Sounds of New York - Existing 15 Second Film

The very first point of call for my research was to look at existing 15 second films. Part of this was to reassure myself that it was possible to create a film that worked and only needed 15-20 seconds to tell a story or convey a message or feeling. I went to the website Vimeo, and searched for "15 second films".

Sounds of New York

Sounds of New York from Kofa on Vimeo.

This film is 15 seconds long, and follows a persons journey through New York. It focuses on the sounds that they come across along the way, and uses them as the soundtrack for the film.

In the 15 seconds that this film lasts, there are 19 cuts - there are 19 different shots. So, a little less than what I am aiming for, but then I do have an extra 5 more seconds (up to 20 second) to play with. Through these 19 shots the creator has managed do two things - document a journey and make the sounds an equal part of the story as the image. This is exactly what I want to aim to do.

It also does not feel like 15 seconds. When you first think of 15 seconds, you acknowledge that it's not a very long time. We're used to going to the cinema and watching a 90 minute film, perhaps even films over 2 hours long, so we learn to assume that we need that amount of time to even begin to tell a story. A 90 minute film has got the time to play with long, extended scenes, but a 15 second film doesn't. Despite this, each cut in this film feels natural. It doesn't seem as if any shot is on screen for too long - or too short - and the sounds that we hear help to edge the viewer towards an understanding for what's on screen much quicker, which allows for faster cuts.

Even though each shot is on screen for less than a second, each is framed and shot beautifully and their is no loss in focus on cinematography.

This film highlights the importance of good cinematography, in fact. The "rule of thirds" is prominent, and helps to give the viewer an immediate understanding of what their seeing as well as making it pleasing to look at. The use of focus and depth of field again enhances our understanding of what we're looking at. In the shot above on the left, it is clear to us immediately we should acknowledge the musician, not the passers-by, because of the focus on him. On the left, the girl takes up most of the shot, so she is immediately obvious, but we are forced to look at her expression because of the use of focus by the cameraman. As the film is so short, it's important that each shot means something and is very easy to process, because it's not going to be on screen for long. 

The use of sound in this film is very important, as that's what it's about. When watching, it doesn't feel like there are any added sound effects - nothing is too dramatic, no sound is really out of place or not synchronised and each sound flows nicely from one another. A reason for this is how each sound is from the same environment - New York. The sounds that were recorded during the filming of each shot seem to be the same sounds we are hearing, so the movement from one shot to the other helps build up a feeling of the environment we are seeing. It's an organic, natural progression from one to the other.

What I've learnt from this 15 second film is the importance of good cinematography, and how, despite the short length of the film, it's vital to ensure a clear understanding of each shot for your viewer. Without this clear understanding, you lose the basis and point of having such a short, fast paced film as there is no meaning to it - it's just a bunch of fast cuts. I've also learnt how sounds and the types of sounds you use can have a large effect on the meaning of your film too. This film is quite calming and low key, despite the slightly industrial and city-vibes it has, because of the images that they have been paired with. Each sound follows from the other and tells a story within itself.