Evaluation

Evaluation

Mistaken Identity is a short crime drama I created that follows the tragic story of Malik, a 17-year-old aspiring rapper from an urban neighbourhood. The narrative explores themes of mistaken identity, youth culture, and the devastating consequences of gang violence. The story begins with Malik filming a music video with his friend in their local area. His style and clothing unintentionally attract the attention of a nearby gang, who mistake him for a rival member due to ongoing tensions and territorial conflict. What starts as an innocent and creative day quickly turns into a tragedy as Malik is fatally shot, caught in a violent misunderstanding.

The film’s concept was partly inspired by real-world events and the way young people, particularly from urban backgrounds, are often stereotyped. My aim was to challenge the audience to think about how people are judged based on appearance and how violence can erupt from fear and miscommunication. From the beginning, I wanted the audience to feel connected to Malik, so they would experience the emotional weight of the ending.

In terms of visual style, my primary influences were ‘The Ellington Kid’ and ‘Over’. I drew inspiration from ‘The Ellington Kid’ in terms of its gritty, urban setting and the warm, orangish colour grading, which I used to create a consistent visual tone throughout my film. This colour palette helped reflects the emotional intensity of the story. One specific example of this was in the classroom scene, where the colour grading becomes more desaturated (by pulling the colour from the footage). This visual shift was used to highlight Malik’s internal emotions—his frustration, fear, and isolation—which helped make his character more relatable to the audience.

Like ‘Over’, I adopted a slow-paced editing style at the start of the film to mirror the ordinary, almost secular beginning of Malik’s day. This calm rhythm was designed to lull the audience into a false sense of security before the tension begins to rise. I gradually increased the pace of editing as the story progressed, especially during the chase and confrontation scenes, which helped to build suspense and urgency. After the climax, the editing slows again, giving the audience space to process what happened and to reflect on the tragedy. This structure closely follows a traditional three-act format, with clear transitions between exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution.

Sound design played a crucial role in helping to create realism and immerse the audience in the world of the film. I made use of diegetic sound (recorded by me), including urban background noise like traffic, distant voices, and birds, to establish setting. For the violent scenes, I carefully layered gunshot sounds and footsteps to increase the tension. I also used subtle ambient sound during the emotional moments to reflect the characters' internal states. I was inspired by ‘Over’ in this regard, as it uses naturalistic sound to draw the viewer into the scene;My goal was to create a sense of verisimilitude that allows the audience to forget they are watching a short film and instead feel like they are witnessing a real event.

Camera work was another area where I used contrasting styles to reflect different parts of the narrative. For most of the film, I used a tripod to keep shots stable and composed, which helped present the characters and their world in a grounded way. However, I chose to use handheld camerawork in moments of high tension, particularly during the chase

scene and the lead-up to the shooting. These handheld shots added a sense of chaos and urgency, as well as realism making the audience feel closer to the action and putting them in Malik’s shoes. This first

person effect was effective in increasing empathy, as the audience experiences the fear and panic Malik feels.

When it came to mise-en-scène and production design, authenticity was a priority. I used real locations around my local area to give the film a sense of realism. Costumes were chosen carefully to reflect each character’s identity. Malik’s clothing was deliberately ambiguous—stylish but not clearly gang-affiliated—to highlight how easily misunderstandings can occur. The gang members wore darker clothing to visually represent the threat they posed, helping to differentiate them without making them overly stereotypical. I also used natural lighting for most scenes, supported by available daylight. This decision, though partly practical, added to the film’s grounded and documentary-like quality.

The weapon in the film, a key visual symbol, was handled with deliberate care. Inspired by ‘The Ellington Kid’, I wanted to show the weapon as a looming threat without glorifying its presence. By lingering on the gun during key moments, I built anticipation and created emotional tension. The weapon becomes a symbol of fear, violence, and the fragility of life, particularly when placed in contrast with the innocence of Malik's actions. I believe this made the climax more impactful, as viewers understood how quickly a situation could escalate from something so small as a misinterpreted gesture.

Overall, I think the production went well and I was able to achieve most of what I set out to do. I captured the majority of the shots I had planned, and the story came together in a way that felt convincing and emotionally engaging. One of the most successful aspects was the emotional response to the film from the feedback from peers and teachers suggesting that viewers felt shocked and moved by the ending, which was exactly the reaction I had hoped for.

However, there are several areas I would improve if I were to do this again. The biggest challenge was managing continuity, especially because some scenes were filmed on different days. This resulted in slight inconsistencies in lighting and cloud cover, which occasionally disrupted the visual flow. With more careful scheduling and planning, I could have avoided this issue. I also realised that the film exceeded the five-minute time limit by around one minute. Although I felt the pacing benefited from the extra time, I would edit more tightly in future to ensure the final product fits within the brief.

Another area for improvement would be time management during shooting days. On several occasions, I lost time due to lack of clear planning, which led to rushed scenes or the need to cut planned shots. Creating a more detailed shooting schedule with backups would help ensure that every scene gets the attention it deserves, without compromising quality due to time pressure.

 

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