The Black Hole Cinematic Techniques

Black Hole Essay

Mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound, and editing individually serve a specific function within a film. These cinematic techniques work in conjunction throughout the duration of the film in order to develop the narrative. In the short film The Black Hole, a man working overtime hours at the office discovers a black hole allowing him to traverse through objects. Using the supernatural force to his benefit, he uses the black hole to enter a locked safe only to end up trapped inside after his plan fails. The cinematic techniques employed in The Black Hole are often repeated in the film in order to convey meaning and guide the spectator throughout the narrative. The film opens with an iris-in medium-long shot presenting the title, from there the camera begins tracking left to right to establish the setting, a bleak, low-key lit interior of an office. The shot ends in a straight-on, medium-close up of an apathetic man in the centre of the
composition dressed in disheveled business attire and standing behind a photocopying machine. In one shot, the filmmakers use of camera position and movement emphasize and introduce the spectator to the setting, the character, and his emotional state. Ambient noise can be heard from the opening shot as well as diegetic sound produced from the photocopier which remains audible throughout the entirety of the films duration. The sound effects employed in the first early shots of the film serve to achieve a realistic sense of space and enhance our understanding of the story’s locale. In a series of shots the inciting incident unfolds. The series begins with the mans many failed attempts to operate the photocopier. He kicks the copier initiating the machine to print a paper with a black circle. An eye-line match of the man looking down at the paper tray cuts to a medium close-up shot at a slightly high-angle of the paper printing allowing the spectator to witness the event from the characters point-of-view. The filmmakers decision to frame the paper in the centre of the composition stresses its significance. The man examines the paper and places it aside, takes a drink, then places his cup over top the paper which is then swallowed by the black hole. Here the spectator is introduced to an external diegetic sci-fi sound produced by the black hole. The sound directs the spectators attention and emphasizes the black hole’s supernatural ability. The stylistic system at play in the beginning of the film creates the mundane tone of the story, introduces the spectator to the character and serves to set up the narrative. The techniques employed throughout the beginning of the film are once again executed as the film progresses. Upon discovering the black holes potential, an idea sparks the characters mind. A close-up shot shows him looking off-screen, eye-line match cut to a medium-long shot of a vending machine in centre composition, the camera zooms in on the machine as the man enters the frame walking towards it. From the characters expression we immediately assume he is up to something and by framing the vending machine in the centre of the composition we can expect what is going to happen. The sound effects introduced in the beginning are once again audible when the man uses it to traverse through the machine further representing the black hole as a supernatural force. After he uses the black hole to retrieve the candy bar from the machine, a close-up shot of him looking off-screen cuts to a medium-shot of a door marked “Keep Out” again in centre composition progressively zooming in. The successive shot shows the man once again looking off-screen which then cuts to a shot/reverse shot of him using the black hole to unlock the door. The filmmakers use of close-ups help to inform us of the characters goal and eye-line matches create continuity between shots. As the man gains access to the forbidden room, top lighting is used to set a menacing tone. The elements all come together at the climax when the man uses the black hole to access a safe to steal money.
The series unfolds rapidly with shot durations kept brief and transitions between successive shots nearly unnoticeable. All of the sounds previously audible to the spectator are overlapped. The combination of sounds along with the accelerated editing heighten the scenes intensity to arouse tension and suspense. The volume of the sounds are amplified in contrast to earlier shots furthermore intensifying the level of suspense aroused within the spectator. Near the end of the film the black hole detaches from the door of the safe after the man dives in. At this moment the overlapped sounds come to an abrupt halt and only the sound of the photocopier from the beginning of the film is audible. The film ends with a medium close-up of the safe in centre composition, cut to a medium shot, and concluding with a medium long-shot. In each shot the diegetic sound of the photocopier increases in
volume. The stylistic system at play in The Black Hole effectively develops the films narrative from beginning to end. The aspects of mise-en-scene effectively construct the space within the diegesis. The repetitive use of camera position provides the spectator with insight to the characters emotions and stresses the significance of prominent objects. The diegetic sound of the black hole serves a motif as there is no dialogue the film relies on the sound effects to aid in the development of the narrative. Eye-line and match achieve films overall continuity and also the space and time of the diegesis. In sum, the patterns of techniques employed within the film guide the spectators understanding of the narrative action.