wallace and gromit analysis

Wallace And Gromit; A Grand Day Out begins very simply with a theme tune over a still image of a section of the scenery. Writing is then ‘drawn’ on, giving the name of the short film and introducing the characters. The opening sequence is very short and soon gives way to the story.

The first image the audience sees, holiday brochures, already gives away a key part of the story and makes it very easy for younger viewers to get the gist of the film. The film is done using stop motion animation although, the camera actually slowly moves around an image if it is still, saving a lot of time and often makes a longer duration shot, with more camera movement look a lot better. Background music is almost constantly played through the film and creates a more comfortable atmosphere for the viewer. This is very important, especially when in a children’s film so as to make them want to keep watching and not feel intimated by the film.

Close ups are often used as they require a lot less detail in the whole shot and less needs to be moved meaning less room for errors such as wrong movements in characters or setting. As well as this, only props and characters are made using plasticine as they are the only things that the director has to move.

Movements made by the characters are often quite dramatised, making their reaction to a comment or situation a lot easier to read and follow which is also important for the younger viewers.

Main characters are usually made to look a lot friendlier with softer voices and with more simple facial features. This helps the audience to connect with the main character a lot faster and easier and makes the story a lot easier to narrate.

The sounds used, whether it be opening a cupboard or picking up a piece of paper, are also very emphasised. This could be a technique used to make sure the viewer is still concentrating on what’s going on and that their attention stays with the character.

Certain facial features or body language is a very easy way to display the emotion of a character without them having to say anything. For example, Gromit doesn’t speak at all, however, the viewer is still aware of his reactions and feelings towards a certain situation. These feelings are mostly shown in the way his ears move and the way his arms move. This also gives him a particular personality, which would be a lot different if dialogue was used.