Bao | #Incredibles2Event — All for the Boys

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One of my favorite presentations at the Disney sponsored #Incredibles2Event was the Bao presentation. Bao is the Disney Pixar short that will play before Incredibles 2 in theaters (opening THIS Friday June 15). I think it was one of my favorite presentations because the passion and excitement that Director Domee Shi, Producer Becky Neiman, and Production Designer Rona Liu exuded really helped drive home the detail, creativity, and love that was put into this short film.

BAO filmmakers: Domee Shi (Director), Becky Neiman (Producer) and Rona Liu (Production Designer) at Incredibles 2 Long Lead Press day, as seen on April 3, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Marc Flores)

Here’s what Bao is all about: “In Disney•Pixar’s “Bao,” an aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy. Mom excitedly welcomes this new bundle of joy into her life, but Dumpling starts growing up fast, and Mom must come to the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever. This short film from Pixar Animation Studios and director Domee Shi explores the ups and downs of the parent-child relationship through the colorful, rich, and tasty lens of the Chinese immigrant community in Canada. “Bao” opens in theaters on June 15, 2018, in front of “Incredibles 2.””

Bao

Basically Domee Shi wanted to portray the “creepy sweet love of a mom” with inspiration from the old folk or fairytales (like The Gingerbread Man)! It’s such a unique short in story AND style.

In Disney•Pixar’s all-new short Bao an aging Chinese mom suffering from empty-nest syndrome welcomes another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy. Her newfound happiness is short-lived however, as she soon realizes that nothing stays cute and small forever, and even dumplings grow up. Directed by Domee Shi, Bao opens in theaters on June 15, 2018, in front of Incredibles 2 ©2018 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

They took inspiration from Chinese folk art making it cute and simple. The sets tell a story but are simple in detail. They use things like lines (there are no straight lines in the kitchen), colors, and patterns to help tell the story.

DUMPLING BOY — In Disney•Pixar’s all-new short “Bao,” a dumpling springs to life as a lively, giggly, dumpling boy, giving an aging Chinese mom another chance at motherhood. When Dumpling starts growing up fast, however, Mom must come to the realization that nothing stays cute and small forever. Directed by Domee Shi, “Bao” opens in theaters on June 15, 2018, in front of “Incredibles 2.” ©2018 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

GROWING PAINS — In Disney•Pixar’s new short “Bao,” an aging Chinese Mom suffering from empty-nest syndrome gets a second chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a dumpling boy. But Mom must come to the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever. Directed by Domee Shi and produced by Becky Neiman-Cobb, Bao” opens in theaters on June 15, 2018, in front of “Incredibles 2.” ©2018 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Despite taking simplicity from Chinese folk art, there is still so much detail in the lighting, fabrics, and even the pork filling for the bao buns. They worked for 2 months just to get it to look right! They even had Domee Shi’s mother come in and show them how she makes bao.

Short film “BAO” Director Domee Shi with her mother Ningsha Zhong shows the production team how to make dumplings, as seen on September 7, 2017 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)

It’s truly unique and I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks about it. The boys got a little peek with me last week and while they were surprised when watching it, they loved it!