Underplayed Gems

Presto (2008)

Presto poster
Directed by
Doug Sweetland
Genre
comedy film, fantasy film, animated film, family film
Country
United States
Runtime
5 min
Rated
G
Rating
7.8 of 10 from 1,081 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A magician named Presto tries to perform his stage act, but his rabbit Alec refuses to cooperate until he gets his carrot. The short follows their escalating antics and gags as the rabbit's hunger turns the performance into a chaotic comedy.

fast-pacedplayfulslapstickwhimsicalhumorousnostalgiclightheartedzany

What happens

Presto is a 2008 American animated short film by Pixar, written and directed by veteran Pixar animator Doug Sweetland in his directorial debut. Its story was boarded by Ted Mathot, Valerie LaPointe, and Justin Wright. The short is about Presto, a magician who is trying to perform a show, but his rabbit, Alec, would not cooperate with him until he gets his carrot. It is a gag-filled homage to classic cartoons such as Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes, as well as the work of Tex Avery. The original idea for the short was a magician who incorporated a rabbit into his act who suffered from stage fright. This was considered to be too long and complicated, and the idea was reworked. To design the theater featured in Presto, the filmmakers visited several opera houses and theaters for set design ideas. Problems arose when trying to animate the theater's audience of 2,500 patrons; this was deemed too expensive, and was solved by showing the back of the audience. Presto premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10, 2008, and was released in the United States on June 27, playing in theaters before WALL-E. It received positive reviews, with reviewers of WALL-E's home media release considering the short to be an enjoyable special feature (though it was not included with the subsequent Criterion 4K Blu-ray in 2022). The short film was nominated for an Annie Award and Academy Award. It was included in the Animation Show of Shows in 2008. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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