This was some recommended viewing I was given in a tutorial, as it fits with the ethereal effects I was trying to achieve through my tracing paper layered backgrounds and they reminded my tutor of this short film. I think Yuri captures this ethereal vibe better than my attempts do, but I'm not sure of the technique he used. In some sources it mentions him using real smoke to create the fog, which seems simple but in reality would be incredibly difficult to control. Another source says that the fog effect was created in a similar method I've been using, which was to hold a sheet of very thin paper over the scene, drawing it up frame by frame until the scene went blurry. This is a technique used a lot in shadow puppetry and would work very well. I wish I had thought of this for my backgrounds instead of relying on a static image. It would have made them look more misty and mysterious.
I love the detailed and visually complex textures against the blankness of the fog. It's just really, really beautiful. My favourite image is the tree fading into the mist and also the 'Someone' in the water. In typical Russian animation style, I feel like there is a lot of symbolism going on that I'm unaware of. The film has a melancholic feel to it throughout and the fog seems like a character or entity in itself, it crowds the frames and I felt myself constantly anxious for the safety of the hedgehog because of that looming presence. All in all, it's just stunning to watch and
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