'Two Laps' - Charlotte Hudson

'Two Laps' - Director: Owen Trevor. Produced: 2011, found on Future Shorts.

Two old men who have swam together every morning for 17 years and every year they have a swimming race, 'Pete' always wins by doing something different, and this year 'Val' was determined to beat him.
I found this short film interesting because it goes against the older generation stereotype and it creates humor between these two friends. It is also a life story about the two men, with a narration from 'Val', as though he's talking to you as your watching them swim. The film is from his point of view.


Narrative

• The short film is a non-linear film as we start at the present time with the two men about to start the recent race, but they speak and show all the previous races over the years and what happens every year before the race.
• Throughout the film, the audience go back to the present race that started the film.
• The film begins and ends with the recent race, and although its not linear, the film is circular.
  
• The audience watches the plot of the story with a camera narration over the top of the film means that the audience know the whole story of the reason they race and the repetition each race endures, on 'June the 12th of every year we have a race' and they start the same every year (stretching in the same spot).
• It therefore doesn't follow Todorov's 5 stage theory, as there isn't a linear structure, and there is no equilibrium and disequilibrium.
• The film uses restricted narration as the narrator knows more about them than the audience.

Representation

• The representation of the two old men goes against the stereotypical view of the older generation as they are having a swimming race and not just sitting around being grumpy or ill. The film shows them being healthy and lively like younger men, (which is when they started racing). You also see a close relationship between the two men, which suggests that they have been friends for years and this goes against many stereotypical views of men because they are seen as grumpy and lonely.
• I think this is a positive representation of older men as they are being shown as still being young, and today may be seen as more active than many teenagers, as they have lived a life without the internet and therefore stayed more active.

Genre

• I don't think there is a specific genre that this film would go under as there isn't a specific type or style it would go under. It's a life story/friendship between two men.

Media Language

• 'Two Laps' uses a variety of shots and camera work to create a change in time and year. The camera work of the past makes the shots look quite blurry and being put into focus as if it was a home video (taken by the characters themselves). As they talk about a different year, each shot is filmed differently, but there is a repetition of a specific shot throughout to enhance that this race happens every year.
• Also the use of an ECU shot is used when the narrator talks about what the characters say every year, for example when Val talks about what Pete says every year 'its frustrating' him, an ECU is used of Pete saying 'its frustrating' him. This characterizesthe characters and puts a face to what's being said, and this helps to show the audience who is who.