His tiredness blinds him from the risks he is taking with the black hole. This attitude correlates with his short patience, hitting and kicking the photocopier, and explains why he is relatively unshaven. The character’s only distinctive sound is a large sigh he makes in the opening shot.
His costume suggests he is stressed and overworked, hence why he may be at work so late, as his shirt and tie are loose and untidy. He is a male character aged 25-35 years, who appears to be an ordinary office worker, who is clearly the focus as we see him for a long take in the very first shot. There is only one character that appears throughout the entire duration of The Black Hole. A sense of escapism, imagining themselves in this scenario, offers the audience the uses and gratifications of diversion and personal identity.Ĭlose-up shots allow the audience to relate to the man in his confusion. Should I be cautious of it? What more could I do with it? How should I look after it? Forcing the viewer to subconsciously ask this style of question is an aspect carefully constructed by the filmmakers to immerse them in the action. As we first meet him, the audience ask who he is, what his position is and why is he working after hours? When he is granted the power that the black hole gives him, we question how different people would react in this situation and even how we would react to it. Regarding the protagonist, the only character to appear in the short, the viewer will be asking less pressing questions. How does it work? Why did it come out of the photocopier? Who made it? How far will the character go with it? The whole concept of ‘the black hole’ is mysterious, enhanced by the sound effects and low-key lighting, as it seems to defy science, far beyond human capabilities, and is arguably the unique selling point of the short film.
Introduced immediately through the title, the audience will undoubtedly ask most questions about the black hole itself. An original concept: the power of the black hole.