NUMBERS - CODES AND CONVENTIONS

This short film, directed by Robert Hloz, shows Nick and Mia, two young people who have a gift. They can see numbers above people's heads and these numbers can mean lots of things - how many lies they've told, how long they have to live, what age they are, how much money they have etc. Mia's gift is a lot more refined and she knows more about it than Nick; she educates him on patterns and how each person with the gift can see a type of quantity. In the end Nick realises that he can see that Mia has 30 days to live, and he kisses her. 

As expected of a short film, there is a very small cast. The two actors Nick and Mia are in a dialogue throughout the whole film and this is standard for a film like this because it is low budget and so a large cast is unrealistic.

The setting is very typical of a short film - it is in public. It is outside a bar or restaurant on a busy street. This makes the film more relatable and believable for the viewer because everyone can think of a location just like this and it allows the viewer to imagine this situation actually happening. 

Often, locations like this - ie public locations, are used in short films because it keeps the budget low. If they are not set outside somewhere, they usually don't stray far from a singular room for the same reason. 

The costumes in this film are normal clothes for 2018. It immediately shows that this film is set in present day. Also, we see a phone on the table buzzing at 12am which shows again that the film is set in present day. Everyone is wearing coats and scarfs and the setting looks cold especially since it is night time. 

Todorov's theory of equilibrium is prevalent in this film. The equilibrium at the start is the open discussion between Nick and Mia, however this is interrupted when Nick realises at 12am that he is a reaper as he sees Mia's number go down, showing she only has 29 days left to live. It is restored, at least for a moment, as the very end when Nick kisses her and numbers disappear. 

The film is shown through the spectator's gaze, in other words, through our eyes. This is common of short films. We can see that Nick and Mia have a connection throughout and this is demonstrated verbally of course when Mia asks Nick is he 'hitting on her' but it is also demonstrated non verbally. 

Their facial expressions and eye contact say a lot. 

The shots are level, putting Nick and Mia on an equal footing. One is not portrayed better than the other. This reinforces their connection. Most of the shots in the dialogue are close ups of their faces, capturing their exact expressions.