Summary
- Pixar's beloved tradition of creating theatrical short films dates back to 1984, evolving from simple technological showcases to complex emotional stories.
- The recent shift towards releasing varied shorts on Disney+ instead of theaters includes SparkShorts, created by employees with a challenging set of rules.
- While fans hope for a return to the tradition of shorts playing before feature films, Pixar's collection of diverse and innovative short films is available on Disney+.
Pixar's theatrical short films are one of the studio's most beloved traditions, and they can trace their roots all the way back to 1984. Pixar has produced 20 official short films in total, most of which played in theaters before their feature films. The studio has recently deviated from this model, with more varied shorts now being released on Disney+ rather than in theaters. These new films include stories related to classic Pixar movies, and SparkShorts, which are produced by employees with the challenge of a set budget and time limit.
Pixar's last official short film was 2018's Bao, which played before Incredibles 2 in theaters. Many fans are hopeful that the studio will reinstate this tradition for Pixar's upcoming projects, but there has been no indication that this is imminent. Pixar's first short films were all about exploring and developing the medium of computer-generated animation, but they soon developed into more complex stories that could be laugh-out-loud funny or more tender and emotional.
Pixar's short films are all available on Disney+.
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20 The Adventures Of André & Wally B. (1984)
No theatrical release
The Adventures of André & Wally B. was Pixar's very first short film, back when it was still known as the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Project. By today's standards, it looks, frankly, terrible, but this represented a groundbreaking technological leap 40 years ago. The film follows a strange blue boy with a red hat who wakes from a nap in the woods to find a pesky bee floating in front of his face.
The film wasn't produced to entertain big audiences like Pixar's modern shorts. It was just an exercise in developing technology and showcasing different animation techniques. In that regard, it was a roaring success, but The Adventures of André & Wally B. does very little for modern audiences who aren't interested in the history of animation or the humble beginnings of Pixar.
19 Red's Dream (1987)
No theatrical release
Like many of John Lasseter's early Pixar shorts, Red's Dream is more of an experiment in animation than anything else. There are a few hints which suggest that Lasseter was poking at the boundaries of the technology and his own artistic skill. Red's Dream includes juggling, raindrops falling in a puddle, and dramatic shadows, all of which show a steady development from Pixar's first short film.
Red is a unicycle relegated to the dark corner of a bicycle shop, marked at 50% off, presumably because they have 50% of the desired number of wheels for a bicycle. Red dreams of performing with a clown, but they wake up from this fantasy and solemnly squeak back to the corner. It's an uncharacteristically sad ending for Pixar, but this emotional ending saves an otherwise uninteresting short.