Disney’s animated short film program is evolving the way the studio works

After decades of struggling to find a home away from rare roving anthology shows, animated shorts have found a new home on streaming services as with increasing importance in Netflix Y Youtube. But Disney, which has been creating animated shorts since the 1920s, still dominates the field, with series like Pixar’s. SparkShorts Y Popcorn Pixar and from Disney Animation At home with Olaf Y Short circuit keeping the format alive and growing. With the second season of Short circuit Arriving on the platform on August 4, short but memorable animated stories are on the zeitgeist right now.

“There is a charm and appeal to something that is the size of a snack,” he says. Short circuit production director Jennifer Newfield. “It also serves us well in our new fast-paced age. People want to absorb things quickly and not necessarily sit for long periods of time. In addition, it allows freedom ”, he adds. “It also allows us to fill gaps between larger projects that are still really productive. Boost crew morale: Anyone can submit a short and the whole studio knows it. I think they are comforted by the fact that it exists for them. “

Image: Disney

The second season of Short circuit it’s just five episodes, each about five minutes long, including interviews with the director. The shorts range from a poignant reflection on the passage of time to an epic prehistoric struggle. Each short has a distinctive look, different from the usual Disney animation style. That experimentation is deliberate and part of the reason Short circuit exists.

The show has actually been around Disney Animation for about six years, Newfield says, designed as an in-studio show for Disney employees. It was only with the release of Disney Plus that the shorts became available to the public. Short-form animation has always been a part of Disney, and Short circuit was created specifically to experiment throughout the entire process, from trying new ways of casting to playing with animation styles and most importantly, giving aspiring filmmakers the opportunity to step up for the first time and try their luck. at the address.

When it comes to figuring out what each individual short film looks like, Newfield says that while some filmmakers come up with different ideas about what style they want, others work backwards, first deciphering its story and then deciding how best to evoke the style. specific feelings and themes that it requires. She points to the Jacob Frey short Go home, one of this season’s shorts, which follows a young man who returns to his childhood home over many years and watches it evolve.

Image: Disney

“His main focus was time lapse and creating that real sense of the passage of time. We had to find a way not to make it out of reach and to be able to adjust it to our resources, “he explains. “So his decision to go for the flat-shaded animation version was driven by his primary goal of time-lapse. It created a world where you didn’t need to focus your eyes in the depth of a real, complete, photorealistic CG. You could focus more on how the character feels over time. “

Newfield says the filing process for Short circuit it has evolved as the study has. In this latest version of the show, filmmakers now include a visual aid in addition to their pitch scheme when they submit it, to help the committee visualize what the filmmakers want to convey.

“That really helped get a little bit more into the heads of would-be filmmakers, which we’ve really appreciated, especially when evaluating the scope and complexity, and knowing a little bit more about what they’re trying to do,” she says.

Lessons learned in Short circuit the shorts continue to inform other study projects. Newfield, who is currently working in the collaborative Afrofuturism function. Front of, says that as the program has evolved, so has its methodology, which has infiltrated other projects. For example, the launch process is a blind selection, which is relevant when it comes to finding and shaping new voices.

“The committee that evaluates pitches has no idea who is submitting them. I think that’s really unique and special for this show, ”Newfield explains. “Add another layer of people who can really put their ideas on paper without feeling like there is any judgment, or feeling like they have to present it themselves. That’s a big leap if you’ve never directed before. “

The second season of Short circuit is now available on Disney Plus.