After an insane amount of hype and anticipation, the sequel to Finding Nemo—Finding Dory—was released in 2016. Although it wasn’t viewed as a national sensation like the original, it did include something quite memorable, not within the movie, per se, but in what came before it. Like many Disney animated movies, there was an unrelated short-film that played before the film in theaters. This one was titled Piper. And although Finding Dory has faded into the background of Disney animated films, Piper stays renowned as one of, if not the best, animated short films of all time.
On the outside, the film seems simple enough. It stars a baby bird (a sanderling, to be exact) who learns to overcome his fear of the ocean in order to scavenge for food. But that one-sentence summary does nothing to capture the essence of how the story is told. What Disney and Pixar are known for doing best, in my opinion, is telling a story with minimal to no words. This can be shown in certain films like Big Hero Six, where Baymax has a minimal vocabulary. This stylistic approach is often used as a crucial storytelling feature in their short-films. It’s a simple way to force the animators and storytellers to get creative with how they get their characters to communicate. For Piper, they use bird calls and the physical expressions of the birds to portray their feelings. Even though we as humans can’t understand what the bird’s chirps exactly translate to, we’re able to get a sense of what they’re thinking and feeling through their actions. This forces the viewer to pay close attention to what’s going on onscreen and pay attention to every sound and movement.
Additionally, the pacing of the film is what some consider to be perfect. It might seem like pacing in something only a few minutes long isn’t that important, but it sets the tone and mood for the whole piece. Piper does a superb job of identifying the problem, showing the struggle of the characters, the discovery, and the resolution, all at the perfect pace. Every moment was clearly thought out, and there are many creative twists in the simple story.
Lastly, I wouldn’t feel like I’m giving this film justice if I didn’t talk about the animation. The color of this piece is spectacular, and every frame feels like it could be hung in a picture frame. The ebb and flow of the water are beautifully animated and, at times, the ocean feels like it’s dancing with the characters. We might take Disney’s realness in their animation for granted now, but even today, something about the design behind Piper truly makes it stand out.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch Piper, I highly recommend doing so. It’s on Disney+ and it’s a creative, lovely story told in a beautiful setting. I often find myself watching it just to put myself in a better mood. And while there are many great contenders for short films, I still view it as one of the greatest short films of all time.
Spoiler Alert is an Opinion culture column used to give reviews for movies, television shows, or other related media.
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