Pixnoys: Filipinos to see first Filipino characters in Pixar

It’s OFFICIAL! I can finally tell you I’m the #Writer / #Director of the #Pixar #SparkShort “Float”!

I’m so proud to be a part of this program and to be among these very talented people! And I have to give a shout-out to my wonderful and talented crew, Team Float! https://t.co/08Q9FRVgRS

— Bobby Rubio (@Bobby_Rubio) January 10, 2019

It cannot be denied that a lot of Filipinos love to associate almost anything with being Filipino. While some may not acknowledge or may even be irritated with this #PinoyPride mentality, it stays true until today especially with the exposure to online media and today’s technology.

This is why some prominent persons being linked to any Filipino – a fan, an assistant, a co-worker, or anything, it becomes featured in news sites.

Similarly with foreign animated films; just like when the adorable yellow minions from the Despicable Me series started gaining more attention, some Pinoy netizens went gaga and just found fun in hearing Filipino-esque words from the said characters who have their own language. Another viral concept came about when Moana’s origins were discussed in a post, possibly linking to Filipino roots.

But now, through Filipino-American Bobby Rubio, known for his contributions on various animations like Tarzan, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Inside Out, and many more, Pinoy characters will finally be making a debut in the world of Pixar –Pixar Pinoys or Pixnoys as he dubs.

“It’s official! I can finally tell you I’m the writer/director of the Pixar SparkShort ‘Float,’” this was how Bobby greets Twitterverse when Disney’s Pixar Twitter account officially announced the launch of SparkShorts this year.

The studio describes it as “an experimental storytelling initiative that welcomes new creative voices at Pixar to share their stories.”

In the video accompanying the Tweet, Bobby says that he sees this as a wonderful opportunity to tell his story, followed by a really short clip of two characters – a man and a baby.

Answering one of his followers, he confirms that, the two leads of his SparkShort film “Float” are indeed Filipinos and are “technically the first Pixnoys.”

Bobby also states that he is proud to tell “our stories” as he knows the importance of being represented on the big screen in the international scene.

“I’m so proud to be part of this program and to be among these very talented people! And I have to give a shout-out to my wonderful and talented crew, Team Float!” he continues his tweet regarding the announcement.

According to Pixar, the filmmakers had six months to make their projects come into fruition.

SparkShorts Production Lead David Lally said that they are given “a little bit” of money and time, and this grants them the freedom to do what they want for their project.

Meanwhile, President of Pixar Animation Studios, Jim Morris, says that despite the low budget, this serves as an avenue to cater and hone the fresh ideas of artists.

His followers celebrated Bobby’s excitement, including Andy Park – Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development and Concept Artist on projects such as Thor: Ragnarok, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the upcoming Captain Marvel – who congratulated him.

The first three SparksShort films will be launched on El Capitan Theater on January 18, followed by a Youtube launch weeks after.