User:LancedSoul/sandbox/SparkShorts films

'''NOTE: Same reason as my sandbox of Pixar short films. Plus, do NOT import the page without my permission!'''

=SparkShorts= SparkShorts is a series of American independent animated short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It consists of a program in which Pixar's employees are given six months and limited budgets to develop animated short films that were originally released on Pixar's YouTube channel, and later on Disney+. It has currently 10 short films in this series.

Purl, Smash and Grab and Kitbull, the first three shorts of the SparkShorts program, were released at SIGGRAPH on August 14, 2018, before having a limited release at El Capitan Theater on January 8, 2019. Purl was officially released on February 4, 2019, on YouTube while Smash and Grab and Kitbull were released on February 11 and 18, respectively. Subsequent shorts were released on November 12, 2019, on Disney+, beginning with Float, rather than on YouTube.

Why It Rocked

 * 1) Even through it was child friendly, it feature more mature elements and themes such as animal cruelty, autism, and homosexuality, compared to traditional Pixar feature film productions, and aren't afraid to directly show it from target audiences, although Burrow does have child-friendly elements and theme.
 * 2) Much like the feature film productions produced by the studio, they are known for their unique, interesting and creative concepts, including making each short films based on the perspective of, but not limited too:
 * 3) *yarn ball (Purl)
 * 4) *worker robots (Smash and Grab)
 * 5) *kitten and pit bull (Kitbull)
 * 6) *child's ability to fly (Float)
 * 7) *mysterious sink-hole full of floating rocks (Wind)
 * 8) *canoeing trip in an urban lake (Loop)
 * 9) *magically swapped mind (Out)
 * 10) *rabbit (Burrow)
 * 11) *insecurities of 'adulting' (Twenty Something)
 * 12) *wrestling (Nona)
 * 13) They have iconic musical compositions (except Burrow), often using composers known for live-action films or television productions, like Pixar feature films, including, but not limited too:
 * 14) *Pinar Toprak (Purl)
 * 15) *Barney Jones (Smash and Grab and Float)
 * 16) *Andrew Jimenez (Kitbull and Wind)
 * 17) *Mark Orton (Loop)
 * 18) *Jake Monaco (Out)
 * 19) *ASTU (Twenty Something)
 * 20) *Cristy Road Carrera (Nona)
 * 21) Out of all of the shorts, there are no bad short films from SparkShorts, which were very good. In fact, fans of Pixar might able to watch on Disney+.
 * 22) Much like the feature film from Pixar, there are plenty of Easter egg for short films. Also, because of this, there are also a SparkShorts nods for Pixar's feature film, like Turning Red.
 * 23) Amazing voice acting in some short movies, like Purl, Out and Twenty Something.
 * 24) Their short films have really emotions and tear-jerker moments.
 * 25) Lots of memorable characters from each different short films:
 * 26) *Purl: Purl and Lacy
 * 27) *Smash and Grab: Smash and Grab
 * 28) *Kitbull: Kitten and Kitbull
 * 29) *Float: Alex and his father
 * 30) *Wind: Ellis and his grandma
 * 31) *Loop: Renee and Marcus
 * 32) *Out: Manuel, Greg and Mom
 * 33) *Burrow: Rabbit
 * 34) *Twenty Something: Gia and Nicole
 * 35) *Nona: Nona and Renee
 * 36) 10 short films that Pixar has been created and produced:
 * 37) *2010s: Purl, Smash and Grab, Kitbull, Float and Wind.
 * 38) *2020s: Loop, Out, Burrow, Twenty Something and Nona.

Reception
The shorts in the SparkShorts program have been praised for having more mature themes than previous Pixar productions. Purl was praised by many as an allegory for gender inequality and feminism, which Meghan Mehta of Study Breaks noted was "mature for Pixar's target audience". Alex Reif of Laughing Place said that Smash and Grab is "[a] story about two workers who don't get the same luxuries as those who control them". Nick Skillicorn of Idea to Value felt that the SparkShorts program "enables the staff to flex their creative muscles in new ways, and try ideas which would never be accepted into a feature-length film aimed at families".

Videos
=Purl (Soon to be finished; set to be created in October 2023) =

Purl is a 2018/2019 American computer-animated short film directed and written by Kristen Lester with the story written by Michael Daley, Bradley Furnish, Lester, and James Robertson, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the first short released as part of Pixar's SparkShorts program. The short was previewed at SIGGRAPH on August 14, 2018, premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on January 18, 2019 and released on YouTube on February 4, 2019, and on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

Plot
An anthropomorphic ball of yarn named Purl becomes the first ball of yarn to work at a company called B.R.O. Capital, but is discriminated against by her human coworkers. Purl promptly changes her appearance and personality in order to fit in, but soon finds out it may not be the best idea to do so.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It is the first short film from Pixar's SparkShorts that overall jump-started on the high note.
 * 2) The idea of the yarn ball to work at the job is original and interesting.
 * 3) It feels least like it geared towards kids out of the entire Pixar pantheon.

Reception
TBA.

Trivia

 * It is the first SparkShorts film not to be released on Disney+.

Videos
=Smash and Grab (Soon to be finished; set to be created in April 2024) =

Smash and Grab is a 2019 American computer-animated science fiction action adventure short film directed and written by Brian Larsen, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the second film in Pixar's SparkShorts program. The short premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on January 18, 2019, before being released on YouTube on February 11, 2019. The short was also released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

Plot
Set on a futuristic Mars-like planet, two worker robots, named Smash and Grab respectively, must fight their way to freedom after choosing to escape from their exhausting work routine.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It is the first Pixar short film to feature motion-capture.

Trivia
=Kitbull (Soon to be finished; set to be created in March 2023)=

Kitbull is a 2019 American traditionally animated short film directed and written by Rosana Sullivan, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the third film in Pixar's SparkShorts program, and focuses on a fiercely independent stray kitten and an abused pit bull, who form an unlikely friendship. The short premiered at El Capitan Theatre on January 18, 2019, before being released on YouTube on February 18, 2019. The short was also released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

Plot
An independent kitten forms an unlikely friendship with an abused pit bull, whom he eventually chooses to help escape from his owners.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It was Pixar's first fully 2D short film, animated in a "paperless" traditional style.
 * 2) Has the nice lessons about how pitbulls are not bad dogs, and to never judge a dog (or any pet for that matter) by its cover.
 * 3) It has hit many right in the feels with how the two animals are basically homeless and how they long for warmth and love. The pitbull seeks out his owner's affection while the kitten sleeps in his makeshift cardboard box house nearby. The pitbull is then forced into dog fighting by his owner and is later seen being cruelly kicked out into the rain, covered in scratches. The kitten soon comes to realize he misjudged him and helps the pitbull escape his tormentors. Thankfully, after everything they go through, they finally find a kind person who adopts them and gives them a nice home, which is what they both wanted (and deserved).

Trivia

 * The last SparkShorts film not to be released on Disney+.

=Float (Soon to be finished; set to be created in December 2023)=

Float is a 2019 American computer-animated short film directed and written by Bobby Rubio, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the fourth film in Pixar's SparkShorts program, and focuses on a son's ability to fly and the choice his father must make. The short was released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

Plot
Upon discovering his son's ability to fly, a father tries to hide his son's ability from the world. When his son's ability eventually becomes public though, the father must choose between going on the run or accepting his son.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Throughout the entirety of Float, the boy's father is trying to keep his child's floating at bay due to the looks of judgement other people would give them both. After the boy frees himself from the weights placed on him and floats around a local playground, the father tries to pull him back home, with the child growing more and more fussy. It ultimately leads to the only line of spoken dialogue in the short: "Why can't you just be normal?!" The boy's silent tears and the look of regret on the father's face are especially gut-wrenching.
 * 2) *This story proves to be rather bittersweet if you think about it. Seeing the reactions of kids and parents who are weirded out or scared by the child, even after the story resolves itself, just drives home that not everybody automatically becomes accepting towards children who are 'different'. The only one who seems to accept the kid is his father. Its very sweet but they still had to go through an uphill battle just to get to this point.
 * 3) Despite the only one dialogue, the voice acting is passible for Bobby Rubio, Eli Fucile, Luna Watson and Mika Kubo.

Bad Quality

 * 1) The story could've been feature film, because the story has potential with this premise.

Trivia

 * Alex's ability to float is said to be a metaphor for most childhood related mental differences such as autism and ADD/ADHD.
 * This is the 5th Pixar short film to have dialogue (albeit just one line; "Why can't you just be normal?!").

=Wind (Soon to be finished; set to be created in May 2023) =

Wind is a 2019 American computer-animated short film directed and written by Edwin Chang, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the fifth film in Pixar's SparkShorts program, and focuses on a grandmother and grandson longing to escape an endless chasm. The short was released on Disney+ on December 13, 2019.

Plot
A grandmother and her grandson find themselves scavenging debris after being trapped together in an endless chasm, and soon realize their dream of escaping.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It is very bittersweet. The boy and his grandmother manage to build a rocket ship out of scrap found floating around in the sinkhole they live in. But upon realizing that the cockpit can only hold one person, the boy gives up as he does not want to leave his grandmother behind. The grandmother comes up with an alternative plan that involves the boy hauling her up with a tether cord tied to the ship. Upon reaching the top, he immediately realizes that something is off when he pulls on the tether cord. After spending almost the entire day pulling up the cord, he discovers that his grandmother instead tied their lunch basket of potatoes to the end. The boy can only cry as he clutches the basket and hugs it tight.
 * 2) *Even more so when you hear the story behind it. The director had made the film in honor of his grandmother, who was forcibly separated from her family during the Korean War and had to raise her children all on her own. Their story matches many other Korean- and Asian-American families, many of whom had to make many sacrifices (hence the grandmother sending the boy off with the potatoes instead of herself) in hopes that their children and grandchildren would not have to lead the life that they did.

Trivia
=Loop (Soon to be finished; set to be created in August 2024)=

Loop is a 2020 American computer-animated drama short film directed and written by Erica Milsom with the story being written by Adam Burke, Matthias De Clercq and Milsom, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sixth short film in Pixar's SparkShorts program and focuses on a chatty boy and a non-verbal autistic girl, learning to understand each other. The short was released on Disney+ on January 10, 2020.

Plot
A non-verbal girl and a chatty boy must learn to understand each other in order to fulfill a canoeing trip in an urban lake.

Trivia
=Out (Soon to be finished; set to be created in August 2023)=

Out is a 2020 American 3D animated short film directed and written by Steven Hunter, produced by Max Sachar, and distributed by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The plot features a young gay man who has not yet come out to his parents, who unexpectedly has his mind magically swapped with his dog's. The seventh short film in the SparkShorts series, it was released on Disney+ on May 22, 2020.

Plot
A young gay man who has not yet come out to his parents unexpectedly has his mind magically swapped with his dog's.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It is the first Pixar short film to feature a gay main character and storyline, including an on-screen same-sex kiss.

Trivia
=Burrow (Completed; set to be created in December 2022) =

Burrow is a 2020 American 2D animated short film written and directed by Madeline Sharafian, produced by Michael Capbarat at Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The plot features a young rabbit as she tries to build the burrow of her dreams, becoming embarrassed each time she accidentally digs into a neighbor's home. The eighth short film in the SparkShorts series, the short was released on Disney+ on December 25, 2020, alongside Soul.

Plot
A young rabbit tries to build the burrow of her dreams, becoming embarrassed each time she accidentally digs into a neighbor's home.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The premise of a young rabbit being tried to build the burrow of her dreams is original and excellent idea.
 * 2) It has as a meaningful message about accepting help when needed.
 * 3) The animation is amazing and smooth, to giving more fresh backgrounds and style. Like Kitbull, it used the fully traditional-animated instead of computer-animated short film.
 * 4) The main protagonist, a young rabbit, is very cute and likable character. She gained character development, like she becoming embarrassed each time she accidentally digs into a neighbor's home when she tries to build the burrow of her dreams. Here, the neighbor's agreed to help them for buildings the house.
 * 5) While there are no composers that has been officially credited, the music in the short contains elements that was based on that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (including the third movement of his Oboe Concerto), who was listed as a Special Thanks.
 * 6) None of the animals have any problem when the rabbit barges into their burrows, and the short ends with them helping it make its burrow bigger and better once he finally asks for their aid.

Trivia

 * This short was originally intended to be released theatrically alongside Pixar's feature-length film Soul in North America.

=Twenty Something (Soon to be finished; set to be created in February 2024)=

Twenty Something is a 2021 American 2D animated short film written and directed by Aphton Corbin, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Starring Kaylin Price, Ariana Brown, Aliyah Taylor, Janelle Lasalle, and Napoleon Highbrou, the film focuses on Gia who deals with the insecurities of being a 21-year-old by personifying her emotions in the form of three children in a trenchcoat. The ninth short film in the SparkShorts series, the short was released on September 10, 2021, on Disney+.

Plot
The film examines the challenges and insecurities of 'adulting.' Some days you're nailing it, while other days, you're just a stack of kids hiding in a trench coat, hoping no one notices. The film's protagonist is Gia, who finds herself in this exact scenario the night of her 21st birthday.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It teaches that being an adult is never easy or perfect. Everybody has a little immaturity in them and makes mistakes from time to time.
 * 2) Amazing animation, especially for the time of 2020s and Pixar standards.

Trivia
=Nona (Soon to be finished; set to be created in September 2024)=

Nona is a 2021 American computer-animated short film written and directed by Louis Gonzales, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Starring Wilma Bonet as the title character, the short focuses on Nona who desires to watch her wrestling show, but is interrupted by an unexpected visit from her young granddaughter. The tenth short film in the SparkShorts series, the short was released on September 17, 2021, on Disney+.

Plot
The film centers on a widowed grandmother who plans to spend her day off by shutting out the world to watch her favorite TV show, E.W.W. Smashdown Wrestling. However, when her five-year-old granddaughter Renee is unexpectedly dropped off, Nona is caught between her two favorite things. Renee wants to play, while the normally-doting Nona wrestles with wanting to watch the Smashdown, leading to a decisive showdown between the two, and a loving compromise.

Trivia
=See also=
 * User:LancedSoul/sandbox/Pixar short movies