In the process of creating our short film titled “Out of Hand”, my group and I aimed to follow the idea of “unspoken rules” in society, and how a person’s story can be different to what you expect. We wanted to portray this in a humorous way, following the typical conventions of a comedic film. Although the story may seem silly on the surface, the overarching theme is breaking the small, unspoken rules of society and the effects it can have.
The story follows a protagonist by the name of Tom, who has a hatred for the typical social rule of shaking people's hands at his office. He decides to take a stand against this and begins to awkwardly wave his hand or make weird remarks when his coworkers attempt to shake his hand. Tom’s perceivably “odd” behavior leads his colleagues in the office in a frenzy, and it seems to unsettle the entire office dynamic. The main social issue targeted within this short film is one of social conformity and hidden personal struggles. “Out of hand” shows the very rigid social norms, particularly seen in the workplace, that are considered “polite”, such as shaking everyone’s hand. Tom rejecting this tradition, and his colleagues' reactions, goes to show how expected certain gestures are in our society. The plot twist at the end (Tom having a fake hand) is used to show that not everything is as it seems. In the final scene, the colleagues' overdramatic reactions, and Tom’s mortified scream, deliver an important message on how he felt the need to hide a part of himself from the office.
The supporting characters of the film are used to portray some of the different types of people that are often found within a workplace. Alice, the receptionist, although portrayed as a funny, flirty character, shows subtle signs of manipulation that align with her disbelief of Tom breaking a typical societal rule. Her excessive planning in order to force Tom outside of his boundaries shows a lack of care and understanding for his possible situation.
Greg, the boss who is seen making fun of Alice’s flirtatious personality, shows how women can often be sexualized in the workplace, specifically in one dominated with men. He tends to assume that her motivations are purely to pursue Tom, rather than get him to shake hands.
The branding behind our film followed one with typical conventions scene in comedy TV shows, such as the office. The quick camera movements, seen in the opening shot when introducing Tom, and the close ups on face and hands are used to show a comedic emphasis and make a dramatic story out of something silly like shaking hands. The montages that showed odd, unrealistic scenarios out of Alice’s “evil plan” are used to add even further to the comedic, over the top effect. Our promotional material, such as the posters we made for the film on our Instagram, have a color scheme that is typically aligned with comedy, including bright yellows and reds. We also included multiple interviews of each actor in the film, showing the process behind building a comedic character and adding to the brand. The specific identity we wanted our film to have was quirky, dramatic, and character driven. The film is very much focused on the bright personalities of each character, giving each of them their own persona and highlighted moments.
We aimed to engage with our audience by building tension throughout the film. The main question throughout, “Why won’t Tom shake anyone’s hand?”, creates curiosity and engages the viewer into the rest of the film. We also used humor and exaggerated personalities to make the story more entertaining and suitable for those looking for a funny watch. Most viewers, especially those who have worked at a typical office before, have likely encountered characters similar to Alice and Greg, which makes the film more relatable to them. While most of the film probably has people questioning Tom’s motives and why he is so odd about something as normal as shaking hands, the dramatic plot twist of his prosthetic hand at the end forces the audience to readjust their expectations and understand Tom’s unusual behavior in the beginning. We wanted viewers to feel a moment of surprise, followed by a deeper understanding of Tom’s character.
During our research phase, we spent a lot of time looking into the marketing and conventions behind comedy shows such as “The office” and “scrubs”.
These shows are known for their ridiculous storytelling, and how character driven they are. This research helped us narrow down conventions we wanted to include in not only the film itself, but the marketing behind it. For example, we embraced the weird montages and filming styles typically seen in these shows, as well as the awkward moments that make them funnier. We also spent much of our early days of developing the film researching and talking about the concept of unspoken rules in our society. We realized that, especially in professional settings, doing things like asking how someone is or shaking their hand have become almost a requirement, and one can be seen as unusual for not following the tradition. This inspired our decision to focus on something as seemingly insignificant as a handshake and show the gossip and confusion it can cause. As far as the more technical elements, our research about editing and videos on the typical cinematography style behind comedy films helped us to understand how to pace and frame our shots in order to create the most dramatic and comedic effect possible. This went along with our efforts to create awkward, tension-filled scenes, such as between Tom and Greg or Tom and Alice.
This short film was such an amazing experience because it allowed us to explore themes of perception, judgement, and unspoken rules in society. By centering the story around a silly and small social norm in the workplace, we were able to show 3 different characters’ personalities and drives. The message was simple, and the story wasn’t something complicated, but when looked into more deeply, it was meaningful.
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