Analysing Short Films- OPERATOR

 SHORT FILM- OPERATOR (2015, BARTLETT)

An Emergency Services Operator in a Fire Control Room has just started a long night shift when she picks up a call from a desperate young mother. An hour previously, Gemma had fallen asleep in front of the television and has now woken to find the room full of smoke. Her three year old son is trapped in his bedroom upstairs. Flames have started to creep down the stairs that Gemma must use in order to reach him. The operator’s guidance is all that Gemma can rely on in order to survive.

Winner of Best Short Film at 2016 BAFTA’s. The script is based on a real 999 call. When Caroline first listened to it, she was completely blown away by how terrifying it was. It became clear straight away that the story would make a powerful film, and that we could really bring to the audience's attention what an amazing job the operators do, remaining calm and composed in such stressful situations. The film was funded through Kickstarter and was shot over two days in London.

representation

- of front line workers and how they de-stress stressful and intense situations to save lives. Also we see a positive representation of women.

narrative

- the 3 act structure

micro elements

-sound - keyboard clacking is a diegetic sound we focus on greatly. In this short film there is a big focus on diegetic sound including the atmospheric sounds from the call room as well as the sounds that are over the phone for example the fire truck. The lack of sound at moments creates tension which i find to be intriguing. Non- diegetic sound is also used to create a tense and upsetting atmosphere

-mise-en-scene

costumes- we only see the operator who is wearing her uniform. we can see who she is and what she does based on the clothing she is wearing.
props- we can see the computer and equipment that the call handler needs to do her job. It's not that much equipment but the feats she manages to do with it highlight their importance. These are working props which makes it seem more realistic.
location/setting- The call centre as well as the location we have to imagine (the home of the people on the phone)
composition of shot- the  call handler is in focus at all times and she is the only person we see. she is a big part of the shot which mimic how important she is in real life.

-editing- the editing mimics the nature of the call. It's fast paced and moves along very quickly. At the end there is a pause of silence and she goes onto another call. This slower editing shows the relief the caller has after a hard call, but then it's short lived and goes onto another.

-performance- The call handler is very patient and calm when dealing with the stressful situation. Her facial expressions show she is concerned and worried about the woman and child who are trapped. The tone of both characters voices show who they are as people. Repetition is used by the call handler to calm down the lady and we see her expressions as she does this

-cinematography- close ups are the biggest shot used throughout. These allow us to really see the performance aspect and immerse us into the film and story.

meanings/ messages 

-this short film allows us to see the intensity of a call handlers job and how calm they have to be in order to keep everyone safe. The ending is especially important as we see her go straight to a new call as if nothing has happened. This shows how she has to push aside emotions and carry on as people need her to survive.