Presto

Pixar's Short Films
#130

Here’s some more information on the “Presto” Screening and Seminar this coming Friday at the Asian premiere event in Hiroshima.

I am so hoping I can get an English transcript from this event. Just makes my translating job much, much, easier. I could take days translating the screening and seminar back to English from Japanese.

hiroanim.org/en/e02program/2-03-08_en.html

#131

Here is some news about “Presto” from the 12th International Animation Festival Hiroshima 2008. I don’t know if any of the news is old or new news. There’s nothing written from the “Presto” seminar. I’ll be searching, still, for any notes from the seminar from Doug Sweetland ダグ スイートランド.

Check out the last page. The pdf file size is 8.67MB.
hiroanim.org/pdf/lappy12_2.pdf

Oh, by the way, the theatrical release of Presto and WALL-E will be December 20th in Japan. Japan will be the last country on planet earth to see the latest movie from Pixar. Ah Man! :cry:

#132

For those of you interested in the behind the scenes stuff from Presto, check out this interview with Doug Sweetland from Spline Doctors: splinedoctors.com/2008/08/doug-sweetland-part-2/
It’s part two, so to catch up if you need to, listen to part one here: splinedoctors.com/2008/07/doug-s … st-part-1/
It’s pretty interesting like most Spline Doctor interviews. :slight_smile:
Edit: Some fun facts from the interview follow,

  • Presto is the Talon LaBarthe (the lawyer) model from Ratatouille with a new head.
  • The original story was that Presto’s rabbit ran away so Presto’s act is ruined. Then a fan boy rabbit comes knocking on the door, and Presto casts him as Alec, and chaos ensues!
  • The short was originally going to be 3 minutes long, and all through production they struggled with timing, it sort of shos in the final product, my only complaint on this magnificent short.
  • They tried to use a rat model for Alec, but it didn’t work.
  • Motion blur was tweaked to make it look like dry brush strokes but done carefully to make sure outlines are still seen.
  • The models were so stylized and the characters were so snappy, that keeping clothes on them was a struggle (this was a test for Up).
#133

This was, IMHO. by far the BEST short that has come out of Pixar Yet! Great Job guys!

#134

Presto was wonderful ! Not a surprise :stuck_out_tongue:
I loved how the music coordinated with the the actions and stuff.

Pixar great job, like always !! :wink:

#135

It was brilliant, I just saw it last night with my mum and we were laughing our heads off. I can’t wait for the Wall-E DVD to come out so I can watch it again.

:sunglasses:

#136

Can’t believe I haven’t posted in here, yet…

This would have to be either my favourite, or second favourite short, after Lifted. The introduction totally threw me off guard, but it was a nice change from what we are used to. I don’t know who my favourite character was - the magician or the bunny. My favourite moments were when [spoil]the bunny clicked his teeth, the magician started doing an unintentional jig, and just how every time he tried to pull the bunny out of the hat, things just got worse and worse.[/spoil] I’m glad there was a happy ending, and [spoil]the magician learnt to take better care of his bunny.[/spoil]

Props to E.J. Holowicki, too. One of the little moments that make me love Pixar’s attention to detail, and in the area of sound design in this case, was when [spoil]the electricity powers up an down when Presto is being electrocuted[/spoil] and [spoil]the piano falls down and just the sound it makes as it’s falling.[/spoil] I think this is very much like Looney Tunes, in the exaggerated movements and overall animation style, but the thing that makes it the most like LT is the music. It coulda been taken directly from an episode of Roadrunner!

#137

Totally agree with that Rachel and i’ve never posted here too ! :stuck_out_tongue:

#138

Does anyone know what’s happening with the supposed Presto Little Golden Book?

#139

One of my favourite Pixar shorts. Alec is so cute! ><
Very funny, and has a very good ending. I love how Pixar put ‘Soul’ into the short to make the perfect ending.

#140

It’s already out, Rachel. Presto Little Golden Book. I assume this is the one you mean. It’s very cheap, and very tempting!

#141

lizardgirl - Well, that link takes me to replying to this thread… but thanks to you, I’ve found it on eBay. The style of the characters are so cute, I can’t wait to own this short film book. Thank you! =)

#142

Rachel- Haha, must’ve copied and pasted the wrong URL! :laughing: Well, pleased you’re going to get it. It’d be great if you could let us know what it’s like, because I’m thinking of getting it myself but just want to make sure it’s worth the (small amount of) money. :smiley:

#143

Hahaha! The short is hilarious! Alec is great.
But I can’t understand, why did Pixarians decide to show this short before Wall-e? Kind of ‘Okay, guys, enough to giggle! Now prepare for the masterpiece!’?

#144

Actine- It seems that Pixar like to contrast their short films with their feature films. I think it’s quite an interesting technique, because I guess most people who go to see Pixar’s films don’t always realise that there will be a short film beforehand, and even if they do, they might expect it to be in the same vein as the feature. With the short film being entirely different, it’s like an added bonus that gets the audience warmed up.

#145

yeah, kinda like those people that go out before the ellen degeneres and oprah shows to get the crowd “warmed up”

#146

I first saw “Presto!” when i went to the theatre to see Wall-E. It was hilarious! I always mean to buy the Pixar short film DVD when im up at Target or Walmart.

#147

This is my favorite short! The rabbit (what ever his name is) is so soooo cute! I love his smile when he looks at the carrot! He is the cutest bunny ever! I want him! I wonder if they sell Presto toys…

#148

“Alec Azam” is the rabbit. (I love that - and I don’t think we know his name until we see the poster at the end.) This is probably my 2nd favorite of the theatrical shorts after “One Man Band,” - they just did such a good job of capturing that old slapstick cartoon style.

Oh, and trivia that may have been mentioned elsewhere: I think it’s on the Up commentary that they mention that the theatre/stage from Presto is used in Up as the stage where Charles Muntz reveals the “Monster of Paradise Falls” in the opening newsreel.

#149

Wow, I didn’t know that! Thanks karly05! This is probably my favorite Pixar short, tied with Lifted. I think they’re the two funniest ones so far (I haven’t sen Night and Day yet).