Filmmakers behind Pixar’s SparkShorts “Burrow,” “Out,” “Float,” “Loop” and “Wind” will discuss their work in a free online PreVIEW talk presented by the VIEW Conference, beginning at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, Feb. 26. “Burrow” and “Out” are on the Academy’s shortlist for Oscar nominations.
The SparkShorts program was begun by Pixar in 2019 as a way for the studio’s staff to work on personal projects with limited studio oversight while exploring unique story ideas and storytelling techniques and testing new workflows.
“The Pixar SparkShorts program has already proven itself to be an inspiring way to nurture talent,” says VIEW Conference director Maria Elena Gutierrez. “I am thrilled that these five talented directors will be joining us at our special VIEW Conference PreVIEW event to talk about their work and offer further inspiration to aspiring artists and professionals alike.”
Madeline Sharafian, story lead on Disney-Pixar’s “Onward” and storyboard artist on “Coco,” directed the 2D “Burrow,” which tells the story of a young rabbit overcoming an array of obstacles while building her dream underground home.
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“Out,” directed by Stephen Clay Hunter, follows Greg, who is struggling to tell his parents important news and gets some help from his excitable dog. Hunter is an animator and animation supervisor who has worked on a number of Pixar films, including “A Bug’s Life,” “Finding Nemo” and “Toy Story 4.”
Bobby Alcid Rubio directed “Float,” the story of a father who learns to deal with his young son’s special ability. Rubio has been a story artist at Pixar since 2007, and before that was a comic book artist and also worked on Disney animated features such as “Pocahantas,” “Hercules” and “Mulan.”
“Loop,” directed by Erica Milsom, follows a talkative boy and a non-verbal autistic girl as they learn to communicate with each other. Milsom is a documentary filmmaker who worked on behind-the-scenes stories for such Pixar films as “Ratatouille,” “Up” and “Inside Out.” She’s also known for her independent films, including “So Much Yellow.”
Edwin Chang directed “Wind,” about a grandmother and grandson looking for a way out of the chasm where they live in search of a better life. Chang, who started at Pixar in 2005 as a global technology intern, is a simulation artist and supervisor working on such films as “Up,” “Inside Out” and current hit “Soul.”
PreVIEW events are being planned for each month of the year leading up to the VIEW Conference, which will begin on Oct. 17. To register for this free event, visit the VIEW Conference website.
The VIEW Conference is held in Turin, Italy, each fall, bringing together an array of top professionals in computer graphics, interactive and immersive media, animation, visual effects, games, virtual reality and much more. The conference is set to take place Oct. 17 through Oct. 22, both virtually and in-person at the OGR venue in Turin.
