For the Birds (film)

Infobox_Film
name = For the Birds


caption =
producer = John Lasseter (executive)
Karen Dufilho-Rosen
director = Ralph Eggleston
writer = Ralph Eggleston
starring = Ralph Eggleston
music = Riders in the Sky
cinematography =
editing = Jennifer Taylor
Tom Freeman
distributor = Pixar Animation Studios
released = 2000
November 2, 2001 (with "Monsters, Inc.")
runtime = 3 min.
language = English
budget =
imdb_rating =
imdb_id =00248808

"For the Birds" is an Academy Award winning animated short film, produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released in the year 2000.

Plot

A group of small birds land on a telephone wire. When a much larger and awkward-looking bird arrives and lands on the telephone pole, the smaller birds reject him with taunts and insults. Eventually, the larger bird moves from the pole to the wire, heavily weighing it down and causing the smaller birds to slide inwards and crowd together, much to their dismay. The large bird persists in trying to win their friendship, until at last the smaller birds decide to shove him from their perch, eventually ending up with the larger bird upside down. The birds decide to peck at his toes and shake the wire to loosen him off. While doing so, smaller ones notice one-by-one the telephone wire's low altitude with the weight of the large bird, which would sling all of themselves upwards should the bird fall. By the time the last two birds (who were pecking at the toes) realize this, it is too late, and they end up losing all their feathers. Realizing they are now completely nude, the birds all crowd behind the larger bird to hide themselves. The larger bird can't help but laugh.

Crew

*Written and directed by Ralph Eggleston
*Produced by Karen Dufilho
*Executive producer John Lasseter
*Editors Jennifer Taylor, Tom Freeman
*Supervising technical director Bill Wise
*Supervising animator James Ford Murphy

Awards

*2002-Oscar-Best Short Animated Film
*2001-Vancouver Effects and Animation Festival-Animated Computer 3D Short
*2001-Anima Mundi Animation Festival-Best Film x2
*2001-Chicago International Children's Film Festival-Short Film or Video - Animation-Second Place
*2000-Annie Awards-Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short Subject
*2000-Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival-Best Animated Short Film

Trivia

*Director Ralph Eggleston performed the voice of the large bird, Leo, which was sound designed by Jory Prum.
*According to Pixar's website, the first four birds actually have names and individual characteristics. From left to right they are: Chipper, Bully, Snob and Neurotic.
*Included with the theatrical and video/DVD release of "Monsters, Inc" and when it aired on television on ABC.
* "For the Birds" was the last production to be completed by Pixar at Point Richmond, before they moved to a new site in Emeryville, California.
* Squeaky toys were used for the small birds' chirps and squeals. A mallard duck call was used to perform the voice of the big bird.Fact|date=July 2008
*An easter egg in The Incredibles DVD had the film being finished with sock puppets and the Omnidroid was a stuffed animal version of the birds.
* The birds make a cameo appearance in the 2006 Pixar film "Cars", standing in a line on a telephone wire as they do in their feature short, in the scene where protagonist Lightning McQueen is being transported across Interstate 40 by Mack. The "camera" travels past them rather quickly, so a freeze-frame must be used to see them as clearly as possible.

External links

* [http://www.pixar.com/shorts/ftb/ Information at Pixar's site]
*imdb title|id=0248808|title=For the Birds
* The Big Cartoon DataBase entry for [http://www.bcdb.com/bcdb/cartoon.cgi?film=38318&cartoon=For%20The%20Birds "For the Birds"]