Research - Non-Genre Specifc Analysis of 'We Were Awesome' - Jesse Coane

'We Were Awesome' follows the story of old two friends who are back in town for thanks giving. They go back to a hilltop that the often visited as children to watch the sun rise. Here they discuss their current lives along with childhood memories.

Narrative
This film follows a simple narrative structure, which is portrayed through the delivery of the dialogue from the actors as opposed to a change in camera angles and shots. The most significant use of camera in this film was during the sunset itself as no dialogue was exchanged. As can be seen in my time line, a limited number of shots were used and they were also rather repetitive. This therefore meant that the dialogue would have to set up the narrative, more so than imagery or location.

The dialogue in the film is very effective in conveying the disconnect between these two friends. The first few topics discussed are very mundane: thanksgiving dinner, the temperature and clothing. There is then a significant change in tone when one of the characters believes his friend wants to leave before the sun rises. This shift in mood then opens they way for the character to discuss their past memories fondly, thus juxtaposing the awkward misunderstanding we witnessed moments ago. Again, after this the tone shifts from the men being childish, joking about one another being 'gay', to why things have changed between them. These frequent shifts from the characters being comfortable with one another, (when they are discussing their past and acting childish), to awkward scenes in which they discuss their present lives, establish the narrative of the film. 'We were awesome' plays on the theme of childhood friends growing apart. However, although now their relationship may be
uneasy, the sunrise and other scenes confirm that the friendship they they once shared will live on in memory, if not in reality.

There is also evidence of this film following Todorov's theory of equilibrium. First we see he two friends talking happily bout their thanksgiving. The disruption occurs when there is a significant shift in tone in the character's conversation. This is then resolved with the sunset, which ultimately confirms their old childhood friendship.

Editing
For the majority of this film, very simplistic editing techniques were used, as none of the scenes called for quirky cuts or transitions. The film is focused on the story of the two characters, therefore the general atmosphere of the film (use of camera, editing and mis en scene), had to be quite simplistic as to not take anything away from the primary focus of the film. The editing also had to be in sync with the changes in tone and what the characters were doing. For example during the sunrise, only two cuts were made in a 45 second time space, thus bringing home the idea that when the sun rises 'time stand still', as referenced by one of the characters earlier on in the film. These long scenic shots, display a moment of serenity for both the characters and the audience.

Mis En Scene
The use of costuming in the film, gives us an insight into the personalities of both of the character in this short. The character on the right of the bench complains significantly more than his companion about the temperature as he sports an unpractical leather jacket. In comparison to this, the character on the left wears a warm, practical coat. This portrays the childish, youthful personality of the man on the right and the sensible manner of the character on the left.The careless, youthful persona of the right hand character is also enforced through him holding a beer can prop, when his friend does not.

The surroundings of the location that the characters are in is minimalistic. I believe that Coane took this approach as to not deter from the main focus of the film, which is the characters. Also, the setting of just a simple picnic bench in a field adds to the idea that this moment is about recreating a moment from their childhood and solidifying a friendship rather than witnessing a phenomenon.

Sound 
For the majority of the film, the only background ambience is the diegetic sound of cars on a far away road and the quiet buzz of a nearby city or town. This minimalist use of sound has been done so that very little deters from the conversation between the two protagonist. Non-diegetic music begins with the sunrise, and builds in intensity along with the rising sun. This puts emphasis on the beauty of the moment and takes away from the issues previously discussed and seemingly solidifies the childhood friendship that these two men once shared. We can see this through the final shot where one of the characters looks on to the horizon, and seems to be reflecting on the old friendship with a sort of fondness.

Camera
I believe that Coane took a minimalistic approach to the camera work on this short film, as to not avert from the story of the two protagonists. As can be seen in my timeline, a limited amount of shots were used in this film and they tended to be very repetitive. This enhanced the simplicity of the situation, and thus further enforced the fact that this moment is unique to these two characters. A sunrise is a daily occurrence that does not need a lot of explanation through the use of complex camera work. Yet in this film, the sunrise takes on further meaning as it solidifies a friendship that is old and damaged. During the sunrise itself only three shots were used, creating the sense that 'time stands still', as one of the character describes it earlier on in the film. A long shot showing the rising sun on the horizon provides the audience with a POV shot, as if we were there experiences this phenomenon with the two men. Another shot that is used is a mid shot, with the backs of the characters in the foreground. This seems to signify the absence of any of the day to day problems that they had been discussing moments before, as there is no longer any dialogue, just the sunset and two old friends watching it.

Conclusion
Although this film does not specifically belong to the coming of age genre, it does reflect on childhood, which a strong element of our own film. It shows a shift from past to present, as we can see a distinct difference in the way the characters talk about their memories and how they are presented in the present. Also the clever use of dialogue in this film is something that I will likely refer to when writing the script for my own film.