First-time director John Kahrs, the animator on Tangled and The Incredibles, short film Paperman will blow you away not only because it’s beautifully animated but has brought together computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques to tell a “meet cute love story” all with no dialogue.
Solely based on its’ black and white visuals, perfectly timed sound effects and sound track does Paperman draw you into the story of an office worker who tries to get the attention of the woman of his dreams by sailing handmade aircraft across the canyon of a bustling Manhattan street from his skyscraper to hers.
The time period for the film is very retro 50’s, black and white and will most likely throw younger viewers off but Producer Kristina Reed in an interview with NYC Single Mom explained the rationale for why the movie went in that direction. “The Director John Kahrs knew from the very beginning that he wanted it in black and white. He had the idea of skyscrapers as sort of canyons and valleys and you as a human being are just sort of working your way across inhospitable landscape, surrounded by lots of people but very much alone.”
As you watch the film, Kahrs made the right decision to place the time period in another era. Without giving too much away if not for the time period, the title would not make sense nor have the same emotional impact.
Given how visually appealing the movie is, Kristina expressed her opinion that “it’s somewhat our responsibility as one of the premiere animation houses that invented the art to put new visual looks out into the world for other artists to respond to.” From my perspective, I hope that a budding artist seeing Paperman will be inspired and make a film or new technique that we see in the future.
Because it’s not a full length feature film, Kristina mentioned that working on a short like Paperman means that “it has to fit in the cracks between our feature films, so for most of the project, there never more than 10 people on it.”
I am happy that both the Director and Producer kept the project moving between their other projects because I so recommend this film. And did I mention that it’s pretty funny. I have seen the film twice, once on the Walt Disney Animation Studios Press Trip and at a screening in New York. In both instances, there was much laughter and at the New York screening, the audience actually clapped at the end. Yes, a cynical New York film audience clapped. Breaking News!
Since there has been no promotion of the short film, Wreck-It Ralph movie goers will be in for a delicious appetizer of a movie treat.
Paperman opens November 2 and will play before Wreck-It Ralph.
Disclosure: Level 7 compensation. Visit NYC Single Mom’s disclosure policy page for details.
