Metafilm: Visual storytelling in the postmodern age

Abstract

Audio-visual communication in the form of film and television has formed a language of its own, and this emergence begs both scholars and artists to put it to use in creative ways. The term “Metafilm” here refers to a film composed of other films, rather than a film about film. This paper proposes a set of technical and aesthetic guidelines and considerations for creating new stories from the existing film and video footage which informs much of our culture. This proposal, and others like it, must work toward balance between the conflicting ideas of private media ownership of, and public cultural ownership of, art and artistic expression.