Your Umbrella, Mister!

French artist Joséphine Gobbi has crafted this wonderful short as part of her studies at La Poudrière film school, for an assignment on the subject of “the impostor”. The short presents three main characters, an external conflict and an accent on the use of objects, playfulness and choreography.

Staged in an urban location, the film places special emphasis on the use of objects for comedic effect. Objects are employed in a different way than their intended function, creating difficulties for the main character and accidentally changing his social role due to the context he finds himself in.

The stylized aesthetic is quite colorful and minimalist, the artist chose colder colors for background elements which describe the location and help draw the attention to the main action. The flat colors (non-shaded) aesthetic is very well complemented by realistic sound, which helps greatly in giving presence to the cars and create an ambiance that extends the soundscape.

Shot from the POV of the main character, wider shots abound (full shots, extreme long shots) for portraying the character’s interaction with the cars, alternating with tighter shots showing his expression, hand gestures and dance. Visual rhtyhm is handled mostly through editing and motion within the frame. Sound helps a lot in dictating the pace through music, traffic sound and punctuation.

What makes it work so well? Creativity, comedy, surprise and a joyous spirit that permeates the whole film.