Small Sacrifice- UArts Senior Thesis Film 

I have a theory that the vixen (female fox) lost a litter in the past. That’s why her mate seemed to be understanding at first because he knew that she was still grieving and so he was willing to humor her to keep her from going further off the deep end. However, it got to be too much for even him to take and he found that he couldn’t reason with her. He didn’t want to watch his mate starve or deprive himself of food in the process so he was forced to leave. She couldn’t bear the thought of killing the baby rabbits even when she was hungry because she’d already imprinted on them and she be experiencing the pain of losing another litter.

The animation is so perfect. I'm fighting back the tears because the bunnies left her but she accepted death. So beautiful

Actually foxes are omnivores not strict carnivores. They can eat insects, berries, fruit, acorns, corn, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms safely. There was no real need to starve herself just to avoid scaring the young rabbits. Although animal protein is an important part of a fox's diet going without it for a few weeks shouldn't cost her life. That's right I said weeks. Wild rabbits are completely independent after only three weeks.

This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase nature vs nurture. Excellent work.

To show she's willing to give her life to those rabbits whilst the other fox prefers survival- the contrast is simply amazing, and to show her death being happy after all of what happened along with the amazing animation, WOW!

Haha it's a really nice touch that someone came in from off-screen after the camera panned away, and then brushed the snow off of the fox and then took care of her and got her some food and then later everyone was reunited and happy. ... r-right? 🥺

I feel bad for the male fox though- he was a loving mate and since he’s a fox he’d naturally try to eat them, he’d be feeling super betrayed that she chose their natural prey to protect over him. I also saw a tear in his eye for like 2 seconds when he was leaving

The vixen gave up everything for those bunnies - her mate, food, and eventually her life. I love this little animation so much

Hearing my growls perfectly timed with the animation had me GASPING OMG 😭💜💜💜 you did an amazing job!!

Beautiful, although that wasn’t really a “small sacrifice”. I feel like there’s some irony there, as well as irony in the fact that while the fox protected the bunnies, the bunnies could not do anything to return the favour except leave. She gave up her life, and the best thing those rabbits did for her was leave. Sure, they sated her motherly nature, but could fox kits not have done the same? She had a mate, or at least I’d assume that’s her mate. She could have had a future with children of her own blood, and actually lived to see them grow and mature. But instead, she ended up caring more for her fluffy adopted hamburgers, and left behind by everyone she cared for. An act of immeasurable kindness, but also, a very significant sacrifice. Anything but “small”.

This is the cutest animation I have ever seen in my entire life

4:04 this is very well done. I don’t consider your own life a small sacrifice but nice film. I can clearly see the emotion of each charecter

The thing that sucks about it is, it's not like the fox didn't try to eat, she knew going for a chicken would be food for her, and the lettuce would be food for the bunnies. She was thinking smart, and considerate. It was the circumstances near the end that put her in a situation where she had no food and made that choice.

Wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. It was amazing better than amazing even. You hooked me with a small teaser on. Tik tok and this was worth the wait. You did great. I’m happy so many other people think so too!

The fact that she really loves the bunnys makes my heart warm up

Aren’t foxes omnivores

I cried. I need to watch it all over again

The animation is an absolutely beautiful piece but I wish in the end her mate came back. To show that he may not accepted everything she was doing but still cared about her and her life 🥺🥺🥺 sometimes our actions as well meaning as they are can be self destructive. She was an amazing momma bunny-fox. I hope she gets reborn as a bunny. That would be a neat ending too. I don’t want her to die 🥺

Respect to the fox

Holy hell that made me cry. I assure you, not many things are able to impact me so much.

A mothers heart , even having adopted children. Love knows no prejudice, it bonds.

I love how the frames progressively got darker as the animation continues, but at the very end, its a light purple, a peaceful colour.

The animation is beautiful and fluid. The bunnies are adorably delightful. I can tell a lot of love and hard work went into this. I was curious about the ending [spoilers] was the vixen suicidal? I ask because foxes are omnivores. She could have sustained herself for a short while on berries and eggs. Bunnies mature quickly so she would have been alive when they left. She also could have hunted at dawn and dusk when the bunnies slept. Or eaten behind a bush where they couldn't see. So it seems like she wanted to die but why?

Good animation, it touched me. How to cook rabbit in the oven. Ingredients: Ingredients: 1 rabbit (portioned or whole) 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste Fresh herbs as desired (rosemary, thyme, parsley) Instructions: Prepare the rabbit: rinse it well under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Cut the rabbit into portions or leave it whole, depending on preference. In a bowl, mix olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture onto the rabbit on all sides, ensuring it is well coated. If you have fresh herbs, add them to the rabbit for aroma and flavor. Place the rabbit on a baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven. Cook the rabbit for approximately 40-50 minutes or until it is golden brown and well cooked through. Cooking time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the rabbit pieces. Once cooked, remove the rabbit from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve the rabbit with any side dishes of your choice, such as mashed potatoes, vegetables, or fresh green salads. Enjoy your meal!

Still processing this beautiful animated message. A mother will sacrifice herself for her children. They are her life and soul. Even though the children were adopted, she was bonded to them completely. Very touching. 🌹💕

I’m going to cry, even tho those rabbits weren’t her own kind or her kids she still showed motherly instinct that’s what made me cry and be happy because she was willing to give her life for those rabbits

This was a great and bitter sweet animation and I love the idea of a fox finding a group of baby rabbits and taking care of them. It kind of shows the sacrifices that some parents make for their children. I love this whole idea and the animation itself. Great work ! 6:21

I love this!!! Its so happy but at the same time so sad!!!!

As someone who has 3 of my own bunny babies…. This hit me right in the feels

Well... this animation is interesting. I really liked the style, it's nice, soft and catches my eye at every frame. Also the whole composition feels good and never gives bad vibes even when some animals were hunted down. I truly fell in love with this style! But now for the not so beautiful part. My position has always been that nature is where morality doesn't work. But here it is not the case. I imagined if the adopted animals were the other foxes and not bunnies. Surprisingly, everything then falls into place. In the case with animation all the problems mother fox ran into was because bunnies were prey. She couldn't eat other prey because it could scare bunnies away, she lost her sleep because of hunger, *she even lost her soulmate who wanted to eat,* and finally she lost her life because of starvation (which was far from worth it). On the other hand if bunnies were foxes, it makes sense in many ways and justifies her behavior since she could give all her prey to kids and wake up at nights without a crave to eat them. This is what I consider a truly worthy sacrifice, much more meaningful and enlightening. But as it is, I feel really sorry for this mother fox because she gave away her life for the wrong purpose (on my mind). But still, great animation, I'll rewatch it many times in future!

Ngl, i'd have definitely eaten those bunnies when i got the chance. Since the Vixen had a mate, and it was this close to winter, she especially needed to store fat as it's harder to get prey in winter, and she's likely expecting kits already. What WolfQuest (Anniversary edition) has taught me, is, kill the young, feed your own instead, and hunt at every given opportunity cause you never know when you might be attacked, and wounded bad enough you can't go hunting.

Really adorable and heart touching. I nearly cried at the end.

This is the art style that I absolutely wish I had. it’s so pretty but still kind of cartoony at the same time which is something I really want! Absolutely amazing animation too!! Edit:wow 8 likes? My comments usually don’t ever get any! Thanks guys!

What a deep piece! The vixen selflessly gave up her diet for the little trio :( I do feel like she must’ve been grieving. I do like that it shows that she gave life to the soil, she fertilised it to allow a flower to grow

There is a lot that I have to say for my review about this animation, so I shall make it as short and as concise as I can make it. First off, when it comes to any student animation like this, or shorts that are made online, I think this takes my top spot in being the most impactful for a plethora of reasons. There are some things that I find that might sound a bit critical and then there are things I found that I admired and was genuinely impressed by, so without further adieu, I shall list them. Things I loved about the animation: 1. Beautifully made and fairly well organized. 2. Story paced quite well. 3. Though the characters are animalistic, they feel like genuine beings with souls and characters to them. 4. This story and animation shocked me emotionally. It is not common when I see animations that I feel emotion, but I really felt it here, as many others appear to have attested. 5. Whether it was intended or not, there are a lot of things to learn from this animation, both in terms of things good and wholesome, as well as things stark and blunt. Things I am somewhat critical of: 1. The ending, though it made sense, urked me mainly due to the vixen's actions. 2. While I believe that the story itself seemed to be a presentation on the importance of sacrifice and giving of one self to another so that they may thrive, the story could have been presented a bit differently. Anyway, here's the summary of things that could be learned from this. There's a lot in here that's worth processing and learning about. First thing's first: the charity and care you provide to another can have incredible lasting impacts on them. Another good theme from the story is that while the vixen's actions were questionable, her self control with the three baby rabbits was something to admire. Such self control was not easy to hold together and may not necessarily be justified, but it was something that many, including myself, can relate to. One more good theme that could be taken away from this was at the end, with the flower representing the vixen's grave, it could be inferred that the actions that she took to nourish and keep the baby rabbits alive was something that should not be forgotten. Who knows? Perhaps, the baby rabbits came back to that very spot, saw the flower, and could always remember that vixen on that day. Good deeds are not easily forgotten. Onto the more stark themes, I will start with one that hit me in the gut: pursuing your purpose in life should not be an obsession. To clarify, what I am trying to say is that there's a lot about life to be had, things to learn, people to interact with and befriend, places to explore and experience, to become 'someone'. This vixen threw most of those things away in trying to nourish and protect the rabbits. She lost a perhaps not perfect, but completely functional relatinoship with a fox, as well as lost her health, and then eventually, her life, to rabbits that had a low chance of survival. Another thing to take from this is, referencing the first critical point, is that a relationship that is not supported by both partners will eventually erode and crumble under its own weight. While the fox may not have had the best attitude in trying to care for his mate, the vixen appeared to not even want what he was trying to offer. He very likely felt that he was at least less important to her than the bunnies, and at worst, felt that he was without value in the bond with her entirely, so he moved on. Some might, with reason, critique me that I am treating these animals as if they were humans, and they would be partially right. The characters in here, while they certainly are animals, act in a way that is distinctly humanoid, with there being wordless arguements and gestures that partners in conflict might provide to one another in real life. The last major theme that one could take away from this is the unfortunate detail that sacrificing everything does not always make it worth it. As some people in these comments have mentioned, the cost of the sacrifice appears to have outweighed the benefits. Sure, three rabbits lived for now, but she lost the potential to have her own kits, lost her mate, her health... everything. In life, sacrifice is often necessary, but if it outweighs the benefits, all that remains is pain from feeling like things could have been done differently to reach some goal. To conclude, I am not attempting to diss on this project. Though, I confess, I am urked by the ending of the story, it provided so many things worth thinking about and learning about! The feeling of getting punched in the gut and feeling sorrowful is far from common in my experience. The impact of this story was astounding! From learning more about the value of life and charity for others, the importance of having two partners build each other up in a relationship, among other things, this was... beautiful in teaching all of this, whether or not it was intended. I don't know how many people will agree with what I have described and perhaps they learned other things I did not pick up on, but I wanted to share my thoughts here either way. To the animator of this story, well done and thank you!

I see many people are confused why the film is called "Small Sacrifice" despite the sacrifice the vixen made being huge. I feel like, considering her love for the baby rabbits, she viewed the sacrifices she made for them as "small", even though they were not small from an outside perspective. This is possibly why the film is called Small Sacrifice!

This is AMAZING!!! The poor fox, it gave up literally everything for those poor bunnies.

:'( this was a great animation but it pulled my heart

Spine tingling, heart wrenching, genre defining, character driven, gemerald

I love how the change in color scheme helps to accentuate the overall story. Small detail that most animators overlook.

This is just amazing. I hope you go on to create more, because this is just- let me give a list of how this is better than Disney. Firstly, the animation is amazing, you practically redraw each of them in every frame if one moves a BIT! the lines are amazing, I mean, lines! You have to redraw those then put in color! Secondly, the shading! You make the shading look amazing, again, even with the frames done over and over, and having to redraw it when you move the character! And lastly, the plot! Even if you don’t tell us the plot itself, you give us an amazing outline of what it is through this! That’s lastly bc I could go on and on- goodbye now.

The ending was so wholesome. Made me cry.🥲

Nature and nurture, loss and compassion. This was amazing! 💕🦊🐇🐇🐇 Most foxes are omnivorous, and could make do with the same diet as a herbivore for a while, but that realism would make for a less interesting and contrasting story. I could imagine an alternative version where the nurturing vixen begins to wither over time, knowing full well that she would eventually perish should she continue to avoid what her nature drives her to.

This shows the true love from mother❤

Очень трогательно то что леса заботилась о них совсем не думая о себе и в тоже время очень жалко ее. Спасибо большое то что зделали эту анимацию ❤️💕

The way her heart was racing because she was so hungry! 🥺🥺🥺

it's so cute and expressive, i really loved the animation so much i still wanted a happy ending, i couldn't help but appreciate the cuteness

I thought this was pretty good. I've been observing a student animation production for quite some time now, and I have more respect for those who take the time to make animated shorts. I hope to make my own someday.

how are you so underrated?! 240 subs ONLY??? you seem like those animators with at LEAST 100k. this is incredible!

This movie brings me an emotion I can't name exactly... it's hurtful to see the end, how the Vixen looks so skinny after carrying for the cute bunnies... still I can't stop watching it repeatedly... sometimes I can't take it though... the little bunnies having their lettuce before they realize the Vixen can't afford another day... their tremulous eyes as they face her falling out... it strikes me so badly I even feel like I'm about to puke...I wonder why would such a random animation have this effect on me... anyway, congratulations to the creators... I don't really enjoy all these feelings, but I'm still grateful for this work... also I don't think the title fits quite well to the movie, the Vixen gives everything including her life to see those bunnies thriving... the sacrifice is so huge and painful to see

I really like this story. And I feel for that male fox. The look on his face when she brings the litter into the den, is priceless. And then when she is feeding, the food... And when she lets the squirrel food get away, And the last straw when she turns on him, like "F this shit, I'm out. I don't know what just happened, and I don't care, F this shit, I'm out!" And he's out. lol

This broke my heart. Nice film!

this made me cry 😭😭😭 yall did an amazing job i was so sad becuse the female fox gave her life up for the tiny rabbits and she lost her mate and everything she didn't even eat becuse she didn't want to eat the rabbits or scare them by eating meat, and i feel as this is a sad animation.even if so it probably took atleast a while to make,Or no Time at all.ya see i love foxes and this is very emotional for me and this kind female fox gave her life up for the rabbits,lost her mate,and lied down to rest in peace and let her soul free.even making this comment i started to cry a little.Every good job guys.if this happend in real life i would cry every day becuse of that fox because she gave all her love and emotion to those three rabbits ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤✨😭😭😭😭✨✨✨👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😖😖😖😚👍🏻👍🏻

This was the most beautiful video I have ever seen. It touches down deep, and shows how far a mother is willing to go for her children (yes, I know they aren't really her babies, but she took care of them after the male kinda ate the mother bunny). It showed the various struggles and shows the sacrifices people will make for those they love and care about. I hope you don't mind, but I would love to share this with my friends and family, as I feel they would love to see this.

She has a kind heart for everything to protect those little one so I can't believe she sacrifice herself to everything is kind to all animal

Amazing video. Hesrt wrenching and beautiful.

I loved this animation! Though it was sad to see the fox pass,the fact she gave her life for the rabbits warms me a bit on the inside.

That was anything but a small sacrifice. I would not hesitate to eat them. That's just the way the world works.

Omg im a therian and this was one of the best films ive watched thank you ❤❤❤

And what a beautiful, touching and noble sacrifice it was.

This is awesome! I personally think that I would’ve preferred the ending of the rabbits sacrificing themselves to the mama fox, seeing how much she is suffering from taking care of them. And of course at first she would be hesitant to eat them, but then realize that if she wants to survive, it is what she must do. The bunnies would also be fine with this in a thanks for saving them, at the mama fox could’ve just ate them but she didn’t. Overall this was a good movie and I really loved it! I just wanted to say and alternate ending that I think would’ve wrapped up the story better, in a more meaningful way. But that’s just my opinion.

Her mate killed the Momma, for food, and she takes care of them, and starves, knowing that it would horrify and traumatize the babies to see her eat another animal. She sees the baby is trusting and happy in it's sleep and it brings her back to a higher level of consciousness when she sees this, after almost going mad and suffering from the pain of hunger. She took care of them as the mother they killed would have, till they could go out on their own. She takes comfort in seeing them strong and old enough to take care of themselves and go out on their own, even as both her and the babies are reluctant to leave each other, but now she can afford herself the luxury of feeling relieved and being at peace. She made it long enough to see them be able to go out on their own. And she is vindicated... freed from the guilt over taking the babies mother away from them. There is no greater love than this. Complete with self sacrifice and redemption. It was beautifully done. like one of Jesus' parables...

a very beautiful and sad animation. the art is amazing and so is the animation. great job! this was definitely worth pausing my music to watch.

The lack of words honestly adds to this. None of them needed to say anything and yet you still understood what was going on

Emotional, I love the amazing animations! Definitely a 5 star, part 2 maybe? Feels a tiny bit unfinished without a part 2, but totally up to you!

I tried to hold back my tears, it was so hard. The animation was amazing, but how the fox sacrificed himself made me just so....I have no words to describe this, this is SO amazing!

2:16 Look at how the male fox looks from left to right. "Hey are you going to miss the squirrel?!Fine I'll get it."

This is literally the best short animation I have ever seen

Your fox designs are sooo cuteee! Loved it!! That shot where she almost goes to eat them is so good. Loved the expression in her face ah.

If only the world was like this video which I almost cried watching excellent job

It’s cute, it’s sad and it adorable. Love the animation!

They are so freaking *adorable!* 💖

I love this so much! I love the symbolism with the colours being bright and vibrant at the beginning and it gets dark and desaturated at the end, I love how you used the snow at the end to show the passage of time and the facial expressions are amazing! It's so impressive that you can tell a story with practicality no dialogue and get the message through flawlessly purely through body language and facial expressions! This deserves so many awards

She was dumb for getting attached in the first place. They wouldnt have lost the relationship, she wouldnt have lost to hunger and they probably could have had a fulfilling life with cubs. She thought with her heart rather than her brain, not good when you need to survive.

I think baby bunnies are cute, but ain't no way I would give up my life to save one. Sure I would save a litter of baby bunnies if I saw them and had the means to do so, but if crap hit the fan and I ran out of food, you best believe they'd be up on the chopping block. Regardless, the animation was so beautiful and well done. This was on par with disney. There were a couple of scenes that looked like they came straight out of The Fox and the Hound, just with a different breed of fox

Cassie you r so so talented! You will definitely go far! The Ventres r so proud of you. Love Mrs Ventre

Wonderful animation! such a touching story, this fox girl is so cute! I love it.😢😍🦊

3:56 he just went UwU

The bunnies are so cuteeee😭

This was very beautiful, with a bittersweet ending. I usually don't tear up for things easily but...

This is very beautiful! I love the lighting and the story! This is a beautiful story, very well done. She gave her life for those helpless bunnies. This is simply fantastic! It is a extravagant story that I wouldn't be able to put into even the longest book.

Such an Amazing Film where the Name especially comes into play. Nice Work!

As beautiful is the animation and cute-sad the story is, I can't stop thinking about the fact that fox aren't strict predators, they are omnivores and would definitivelly eat berries, and even some human's crops or vegetables if needed, she could have eaten this salad (even tho, well, it's not very high on calories and wouldn't have been enough)

That was so sad, I loved this, its so good, I like these sort of things where it really makes you care about the characters!

So beautifully done!!

El amor de una madre , adoptiva o no , no c compara con nada , es único y especial

I couldn't stop crying after watching the vid

That was the most beautiful important Motherhood animation I’ve ever seen Great Work 😎👍👍🏆

This can’t be the end we need part 2

golden. i love the music background . i can't believe animal sacrifice was a thing.

I cried while watching this

I love the detail of how the female fox seems to be getting thinner and weaker overtime, judging by the rib lines on her stomach at that one point and her shaky movement at other certain parts. This was also just really sad, rip fox

This is so cute and fantastic story!!!!!! ❤❤❤

Honestly this is a really good one the sound was perfect and also touching made me cry 😭 after the baby bunnies left on their own thank you for this shot video 🎉

Well...now some trio of bunnies know how to hunt for prey, so that's a problem. But other than that concern, this was a perfect animation, from the music, to the sound effects, and the story telling without saying a word. Its amazing!

This was a beautiful animation 😭I had a doubletake on the thumbnail though, I thought something was wrong with the fox’s neck or something, it took me a solid minute to realize the placing

Ohh why do these short animation always have end on a sad note. Great show either way! Really catches the sacrifices parents go through for their kids. I hope to see more stuff from you in the future.

Beautiful, but now I want to cry 😢

Awe what a master piece great job!!!

Omg this film was beautiful and well done, the animation was so good! Omg the noises and everyone, the art ahhh! Beautiful work really! Even the story! I almost cried in tears! 😭 I so relate with the fox, if i found babies like that and I was a fox or a predator, i would do the same thing!