Set Text: Operator

Operator (2015) by Caroline Burtleet

What did I enjoy?

The whole concept of the film was showing us the operator, not the scene of the incident. A traditional feature film would be action-packed so would show the fire, not the operator on the other end of the phone. This makes the short film incredibly tense, as we know as much as the operator in this scenario.

I also love how still the camera is - meaning we are forced to imagine the fire as not much is happening on screen. The lack of action on screen is made up two-fold in the dialogue as the script is chock-a-block. The relentless of dialogue results in me being emotionally exhausted by the end of the film, I feel like I have watched more than I actually I have.

What did I find interesting?

The action starts very quickly, the call is intercepted as the woman panics and worries about her son stuck upstairs. Both her and the operator are instantly thrown into action. It's not until her son has been found that they take a moment, pause and introduce each other. This delayed interaction is very effective as it shows that in emergencies, you just have to get on with it - and have to become deeply acquainted with people before introductions.

What could I challenge?

Honestly, I feel like the genre and story this film is trying to put across, is done perfectly. I couldn't and wouldn't want to touch this and wouldn't know where to begin.

What do I want to use?

The idea behind this film, showing us something that a traditional feature probably wouldn't, intrigues me greatly so when I come to think of ideas for my short, I will keep this in mind.

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