Operator

  

Gemma wakes to find her house on fire. Trapped with her son, she dials 999. The operator who answers holds Gemma's life in her hands.

Sound

 

• Sound to create and place emphasis on offscreen space, and so creates tension and conflict  - You never doubt the reality of the phone call - crackling sounds of Gemma running through the fire, of sirens, of the fire itself, and the emotive screams and calls for help. It heavily relies on our imagination and our ability to visualize the situation. The lack of a visual depiction alongside these sounds, forces us to conjure up the worst possible scenario, perhaps worse than it really is. It's like the fear of the unknown. We can't see how big the fire is or how close it is to her, we only hear it and that uncertainty is what also creates tension and suspense- And I suppose that's purposely done immerse us in Laura's experience
• No soundtrack, and the sole use of diegetic sound is much more immersive, you become caught up in the story, a soundtrack may take away some of the intensity and authenticity of the situation - as at the moment, you almost forget you're watching a film 
• Sound juxtaposes the simplistic cinematography further making the experience more immersive - intricate angles and lighting may distract from the potency of the story
• Following a contrasting moment of silence where she takes a moment to decompress,  she suddenly answers another call repeating the exact lines she started the first call with, and that's what conveys the episodic and circular nature of her job, that was only a small segment in her day.