An analysis and comparison of the narrative features in each film:

How the protagonist and other characters are established and developed

• Meshes of the Afternoon and When the Day Breaks use narrative repetition to establish and develop this. To contrast, Night Fishing uses visual symbols like water, the bells and the cloth and La Jetee uses non-linear narrative and theme like mortality and time.

How time and place are established and represented

• La Jetee has a strong theme of time and uses a non-linear narrative to explore it as well as mise en scene elements. Meshes of the Afternoon, Night Fishing and When the Day Break also explore time through the theme of mortality; however, night fishing also ventures into themes of afterlife and spirit.

The use of enigma and narrative crisis and resolution

• Meshes of the Afternoon creates a confusing non-linear narrative through lots of narrative repetition which is different every time. However, this is resolved at the end when all of the women are together, and then the woman is dead. When the day breaks also uses narrative repetition for the resolution as the opening of the blind instead of the closing like before suggests a sense of optimism and moving on. However, La Jetee uses a framed narrative that has the same place for the opening and the ending to close the narrative and it’s themes of time and mortality, while Night Fishing also ends while exploring the theme of mortality but also spirt and the afterlife.

An exploration of binary oppositions in the films

• La Jetee – men & women: you only see the woman through the man’s perspective. And the present & past/future: you can’t escape from the present, switching between the present, past and future is a huge part of the narrative structure as well as the plot. The beginning introduces a childhood memory, and the ending explains this memory by showing the protagonist going back into the past, the animals are represented as timeless, just like the man and women in that moment
• Night Fishing – Humans and Nature: the man is shown as disruptive to nature? The amount of fishing rods seemed invasive, the cutting of the fish in close up seemed cruel and violent. However, at one point her wear no shoes possibly implying a closeness to nature, the nature/sea/river is represented as dangerous to humans? Men and Women: the man is shown as more emotional than the women. Night and Day: bad things tended to happen at night? the day tended to have beautiful nature shots and colour

• Meshes of the Afternoon- Reality and Dream: the line between the two is completely blurred, and the story becomes more and more layered in terms of this binary opposition as the short film continues. This includes in terms of characters and the mise en scene

• When the Day Breaks – Happiness and Sadness: the pig’s house at the beginning is full of happiness, but after the incident it was sadder, and emptier, the contrast of the pig and the Cockrill’s emotions, and the pig becomes sad after interacting with the Cockrill. Humans and Animals: The usual binary opposition of human and animals is brought together in this short film, as the animals act like humans. Isolation and being open to society: The pig opening up her blind at the end of the movie suggested that she was opening herself up to society again, which gave a sense of hope to the audience that she will be happy again, the pig isolates herself when sad, the film shows how even when we try and disconnect ourselves, everyone in society is still connected

How the films use similar of different techniques and structures

Similar

• The use of mise en scene e.g. the lemon, the pipes/wires and the chair, the hat and bells, the key and the mirror and the flower
• Narrative repetition in Meshes of the Afternoon, When the Day Breaks (the blind) and La Jetee
• Non-linear narrative in Meshes of the Afternoon, La Jetee and Night Fishing(?)
• The use of no dialogue in When the Day Breaks and Meshes of the Afternoon
• Exploring the theme of mortality

Differences

• The linear narrative in When the Day Breaks
• The use of animals in When the Day Breaks (specifically an anthropomorphized short film)
• La Jetee used photographs to tell the story (apart from one blinking shot)
• La Jetee uses non-linear narrative to explore relationships and memory
• When the Day Break’s use of mundane and everyday tasks

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

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 adapt or use

• Maybe use some narrative repetition like all of the films
• 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’
• Maybe use an upside-down shot like ‘Night Fishing’

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

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

Similar

• The use of mise en scene e.g. the lemon, the pipes/wires and the chair, the hat and bells, the key and the mirror and the flower
• Narrative repetition in Meshes of the Afternoon, When the Day Breaks (the blind) and La Jetee
• Non-linear narrative in Meshes of the Afternoon, La Jetee and Night Fishing(?)
• The use of no dialogue in When the Day Breaks and Meshes of the Afternoon
• Exploring the theme of mortality

Differences

• The linear narrative in When the Day Breaks
• The use of animals in When the Day Breaks (specifically an anthropomorphized short film)
• La Jetee used photographs to tell the story (apart from one blinking shot)
• La Jetee uses non-linear narrative to explore relationships and memory
• When the Day Break’s use of mundane and everyday tasks