Why Disney’s Short Film ‘Feast’ Is the Oscar Frontrunner (Video)

Disney’s latest animated short, “Feast,” which highlights the importance of food and is uniquely told from a winsome dog’s POV, is the Oscar frontrunner for its engaging story and distinctive look (check out the teaser below). It opens with the Oscar-contending “Big Hero 6” Marvel mash-up on November 7.

“Feast” is a big leap forward from both the Oscar-winning “Paperman” and last year’s Mickey Mouse-nominated “Get A Horse!” Director Patrick Osborne (head of animation on “Paperman” and co-head of animation on “Big Hero 6”) utilizes a quick-cutting, mockumentary style and a look comprised of warm colors, flat shapes, and shallow depth of field.

Winston has a great life with his master and best friend, James, stuffing himself with scrumptious plates of food until a girlfriend, Kirby, comes between them. Winston’s perspective is further accentuated by low angles and floating particulate matter. It’s like a minimalist’s approach to “Lady and the Tramp.”

“Feast” was spawned by Disney’s artist-driven Spark program four years ago in which Osborne and production designer Jeff Turley created a new technique in 20 days for applying hand-drawn lines to CG characters in motion, which first led to “Paperman.” A more crucial influence, though, was a series of dinners Osborne shot with his GoPro over the span of several months. The fact that they were one-second snapshots of various plates of food made a big impression on John Lasseter. But so did the idea of marrying the concept to the dog’s POV.