Meshes in the Afternoon Analysis

A strong theme in Meshes of the Afternoon is the interplay between shadow and light. In numerous instances, shadows are utilized along with bright light to form a stark minimalist picture of the events occurring in the scene. This is utilized in numerous instances to both portray and add mystery to the events occurring in the shot, in the early film we do not actually see the woman full on, only portraying her shadow and the shadows of the objects she interacts with. This could be seen as symbolic of an internal emptiness, as well as potentially a dark personality or a symbol of the later appearing "grim reaper".

In the later film, much focus is put a mysterious, hooded figure who the main actress pursues throughout the film. She mostly only catches glimpses of him, however the obvious symbolism of a figure in a dark cloak is that of the grim reaper. His presence in the early and mid parts of the film also foreshadows the main actress’s death at the end of the film. There is also a notable segment where the “reaper’s” face appears to be a mirror; this further foreshadows her death by cutting herself with a glass fragment.

Film Reflection 26th April 2013

Today in film, we spent some time actually studying experimental films. We looked at such films as "Firework" and "Meshes of the Afternoon". I found these to be quite revealing into the nature of the genre, as they portrayed a very Dali-esque and unrestricted style that seemed to accurately summarize the nature of the genre. I also felt that the experimental film serves as somewhat of a visual poem, where things on screen can contain much symbolism. However, it also carries over previously mentioned Dali-esque qualities, in that there is a bizarre randomness to the content of the shot. The lack of linearity in the film could open up to many possibilities, however I foresee a problem with our own upcoming film will be attempting to capture the random qualities whilst embodying sufficient meaning in our shot content. I am looking forward to this unit.

Film Reflection April 10th 2013

Today in film, we continued editing our montage. Having previously found gaping holes in the continuity of the montage, we decided to implement several modified forms of unused footage to fill gaps. We also decided that additional symbolism would aid the audience in drawing conclusions, so we added such footage as a rocket taking off, veins dilating, and of a cup overflowing. I feel that these modifications will make the film more understandable, and easier for the audience to interpret.

Film Reflection 8th April 2013

Today in class, we (having finished shooting) continued editing our final film. Though we have now come up with a structure with the film, and have edited about half of it, we are noting that there are instances where the flow is not so obvious. Though such elements are common in some types of montage editing, we have began looking for sound and stock footage to complement the footage we took, as well as trying to make the film more linear and understandable. I believe we should be able to achieve this by the end of this week.