Continuing an exploration of utilising mythology and fairy tales to examine archetypes of human nature within his films, animator Daniel Souza’s latest short Fable is an intriguing and powerful piece.
In this cyclical fairy tale, a man and a woman are cursed to be forever apart. We never see them inhabit the same space but yet we feel that there’s a connection between them. One common element is that they both have the power to transform into animals. But when they do they are compelled to hunt down and destroy the other. They become blind to their passions and are overwhelmed by their instincts.
Approaching filmmaking from a painter’s perspective, the unique and captivating content of Sousa’s film is perfectly matched by his confident style and flair.
Technique: Most of the rough animation was prepared in Flash along with the corresponding color fill layers. The drawings were then printed, traced, and cleaned up on paper to achieve a more organic quality. They were then re-scanned and composited in After Effects. Some of the drawings were etched on acetate and rubbed with ink. The backgrounds were a combination of paintings, collages, and photos. The animation was rendered in HD and transfered to 35mm film.
