MEANWHILE explores new ways to detour from the well-trodden path of narrative by giving the viewer a choice as to which direction in time they want to move through the story. The nine scenes in this screwball comedy can be seen in any order; each path revealing the intricate interconnectivity of the characters follies, obsessions, and ambitions. This project explores a variety of ways in which the film might be seen. In a festival screening situation the DVD will automatically create a random order for the nine scenes, although each screening will be different. On the website the viewer is given a choice at the end of each scene as to which direction to go in the timeline: forward, backwards, or meanwhile. On the iPod each scene is downloaded separately and then set on 'shuffle'. We have conceived of this new form as a 'Shuffle Film' where the narrative works in congress with the limited interactive features of today's media delivery platforms.
—David Clark