This Brutal, Lovely Animated Short Is Arguably Perfect
There’s just one creative decision I question. Let’s talk about it.
In 2014, Jacob Frey created The Present. The animated short is a three-minute roller coaster of emotions. If the Vimeo thumbnail is to be believed, it won ALL the awards.
Even more impressive: Frey was scooped up by Disney thanks to this short. He already has an apprentice animator credit on Zootopia and an animator credit on The Secret Life of Pets.
Watch the short, and you’ll see why. It’s beautifully made and has a legitimate surprise ending. Before you read the creative debate below, you must watch the whole thing. Enjoy. It’s quite the ride.
Wow.
Gimme a sec.
No, I’m not crying. Got any Claritin? My allergies are really messing with me. Yeah, I know we’re indoors. Allergies care not for edificial boundaries.
FINE. I’M CRYING. CONGRATULATIONS, MAGELLAN. YES, I’M AWARE MAGELLAN WAS NOT A DETECTIVE. Let’s change the subject.
This short is wonderful. There’s just one moment (actually, two) that I question. Consequently, I have a question for you.
How would you handle the throw at 1:06 and the kick at 1:17?
Making your hero the initial villain is a gutsy move, and that’s exactly what Frey did with the throw and kick.
Scan the comments on The Present’s Vimeo page and you’ll notice two things. First, the nearly unanimous praise. Second, the small—yet significant—number of people who continued to see a villain even after that wonderful ending.
The throw and kick is the reason.
How I would have handled the throw and kick
Although it was minor, the boy’s physical behavior with that adorable pooch is enough to trigger some people’s dog abuse alarms. Triggering that particular alarm is not something you can recover from.
It’s obviously essential for the boy to reject the dog multiple times. However, I would have had him do it in a way that did not send the dog tumbling.
Does my creative choice make the ending less impactful? Possibly.
Does it help that small amount of people see a hero instead of a villain at the end? I say yes.
