Textual Analysis of 3x3

By: Nuno Rocha

Narrative: 

A security guard is playing basketball and seems to be the superior character as he shows off his shooting skills to the less superior cleaner. The security guard then goes back to his office and on the surveillance camera witnesses the cleaner working out the ‘math’ behind the basketball. The audience then sees the cleaner shoot the basketball into the hoop successfully, which shocks  the security guard who laughed at the cleaner’s stupidity.  

Enigma Codes:

 How is the cleaner so smart?
At the end of the film, is the cleaner inviting the security guard to play?

Character Establishment: 

The security guard is established as the superior character as he perhaps has a better job than the cleaner and is good at basketball. The cleaner looks less superior in his uniform and when he plays badly at basketball, which makes the security guard laugh. It’s like a bully  laughing at his victim scenario.
In the end, the cleaner becomes the superior character as he shows up the security guard with his knowledge and being able to play basketball better, so the roles are reversed.

Locations: 

Mainly set in the basketball court and in the security guard’s office, where all the cctv is. You get the feeling the whole place in general is set in a sports centre.

Editing: 

There are mainly cuts, but also slow pans throughout the short film. Most of the film is watched through the CCTV cameras and so some of it is in black and white coming from a tv screen.

Sound: 

there is no dialogue in this film, it is along the theme of non-diegetic sound. There is background music, which the characters can’t here. The music goes along a ‘comedy’ route as this short film is of the comic genre as the cleaner shows up the security guard. The music is fun and quirky and slightly upbeat.

Titles: 

The font is a normal white colour and is very plain and basic. It is shown on top of the video, instead of on a coloured background for instance. At the end it changes though and the credits role like they do in full length films and the titles are against a black background.