Media Language- Black Hole

How the four technical codes (Sound, Mise en Scene, Camera and Editing) communicate meaning.

In the short film ‘Black Hole’, the four technical codes being Sound, Mise-en-Scene, Camera work and Editing are used to show themes of greed and escapism.

The opening shot uses a transition effect in the shape of a black hole, opening up, which literally links in the name of the film, communicating a literal sense to the audience. The sounds used are dull and monotonous office sounds, used with an out of focus pan shot round to the main character where it focuses on his bored exasperated expression.

 The setting is grey and bland, communicating the man’s weariness and lack of interest within his job, his clothing, with his tie loose and his button undone and his messed up hair suggest his indignation towards his job.

The ‘black hole’ in the short film, represents the escapism the man needs from his office. When we are first shown the printed piece of paper, the camera shows it through a MCU revealing its importance, the black and white against the dull background make it stand out, communicating to the audience its significance.

The camera shot uses a lens that makes it seem inside the hole, to communicate to the audience the literal sense of the ‘black hole’ giving it an unrealistic effect. The editing pace from the start to when he discovers the piece of paper contrasts, when we first see the man, the editing pace is slow, giving us a view of his boring office life, this is contrasted when he discovers the piece of paper, the editing pace and frequency picks up, almost suggesting how rare something exciting or different would happen at his workplace, showing us his escape.

As the pace picks up in editing frequency, it could symbolise the man’s greed intensifying, as he begin to use the piece of paper. The constant office sounds remain all throughout the film, showing us the man is still contained in his office despite getting the escape he needs from the piece of paper, his escape is shown through the warped sounds of the ‘black hole’. The juxtaposing of the two sounds gives the film an unrealistic effect.

As the man begins to realise what he can do with the piece of paper, we visibly see his greed becoming larger on things he can take. The camera uses a low angle MCU, the low angle is used to show him in a dominant position, in which he can take whatever he wants, and the MCU is used to show his facial expressions and change in body language, contrasting his facial expression and body language from the start of the film.

As the film continues the man is visibly seen to grow into madness, the lighting changes into a dark background to suggest his actions are immoral. The man’s body language has changed completely, his short sharp head turn in a CU is manic, and this could represent his greed.

                                         

 The camerawork then shows the man has ‘locked on a target’, the lighting and colouring suggest the place is forbidden and not allowed through the dark lighting. The body language and facial expression of the man suggest he is fully overcome by his greed, this is shown through a CU and his action of taking a bite can be seen as murderous or hungry, the man is now seen as almost mad. The editing pace picks up considerably, matching the man’s madness or greed.

The males posture and body language has changed completely, overcome by greed he is now shown as unrestrained by his greed. He is shown to be out of control and always craving more and more. The lighting is dark and dull, but the shadows used to show the man in a light that would portray him as mad or losing control.

 

The diegetic sound of the man’s disbelief as he pulls out the money is used along with a MCU, highlighting to us mainly the characters eyes show his full descent into madness as greed has overtook him.

The editing frequency and pace as the man pulls out the money is fast, matching on with the actions of the character, although in the end his greed gets the better of him as he climbs in, we are shown a CU of the sellotape, highlighting to the audience something will go wrong. A jump cut is then used to pan out from the safe, as tapping noises are heard of the man trying to get out of the safe.

Overall the film uses simplistic film techniques with an easy storyline for the audience to follow to represent the escapism from the office and greed that should not be taken for granted as there are consequences.