Pixar’s Experimental Short Division Reveals First Images For ‘Smash And Grab’

PixarandNeill Blomkampseem to have the same, exciting idea — when you’re in a creative rut, turn to the thing that helped you break onto the scene in the first place: short films.

We learned in May that Pixar would be getting in touch with their roots by launching anexperimental short film division.Now we get a sneak peek at the fruits of their labors with the first images from the division’s first film, which is titledSmash and Grab.

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Pixar exploded on the filmmaking scene with their revolutionary shortsThe Adventures of André and Wally Band the Academy Award-winningLuxo JRin the 1980s, which ushered in a new era for 3D animation. Since then, they’ve released beloved short films to accompany their feature films, themselves award-winning and revolutionary.

But then Pixar started to lose its edge in the animation industry, as Disney — which acquired Pixar in 2006 — gained on it creatively and commercially, eventually overtaking Pixar at awards season. 2016 was a prime example of this turning point, with Disney producing the critically acclaimedMoanaandZootopia, the latter of which won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, and Pixar’s only filmFinding Dory— itself a late sequel to one of its early greats — receiving tepid reception and no awards love.

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So it’s exciting to see Pixar return to what made them great, with an experimental short film department that will nurture new creative minds and stories. Pixar artist and producerDavid Lallyseems to be the first to kick off this new era, revealing on Twitter the images from division’s namesake,Smash and Grab.

Smash and Grabis directed byBrian Larsen(Piper,Brave) and produced by Lally (BorrowedTime). Below is the text in the SIGGRAPH description of the panel introducingSmash and Graband its department:

Here are the larger versions of the images that Lally posted.

More will be revealed aboutSmash and Grabat this year’s SIGGRAPH conference, the annual gathering on computer graphics,July 30 to August 3in Los Angeles.