You ever get the feeling Pixar isn’t really an animation studio—that it’s actually just a fancy factory of feelings?
For almost 25 years, their feature films and their shorts have been hitting us in the hearts like they’re trying to see if they can make them actually melt. Their newest short Kitbull is no different. It features a tough little kitty and a happy pit bull who unwittingly moves into the feisty feline’s territory. But for those of you with weak tickers (or tear ducts), be warned: this is super adorable even for a Pixar film.
A cat and a dog becoming unlikely buddies might not be a new story, and yet it will always (always) work on us. How can it not? Did you see the kitten take care of the injured pit bull? Did you see it? Our only complaint is the cat didn’t get revenge on the pup’s horrible owner who is running a dog-fighting ring. They must be saving that for the sequel.
Kitbull, the latest entry from Pixar’s new SparkShorts program which lets the company’s artists make their own films, was directed by Rosana Sullivan and produced by Kathryn Hendrickson. The two talked about the inspiration for the movie in a behind-the-scenes video.
“You’ll never get anywhere in life watching cat videos,” they said, incorrectly.
Pixar also showed how Kitbull went from an idea to the screen, including how they created the animation style for the film, and drew on San Francisco’s Mission District for its setting.
What’s always remarkable about Pixar movies is how they can tell such a beautiful story without relying on dialogue. Despite being under eight minutes long, this is a story with fleshed-out characters who undergo a meaningful arc, one that has us feeling all sorts of emotions.
Of course it does. That’s what Pixar really makes.
Featured Image: Disney Pixar