Short film analysis- meshes of the afternoon.

Narrative Structure

• The element of film form that had the most impact on me was the strange and, sometimes, disjointed editing and the films use of mise-en-scene as together they created a dreamlike and, sometimes, nightmarish atmosphere. The narrative is structured to be circular with recurring motifs and events that influenced my response as it made me engage more with the short film as the narrative became almost puzzle like- trying to figure out when the motifs were going to reappear. This short film is noticeable in that it uses the stock character of death- in this depiction death is a silent figure who is always ahead to the protagonist. The protagonist is a woman who in my interpretation is incredibly bored with her life so she attempts to chase the figure- death- and eventually ends up being murdered. There is another character- the man- who I interpreted as the woman’s husband- who attempts to get her out of this obsession but fails as she dies. The narrative in its experimental nature may create the binary opposition of reality vs. surreal and life vs. death. Due to the film’s experimental nature- the audience is not encouraged to like or dislike anyone in fact the relationships between the characters are kept ambiguous. The text is experimental but does loosely follow the equilibrium, disruption and re-equilibrium pot points as the woman decides the follow the figure, the circular narrative occurs and then the woman is dead, which is a clear end point to the piece. The narrative could be considered open as due to the film’s ambiguous nature the events depicted are vague and dreamlike, however the narrative could be considered closed as it does have a clear end point- when the woman is revealed to be dead. The impact of the narrative being ambiguous is that it will engage the audience as they have to make a decision as to how much of the events in the film actually took place in the film’s reality. The film does not follow any conventions of any genre as it is an experimental film- which is a type of film that pushes the boundaries of narrative and film techniques. The narrative is circular- and thus non-linear- it means that some basic events are repeated throughout the film, which again gives the film a dreamlike quality. The narrative is essentially one massive enigma code as whilst audiences might question why certain events are repeating, the film does not answer any of these questions. Leaving the viewer confused and questioning the nature of the film.

Cinematic influences

Which elements of film form, if any, do you think might influence your own short film? Consider:

0. • Mise-en-scene: Locations, Costumes, Props etc.
   • Editing techniques and their effects
   • Cinematography techniques and their effects
   • Use of sound (diegetic/non-diegetic)
   • I think the main take away from this film is the use of recurring motifs using both mise-en-scene and editing to create the motif.

Creating meaning and effect

This film with its dreamlike atmosphere- generated by the disjointed editing and the certain cinematography choices- creates many meanings for different people. These interpretations are generated by the lack of dialogue, which means the inner thoughts of the characters are not know as is the relationships between the characters. The use of motifs is another way meanings are created- two events are seem completely separate until the motif is repeated- the motif of the key was the motif- which has clear connotations- to be the most helpful in creating my version of the events in the film. The film also repeats certain shots but with minor- or major- details changed, such as the shot of the woman sleeping in the chair and the woman dead in the chair, these shots twist the meaning of the previous shot, engaging the viewer in the events of the film.

Short Film analysis- Elephant

Elephant is a disturbing yet mesmerising about gun violence in Ireland.

Narrative Structure
The narrative structure of the film is unique in that the film contains several scenes- of essentially the same scenario- with no interconnecting tissue between them besides the content of the scene. This unnerves the viewer as this is not the typical structure for any piece of film- short or feature length. This structure is unsettling as it gives the short film the atmosphere as if it has gone on for too long- 40 minutes of this structure is almost unbearable. In the scenes a very rigid structure is upheld- a man walks into a space, shoots someone (or is shot, this is less common), the man walks away and the audience gets one last shot of victim. motionless. This structure in the scenes is similar to the equilibrium and disruption narrative formula however, there is no plot scene to scene. The narrative could be described as multi-stranded- as it contains lots of smaller self-contained scenes. The impact of having the multiple scenes is that it gives a sense of scale to the problem of gun violence. All of the strands of the narrative are closed- the interaction between the character’s is over and the editing choices make this clear to the audience. There is a sense of finality throughout the whole short film which helps to convey that the narrative is closed. The film sets up an enigma code in every scene- why is this person walking?, this soon becomes after watching more scenes Who is this person going to kill? and more importantly Who are these people? What events lead to this? Clarke prohibits the audience from knowing the answers to certain enigmas. The effect of this is that the audience can see how the violence portrayed is really senseless and meaningless. The simple binary opposition of victim vs. the perpetrator is set up, however the audience knows nothing of the circumstances so cannot fully relate- or even feel for the characters. The lingering close-up to medium shot of the victim’s corpse seems to get across to the audience that this is a waste of human life and adds a tragic element to the short film. Due to the short film’s cinematography and editing- the audience is distanced from both the victim and perpetrator- the camera keeps its distance- as if it is a silent observer- this means the audience cannot even being to try to understand why these events are happening. The editing also creates this distance by being clinical and bare bones, for example using the long take and simple cuts to transition. Elephant is not concerned with building and even creating character- the audience do not spend any real time with the characters- thus no character development. This is due to the film making a point about how the gun violence has to stop. The narrative formula is very unconventional- this destroys the audience’s expectations, the audience are unsure about where the short film will go and are thus drawn into the message of the film. The biggest area of film form that had an impact on me was the use of minimalist cinematography- and the use of steadicam- which I found made the film so interesting and gave the short film its own style which supported the overall message of the piece. The cinematography and the editing both use simple techniques but to chilling effectiveness- it really contributes to the mood of dread the film sets up.

Cinematic Influences
The main influence from this short film I want to take is the use of camera stabilisation- I have been looking a affordable camera stabilisers or making my own stabiliser. I want to use this as I think it would give my work a neater, more clean look. I also like the editing- the editing is really controlled and some of the choices made in editing are the most effective for this film. Both the cinematography and the editing join together to make the atmosphere of the film unpleasant, confusing, and unnerving- which in turn strengthens the message that the short film has, and the message has a greater impact on the viewer because of the cinematography and editing choices.

Creating meaning and effect
The film creates meaning through the use of cinematography and editing- very little sound is used as there is only a brief section of naturalistic dialogue, ambient sounds. The repetition of the same scenario- with very little changing- also creates meaning as the audience do not get anything new from these scenes causing frustration and then the meaning of we need to stop gun violence is created through the audience’s frustration at the lack of any real progress in the film. The repetition without any acknowledgement also creates meaning by linking to the short’s title, Elephant as gun violence in the film and in real life is an elephant in the living room, a massive problem that no one acknowledges.

Short film analysis-The Gunfighter

The gunfighter, directed by Eric Kissack, is a subversion of the use- perhaps overuse- of voiceover in westerns.

Narrative Structure

• What elements of film form that had the biggest impact in terms of meaning and response?

This short film would be nothing without its clever use of voiceover- subverting the typical use of voiceover as non-diegetic sound. In this film the voiceover is diegetic, which creates the conflict around which the film is centred on.

• How was the narrative structured? Did this influence your response?

The narrative is structured in a traditional linear way. This influenced my response as I could easily follow the narrative, no thinking was required. This easy to interpret narrative allowed the comedy of the script to reach and be enjoyed.

• What character types (i.e. hero/villain/protagonist/antagonist) are created?

The character types featured in westerns are present here- this is achieved through the costuming, the acting and the voiceover setting up character types. However, a lot of character types are set up and then subverted.

• Does the narrative create any binary oppositions of interest?

The narrative sets up the binary opposition of the omniscient vs. the unwitting human, this also has shades of the powerful vs. the powerless. The typical western binary oppositions are present as well- the lone gunslinger vs. a group, ‘good’ vs. ‘evil’.

• Who are the audience encouraged to identify with/dislike etc and how is thisachieved

The short film pretty much changes who the audiences identify with  throughout the film as characters are revealed to contain both good and bad parts- this continually shifting identification again creates comedy. The audience will predominately identify with the characters within the short film- as they express confusion and anger towards the voiceover- which is how most normal people would react if put in this situation.

• Does the text follow the equilibrium/disruption or re-equilibrium plot points?

The short film follows the equilibrium/disruption and re-equilibrium plot points pretty closely. The short is set up like a traditional western, however the disruption is the presence of the narrator- who all of the characters can hear. The re-equilibrium is the aftermath of the massive gunfight that breaks out.

• Is the narrative open/closed? What is the impact of this?

The narrative is closed- as most characters die at the end of the short film. This definitely closed narrative gives the audience satisfaction, as most traditional narratives do, the closed narrative also helps illustrate the omniscient nature of the narrator to the audience one last time.

• Does the film follow a formula common for the genre or does it attempt tosubvert narrative formulas? What does this do to the audiences expectations

The short film deconstructs the use of voiceover in Westerns by having the characters be able to hear everything the narrator has said. This creates comedy as the audience’s expectations are completely flipped on their head.

• Is the narrative linear or non-linear/multi-strand? How many differentstrands to the narrative are there and what is the impact of this?

The narrative is very much a traditional linear narrative- this allows the filmmakers to focus on their key idea of the narrator being diegetic sound. The narrative outside of this idea is typical melodrama.

• Does the narrative set up any enigma codes within the narrative structure?What is the impact of this on the viewer?

The narrative does not set up any enigma codes, because of how the short film works with the narrator. However, part of the comedy relies on taking any tension out of the character’s exchanges by telling the characters and the audience what they are really thinking.

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  Cinematic Influences

  Which elements of film form, if any, do you think might influence your own short film? Consider:

• The main element from this short film that will influence my own short film is the use of deconstruction- taking a trope that is common to a certain genre and subverting it until the trope is completely broken down. I also like the short’s careful attention to detail in costuming and other elements of mise-en-scene.
• Creating meaning and effect 

  How does the film create meaning for the audience and what effect is this meaning intended to have on them?

The gunfighter creates meaning for the audience through the use of dialogue and other diegetic sound and additionally the actor’s performances- which had to be convincing, as they were reacting to something (the narrator) that was not present during filming. This meaning is a comedic one with shades of nihilism- as ultimately the character’s actions and attempts to stop the violence were meaningless.

Short film analysis- swimmer

This is an analysis of the short film, swimmer directed by Lynne Ramsey. This short is a non-linear narrative that is a love letter to the British coast and waterways. I will be discussing the narrative structure of the short film, how the short creates meaning and what cinematic techniques/style I would like to use in my own short film.

 

Narrative Structure
• What elements of film form that had the biggest impact in terms of meaning
and response?

Personally, the pieces of film form that have the biggest impact on me are cinematography and sound. Swimmer uses the these key elements of film form, cinematography and sound to create an otherworldly environment; the film fully immerses the viewer in the world created by director Lynne Ramsey. The cinematography creates a sense of calm- as the camera moves steadily along with the swimmer. The sound helps to place the viewer in a place that is strange- a timeless place, through the use of archive sound and instrumentals.
• How was the narrative structured? Did this influence your response?

The short film has a non-linear narrative- however its structure is that of short vignettes all tied together with the narrative thread of one man swimming. What these vignettes mean is up to the interpretation of the viewer- one viewer may view the short film as just an exploration of the British countryside, another may view it as spanning history and someone else may view the vignettes as memories the swimmer is thinking about as they swim. The non-linear narrative made me become a more active viewer as the meaning in the film is not obvious upon watching the short and may even require a second viewing.
• What character types (i.e. hero/villain/protagonist/antagonist) are created?

This short film is not concerned with character- the main focus of the story- the swimmer is not given much character and is instead a blank slate for the audience to input character traits onto. We do not get a definitive answer as to why the swimmer swims, however it can be suggested through the use of sound from the loneliness of a long distance runner that the swimmer swims to better himself and as a way of proving self worth. Due to there being little conflict in this film- there is no archetype of hero and villain; the swimmer is definitely the viewpoint character but as he does little other than swim it could be argued that the landscape is the protagonist.
• Does the narrative create any binary oppositions of interest?

As this narrative is focuses on the swimmer and the environment he inhabits, there are no binary oppositions that are obvious at first glance as this short film is largely without any conflict. However it could be argued that there is a man vs. nature binary opposition- as the swimmer is out of place in the otherwise natural landscape of the film.
• Who are the audience encouraged to identify with/dislike etc and how is this
achieved

In swimmer the audience is not really encouraged to identify with one character in particular- the swimmer is not given enough depth for the audience to truly know or understand. This is done intentionally as the true purpose of the film was to get people to view the beauty of the bodies of water we have in the UK. The short film achieves this by shooting the landscape really well- using sweeping pans and shooting in black and white to heighten the contrast between the swimmer and nature in certain shots, such as framing the swimmer’s pale face in the water- which shows up on film as black.
• Does the text follow the equilibrium/disruption or re-equilibrium plot points?

As the short film does not follow the traditional linear narrative structure, it does not follow the equilibrium, disruption and re-eqilibrium plot points.
• Is the narrative open/closed? What is the impact of this?

The short film ends on an ambiguous note- the swimmer sinks into the water and does not resurface. This could be taken as the swimmer giving up and letting the water take him, or the swimmer has simply dived out of frame, this leaves the narrative open as there are many unanswered questions the audience has.
• Does the film follow a formula common for the genre or does it attempt to
subvert narrative formulas? What does this do to the audiences expectations

Swimmer does not fit into any of the common film genres so most viewers go into the film without any expectations. This means the film is free to explore concepts without viewers thinking it should be done in a certain way. This lack of genre gives Swimmer a unique identity in the film world, which makes it stand out.
• Is the narrative linear or non-linear/multi-strand? How many different
strands to the narrative are there and what is the impact of this?

The narrative is non-linear and thus allows the audience to create their own interoperation of the events shown in the short film.
• Does the narrative set up any enigma codes within the narrative structure?
What is the impact of this on the viewer?

The narrative is one massive enigma- the audience is questioned throughout watching the short film- however it is not a true enigma as none of these questions are answered in the short film. This does make the viewer a more active participant in watching the short film.

Cinematic Influences
Which elements of film form, if any, do you think might influence your own short
film?

The main takeaway from Swimmer for me in terms of cinematic influence is its use of sound- it would be interesting to use sound from other texts in my short film- if appropriate- as it gives off a haunting atmosphere. Another thing that I might use in my short is treating the landscape is if it was its own character, that might be interesting to explore.

Creating meaning and effect
How does the film create meaning for the audience and what effect is this meaning
intended to have on them?

Swimmer creates meaning through sound and cinematography. The cinematography creates an times calming environment for the viewer to be in, however it can turn unpleasant in the blink of an eye. Sound also adds to this sense of calm and then dread by the soundtrack featuring slow old- 50s- style music, which morphs into a dull drone, the drumbeat featured throughout also adds to the uneasy nature of the film. This intended meaning is one of respect for British waterways for they are terrible and beautiful things. This all makes the audience reflect- on themselves and on water.