Slap

The short film uses a typical three act structure to convey themes about gender presentation, secrets, identity and acceptance. There are repeated visual motifs of hands and mirrors, which further emphasise the film's focus on matters of identity and being true to who you are. The drab setting of Northern industrial Britain creates a contrasting background for Connor's personality. The dull colours of the buildings and the sky clash with the bright colours of Connor's makeup, amplifying the feeling that Connor is out of place where he is. In this way, colour is used expressionistically to convey the inner emotions of the characters and the societies that surround them. Another way in which colour is used expressionistically is during the disco scene where Connor has his confrontation with Lola. The lighting is bright red, reflecting the anger felt by both characters. This scene is written particularly well as it feels authentic, and not melodramatic.

Over

The short film Over explores a crime scene in the UK, which is based on a true story. Using a backwards narrative, information about the crime is slowly revealed to the viewer, creating tension. 

The cinematography is fairly simple, with the majority of the film being in wide shot. This creates the feeling that we are one of the inhabitants of this neighbourhood. This is further enforced by the way information is revealed - through conversations the neighbours have with each other and the authorities. Most of these shots are static and long, emphasising the quiet of the town and eventually how sudden the man's death is. There is occasionally a close up shot - for example, the close up of the man cleaning blood off the road. This acts as a functional close up as it lets the viewer know that there has been a death. There are also close ups of the dead man's clothes before we actually see him. This almost acts as a clue, letting the viewer keep a lookout for anyone wearing those clothes later in the film. This adds to the surprise of the actual death as although the viewer may think that they're prepared for it because they know what the dead man will be wearing, he comes out of nowhere. The sound in the film is especially important as it adds to the shock factor of the death scene. The huge thud that can be heard contrasts greatly with the silence throughout the rest of the film. 

 

Operator

 The film opens with the sound of different emergency calls - this helps provide context for the audience as well as demonstrate how stressful the environment is. The use of cinematography makes what would otherwise look like a fairly boring phone call seem as action packed as what's happening on the other end of the line.  There are a lot of close up shots of the operator's face as she talks to Gemma. The fact that her face takes up most of the screen creates a sense of claustrophobia, like there isn't much space to breathe, which is reflective of what Gemma is going through. As well as this, there is also a medium close up of the operator between two monitors, making it seem like there are walls closing in on her, making her feel trapped. This illustrates the idea that the operator is empathising with Gemma. When Gemma goes upstairs, the operator and the audience is unsure if she has made it. Tension is built not only by the dialogue but through the ringing sound getting gradually louder. This is helped by the side profile shot of the operator as it makes it seem like she is talking to nobody, further alluding to the fact that Gemma might not have survived. After Gemma has been saved, the sound of shouting and sirens coming from the other side of the line stop abruptly, leaving an empty silence. This sudden stop and the sound of the operator breathing allows the viewer to calm down, as she is doing. We from a close up to a medium close up to further emphasise the break from the action. Soon after, the operator accepts another call and all the noises of the computers and the people talking start up again, almost exhaustingly. This helps illustrate the stressful environment that the operator works in, and the unfinished second call makes it seem like her work never stops.