The Short Story of a Fox and a Mouse

A Film Analysishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6kCwj0Sk4s

Story SynopsisSomewhere in the frozen North, a hungry fox is looking for his next meal. He dives into the snow after a mouse, and both of them end up with something unexpected...

Story Elements

Characters

The FoxHungry, but surprisingly

kind-hearted

The MouseClever and playful

The OwlsOpportunistic

Conflict and Character

Primary conflict: Both animals are trying to stay alive: The Fox is looking for a meal, and the Mouse is trying hard not to become that meal. In the end the Fox does not get his meal, but he gains something else instead.

Type of Character: The animals in this story are anthropomorphized and have human type emotions depicted in their faces and actions. Both the Fox and the Mouse are round characters, since they change in relation to one another.

Dramatic Elements

Setting

● Somewhere in the frozen North○ possibly not the

Arctic since the first character is a red fox, not an Arctic fox

● Unknown time● Story duration about

5 minutes

Costumes & ColourFox: A Red Fox. Looks fluffy, innocent-looking face (not scary).

Orange fur is brighter than usual, but this helps the character to stand out from the background. The film makers likely chose a red fox rather than a Arctic fox, since the orange is easier to see against the whites and blues of the physical setting.

Costumes & Colour

Mouse: Grey, long tail, larger ears, fluffy. Very cute.

Long tail, indicates that this story is likely not set in the Arctic, since most Arctic rodents have short tails.

Costumes & Colour, con’t

Owls: Unknown species. Exaggerated colours.

The short one is blue and white, with “red” cheeks, and very exaggerated black tufts above his eyes, which look like angry eye brows

The tall one is red, with orange mixed in his breast feathers. He has wide-open eyes and seems a bit dumb.

Colours of Physical Locations

● Lots of white and blue and silver. Some purples and lilacs in shadows.

● Brown/grey trees.

Colours create a calm atmosphere which contrasts with the dramatic story.

Under the ice it is dark, except closer to the surface. Creates a sense of suffocation.

Cinematic Elements

Camera Shots and Angles

Focus on Foreground

Notes: Shows the Fox sneaking in the background, while introducing the Mouse.

Bird’s Eye

Notes: Fox below the tree, sense of superiority for the Mouse. Interesting framing: Circle created with Fox’s footprint and body.

Bird’s Eye

Notes: Mouse is falling toward the pond, can see trees in the unfocused part below.

Bird’s Eye

Notes: Pond looks a bit like an owl’s eye.

Closeup

Notes: See the Mouse’s fear of the owls in his expression and posture.

Dutch Tilt Effect (tilted birds)

Notes: Even though the frame is square the owls are tilted, like a Dutch tilt affect. Also a slight worm’s eye view.

Long Shot (Owl Shadows)

Notes: The owl shadows framing the mouse shows their menace, and the fact that we don’t see their faces makes us feel more unsure.

Worm’s Eye/POV

Notes: This is both a Worm’s Eye and POV shot from the Mouse’s perspective. The Fox looks very regal, strong, and mysterious.

Over the shoulder shot

Note: We can see the Fox’s defensive posture as well as the owls.

Close up

Note: We get a good look at the owls’ eyes here: The short one looks dangerous, while the tall one just looks sort of wide-eyes and stupid.

Extreme Long Shot

Notes: This is just after the Mouse runs off and the ELS frames the Fox as small and the bare, white landscape makes him seem isolated, lonely, and sad.

Cutting Rate and Rhythm

Cutting Rate

The film opens with a long take tilting up and panning/tracking left, setting the stage and creating a calm wintery mood.

The cutting rate is not too fast, even when the Mouse starts running, since the camera tracks alongside Mouse as it runs.

The rate speeds up when the Mouse escapes the ice and is threatened by the owls.

It slows down again when the Mouse runs off.

Fox Alone Edit:

The frames move from a medium-long shot of the fox, then to a long shot of the fox sitting alone, then the extreme long shot.

This emphasizes the Fox`s loneliness.

Edit: Matched Cut/Dissolve

Example: 2: 34- 2:43

The Mouse and Fox are sliding across the ice towards the camera. The Mouse slides “through” the camera and they continue sliding across the ice away from the camera.

Editing One Interesting Edit:

Example: min 3:22-3:32

The filmmakers transition from under the ice to above with a blur/dissolve

Lighting and Sound

Lighting

● Mostly high key● Only low key

moments under the ice as the mouse is sinking

Light directed from the setting sun (strong shadows on the right side of the screen)

Long Shot /Lighting

Light is only coming from the hole in the ice and dissipates as it spreads. There is key light from above, but somehow there is also light from below (the rim of light along the Fox`s back).

Sound: Diegetic

● Wind over the snow● Fox/mouse jumping in snow,

walking/running on snow● Creaking branch ● Owls flapping ● Snow falling● Ice cracking ● Fox growling

Sound: Non-Diegetic

● Sound Track

Classical Music

○ Strings, Brass, Woodwinds○ Chimes, cymbal, tambourine,

xylophone in percussion

Music reflects the emotional mood and responses to the action. Flute, strings, and tambourine at beginning sets the mood, then more brass when mouse/fox threatened.

Example: min 3:15 - 3:29

Strings swell hopefully as fox helps mouse to the surface of the pond, then brass plays dissonant chords indicating something is wrong.

Rating I really loved this short film. Even though the story was a little predictable, the animation was excellent and the framing kept me interested. My favourite thing about the film was the soundtrack, which was absolutely gorgeous!

I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

Story:

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