To complete your short film study from last week, review the four films and make notes on the following:

An analysis and comparison of how visual/audio elements create meaning

• Night Fishing: In this short film they repeatedly use the sound of bells. For example, they are on the fishing rods, the woman shakes the fishing rod creating sound, and they are used during the ending sequence. They may tie in with the theme of mortality, or maybe link in with the theme of nature. In terms of visual, they bookend the film with the people who were on the walls.
• Meshes of the Afternoon: The film has no dialogue and just uses non-diegetic music. In terms of visuals, there are several motifs like the key, the flower, the phone and the knife. There is also use of shadows (e.g. when we first see the woman’s shadow she is holding the flower, but the second time she is not) which links in with narrative repetition.
• When the Day Breaks: The film uses circles, which could symbolise unity and how everyone is connected. Such as, the round biscuits, and the round circles that are drawn as part of the pipes. This film also has no dialogue, but there are lots of diegetic/foley noises.
• La Jetee: there is a voice over throughout the entire film to help explain what is happening. In terms of visuals, the film is made entirely out of pictures apart from one shot of the woman blinking; being the only shot it adds more emphasis to this shot.

Identify and explore the messages and ideas of the film

All of the films explore the theme of mortality, but they all do it in different ways. But they all explore death’s impact on the individual, as well as others around them. Most of the films also use narrative repetition to explore this theme as well .Such as, the opening and shutting of the blind in ‘When the Day Break’, the repetition in ‘La Jetee’ of his death/being where he dies, and the repetition in ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’.

Can you apply an ideological analysis?

• ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ could be exploring nihilism and going against it, as the film shows that every action she made had an impact

How does the film make you feel? What does it make you think about?

• When the Day Breaks: Your emotions changes with the main character’s, you’re happy when they are happy and sad when they are sad. It makes you think about how everyone is intertwined, and mortality.
• Meshes of the Afternoon: You feel tense. It makes you think about mortality, and it makes you question the motives of all the characters.
• Night Fishing: You feel a range of different emotions. You think about mortality and family.
• La Jetee: You feel a range of emotions which tend to align with the protagonists feelings but not all of the time, such as at the end you’re just shocked. It makes you think about mortality and war.

Compare the similarities and differences in the technical and aesthetic approaches and effects of each film.

• Allot of the films used narrative repetition to explore the themes such as mortality and to help drive the narrative forward.
• Meshes of the Afternoon looked as though it could have been influenced by German Expressionism due to the use of shadows
• Night Fishing filmed during night and because it was trying to win the ‘filmed on an iPhone’ competition

Explore what technical/experimental aspects of the film you may wish to use or adapt

• Maybe use some narrative repetition
• Maybe use a mirror as a symbol like in ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’
• Maybe use some non-diegetic music like in ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’

Explore how aesthetic elements might inspire your own works

• Purposefully making the audience feel the same way that the main character does
• Making the mise en scene influence how the audience feel