Elephant in the Room: My journey to directing an animated short at Disney.
by Brian Scott
Elephant in the Room tells the story of a baby elephant, Nana, who gets washed away from her family during a monsoon. Rescued by a boy and his father, Nana is taken in to live and work with them on their banana plantation. As the boy bonds with the Nana, he realizes that his new best friend yearns for her family and home in the wild.
The Inspiration
“Long before directing this short film, I filled up many journals and word docs with my musings and ideas for movies. I found that I was attracted to ideas and stories where the thematic argument would have me feeling emotionally conflicted. You know, that kind of bitter-sweet, happy-sad feeling that brings tears to your eyes.
“One such idea came from an experience I had meeting a baby elephant when I was 6 or 7 years old. My step-dad and I were walking the city streets, when out of nowhere this little soft trunk reached over my shoulder. I turned around and there was this adorable baby elephant standing there, trying to play with me. I remember wanting so badly to take her home. I thought ‘What a cool pet that would be!’
“That encounter stuck with me. Looking back, I thought ‘Why was that baby elephant in the city?’ I knew my childhood desire to take the elephant home as my pet was completely ignorant of any understanding that elephants have been endangered by humans and are a critical keystone species to their ecosystems.
“This story is really about the power we all have to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us.”
“Just as I was starting to develop this idea, my first child was born. Like any new parent, I knew our baby would one day grow up and lead a life of her own, but at that moment she was completely dependent on us. I could see how much of an impact all of our decisions and actions would have on her.
“It became clear to me that this story I was telling was really about the power we all have to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us; be that our family members or even random encounters. That message of human empathy and responsibility felt powerful, personal, and important for me to speak to.
The Journey
“Prior to Disney, I was an Animation Supervisor at Sony Pictures Animation and led projects in a variety of animation styles. Everything from Phil Lord & Chris Miller’s ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’ to Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
“After coming to Disney to animate on Frozen, I was promoted to Head of Animation on the short film Feast. Making Feast expanded my love for short films and it was during its production that I had the initial idea for ‘Elephant‘.
“So, while making Zootopia and Moana, I was also developing ‘Elephant’ and a few other shorts and pitching them around the studio. Animating all day – researching, writing, and storyboarding at night. The days were long, but I was just excited to be pitching shorts.
“My pitch was mainly my childhood story plus photos of real life Asian elephants being adorable. I was intent on pursuing a graphic and stylized look, so I always showed a few paintings that I wanted to push toward.
“Luckily, I was not the only one at the Studio interested in making more short films. My pitch for ‘Elephant’ was one of a handful of films to be green lit under a brand new experimental shorts banner called Short Circuit.
“At that time, ‘Elephant’ was written as a 6 minute short, but the production constraints of Short Circuit mandated that I tell the story in 2-3 minutes. This was a brand new challenge. What was most important was that the message and the emotion of the story still resonate at the shorter length. I was inspired by how emotional and effective the narratives in commercials could be even when just one or two minutes long. So, I started studying their cutting patterns and structure. Many of my favorites had one constant: great music.
“It was pure magic. Once we had the song, everything else just came together.”
“I was struck by how the lyrics of a song could add a layer of dimension and depth to a story. I began running my film back and forth in my head set against different songs, scores, and instrumentation. As the music became increasingly married to the tone and structure of the story, I knew I had another challenge ahead: Getting a great song!
“My friend Toft Willingham is an amazing songwriter, composer, and collaborator. One weekend, I sent over my cut and some temp music to get his thoughts. The very next day, I checked my email and sitting in my inbox was an mp3. Playing it that first time, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing… In one night, Toft had written and recorded a demo for an original song called “Home.” He told me later that after watching the film, the song just poured out of him. It was pure magic. Once we had the song, everything else just came together.
“Home”
Home is where you are, where I am;
by Toft Willingham
Where the heart beats slow, soft and easy.
…
Home is where we play in our room;
Where we laugh out loud, till the lights go out.
…
Home is where the breeze blows my name;
Where the lightening strikes don’t scare me.
…
Home is where we run wild and free;
It’s anywhere we go. It’s not a place at all.
Making Magic
“The thing I always felt most confident in was our incredible team of artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios. I knew that once I got the film into their hands, they would exceed my expectations. And they did – at every turn. Vis dev, layout, modeling, rigging, simulation, fx, lighting, animation.. Every single person brought nuance and life to the film in ways I had only imagined. That’s what we mean when we say ‘Trust the process.’ In the end, that collaboration was the greatest pleasure of directing for me.
“The business of making movies is changing rapidly and I think for the better. Never have storytellers had more opportunities than right now. Take ‘Elephant in the Room’ for example. We had an amazing opportunity to showcase the film theatrically on the silver screen; the way it was intended. Watching it with an audience at the historic El Capitan in its glorious native aspect of 2.76 Ultra widescreen with Dolby Atmos sound was incredible!
And with Disney+, our little film can have a second life and reach Disney fans around the world in multiple languages. I feel lucky to be able to share this film under the incredible Disney brand with all of its storied legacy.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working on some of the most successful animated films of all time. Working with all these amazing filmmakers has inspired the kind of writer, director and producer that I strive to be. I may be a ways off from that goal, but with ‘Elephant in the Room’ I know I’m one step closer. On to the next one!”