Through the eyes of a fox

An odd character for a meaningful animation story, a fox in an imaginary world.

BA (Hons) Animation graduate Ana Camelia Cojan, who came from Romania to study at Solent, explains the inspiration behind her final year project.

Tell us about your final year project

I wanted to explore why foxes have eyes that look glassy and fake. Adnexa Oculi is a short film illustrating the dialogue between Marcia and Jal - two anthropomorphic foxes - that strive to better understand their culture, while hiding from an unknown danger in an underground cavern. The narration follows a fox kit from birth to its immediate release into the wilderness, and concludes with an explanation of how the kit receives its glassy eyes.

What was the inspiration behind your project?

From the beginning of my third year, my aim was to create an entertaining and original film that would stand out. In many stories foxes represent characters that are devious and sly but I personally see them as being quite graceful and mysterious. I partly took inspiration from children’s fables and I wanted to construct a film that would interpret the aspect that I found the most mysterious about foxes - their eyes.

 

What have you enjoyed most about your time at Solent?

I enjoyed my first year at Solent the most. I absolutely loved the way our course focused on teaching us traditional drawing including; rules of perspective, anatomical knowledge, experience with a mix of media and the principles of animation. We were encouraged to experiment and it gave me great pleasure to be at Solent for such an all-round experience.

What’s next for you?

I had initially planned to create two short films for my final year project but I chose to focus on Adnexa Oculi half way through the year. I would love to finish my other film and perhaps get the chance to showcase my work at animation festivals.

Is there any advice you’d give to other students?

I encourage other students to be ambitious and critical with their film ideas and animation techniques. Time management is certainly a key principle for successfully completing a project and scheduling should be a priority.

Are you an animator in the making? Join us on our BA (Hons) Animation course. 

Have a look at other visual artworks from Ana: