'Digits' by Alexander Engel - Analysis

'Digits' is a short drama created by Alexander Engel, which is about not giving up no matter how hard or unusual the path will be, because the right things happen at the right time (concepts). You just need to have patience, endurance, ambition and faith (themes) that in the end, everything is going to be the way you dreamed of.

   I really enjoyed this film, because the director made the sound a highly important part of the drama, helping the imagery to be understood easily. There were only a few seconds in the whole short that lacked of a non-diegetic audio (as the soundtrack, the narration, the voices of the people called) or a diegetic one (as the actor's voice, domestic sounds), indicating the strong relationship between the sound and the illustration in relation with the theme and subject matter (seeking out for a way to get in touch with the girl he previously met, via phone calls).

   Speaking of its form, there were mostly used mid shots, even middle close-ups and close-ups, fact that indicates that the narrative is quite tense and comprehensive from the very beginning (the drama starts with the number '12', which means that he has already received more negative responses before, but he keeps trying to find the girl's number even after).

   The animations used give the short a more lively vibe, the combination of blue and white symbolizing the colour of the water and mostly of the sharks. He is also wearing a light blue T-shirt and his phone case, as well as some parts of his house, are different nuances of blue, fact that emphasizes his keen enthusiasm to fishing (knowing how to sew his blouse's button, can also denote a slight knowledge about fishing, as I remember that there are sewing techniques that can improve the way you catch a fish).

   The editing pace is rather fast (when there aren't shown important parts of the story), but sometimes it slows down right when there is meaning in the shots, as the last scene of finding the lost piece of paper with the two correct digits on it, signing at a possible end of his grand pursuit.


Link to the short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tmRw2dqG5k