Black Hole

1. Short Film “Black Hole” – Media language – write an in depth textual analysis of how the 4 technical codes (Sound, Mise en Scene, Camera and Editing) communicate meaning.

The title is presented straightaway and links with the plot as it emerges from a black hole, it stays in the foreground whilst we pan over an office set, the on screen diegetic sound highlights the office scene with the sound of a photo copier. Even though the background is blurred there is strong and clear lighting as to be expected in an office. The camera moves towards a male character, the only person in the office, and stops at a medium close up; we are close enough to see his facial expression which shows he is fed up and tired this is further shown through his body language as he is hunched over and we can see him sigh.  His costume is an obvious choice for the setting however his top button is undone adding the final detail to his mood.

            

 A fast cut shows the photocopier panel showing the audience what he is doing, the camera cuts back to the character as he slightly rolls his eyes but looks down confused. A close up of his hand and the photocopier shows his frustration as he repeatedly presses the button, again a fast cut to an extreme long shot shows his looking up and then cuts to a medium close up of his feet to show him kick the photocopier. 

A long shot is accompanied by the on screen diegetic sound of the photocopier printing. A close up of the tray reveals a print out of a black hole, this referring to the title. Returning to a medium close up we see the male character pick up the print out confused suggesting this is not what he intended to print, this confirmed in a close up showing his facial expression. 

There is a loss of colour in the setting, as he is the only one there we can assume it is late so the only light source would be the lights however the colour overall is grey and dim suggesting it is a reflection of his mood.

The camera is place at a very low angle looking up at the character, the edges are dark and as he has a drink we can assume the camera is placed in the view point of the bin but we see him in a medium long shot when he goes to put the cup down is disappears into the print out. Going back to the low angled shot it is clear we are in the black hole and this is the plot of the short film. The black hole has its own sound to highlight when it is being interacted with, this is shown when the character reaches into it, at first he is resistant and this is shown in his reaction of facial expression and body language. His second attempt it more confident and he reaches his whole arm into the void returning the cup, it is hard to explain how this editing has been achieved.

In a medium close up he holds the paper up at a side view and puts his hand through the paper however it does not come out the other side. Once realising this he looks around the office and tests it on the vending machine, a medium shot shows the audience a clear view of his theory, once looking around he reaches through the black hole as the camera crops to a close up it returns to a medium shot as he retrieves food from the vending machine.

A close up shows his thought process, he is pleased with himself for thinking of the idea and it worked therefore he looks for any other possibilities, when one becomes clear we cut to a pov of a door showing his idea.

Once in this office he goes to the safe and uses his void to steal money. His breathing becomes more intense as various cuts show his excitement and how much he is taking.  The more he takes the more he reaches in and the faster the cuts become, until he goes into the safe completely to get as much as his can. A long shot show the pile of money and the paper fall from the safe trapping him inside. The camera cuts moving away from the safe with on screen diegetic sound of him tapping the safe door and the photocopier continuing to print.