Short Film Analysis - Sign Language

The short film Sign Language is a mockumentary short film focusing on the lives of sign holders. The film has a light tone and is slightly comedic.

The film focuses on Ben, a "Static outdoor information technician", who has his last day of work before his promotion. The premise of the film is comedic as the way Ben talks about his job make sit seem like a highly skilled professional job. He uses language such as "Work mates", "Degree in urban semiotics", "Work experience" and "non-union" which shows how seriously he takes his work. It's very clearly something he loves. The non-diegetic background music also helps show this, as the acoustic guitar and vocals create a warmth about the job. All of this juxtaposes with what you are seeing: Everyone is wrapped up tightly from the cold, people have umbrellas and all of Ben's colleagues look miserable.

The camera is never still and is constantly moving to create the sense of it being filmed for a documentary. It never has the whole scene in focus and will switch focus during a take. The character of Ben only ever talks directly to the character as he goes through his daily work routine. The fact that this is the only dialogue in the film makes it feel a lot more personal and feels like more of a glimpse into this man's life.