The Operator

The Operator is a short film directed and written by Caroline Bartleet. The plot focuses on a 999 operator's call at a fire in a home with a woman and her son. 

mise-en-scene is heavily used to portray an authentic 999 call centre, with multiple different computers around each person, who all have a headset and uniform. This setting creates a sense of urgency, as it works with the dim lighting that is only coming from the computers, adding to a growing feeling of tension. 

Cinematography used is very simple, with only a small range in the different shots used. Close-ups of the operator are frequently used, as we need to examine her face in order to imagine the detail of the story due to us only seeing one side of the conversation. Therefore, we know that dialogue and performance is very important in creating authenticity and making the spectator feel the powerful emotions that they aim to portray. The rushed dialogue from the woman contrasts with the slower speaking operator, which displays the immediate danger that the woman in the fire is in. 

The eyeline of the actor is also extremely important as it adds intensity to the story and displays her reactions and emotions to the caller's words. Without fully realising it because we are so involved in the storyline, dialogue and sound is constant throughout, and so when the call finishes and we are left with silence we realise how involved we were and become more in tune with the operator's emotions, before she then takes another call, repeating the same process. Overall this film is very meaningful and traps our attention from the very start, making us feel like we are a part of the call, until we drop back into reality when the call cuts off.