WRITER'S NOTE: The following was originally published on November 13, 2015. Only original theatrical shorts will be discussed, while spin-offs of Pixar's feature films are in a category of their own. (The following short films can be viewed on Disney+ or on the three "Pixar Short Films Collection" DVD/bluray discs.)
Geri’s Game (1997)
Set in a park during the fall, an elderly man plays chess with himself—literally showing split personalities between his current self and him in his prime. The animation of human characters, as well as leaves, took director Jan Pinkava (who later conceived the idea for Ratatouille) a year-and-a-half to create. (Preceded a bug's life in theaters in 1998.)
For the Birds (2001)
A group of snooty little birds is ironically pestered by a stork while on a high wire, with silly and riotous results. Helmed by art director Ralph Eggelston, this was the last short to be produced at the studio’s former headquarters in Point Richmond, CA, before relocating to their now-famous studio in Emeryville. The sound effects, and the animation of the feathers, are cute and funny. (Preceded Monsters, Inc. in theaters in 2001.)
Boundin’ (2003)
Written and directed by character designer Bud Luckey (the artist responsible for making Woody a cowboy), this folk tale centers on a dancing lamb on a high mountain plain who, one day, gets his wool shaved, leaving the poor critter depressed. That's when an old jackalope appears with words of wisdom. This was the first Pixar short to feature dialogue between characters, which later happened with short spin-offs of such hits as Monsters, Inc. and Cars. (Preceded The Incredibles in theaters in 2004.)
One Man Band (2006)
Two rival European street musicians compete for a little girl’s money. Directed by Mark Andrews (story supervisor for The Incredibles) and Andrew Jimenez, this short is driven by various musical styles thanks to a stupendous and brilliant score by composer Michael Giacchino. (Preceded Cars in theaters in 2006.)
Lifted (2007)
A Spielberg-esque parody of flying saucer adventures, with a twist on an alien abduction that turns out to be a test—thanks to a complex control console. Directed by veteran sound designer Gary Rydstrom (who worked on Spielberg classics like Jurassic Park), the pantomime and deadpan results are a stroke of comedic genius. (Preceded Ratatouille in theaters in 2007.)
Presto (2008)
Playing with the old “magician-pulls-a-rabbit-out-of-the-hat” trick, this Chuck Jones/Three Stooges-style comedy of slapstick proportions (set in real time) follows a world-class magician and a carrot-addicted bunny. Directed by veteran Pixar animator Doug Sweetland. The opening credits pay wonderful homage to classic Walt Disney cartoons from the 1950s. (Preceded WALL*E in theaters in 2008.)
Partly Cloudy (2009)
The age-old idea of babies coming from storks is reimagined in this charming and hysterical short. Only here, the storks deliver the babies a la postal service, but it’s the clouds that make them. The story centers on the relationship between a dark cloud and a worn-down bird who delivers the former’s pain-inducing creations. Director Peter Sohn was inspired by the famous opening sequence in the Disney classic Dumbo, as well as his relationship with his Korean mother growing up. The expressions of panic, anger, sadness, and joy are understandable without a single word of dialogue. (Preceded Up in theaters in 2009.)
Day and Night (2010)
A creative, clever, and meticulous combination of 2D and 3D animation, this is one of the Pixar’s most complex shorts. Directed by Teddy Newton, the story centers on anthropomorphized representations of daytime and nighttime, both in the same world but with different perspectives. The high point comes from an audio excerpt by motivational speaker, Dr. Wayne Dyer. (Preceded Toy Story 3 in theaters in 2010.)
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