Brittney Mendoza

ACM 255

February 24, 2011

Take-Home Mid-Term: “Signs”

Patrick Hughes’ “Signs” is a sweet short film about a young man named Jason who

learns about communication and finding love when you least expect it. The film begins with an

introduction to the audience of what Jason’s daily routine is like to emphasize Jason’s dread of

life and predictability of his life. However, the pacing of the film and the editing turns his

morning routine into narrative development. The long, drawn out scenes at first become

gradually quicker, signifying Jason’s excitement. It gradually builds a restless pace right before

the moment he is let down when Stacey disappears from her office.

The audience notices that although Jason’s life is repetitive, there were small events that

would allow a change, or variation. In the beginning, Jason was unhappy. He looked

unmotivated to go work. The way the director created this part of the film showed that his life

was mundane, or in other words, slow paced. However, the day after he communicates with

Stacey, the girl in the building across from his, the next day goes by a little quicker. Jason’s

expression is lighter and the film proceeds at a quicker pace. Finally, when he feels like he’s

ready to meet Stacey, he makes a sign that says, “Do U want to meet?” The excitement he feels

is shown in the next day, which is clearly at a quicker pace. The soundtrack changes to a more

upbeat tune, and Jason goes from jumping out of bed to running up escalators and stairs. When

he finally gets to work and grabs the sign, he sees that Stacey has left the office. From there, the

audience is taken back to Jason’s mundane life, with sad expressions and slow paced scenes.
 Throughout the film the audience is taken through a wind of emotions, from sad, to

happy, to disappointed, and excited. Because of this, it is clear that the narrative of the film is

told through Jason’s expressions. The little movements of the soundtrack fit with how Jason

feels, all the anxiety, hope and expectation.

The story is told in a way that shows Jason’s journey to finding love. The way it develops

is displayed in three parts: when Jason saw Stacey for the first time, when Stacey disappeared

from her office, and when Stacey gets Jason’s attention from another office. This sequence

shows how the director dramatized the story to keep the audience engaged.

The tone of color changes from blue to yellow by the end of the film. Blue represents

sorrow and depression, suggesting that Jason is unhappy about his lonely life. When he sees

Stacey for the first time, the tone changes to yellow, a color of happiness, suggesting that she is

possibly the “sunshine of his life.”

Feeling alone in the world was the only reason Jason needed to feel sad. Having a boring

and mundane life, he was trapped in repetition. He had no love to share his life with. Sometimes

all you need to be happy in life is to share it with someone you love, and that’s what he didn’t

have. Although one has a job, money, or sometimes even family, he/she did not feel joy and

happiness unless he/she has someone or something to live for. For Jason, finding his soul mate

was his motif.

The director delivered his story like poetry to the modern world - without words. This

concept is similar to that of love being the only emotion that can survive without sound. This

film showed how one could find love without a single word being spoken. The direction, editing

and soundtrack work well together and deliver the story of a true love connection. The ending of
the film leaves the audience wondering what happens next. At the same time, the ending ended

perfectly; it makes the audience feel both curious and contented at the same time.