Disney’s animated short film Paperman, directed by John Kahrs, is a nostalgic return to the tradition of 2D hand-drawn animation that also embraces what modern 3D animation technology has to offer.

The short is an urban fairy tale about a man who attempts to capture the attention of the woman of his dreams with paper airplanes he launches from his skyscraper office to hers. It was made with new in-house software called Meander that enables a hybrid approach to animation, where characters and backgrounds are drawn over an initial digital layer.

CG Models

 

Early Line Drawings

 

CG Facial Features

 

To see the innovative new animation method in action, watch the progression reel below, which displays the process of creating one of the key shots in the animated short:

For more on the making of Paperman, watch “Paperclips,” below, a series of behind-the-scenes videos about the making of the short film.

In this clip, Kahrs discusses missed connections:

In this clip, Kahrs discusses drawings:

In this clip, the director gives some background on the look of the short:

Source: EW