How Nick Park communicates meaning to an audience Essay Example

Close Shave used every possible resource e. g. diagetic and non-diagetic sounds, lighting, intertextuality (referring to other films), animation and a lot of humour. The types of shots used in the first two-and-a-half-minutes of A Close Shave were used to great affect.

The types of shot used were; close up shots, medium shots, intense close up shots, medium/close shots and panning shots. The close up shots were used to portray important parts of the film, to show emotion, when combined with non-diagetic eerie music used in A Close Shave, gives a good impression of atmosphere and intensity-but there is still a hint of humour that grows throughout the film, you catch glimpses of humour only, however in the first two-and-a-half-minutes. A panning shot was used once, the camera moved from Shawn the Sheep to a sign indicating that the sheep had gone into Wallace and Gromits house.

The opening shot is instantly filled with atmosphere portraying the image that something bad and sinister is going on in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep. Nick Park uses intertextuality in the form of a mobile in the very first scene of the film in the same style as "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" (a thriller) which adds to the tension. Right from the opening scene there's a sense of danger which makes the viewer curious to what's in store. The use of sound is very important throughout the opening scenes. There is an almost constant eerie music dropping and reaching its crescendo at the end.

The music contributes greatly to the atmosphere, it wouldn't be as interessting to the viewer otherwise. Nick Park uses intertextuality also

in the form of the mug vibrating like in "Jurassic Park" and later on in the film Preston is revealed to be a cyber dog much like in the film "The Terminator". The music was like that of the music from "Nightmare on Elm Street" which was a horror film-which adds to the feel of danger. In the opening two-and-a-half-minutes A Close Shave takes on the typical conventions of a "B" movie thriller.

Yet we know that it has the ability to be much more than that so we wait patiently for the fun to begin. When Shawn comes onto the scene he is standing a small distance away from a huge fifties style truck driven by his captors. Compared to the huge, overpowering truck the small rather pathetic sheep looks cute, vulnerable and insecure. This is achieved using elements of the missing scene. When he escapes (rather meekly) the viewer sighs with relief. For some reason Preston and Wendeliene don't go after him and the truck drives off with the music reaching its crescendo and then a drum beat.

Wendeline, when first seen in the truck gave the impression of death and foreboding. (Grim reaper style duffel coat. ) You're not supposed to know who she is at that point but you can just see her outline, which adds to the humour and suspense. Personification and anthropomorphicisation are used throughout the film and to great effect as the animals act like humans. Shaun, Preston and Gromit can all do things that no ordinary sheep or dogs can do, Nick Park uses the two methods again to add comic relief.

The opening scene ends not quite so dramatically

but more foreboding as though really the whole story line had been set in the first two-and-a-half-minutes and now the viewer was going to see the grizzly results. I think Nick Park couldn't cram any more information into the introduction if he tried. He communicated what he wanted and what he didn't in a excellent way, the humour was always there- something to watch out for on second viewing, obviously the humour becomes more apparent in the main body of the film.