photos: ©2014 Disney.
On my recent press trip with Disney and ABC, I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with the creator and Director of the Disney short "Feast". He provided some insight about what exactly goes into creating a short film - from concept to pitching the idea to the studio to the animation process. I don't think the average person could even fathom how much time, effort and manpower it takes to create a 6 minute short. It gave me a whole new outlook and appreciation for the magic that goes into making Disney animated films.
The idea behind "Feast" came from Osborne who documented all of the dinners he ate in 2012, conveying how the food we eat, and the setting which we eat it, tells a story about us. His photos came together to form a short video collection and Osborne thought this could be the basis of an animated short. Prior to working on this project, Osborne had worked on "Bolt", "Tangled", 2012’s Oscar-winning short “Paperman”, and was tapped as co-head of animation on "Big Hero 6" - but his plans changed when Walt Disney Animation Studios created a new shorts program and he pitched the idea to tell a story about a family from the perspective of their dog, with a large focus on the meals they eat. The short was green-lit in October of 2013, and Osborne spent the next nine months working on the project in order for it to premier on June 10, 2014 at Annecy. "Feast" also opened in theaters ahead of "Big Hero 6" on November 7, 2014.
photo courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios
After we heard about the concept behind "Feast," Osborne told us about how the project became green-lit and the many, many details that went into making this short. Personally, when I watch Disney animated films, I'm transported into another time and another place, with magnificent characters that just seem perfect in their creation - like they were just always meant to be there and I get a special glimpse into their lives. I'd never thought about how much time and brainpower goes into every single decision regarding the stories, characters, and worlds that are created. For example, take Winston, the Boston Terrier that "Feast" is centered upon. After seeing the short, you can't imagine any other breed being used, yet there were many to choose from. They had to decide which breed would be best to animate and how they could translate the dog's movements and expressions to bring the story that they wanted to tell to life. Osborne even showed us footage from them bringing in real Boston Terriers and filming them recreating scenes from their story boards. It's those details that give the animators more insight into creating realistic portrayals of the characters in their films.
Patrick Osborne, photo courtesy of Jen from @lovesmytwoboys
Osborne then went on to tell us about the animation system used to create "Feast". While watching the short, I noticed that the animation wasn't what I was used to seeing in Disney films, and it had more of a hand-drawn character, but I didn't spend THAT much time thinking about it. Osborne told us that they used a special technique in creating "Feast" so it appeared more "paper-like" in the edges and it wasn't completely crisp or like the computer generated animation we've been used to seeing in recent years. While it wasn't something I thought about while watching, looking back upon it, the animation style certainly set the tone for the short and the way I felt while watching it and afterwards.
He also told us about the challenge of making the food featured in the film recognizable and appetizing, and that they did a lot of eating during the animation process. They decided to keep Winston and the food as the focal point of the film, while the human characters were generally out of frame or out of focus. Winston and the food he was eating were the story tellers of "Feast" and it was brilliant. There are only a few times when the humans are fully in-scene and one of those is during their wedding. Osborne let us in on a little secret - the animator creating this sequence went on his personal Facebook page and found an image of Osborne and his wife during their wedding, and she chose his wife's dress as the one that character would be wearing in the short. That's another thing I LOVE about Disney movies - the "Easter Eggs". There are so many little touches added by the animators and directors where they weave their personalities and past projects into their current films. It's so fun trying to spot them!
If you haven't seen "Feast" and dear little Winston yet, you're in for a real treat with the in-home release of Big Hero 6 on 2/24/15. Here's a trailer for you in the meantime:
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Disclosure: I participated in this interview on a press trip with Disney and ABC. All opinions are my own.
Nicole K says
How sweet that he took parts of his own life an added them in. I like that he used a pic of his wives wedding dress, that will always means something to him. What a great way to share their special day. He sounds like he is really sweet. The clip looks likes it's going to be good for the whole family.