Pixar released its first clip of Lava , a short film about a lovesick and isolated volcano. Like many of Pixar’s short films, Lava will pave the way for future animating techniques and innovations. Most importantly, it will attempt to tug at the heart of the audience.
The story of a lonely singing volcano waiting for love proves that you need a lot of imagination to work at Pixar. Nevertheless, the clip might be the first sign that new director James Ford Murphy has what it takes to make his dreams a reality.
Although this will be his first time in the director’s chair, Murphy has been involved in a number of Pixar productions, including Toy Story 2 , Finding Nemo , and Monsters Inc . For the Lava project, Murphy said he needed to reconnect emotionally with what inspired him, according to The Star .
Lava was inspired by the tune “Over the Rainbow,” as sung by the Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. The clip obviously shows the themes of the Hawaiian island, with the vibrant tropical colors and the ukulele music, written and played by Murphy himself.
Murphy even visited the big island of Hawaii before starting work on Lava . There have been some hints that the short will be another Pixar tear jerker, like the short Partly Cloudy or the opening sequence of Up . Even this short clip may have viewers wondering if the volcano will ever get someone to lava. It may also have people wondering what it means to “lava.” Murphy gives us some reassurances that the film will not be totally gloomy and carry the message,
“Don’t give up hope. Love is the most important thing.”
Pixar’s Lava will be released June 19, 2015, in front of Inside Out .
[Image Credit: Pixar / YouTube]
