'Sausage' by Robert Grieves

                    

The short 'Sausage' by Robert Grieves is a clever, critically acclaimed piece which has the ability to both entertain and inform viewers of the threat supermarkets are to local suppliers.

When I first watched this short I was unaware of the context behind it, however I knew there had to be some sort of economic rivalry going on, due to the emphasis on competition. The animation demonstrates two local suppliers who are selling their products as fair opponents, until a more impressive, attractive seller comes along who is a symbol of the dominant supermarkets.

The short once I comprehended the context, I think really communicates the message well. The key theme in this piece is competition, and it is demonstrated scene after scene. I think it does a great job of informing the audience, which isn't directed at any specific age because the topic applies to everyone, of the troubles local suppliers have with the strikingly high supply and demand from supermarkets.

Aesthetically, the short is very retro and exaggerated. By exaggerated I mean via the characters body shapes. The arms are extensively curved and thin and their waists are just as thin if not thinner. However their facial features are lovely in the sense that they are fun, they express emotions easily since their eyes are so large and their hair is as loud as the message. I think the sound gives the short a very light hearted, not-so-serious feel, though it instantly reminded me of France. Robert Grieves said he was sick of how commercial some animation was looking and wanted to find this equilibrium of between the appearance of analogue and digital animation. He was inspired by mid-century design which I can definitely see in this piece from both the colour palette and the curved illustrations. 

Overall this short is great to look at and understand. At first I did not see the message as clear as I should have therefore it may not be as successful as some others I have analysed, but I did have a hunch about the meaning behind it, and once I found out I could definitely see it in the piece. I think it is successful in appealing to a mass audience as opposed to a niche one, though I would imagine only a niche one would be its audience of right now because it is produced by a standalone animator and not a well known company. In the end I really enjoyed 'Sausage' by Robert Grieves and loved learning about what inspired him to make this piece and what the piece was about.