Is it possible to develop a variety of sophisticated filmic techniques in a short movie? If you carefully study the 60-second drama “Maiden,” we’re convinced you’ll answer ” Yes!”  Directed by Iranian filmmakers Fatemeh Saeedi and Saeed Aghakhani, “Maiden,” a finalist in the 2018 Mobile Film Festival, employs many filmic techniques that you’re likely to encounter in well-made features. We identify 13 techniques below.

Filmic Techniques

The time code in the following list begins at 0:05 (the fifth second) because of four seconds’ worth of credits. In terms of analyzing the filmmakers’ artistic decisions, you might think of “0:05” as being the start of the movie.

0:05  Start with a high-energy sound cue—here, someone in the group chanting.

0:05  Use props to tell the story. Note the two chairs, only one of which will be filled.

0:07  Have a key character make an entrance. The action of entering the frame draws attention to the person.

0:07  Use facial expressions to create a mood.  Notice especially the smiles of two woman on the left side of the frame.

0:12  Make every line of dialogue count. “Bring in the bride” is the trigger event for all that follows.

0:14  Use off-screen dialogue. Doing so can expand the sense of place.

0:27 Use close-ups to emphasize key actions. The simple act of opening the door may be more powerful than showing the person looking for the bride.

0:27-0:40 Employ repetition to add drama to an action, here searching for the missing bridge. Generally do not make an important action easy.

0:42  Look for locations that help tell the story. Here, we get the feeling that we’re in a dungeon and that someone is trapped.

0:42  Use a character’s point of view (POV). This draws the audience into the action. Here, the POV shot anticipates the bride’s appearance.

0:47  Use a cutaway (reverse angle) to draw out an action, building tension.

0:53  On cutting to a character, have the character immediately move. This directs the viewer’s attention to what’s important.

0:53-1:04 To emphasize emotion, hold a crucial shot for longer than is necessary just to identity the content.

If you spot other filmic techniques, we invite you to call them out in the comments section.

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“Maiden” was chosen by the editors of MobileMovieMaking.com as a Mobile Movie of the Week.