MINUSCULE

In a peaceful little clearing, the remains of a picnic hastily abandoned during a summer storm spark a war between two tribes of ants. At stake is a box of sugar. A bold young ladybug finds himself caught in the middle of this battle. He befriends one of the black ants and helps him save his anthill from the terrible red ant warriors. Minuscule is a family feature film with animated insects set against beautiful real-life natural settings. There will be no commentary or intelligible dialog, but lots of expressive buzzing and chirping. The soundtrack will be used to create a funny and surprising tone, with unconventional sounds. For example, some of the flying insects will be accompanied by realistic helicopter sound effects. The music will also play a very important part, including orchestral music in the style of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and others. No dubbing will be required.

Minuscule’s world is halfway between a Tex Avery cartoon and National Geographic nature documentary. The combination of animated insects and live footage serves to create an authentic cartoon atmosphere, while maintaining a naturalistic documentary feel. The film will benefit from elaborate and rich graphics which will show the viewer the insects’ universe: We will be at ground level, as if we were right alongside them. Minuscule is aimed at a very wide audience. It targets children, who will be captivated by its visual and sound universe and who can spend an amazing amount of time observing insects, but also teenagers and adults, who will be attracted by its humour, impertinence and visual aesthetics. It’s a feature film for the whole family.