Pixar is launching a new animation division focused on developing experimental shorts, perhaps in response to the mixed critical response to their two most recent features The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory.
Through this “internal, experimental storytelling initiative” the studio aims to “create short films without executive oversight, to explore new creative visions and increase studio opportunities.” The division was first revealed as part of a list of talks set to take place in Los Angeles this August.
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The panel, entitled “Off-The-Rails Filmmaking at Pixar,” will detail the studio’s six-month journey to creating experimental shorts “with limited resources, amidst the backdrop of a busy studio, juggling multiple feature productions.”
The first film to come from the department is titled Smash and Grab.Details of the film’s contents have not been revealed as yet but Brian Larsen, who worked on Pixar’s Oscar-winning short Piper and served as story supervisor on 2012’s Brave, is set to direct.
In recent years we’ve watched Pixar lean a little too heavily on sequels, but this new venture marks a welcome return to the studio’s innovative roots. The news is a clear indication of Pixar’s continued commitment to the artistry and creative development of animated filmmaking, and we’re certainly excited to see what else they have in store.
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