Keeping It Simple

As a person who is seeking to train in the craft of screenwriting, watching these Pixar short films was very beneficial. I’ve been trying to decipher for a while how Pixar has been so successful, and I now realize that it is because of their simplicity. They do the little things well. Each Pixar short we watched today just captured a slice of life, and it was animated to the max. Luxor Jr. showed the relationship between a parent and child. Geri’s Game demonstrated an old man’s strange pastime. Knick Knack showed the struggle of a lonely snowman looking for love. For the Birds was about another bird being shunned and justice being served.

            I’ve learned by watching these films that short videos don’t have to have elaborate screenplays. Sometimes the most powerful and enjoyable films only capture something small. I also think back to Keith Lango and what he said about Man Days. Had Pixar attempted some complex scene, it probably would not have done as well. Even for a high-end animation studio, they wouldn’t have had the Man Days to get it done. I need to keep this in mind when writing myself. It’s not about making grandiose films that will impress big studio; it is about creating doable films because I enjoy making them. Thanks for the lesson Pixar.