OPERATOR

OPERATOR

Operator from Yann Heckmann on Vimeo.

Operator is a Bafta winning short film created by Caroline Bartleet. The film revolves around  an emergency services operator, helping a women (Vicky McClure) and her son from a fire in her house.

"I started thinking that it would be so interesting to see a film where you saw the operator, because she’s got this kind of weird thing to do. She’s got to be really calm, but she’s probably also really scared herself, because you never know, do you, that the person on the other line is actually gonna be ok. So I was really interested in what it would be like to look into what’s it’s like to answer one of those calls"- Caroline Bartlett

Not only is the story unique in this film, but so is the cinematography. The films consists of less that 10 shots of the operators face, such as close ups, side views. Kate Dickie's facial calm facial expressions contrast with the hysterical screaming on the other line of the phone, combine to create a dramatic and tension filled short film. One of the main focuses of the film is the audio as there is not huge amounts happening visually. This heightens the viewers hearing and forces them to concentrate on what is happing in the background. When the first call ends, we see a moment of relief and shock on the Operator's face as she takes a deep breath as she takes the next call. This moment makes the impact of the call even more effective.