Over the years,Pixar Animation Studiohas managed to earn a very important place in the film industry. The creative skills of this studio, which has gifted audiences with memorable films such asToy Storyandgroundbreaking movies likeLuca, among countless others, cannot be denied. Besides these feature-length productions, Pixar has been working over the years in shorter, though no less impressive and heartwarming formats. Pixar short films, in fact, have been and continue to be an essential part of the experience of watching one of Pixar’s films in theaters. FromToy Storyto their most recent production, every Pixar animated movie was accompanied by a short film that wrapped the audience in exciting stories about the mysteries of life, love and nature. The vast majority of these shorts, moreover, were nominated for multiple awards, even winning a number of them. The shortLuxo Jr., for instance, written and directed by John Lasseter, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Pixar’s first animated short,The Adventures of Andre and Wally B., was released in 1984, kicking off this trend of creating short films to test and develop Pixar’s animated technology. In addition to the shorts that accompany the films during each release, nowadays, one can find numerous short productions on the Disney+ streaming platform. Most likely, the company’s upcoming filmsTurning RedandLightyear, both in collaboration with Disney, will come with new shorts alongside. In the meantime, let’s take a look at Pixar’s best animated shorts.
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James Ford Murphy directed this animated short that was released in 2015 alongside the feature filmInside Out.Lavais inspired by the beauty of tropical islands and oceanic volcanoes. The music that accompanies the short was developed from a version of the well-known song “Over the Rainbow” from the filmThe Wizard of Ozand as a tribute to Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s performance of the song.Lavafollows the story of Uke, a lonely volcano who lives on a tropical island in the Pacific. There, he witnesses all the animals living happily with their partners, and he suffers because this does not happen to him. Faced with such a situation, Uke decides to lift up his wishes with a song to the ocean, asking that one day he might find love. His lava gradually fades over the years, as do his expectations. However, Uke is unaware that Lele, another volcano, is being forged beneath the depths of the ocean and falling in love with him through his song. Finally, Lele’s rise to the surface brings them both to their happily ever after.
This short film was directed by John Lasseter and made its debut in 1986 at the SIGGRAPH Conference in Dallas, Texas. Lasseter had already worked as animator for the studio’s first short film, and forLuxo Jr.the studio decided to try new digital animation techniques.This short is, to this day, one of the company’s best-known pieces of work, and the inspiration for its iconic logo. This two-minute film, eventually re-released in theaters withToy Story 2in 1999, features Luxo Sr., a large lamp, and Luxo Jr., a shorter and younger lamp, and their interaction as they play with a ball on a desk. This short was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short due to its great innovations, such as its use of shadows for the characters. In 2014,Luxo Jr.was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
5For The Birds
This thought-provoking story about embracing others earned Pixar its third Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.For The Birdspremiered at the Annecy Film Festival in France in 2000, and a year later returned to the big screen to join the premiere ofMonsters, Inc. This short film, directed by Ralph Eggleston, takes place on a telephone wire and chronicles the story of a group of little birds who find themselves resting alongside a larger bird. None of them likes the big bird, so, after teasing him, they attempt to chase him away. Finally, with the help of their sharp beaks, they manage to get it to fall to the ground, without realizing that due to the bird’s weight they would all be shot upwards, something that happens very quickly and causes them to lose all their feathers. This was not the last time we came across these cute little birds because, surprisingly, they appeared years later inCars, when Lightning McQueen heads to California for the big final race.
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4Day And Night
Day’s encounter with Night is quite eventful. Both are fearful and distrustful of each other, and they both believe themselves to be possessing all the best qualities. However, as they discover each other’s talents, they both realize that their contrasting worldviews can be complementary and even beneficial, and so a friendly relationship is born between them.Day and Nightwas directed by Teddy Newton in 2010 and was featured in theaters alongsideToy Story 3. It has become one of Pixar’s best productions for several reasons, among them the outstanding combination of 2D and 3D animation elements and the expressive musical composition by Michael Giacchino.
3Geri’s Game
This animated short was directed by Joe Pinkava in 1997, and released in November 1998 alongsideA Bug’s Life’sfeature film debut.Geri’s Gamewon an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It tells the story of Geri, a lovable old man, playing a game of chess with himself in an empty park at mid-autumn. This man moves from one side of the table to the other trying to conquer the board, while putting on and taking off his glasses, impersonating two different players. As the game progresses, the character makes the viewer think that, at times, they are two different people playing, especially when he tries to trick himself when confronted with his opponent’s imminent check. Finally, the game’s grand prize ends up in his hands: his opponent’s false teeth.
A Chinese mother experiences the mourning of the empty nest when her son grows up and leaves home. She gets a chance to go through motherhood again when one of the dumplings she was preparing unexpectedly comes to life. However, the woman soon realizes that nothing is little forever. This short film that reflects on family love has a happy ending and leaves the audience with a valuable lesson: children must leave sooner or later, but the healthiest way to cope with this new stage is to stay together and communicate.
Premiered during theIncredibles 2screening,Baois the first Pixar short film written and directed by a woman, Domee Shi, and has won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Piperis one of Pixar’s best animated shorts because, in addition to having lifelike animation, it is about conquering and overcoming fears with the help of an adorable main character. It also shows the significant role of parents being responsible for fostering their children’s development, while also giving them space to grow and learn.The short film was released in 2016 prior toFinding Dory’s premiere. It was directed by Alan Barillaro and won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
