SHORT FILM RESEARCH: DIRTY LAUNDRY

Title: Dirty Laundry

Dir: Phil Joanou.
Plot Summary: A vigilante is staying in a bad neighborhood when he encounters a gang terrorizing innocent civilians.
Accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWpK0wsnitc
Mis en scene: setting and location: The short is set in a run down neighborhood of New York like many other Marvel comics. The short primarily takes place on a run down street, although there are scenes that take place within an apartment, a liquor store and a laundromat. The setting helps make the film come to life, showing where the majority of the lower class live. The lack of police around the area show that this neighborhood is completely crime ridden.

Mis en scene: iconography and props- The two props that have the most significance are the lighter and the Jack Daniels bottle. The lighter is used to kill the gang leader but it's perhaps a representation of how the Punisher sees the world. Unlike other Marvel heroes, he's unsympathetic and allows the woman who the gang terrorized to be the judge of his fate. The Jack Daniels bottle serves as his main weapon and is somewhat used for dark comedy as it is actually a very effective weapon.

Mis en scene: colour and  lighting- the film generally uses naturalistic lighting to convey the lower class area in which it's portraying. As for the colouring, the film generally uses very muted colours again in order to display the depressing mood and could even be seen as a representation of what the Punisher ultimately sees around him. Most light colours are made to look darker and there is a lot more focus on colours such as black and white.

Mis en scene: make up and costume-  In terms of the costume, the majority At the end, the boy unfolds the laundry showing the Punisher's signature shirt. This is mainly to be a nod towards fans of the original comic book series.
Cinematography: The short occasionally uses "shaky cam" for effect in order to give it a more realistic approach. It also uses a low angle shot for the sequence in which the boy is surrounded by the gang in order to show that he's in a weaker position than from the rest of them.

Cinematography: The film uses an extensive use of close ups in order to give a better demonstration of what the character's emotions are. It also uses this through shot reverse shot in order to show the reactions of many of the characters having conversations. A low angle shot is also used when the child is being surrounded by the gang, showing how small and weak he is when compared to the rest of the gang. It is also used when the Punisher has the lighter and the gang leader is on the floor, showing that he has now power over him and the gang leader is now in the place of the little boy.

Title and Credits: At the start, the film uses a old projector like countdown, perhaps as a tribute to many older and grittier action movies. Unlike other short films, there's not even an end credits sequence. The final shot of the film is the Punisher symbol against a black screen