THE OPERATOR

'The Operator' is a short film, directed by Caroline Bartleet. This dramatic short focuses on an emergency services operator, and her efforts in saving a mother and her son from a fire inside their home. The film is based on a real 999 phone call that Bartleet heard. She said, "It became clear straight away that the story would make a powerful film." The short is very original as it closely follows the woman who deals with the victims of emergencies, as opposed to the victims themselves.

The cinematography of the short film appears to be quite simple, consisting of only a few camera shots. All shots are of the inside of the operating room, mainly focusing on the operator's face. These close-up shots of the operator help to add intensity to the short, as a more intimate relationship is created between her and the viewer. Whilst the use of minimal shots appears to be quite straightforward, this conscious decision is crucial for the creation of an extremely intense offscreen space.

This offscreen space is also emphasised through the use of sound. The phone call is the only evidence we have for the mother's existence. In other words, we don't see her in the film. This means that we see her panic as being even more frantic. The use of muffled sound for the phone call draws the viewer in, as we are forced to listen carefully to each and every word that she says. It also provides a contrast with the calm atmosphere in the operating room, where the operator is constantly reassuring the mother. However, her eyes often suggest some degree of panic, which highlights her effective performance. Overall, the micro-elements of film form are used very effectively in order to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat for the whole 7 minutes.



The use of close ups allows the viewer to see the operator's facial expressions, adding to the overall intensity of the film. 





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