Micky Mousing

‘Mickey Mousing’ is a film technique commonly found in animation that syncs the accompanying music with the actions on screen.  It is where the music almost completely works to mimic the animated motions of the characters. Mickey Mousing may use music to reinforce an action by mimicking its rhythm precisely. For example someone slipping on a banana skin whereby we hear a descending scale followed by a cymbal crash, thus helps is easily understand the event occurring. This can also be just as effective if used imaginatively throughout the film but it is preferred, if using this artistry to use it in the childlike manor by mimicking the exact actions or event.

Many critics and film composers look down upon Mickey Mousing with the idea being that it is lazy, cheap and old fashioned for a soundtrack to ape the visuals, but with composers this effect is still in use in movies, mainly within animated film. At times, it is nice that we don’t really notice the music but at other times it may be more important for the music to have more of an impact. The technique of Mickey Mousing is a very obvious way to help the viewer relate to what is going on onscreen, by patronizing the audience but if used well and in a creative way, the results achieved can be rewarding. 

An example of this is within an old Popeye cartoon where nearly all the onscreen action has it’s own musical note or phrase. Like at 0.31 when ‘Popeye’ is observing the man on a boat, we see micky mousing in its entirety as we hear the ascending and descending of sound going through on a string instrument as he shakes his pan. As well as this, at this point within the animated film we see him change to turning an orange grinder and the sound jumps in a swirly loop formation using some sort of wind instrument.

Popeye the sailor man featuring 'Mickey Mousing'

 

Mickey Mousing is not only used in cartoons, but in live action too. Here a clip from the 1933 film, King Kong where the ‘grabs’ and the ‘stabs’ are in sync with the music. This scene at uses Mickey mousing effectively as it exaggerates the movements of both Jack and King Kong, in the beginning it uses a series of screeches made by string instruments to show the drastic movements in the scene from the stabbing movements made by Jack and when King Kong surrenders. It is also used when Jack goes to move away, a note is plucked after each step he takes.

King Kong featuring 'Mickey Mousing'

Mickey-Mousing can be difficult to listen to outside of the film because it can disrupt the flow of the music. But when done properly, it can really enhance a scene and make for a really interesting listen. For example within Tom and Jerry a lot of descending and ascending sounds are made using  woodwind instrument going from high pitch to a low pitch in a scale sequence to project the cartoons movements. A scene which displays this (0.33s) is when Tom removes the pillow from Jerry causing Jerry to fly into the air and fall quickly. This motion is supported by a quick swift rising sound of a high pitched whistle instrument. Another scene following this at 0.44s where Tom sends jerry sliding down’ the hammock into a puddle of water, this is heard and affected by the contrasting sound moving in a triad sequence but ascending upscale in a high pitched manor. This motion would normal be supported by a declination in sound moving it down scale to mimic the effect of Jerry sliding downwards, but to create suspense and to capture the audience’s attention, this contrasting affect is used.  This artistry is effective is this animated film because the music imitates the actions that are happening on the screen so it emphasises the movements of the characters.

 

 

 

 

The same applies to this Looney tunes clip as ‘Daffy duck’ fights character ‘Elmer’ in a boxing ring whereby all the punches and blows are mimicked by sound created by various instruments. For example at 4.24s, ‘Daffy’ punches ‘Elmer’ upwards in the jaw sending him up, where the sound that demonstrates this mimicked that of what is heard at fairs where a high pitched ascending sound is made. As well as this at 4.27s we hear a big bass resonating boom sound where he gets hit in the stomach. This reinforces the action and moment within the animated film.

 

In a slapstick cartoon, this can be used as a complete substitute for the normal sound effects. In live action this is more commonly used alongside the normal sound effects, making it seem like a choreographed dance. In either case the effect is usually comedic, whether this was intentional or not, which is why the term is often used as a pejorative in film scoring circles. While it was prevalent in the early days of animation due to how efficient it was for the animators to time the animation to, it soon became derided as cliché and corny, and its usage decreased considerably in the following years.