Plaza

Considering that their whole selling point is one of convenience, I try to avoid supermarket shopping when it is likely to be busy because I find them to be crowded, aggressive places. Having had to deal with crowded aisles, queues and people who block the aisles to talk to friends I will seek out the evenings or early mornings if I can. And so this short film paints a realistic picture of the plaza shopping centre. The drunken man sparks the narrative and, in a way, the film would have been better to have had "normal" tension leading to the break out of animation – that way the point would have been clearer (although maybe the point I wanted would have been clearer!). In regards narrative generally, it isn't that strong a film but I don't think that it ever was meant to be held together by anything other than the theme of the plaza and Pick's later work in adverts suggests that his interest may be more on the animation side rather than telling stories per se.

The animation is violent (in mood) and it is creative, sparking out of reality, taking over with the hostility made reality before sparking back into normal reality in the shopping centre. The sparking animation is really inventive and effective and, although brief, is good. You can naturally see the limitations of Pick's resources versus, say, his BBC football trailer that broke animation into life action in a much more polished and refined manner, however it works for what it is, even if it does look a little cheap.

Overall this is not much cop in regards narrative or meaning but it is effective in terms of animation and visual energy. Could have been better but a good early look at a style that Pick has refined to good effect in his later work for the BBC and NBA.