughts. As the video continues, the lady spreads the paint across her face more quickly. This is symbolic of how she feels that as time passes, she becomes more uneasy about speaking out; trapped in her own thoughts.

Throughout the video, close-up and medium shots are used. The close-up shots are used to emphasise the lady’s facial features and expressions – they show how entrapped and emotional she feels. The medium shots show her emotions spilling out; we can see the paint strewn across her clothes. The drops of paint are representative of her finally telling others about her experiences.

At 30 seconds, we can see another woman’s face, with the top half covered by a rock. This shows that she has been stripped of her sight – she’s blinded by her own thoughts, unable to tell others how she feels. The hand that clasps her mouth is symbolic of men intentionally silencing the rape victims; an attempt to hide their crime and protect themselves.

The music in this video has been chosen very well, complementing the solemn, dramatic nature of the video. The lady spreads the paint across her face in time with the music – further emphasising her feelings of fear.

Cool Unicorn Bruv

This video begins with a man trying to sell his bike. He points out the bike’s features – using hyperbole - in order to convince the other man to buy the bike. This sales pitch is going well, until a unicorn arrives. The unicorn is described as able to “fire rainbows out of its horn” and “draw the energy out of the universe.” The use of dialogue here is key to the film, allowing the audience to feel sympathy for the person selling the bike. Colloquial language, such as “innit” and “nah man” adds comedy to the film – increasing the viewer’s enjoyment.

The pace of this film is fast – the shots change very frequently. For example, at around 15 seconds, we move from a close-up shot, to a medium and then a close-up of the bike again, all in the space of a couple of seconds. This allows the viewer to engage with the whole scene, seeing the location. At 23 seconds, we have into a tracking shot of the unicorn moving into a worm’s eye view. This allows the viewer to see all angles of the unicorn and admire its features that are described.

Double-Take

This film starts with a sombre tone, focussing on how Daryl is singled out in society. Daryl then says the best reaction would be “every single person laughing.” This shocks the audience – we feel sympathy for him. This is followed by the scene changing to a pub, with upbeat guitar music in the background. In this scene, we understand that Daryl has turned his appearance into something positive: a career of comedy.

At the start of the video, extreme close-up shots are used – focussing on different parts of Daryl’s head. This gradually unveils Daryl’s face to the viewer, increasing the tension. We are also shown an extreme close-up shot of his walking stick, further emphasising Daryl’s condition. We first see Daryl’s whole body at 19 seconds, where a black background has been used. Furthermore, Daryl is wearing black clothes, almost as if he’s blending in with the background. The black colour represents Daryl mourning about his appearance.

At 50 seconds, the tone of the video changes. Colours are brighter, and Daryl is wearing a green top (symbolising happiness.) The difference in colour confirms that Daryl is in fact finding happiness, juxtaposing the solemn beginning.