Fears of the dark - Richard McGuire extract

I fell in love with this animation from the first scene of the mans silhouette behind a white box, which we visually interpret as the door, and as he bursts through, flecks of snow contrast in the darkness and cascade down.

Set entirely in block black and white, as the audience you are left quite claustrophobic as the image is shrouded in darkness and our eyes try decipher what's going on, we are left in the same position as the protagonist. When the candle uncovers elements of his surroundings, we follow desperate to uncover more! This also fuels the fear as the 'ghost' is uncovered through the lighting effects. 

This animation elaborates and plays with our fear of the unknown, one of the most common fears we face, therefore it is relatable to us all. 

I also love the contrast on the outside of the house which is surrounded in white, reflecting the snow enclosing and trapping him, reinforcing the feeling of claustrophobia. The house could be a metaphor for how he is trapped inside his mind, and the darkness is reflective of his current mental state. There is no ghost haunting, it's the protagonists own irrational fear of the dark in his mind.