The Morning Guy

The Morning Guy, by Mark W. Gray, is a five-minute comedy about the story of a Californian couple. The plot of the story is fairly simple: a married man drives his wife insane by constantly annoying her, leading to her departure. Even though this sounds very straightforward, the narrative structure of the movie is more complex than it seems. Despite being a short film, the director uses a variety of formal elements to carryout an overall meaning. This short film is a great example of how even the most basic of films can be viewed as a piece of art.
The camera shot is one of the most important elements in films since it is used to convey a certain meaning by presenting different aspects of the setting, characters and themes. Each shot possesses
This element is all about where the director is placing all the objects and characters in a particular frame. At the moment of watching a movie, the spectator tends to focus on these distinctive elements, especially those standing out. In The Morning Guy, there are many scenes where the composition of the structure is in a particular way to convey an overall message or theme. For example, at time 1:49, the main focus in the frame is the wife, making her the dominant contrast. However, by minute 1:53, the spectator’s focus shifts to the entering of the husband. When both of them share the frame in the kitchen, the composition is equally divided between them two. This scene portrays the distinction and dysfunctional relationship of the couple by having on one side the angry-faced wife, and on the other, the relaxed husband drinking coffee. By placing both characters in one frame but on opposite side from one another, the director drives the narrative forward creating meaning through visual
It is about how a single person, the director, can create a story and transform it into art by using different elements and techniques. In The Morning Guy, each scene provides a more insightful information of how the couple’s routinely morning look like. Along with the formal elements of each shot, the narrative part of the film works side by side with these elements to convey the meaning of the overall film. The use of close up shots allowed the spectator to examine the character’s emotions by focusing on the several facial expressions rather than in the dialogue. The composition of key scenes was strategically arranged to create a dysfunctional feeling between the couple. And finally, the light key element helped to the establishment of the setting’s atmosphere as well as the character’s unsaid emotions. In the long run, these elements proved that this short film is a great example that any frame sequence has the capacity to be viewed as a piece of