Lifted (film)

Infobox Film
name = Lifted


image_size =
caption = "Lifted" poster
director = Gary Rydstrom
producer = Katherine Sarafian
Osnat Shurer and John Lasseter (executive producers)
writer = Jeff Pideon
Max Brace
narrator =
starring =
music = Michael Giacchino
cinematography =
editing = Steve Bloom
distributor = Walt Disney Pictures (2007 release with "Ratatouille"), Pixar
released = 2006
runtime = 5 minutes
country = USA
language =
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.pixar.com/shorts/lift/index.html
amg_id = 1:386599
imdb_id = 0945571

"Lifted" is a 2006 Pixar computer animated short film directed by Gary Rydstrom. This is the first film directed by Rydstrom, a seven-time Academy Award winning sound editor and mixer.

The film was released theatrically with Pixar's "Ratatouille" (June 29, 2007). However, the short received a sneak peek at The 42nd Chicago International Film Festival. [ [http://www.chicagofilmfestival.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CIFFSite.woa/wa/Films/1001086 Chicago International Film Festival Webpage detailing Lifted showing] ] The short makes numerous references to Steven Spielberg's similar themed film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Plot

A young alien, Stu, is in a spaceship taking an examination in abduction. He must snatch a sleeping farmer named Ernie under the watchful eye of his instructor, Mr. B. [ [http://www.pixar.com/shorts/lift/lift_2.html Pixar - Lifted ] ] However, there is an array of thousands of unlabeled toggle switches he must manipulate to get the human into the ship's tractor beam, and he is having trouble. He mistakenly propels the human into walls and occasionally the ceiling (never waking him up from his slumber through it all). After repeated failures to successfully lift the human into the ship (he almost succeeds, but forgets to close the door on the bottom of the ship before turning off the tractor beam), Mr. B takes over and, wielding the massive bank of switches with ease, returns the farmer back to his room, and cleans up the mess that Stu had made.

Ashamed over his failure, Stu starts whimpering, trying to hold his tears back from Mr. B. Mr. B generously allows Stu to launch the space ship back home. Full of glee, Stu takes hold of the joystick and starts to lift the ship into the air, but the space ship plummets to the Earth, crushing the farmer's house and leaving nothing but a crater with a tall pillar of dirt in the center, atop which the farmer is still sleeping soundly in his bed with some small remnants of his house remaining. The ship quickly lifts off again.

During the end credits there is the sound of an alarm clock, the farmer waking up, then a Wilhelm scream then a plummet to the ground.

Awards

"Lifted" was nominated for best animated short film on January 23, 2007 in nominations announced for the 79th Academy Awards. [ [http://www.oscars.org/79academyawards/nomswins.html 79th Academy Awards Nominations/Wins] ]

Production

Pixar regularly uses its short films to implement new software plug-ins and techniques. This film implemented a jiggle program (used to animate Mr. B.), wherein an animator can pick a certain section of the computer model, and tap on it to make it resonate. Gary notes that the abduction console is based on the sound mixer's console, both looking impossible to use, and Stu attacking the user console is part of Gary's wish to destroy a mixing console. Mr. B is named by Gary Rydstrom, suggesting a teacher that would give his students 'B' Grades, no matter what. The voice of Mr. B is provided by Gary Rydstrom's dog. The sound that the console makes whenever Stu bumps the abductee into a wall is the "Hero" alert sound from Mac OS X. This short is partially based on Rydstrom's experiences in drivers education according to his mother.

References

External links

* [http://www.pixar.com/shorts/lift/index.html "Lifted"] at the Pixar webpage.