The UPA film I chose is a short one by the name of “The Magic Fluke”. It was one of UPA’s earlier releases and tells the tale of a fox and a crow duo that have a nightclub act, but the fox gets offered a better job and takes it while he leaves the crow behind. The crow becomes poor, but gets a magic wand and gives it to the fox during one of his shows and things begin to go wrong. The film wraps up with the crow swooping in and saving the show so that he can get his job and status back.
The cartoon modern style in this film is effective because it combined with some of the more realistic backgrounds creates a fun but experimental environment that UPA is known for and is widely received. I believe that the film would succeed the most with this style- it contributes to the vibe and plot of the film, like the theater atmosphere and the night backgrounds.
The second film I chose to contrast this is called “Song Of Nature” made by Elin Lynn on YouTube. It’s very short, but made from a mix of beautiful watercolors and soft digital drawings. I picked this film specifically to contrast against The Magic Fluke because it’s EXTREMELY different and if this film was made in cartoon modern, I believe that it would take away from the overall pastel vibe and cute story that the short film is trying to portray. I believe that both films used styles that are very fitting for what they’re trying to tell a story about in their own respective ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x0P-l0hsHM
CITATIONS:
Elin Lynn. “Song of Nature 1 | Watercolor Animated Short Film by Elin Lynn |Art|Aesthetics.” YouTube, 20 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x0P-l0hsHM. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
“The Magic Fluke (Short 1949) – Plot – IMDb.” IMDb, 2024, www.imdb.com/title/tt0041618/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
Julio55. “The Magic Fluke (1949).” YouTube, 21 May 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgVr4ez8P1A. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.