Once Upon a Studio (2023)
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Disney characters come to life from pictures and animation frames hanging on the walls of the Roy E. Disney Animation Building following the end of a usual work day.
The story
On October 16, 2023, employees from Walt Disney Animation Studios leave at the end of their work day. An intern converses with Burny Mattinson about the studio turning 100 years old, leading to Mattinson's wish coming true. Inside the studio, Mickey Mouse comes to life from a production cel and calls Tinker Bell. Excited, Mickey and Minnie Mouse jump out of the cel, with Minnie gathering many characters from the studio's filmography to meet in the lobby. While characters prepare for the meeting, Mickey approaches a photograph of co-founder Walt Disney in a private, somber moment.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the end of a work day at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building, Disney characters come to life from pictures and animation frames. Mickey Mouse emerges from a production cel and calls Tinker Bell, who helps Minnie Mouse gather a vast array of characters from the studio's history to meet in the lobby. During the preparations, Mickey shares a somber moment with a photograph of Walt Disney. The characters eventually gather in the lobby for a 100th-anniversary group photo, but Goofy accidentally knocks over a ladder, breaking the camera. As the group prepares to leave sadly, Alan-a-Dale begins to play "When You Wish Upon a Star" on his lute, and other characters join in. While they sing, the brooms sweep up the camera pieces, Fix-It Felix, Jr. repairs the camera, Hercules repositions the ladder, and the Fairy Godmother uses magic to help Goofy back up the ladder. The characters finish the song together, with Mickey holding Jiminy Cricket to lead the final line before they pose for the finished photo, which is matched-cut by Tinker Bell's wand.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 9
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Dan Abraham; Trent Correy
- Writers
- Dan Abraham · writer; Trent Correy · writer
- Cast and characters
- Burny Mattinson · himself; Renika Williams · an intern
- Genres
- live-action; animated; fantasy; comedy; short film
- Themes
- Nostalgia; Legacy; Community
- Tone and mood
- Emotional; Nostalgic
- Premise and plot tags
- Crossover; Metafictional; Anthology; Fantasy
- Franchise connections
- Disney
- Content notes
- Magic (supernatural)
- Reception
- The short received positive reviews from critics, who called it an "emotional and nostalgic experience."
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Awards · Best Animated Short Film shortlist · Nominated (Shortlist)
- Production trivia
- Almost 80% of the short's animation is hand-drawn, done with ink and paper.; The film was created spontaneously over approximately eight months.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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