Comparing 9, the Short, and 9, the Full-length Movie

    Hey guys! So our group began our research process by comparing some short films and some long films to see the conventions and styles that come with each. Here's what we noticed...

Short Film:

That was, to be honest, one of the spookiest movies I've seen in a while. Nobody spoke. It appeared as though this animated universe had been abandoned because the scene was dead. These two doll-like creatures, 5 and 9, with numbers on their backs, set the scene for the story. They encounter this mechanical beast, which resembles a cross between a dog and a lion in appearance but is entirely constructed of metal. It roars fiercely and has vivid green eyes. After kidnapping five, this monster kills him with a green portal device. He starts to take more pride in his persona. The ninth figure, the other one, fled in terror and went into hiding. Eventually, we witness number nine discovering these random objects that he assembles to create a torch. However, number nine uses a lightbulb to entice the monster into an abandoned cave-like environment, where he finds himself stuck on a large wooden plank. Just when it looks hopeless, number nine is able to swing off the plank, locate a safe spot, and then drop the monster off the plank onto the ground. Nevertheless, he saw that his green light was still shining. When number nine combined these two green icees, a glowing, ghostly doll shape started to emerge from the light. 

    From this film, we can understand the characters' of the dolls, like the one who is smart and can outthink the monster. However, we don't really get a chance to see any major character development. Another thing I noticed is that although the overall story was technically complete, I was still left with a lot of questions. I didn't know any background on who the doll-figures were, where they came from, why they were being hunted by the other creatures, and so much more. Even in the ending, I still did not understand what it meant. I think if the film was longer, then more of my questions could have been answered. Despite how short the film was, through the lighting, sound, and editing, the overall theme of the film came across well, and I still felt the sense of fear and thrill from the movie. The movie's animation has some jerky moments. However, we have to keep in mind that it was created more than ten years ago. Over time, technology has advanced significantly, and the film still got its point across with he technology available. 

Full film:

 When 9 comes to life, it discovers that it lives in a post-apocalyptic world where sentient rag dolls like itself and the machines that hunt them are the only traces of life. Humans have vanished from the planet. Despite being the youngest member of the gang, 9 persuades allies that stopping hiding, going on the attack, and discovering the machines' motivations for destroying them is the only way to live against the machines. As 9 and the others discover, society depends on their achievement or failure. It was, once more, a grim movie. The scene was really dismal. This time, though, the plot is more elaborate. His character gradually shifts as he gains self-assurance and motivation. Despite their similarities, this film is more action-packed and gives the character greater drive than the previous one. The director managed to portray such a powerful and courageous feeling on screen all without any actual words of dialogue. Overall, the film was very intricate and had a well-developed plot, which is characteristic of longer films as there is more time to incorporate scenes that further the story. 

Deeper comparison:

Nine's personality traits were revealed in greater detail in the full-length film than in the short. This occurs as a result of the director's increased time to execute a more intricate and nuanced plot. But, I preferred the short film since it was more direct and concise, which is what I find more enjoyable. Both movies opened with a sense of pessimism because to their utilization of dark, post-apocalyptic settings. However, this laid the groundwork for a heroic plot that developed later. The use of mis-en-scene in both films also help create the eerie tone and theme that helped me be more interested by the film. This showed us the importance of mis-en-scene and purposeful production choices, as in both the short film and the long film, these are the aspects that helped bring the story together.