Tight Jeans (2008)

• Tight jeans is a 9 minute short film diected by Destiny Ekaragha. It features 3 teenage boys in a council estate having conversations related to the clothes of passers-by. More specifically about ‘Tight Jeans’. These conversations soon evolve into topics surrounding race and ethnicity.

 

• The opening of the title sequence are a series of shots showing a busy market. This establishes the location (Lewisham) and provides context for the characters.

 

• We are first introduced to the three boys in a series of close ups, in which their faces are not visible. Thus allowing us to focus on their clothes, shoes, hands and therfore their race. The cinematography and mise-en-scene here succesfully foreshadows the themes of the film.

• This establishing shot of a council estate effectively sets the scene- as they are waiting for a friend

• There is no non-diegetic sound used (other than in the title sequence), this creates a sense of verisimilitude and allows the spectators to suspend their disbelief and be immersed in the world of the film.

• The short takes and cuts between close-ups of their faces increase the pace of the film- punctuating the witty humour. POV shots are also employed, when the man wearing the 'tight jeans' walks past- allowing the focus to be on him.