Mega-studio Pixar launched a new series of animated shorts in January featuring stories that are decidedly outside the typical Disney/Pixar oeuvre. The series is called SparkShorts, and the purpose for the project is to give in-house talent at the animation giant the opportunity to work on small personal projects which will then be published on the Pixar YouTube channel and, eventually, on the Disney channel, as well.

“The SparkShorts program is designed to discover new storytellers, explore new storytelling techniques, and experiment with new production workflows. These films are unlike anything we’ve ever done at Pixar, providing an opportunity to unlock the potential of individual artists and their inventive filmmaking approaches on a smaller scale than our normal fare.”

-Jim Morris, Pixar General Manager

This is just one more reason why Pixar is one of the best places for creatives to spread their wings. If I had my work life to do all over again, I’d head straight to Pixar and spent my career making wonderful things and becoming the best creative I could be.

The project has thus far launched three shorts, with the promise of more in the future. Their first release, Purl, features a wide-eyed ball of yarn trying to fit into a male-driven corporate environment. The second, Smash and Grab, is a cute robot buddy story, and the third, though I didn’t realize it when I posted it last week, is Kitbull, the heartwarming short about a pitbull and a kitten. While the shorts may lack the subtlety and storytelling finesse we have come to expect of Pixar movies, they are nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable.

You can see all the shorts on the Disney/Pixar YouTube channel.