The Sandman (1992) Short Animation film

The Sandman is a 1991 stop-motion animation film, animated and directed by Paul Berry and nominated for an “Oscar” for Best Animated Short Film in 1992. The storyline is inspired by the E.T.A. Hoffmann's version of the European legend of The Sandman.

Sound
The non-diagetic music has been composed by Colin Towns. it is played all the way through the film.
There isnt as many diagetic sound effects within this short film in comparison to other animations, the most coming from the sandman when he is walking up the stairs, and when he is attacking the boy in the films ending. We can also hear the stairs creaking and the cukoo clock, these diagetic sounds being used to create a darker atmosphere and to grip the audience.

Camera Angles & Edits

Although this is an animaton based short film, there is still a variety of camera angles used, focusing on the characters and their surroundings. Above we can see the opening of the sandman and there is a variety of edits in the transititions from the opening title to the medium shot of the house window.

The opening camera shot, (establishing shot) tries to highlight the significence that this isnt a late time but for a young child, it is their bed time. The diagetic sound of the cuckoo clock creates a sense of tension and mystery, thus implying to the audience that it is bed time for the child. This camera shot is the first that implies themes of the supernatural, represents the time period and the use of negative connotations.

We can see throughout the short film the use of two narratives, one focusing on the child's fear, and the other focusing on the Sandmans character. The two narratives merge in the ending of the short film in which we see the Sandman using the childs fear to achieve his aim of blinding him.

Paul Berry has used imagery within the character of the sandman, the Sandman's appearance is imprinted on the audiences mind as it is very unique. The Sandmans face is shaped as a crescent moonr Berry doing this as it resembles his home which is a moon setting and also puts a subliminal thought into the audiences head, as it foreshadows and represents that the Sandman only comes out at night, the moon being imagery for this dark mysterious setting.