The story behind it is about a guy (played by PJ) who hears some bizarre noised coming from a cupboard and and decides to check them out. Upon exploring the cupboard, he finds himself in a saloon when he has to fight of monsters described as "shadows". With his trusty torch and a light switch he defeats the monsters and returns home. He goes to bed where everything is safe and sound... Or is it?
The thing that I particularly love about PJ's work is the lighting. Particularly in this film and in the actual saloon the lighting and smoke create a darker atmosphere. It makes the audience feel lost and out of place, as PJ is in this bar. The white light, often used to illuminate the faces of the characters, is almost moon-like. This gives a nigh time vibe , which is often followed by danger, as we a naturally scared of the dark.
The Bartender's red hair and black lip-piercing direct a feeling of anxiety to the audience. This is because red symbolizes danger and the black colour symbolizes death. In today's culture, typically a person with a black lip-piercing can be assumed to be rebellious. This therefore implies instability.
PJ's clothing is very heroic. It's similar to the style of the popular character "Indiana Jones". It makes the audience assume that he's the good guy in his film because he is wearing a style of clothing that we associate with a good character.
The monsters are black, again, symbolizing death. They also have contrasting white eyes which appears unnatural are therefore offsetting, leading the audience to feel uncomfortable with them.
The sound used really aids in building the atmosphere. When PJ hears the non-diagetic, wind-like, sound of the monsters, a slight chime can be heard, again, non-diagetic. Throughout cinema, these chime sounds have been used when somebody realizes something, subconsciously telling the audience that the character has come to a realization.
When PJ opens the cupboard for the first time, before abruptly closing it, the sound of two keys on a piano or similar instrument are heard. This "buum buuuuum" sound is playful and catches the style and feeling of the film. Despite being dark and scary, this short film is humorous, fun and playful. This child-like reaction from PJ is then carried through in the non-diagetic sound as music begins to play. Resembling that which may be played on drums in a battalion, this gives the sense that he is going to war. He gear up in a montage of short cuts and gets ready to enter the cupboard.
As the cupboard opens, it creaks, possibly diagetic or non-diagetic as it could've been added in post-production for effect. More creaks are heard as he crawls through the dark passage way. These low sounds remind me of an old , unstable house. It's unsettling and when put with the echoed sound of his footsteps and the wind, makes for a chilling moment in this film.
The sound of the monster is semi-human. It resembles whispering and groaning, yet in an inhuman way. Because this is so familiar, yet unfamiliar, it's unnerving to the audience and can invoke slight fear.
When the bartender grabs PJ's arm and rants about how PJ's flashlight "won't work on [his] 'caperial' body" the music kicks in yet again. This time is high pitched and screechy, which is shocking and creates the mood of fear and danger. It then shifts into a more sad piece, suggesting that PJ's attempts to ward off the monsters are futile. The final shift is a build up to when PJ turns the light on. The music is fast paced and heart pounding. It real helps the audience feel the excitement of that moment in which PJ finally manages to win.
Also, the song in the credits really fits into the Western genre that this film partially fits into.
Especially in the montage scene, I feel that the editing really comes into play. The short cuts pf PJ gearing up, putting on his hat, vest, preparing his flashlight, wearing his goggles and grabbing his bag are fast paced and exciting, especially with the uplifting music. The close up of his face at the end of the montage as he slowly lifts up his head,checking his hat and revealing his eyes tells us that he's ready to face whatever lies in the depths of the cupboard.
As he crawls through the passage of the cupboard, there are lots of different shots of him crawling, some far away, showing how long he has to crawl for. Others are closer to him, giving a sense of the small space he is in.
Upon entering the saloon, there are reaction shots from the monsters as they turn to look at him. These are low angled, meaning the audience looks up at them, making them look bigger and scarier, implying danger and intimidation. This intimidation puts us in the same state as PJ, as when he asks the barkeep for a drink, the tone of his voice and body language tells us he's psyched out by these beings.
When the barkeep gives PJ "a hand" he is trapped. The close up camera shorts show this with a close up of the barkeep and then another of PJ.
After escaping and going into the bedroom, there is a medium-close-up of PJ putting down the torch and a glass from the bar. This implies that they'll be relevant later, which they are as soon as PJ discovers somebody has filled his glass with smoke.
-BW
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