Memorandum 

DATE: 12 September 2018

TO: Lehua Ledbetter

FROM: Frankie Watson

SUBJECT: Rhetorical Analysis of “In A Heartbeat” short film

“In a Heartbeat” is a short film by Beth David and Esteban Bravo on July 31, 2017. It was the
young filmmakers’ senior thesis project at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida. It is
about a young boy who is shy and awkward because he has a crush on another boy. I selected
this film because it functions differently than many short films in today’s society. It became a
viral video and was originally released on YouTube, which is unlike the life cycle of films
comparable to it. I wanted to analyze it because it uses the modern culture of online videos and
conversations in a clever way to promote a positive message.
Overview:
In this analysis, I will be discussing the following in regards to this video:
1. Audience
2. Context
3. Rhetorical Tools
4. Purpose
5. Cultural Impact

Audience
In an interview with NBC, the filmmakers discussed the lack of LGBTQ characters in what they
watched as children and were hoping the film would resonate with young people. This explains
their choice in platform as well; YouTube is not like other sites like Vimeo, where films are
posted for those interested in film and film festivals with a higher tone of professionalism.
YouTube is for content creators and amateurs, and funny viral videos, with a primary audience
of children and young people. Posting on YouTube allows a diverse audience of youth and
backgrounds to see it, as there is content for all types of interests on the site. The choice in
subject and outlet shows that the creators intended the audience to be viewed by youth not only
within the United States, but globally where the video can be streamed, as content like that is still
blocked by an abundance of governments internationally.

Context
YouTube is a site where anyone can post videos of almost anything. The site has a community
guidelines standard and viewers can flag videos that they think violate this standard and a
moderator will decide if the video should be removed or denomonitized, which means only
logged in users (you must be 18 or over to create an account) can watch it. As mentioned before,
certain countries can block certain content from their citizens. Though I can confidently assume
that people who believe same-sex love is wrong have tried to get the video flagged, YouTube has
not taken it down. In terms of making the video as accessible to everyone who wants to see it as
possible, YouTube is the site for that purpose. YouTube is available on the internet and on an
app on most devices, making the film extremely available almost anywhere there is internet
service or cellular connection.

Rhetorical Tools
1. Ethos
The credibility in this short comes from the innocence of childhood. The characters are
young, well-intended children. There is a stereotype that people in the LGBTQ
community are not of sound mind, dangerous, etc. However, the children's’ innocent
crushes and feelings are completely credible because they are just doing what their heart
says to do.
2. Pathos
The main rhetorical tool used in this short film is emotional appeal. The cute, innocent
characters are meant to be adored by the audience. His awkward affection and moments
of embarrassment are not only adorable, but easy to identify with, as most audience
members will feel that the character is someone younger than them that is learning a
lesson they have once learned.
3. Logos
There is no logos in this short film. Not only is there no dialogue, but the subject of
children does not leave much opportunity for data.

Purpose
There are a few intended outcomes for this film. Firstly, to resonate with the audience about the
feeling of one’s first crush in their youth. Regardless of sexual orientation, this film uses pathos
to relate to the viewer about the nerves, embarrassment, and excitement that come from an
innocent and youthful crush. In the same NBC article as mentioned, the filmmakers said they
wanted to question the idea that LGBTQ content is inappropriate for children and should be just
as acceptable as any heterosexual content suitable for a child. I think both these outcomes have
been achieved and though one film cannot change the entire view of LGBTQ characters in film,
this film hihglihts the underrepresentation of this population in film, especially animation which
is predominately intended for children.

Cultural Impact
As touched upon, this artifact’s intended audience is young people, especially children. A child
may feel confused or uncomfortable about having a crush on someone, of the opposite or same
sex, and see this film and start to understand that crushes on people are okay and normal. It
humanizes LGBTQ people in a society that often stereotypes them. This short film, with no
words, shows the audience that a child’s crush on someone of the same sex is just as innocently
romantic as a child who has a crush on someone of the opposite sex, and all the same emotions
are associated with each. THis film also emphasizes the lack of LGBTQ characters in all films,
especially ones for children, and maybe the future impact will be more representation, so all
children can relate to characters in the movies they watch.

Conclusion
In conclusion, this artifact is beyond successful in reaching a large amount of people with just 8
million views in two days when it was first released. It has reached a young audience as
intended. It speaks to everyone who watches it because it has no dialogue and an easy storyline
to follow, meaning people of all languages and levels of understanding (young and old) can
follow the narrative. The rhetoric of the piece taught me that persuasion and challenging a
preconception do not have to be aggressive, fact-based arguments, but can be simple and
emotional stories that create understanding and the dynamic between ethos, pathos, and logos
does not always have to be an even balance to create something effective. Most predominantly,
this artifact shows the use of using a platform to portray a message. Animated shorts are usually
played at festivals and before feature length films and are not often followed by the majority of
the public, but through the use of YouTube and discussion on social media, this film made a
huge impact.

Works Cited

“Community Guidelines.” ​YouTube​, YouTube,

www.youtube.com/yt/about/policies/#community-guidelines.

In A Heartbeat​, YouTube, 31 July 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2REkk9SCRn0.

Joseph Longo. Film finds online success In a Heartbeat; Animated short about gay couple in

love goes viral. Brantford Expositor, August 18, 2017 Friday.

 https://advance-lexis-com.uri.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:conte

ntItem:5P8K-M2B1-DYK4-40NB-00000-00&context=1516831. Accessed September

16, 2018.

Kevin Truong. Animated Short Film About Same-Gender Crush Goes Viral. NBCNEWS.com,

August 1, 2017 Tuesday.

https://advance-lexis-com.uri.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=news&id=ur

n:contentItem:5P55-XDN1-JCK6-606J-00000-00&context=1516831. Accessed

September 16, 2018.