Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Knick Knack

Knick Knack is a 1989 American computer-animated short film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by . The four-minute comedy depicts a frustrated confined within a on a bedroom shelf, who repeatedly attempts to break free and join a raucous among other tropical vacation souvenirs, only to be thwarted by the glass dome enclosing his wintry world. Originally rendered in stereoscopic 3D, the film showcases early innovations in through its stylized, geometric character designs and humor inspired by classic cartoons. Produced as Pixar's fourth short film following Luxo Jr. (1986), Red's Dream (1987), and the Oscar-winning Tin Toy (1988), Knick Knack was created during the studio's pioneering period under the leadership of Lasseter and Ed Catmull. The project originated from an idea to explore 3D animation techniques, with Lasseter drawing influence from animators like Chuck Jones, resulting in a dialogue-free narrative emphasizing visual gags and expressive movements. It premiered at the SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference in 1989, highlighting Pixar's advancements in rendering complex reflections and transparencies, such as the challenging glass snow globe. Upon its initial release, Knick Knack received acclaim for its technical achievements and whimsical storytelling, earning the Golden Award for Best at the 1990 . For its 2003 theatrical re-release paired with , re-rendered the film with modifications to tone down elements deemed potentially offensive, including adding a top to a topless , sparking discussions on in . The edited version later appeared in home media collections like Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 1, cementing its status as a nostalgic staple in 's legacy of innovative shorts.

Development

Concept and Inspiration

Knick Knack originated as one of Pixar's four experimental short films created between 1986 and 1989 to showcase advancements in computer animation, succeeding Luxo Jr. (1986), Red's Dream (1987), and Tin Toy (1988). These early works were essential for demonstrating the potential of digital tools in storytelling and character animation during Pixar's formative years as an independent animation division. John Lasseter served as the writer and director, drawing on his experience from previous shorts to push the boundaries of inanimate object personification in a limited environment. The film's core concept centered on a snowman confined within a on a cluttered shelf of vacation souvenirs, yearning to escape to warmer, more vibrant settings like a sunny beach or tropical paradise. This idea stemmed from the personal habit of Lasseter's , Nancy, who collected snow globes from their destinations, inspiring the narrative of entrapment and desire for freedom among everyday objects. Lasseter aimed to explore themes of and through simple, relatable scenarios involving household knick-knacks, transforming a mundane shelf into a dynamic world of comedic frustration. Influenced by classic , particularly the styles of and , Knick Knack emphasized , rapid-fire gags, and exaggerated character movements to drive the humor, marking a departure from the more narrative-driven tone of prior shorts. This approach was sparked during the production of , when Lasseter viewed and sought to emulate the energy of in . By focusing on timing and visual punchlines, the film highlighted animation's timeless appeal beyond technical realism.

Pre-production

The pre-production of Knick Knack occurred at Pixar Animation Studios between 1988 and 1989, positioning it as the studio's final short film before shifting focus to feature-length projects like Toy Story. This phase emphasized planning the visual comedy of a snowman trapped in a snow globe, drawing on Lasseter's interest in geometric forms and simple, vibrant shapes to highlight the inanimate characters' antics. John Lasseter, serving as writer and director, spearheaded the storyboarding, producing detailed panels in (measuring 8 by 6 inches) that mapped the snowman's escalating efforts to break free using everyday knick-knacks like bobbleheads and souvenirs. These storyboards guided the refinement of gag sequences, ensuring the humor arose from the objects' exaggerated, cartoon-inspired movements without relying on complex facial expressions. The process reflected Pixar's early collaborative environment, where a compact team of animators contributed ideas to the core narrative before advancing to modeling.

Production

Animation Process

The animation process for Knick Knack utilized early computer workstations, including workstations integrated with the , to create models of the snowman, , and knick-knacks such as the hula girl and cowboy figurines. These systems allowed animators to construct geometric shapes and textures for the characters, adapting traditional design concepts to digital environments despite the hardware's limitations in the late . Keyframing techniques drove the snowman's physical comedy, with animators plotting key poses to simulate exaggerated movements, including stretching and squashing effects drawn from principles of traditional hand-drawn to convey and elasticity in his attempts to escape the globe. Director personally handled much of the keyframing, marking this as one of his final hands-on efforts before shifting to oversight roles. Producing the roughly 4-minute short spanned several months, as the limited computing power required extensive time for modeling, animating, and rendering each frame on the available hardware. Sound synchronization was integral throughout, with temporary audio effects layered in during keyframing to ensure comedic timing aligned with the visuals, guiding adjustments before final audio integration by designer .

Technical Innovations

Knick Knack represented a key milestone in Pixar's early use of custom for and rendering, relying on the Reyes architecture developed internally as the precursor to the commercial RenderMan release in summer 1988. This system processed scenes by subdividing into micropolygons—tiny polygons sized at the sampling resolution—for efficient , hidden surface removal, and compositing, allowing Pixar animators to handle increasingly complex object interactions within the short film's cluttered shelf environment. The software's procedural approach to and minimized the need for manual polygon modeling, enabling focus on artistic expression while pushing the boundaries of what was feasible on period hardware. A notable innovation in the film was the application of advanced techniques to achieve realistic glassy and reflective surfaces, such as the transparent enclosing the protagonist and the shiny, varied knick-knacks like the hula girl and . These elements employed environment mapping to approximate reflections from the surrounding room, combined with procedural textures to simulate the distortion and clarity of glass without the full computational cost of ray tracing, which remained prohibitive for entire scenes in 1989. Additionally, Pixar's Texture On Demand system, which streamed texture data from disk only as needed during rendering, allowed for high-resolution details on these surfaces despite memory constraints, marking an early step toward scalable texturing in production animation. The production was constrained by the era's hardware, rendered entirely on workstations that lacked the specialized graphics acceleration of Pixar's earlier Image Computers, limiting scenes to roughly a few thousand polygons per frame to fit within available and speeds. Each frame took several hours to due to these polygon and computational limitations, necessitating optimized algorithms to maintain visual fidelity. This environment drove advancements in shading models, including the use of shade trees—a hierarchical, procedural framework for defining complex material properties—which enabled realistic simulations of translucent particles inside the globe and glossy plastic finishes on the souvenirs, enhancing CGI's ability to depict everyday object realism through composable shading functions rather than brute-force geometry.

Release

Premiere and Initial Distribution

Knick Knack was completed in 1989 at Animation Studios, marking the company's final produced during its tenure as a and software . A work-in-progress version premiered at the conference in on September 1, 1989, where it was showcased in stereoscopic , 's first animation in that format. The screening highlighted the short's innovative use of to demonstrate advanced rendering techniques. Running 4 minutes and 10 seconds with no dialogue, Knick Knack relies on visual humor and expressive animation to tell its story. The plot follows a frustrated snowman trapped inside a snow globe on a dusty shelf, who envies the vibrant, sun-soaked knick-knacks around him—such as a bikini-clad figure from Miami—and attempts increasingly absurd escapes, from hammering the glass to using dynamite. Initially, the short was not released theatrically but circulated through limited festival screenings and as a demonstration reel to attract clients interested in Pixar's animation technology.

Re-releases and Home Media

Following its initial limited screenings, Knick Knack received its first wide theatrical release on November 25, 1992. A major re-release occurred on , 2003, when a remastered and re-rendered version of the short was paired with Pixar's during its theatrical run, exposing the film to a much larger audience. The updated version featured improved animation quality and adjustments to certain elements, such as the depiction of a , to align with contemporary standards. The short was re-released again on October 20, 2006, accompanying the re-release of . For home media, Knick Knack (using the 2003 remastered version) was included on the Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 1 DVD and Blu-ray, released by Home Entertainment on November 6, 2007. It has been available for streaming on since the platform's launch in November 2019. Remastered editions in higher resolution, including 1080p, have been made available online, with Pixar uploading an official version to YouTube on July 9, 2015.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Response

Knick Knack received positive critical acclaim for its innovative computer animation techniques and whimsical humor, earning an aggregated score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes based on contemporary and retrospective reviews. Critics praised the film's ability to blend technical prowess with cartoonish physical comedy reminiscent of classic Warner Bros. shorts, noting its success in creating engaging, expressive characters through geometric shapes and exaggerated movements. Audience reception has remained strong, with an IMDb user rating of 7.4 out of 10 from over 15,000 votes, reflecting appreciation for its lighthearted escapades and inventive visual gags. The short won the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Short Film at the 1990 . Its premiere at the 1989 conference drew particular praise for technical achievements in rendering complex deformations and lighting effects on early hardware, marking it as a milestone in . Reception highlights include widespread lauding of the film's wordless storytelling, which conveys the snowman's futile attempts to escape his through purely visual means, imbuing the with universal charm and accessibility. Reviewers have highlighted its enduring appeal as a concise, humorous vignette that showcases Pixar's early mastery of squash-and-stretch principles in a digital format. However, some modern critiques note that certain graphics appear dated compared to contemporary standards, though the core holds up better than some peers from the era due to its stylized simplicity. Over time, critical views have evolved from initial emphasis on technological innovation—evident in SIGGRAPH accolades—to later appreciation for the short's narrative economy and its role in Pixar's foundational canon of character-driven shorts. This shift underscores how Knick Knack's blend of technical experimentation and timeless comedic simplicity has sustained its relevance, particularly following its re-release paired with Finding Nemo, which introduced it to broader audiences.

Cultural Impact

Knick Knack stands as a pivotal milestone in the evolution of computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation, serving as one of Pixar's early shorts that demonstrated the potential for comedic storytelling through inanimate objects. Produced in 1989, it marked the studio's first short dedicated exclusively to humor, drawing inspiration from classic cartoons and allowing animators to refine techniques for expressive character animation in a digital medium. This focus on whimsical, relatable knick-knacks foreshadowed the object-centric narratives in Pixar's later feature films, such as the toy characters in Toy Story (1995), where director John Lasseter applied insights from shorts like Knick Knack and Tin Toy to bring everyday items to life. The short's success, including winning the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Short Film at the 1990 Seattle International Film Festival, contributed to Pixar's growing reputation and helped secure a pivotal distribution deal with Studios in 1991, bridging the company's demo phase toward full-length features. By showcasing advanced capabilities, Knick Knack reinforced Pixar's brand for innovative, character-driven animation that blended technical prowess with emotional appeal, influencing the studio's shift from hardware development to storytelling dominance. Its re-release in 2003 alongside further cemented its status as an enduring example of early digital whimsy. In popular media, Knick Knack receives subtle nods within the Pixar universe, notably as a book title on Andy's bedroom shelf in Toy Story, alongside other short film references like Tin Toy, serving as an Easter egg that highlights the interconnected legacy of Pixar's early works. Additionally, the short holds technical trivia as Pixar's inaugural production in stereoscopic 3D, screened in a work-in-progress format at the 1989 SIGGRAPH conference, which experimented with depth and immersion in CGI shorts. These elements underscore Knick Knack's role in establishing Pixar's reputation for transforming ordinary objects into compelling, humorous protagonists.

References

  1. [1]
    Knick Knack (Short 1989) - IMDb
    Rating 7.4/10 (15,910) A snow globe snowman wants to join the other travel souvenirs in a hot party, but the glass dome that surrounds him gets in his way, despite all his efforts.
  2. [2]
    [PDF] pixar animation studios' academy award®-winning director john
    (1986 Academy Award® nominee); Red's Dream (1987); Tin Toy (1988 Academy Award® winner); and Knickknack (1989), which was produced as a 3D stereoscopic film.
  3. [3]
    Knick-Knack - Rotten Tomatoes
    Rating 81% (66) Knick-Knack is a funny CGI throwback to the age of Tom & Jerry and Chuck Jones cartoons with groundbreaking animation that has aged better than Tin Toy.
  4. [4]
    Knick Knack (Short 1989) - Awards - IMDb
    1990 Winner Golden Space Needle Award. Best Short Film. John Lasseter · Contribute to this page. Suggest an edit or add missing content.
  5. [5]
    Knick Knack (Comparison: Old Version (1989) - New Version (2003))
    I feel blue about the fact that Pixar "violates" the own artwork and modifies the movie for its rerelease. Original Version from 1989 - Version on the "Finding ...
  6. [6]
    Short Films - Pixar Animation Studios
    Knick Knack • 1989. Tin Toy • 1988. Red's Dream ...Knick Knack · Carl's Date · Bao · Ciao Alberto
  7. [7]
    The Innovations of the First 5 Pixar Shorts - The Disney Classics
    Nov 6, 2021 · John Lasseter decided to create the very first computer animated short film - The Adventures of Andre and Wally B. It was shown at a conference in 1984.Missing: concept inspiration
  8. [8]
    The Reviews of DKS - David K. Smith
    Taking inspiration from Chuck Jones and Tex Avery, director John Lasseter created a four-minute comedy about a snowman stuck in a snow globe desperately trying ...
  9. [9]
    https://www.fun.com/blog/p-884-pixar-short-films-timeline-infographic.aspx
  10. [10]
    John Lasseter (II) | London film festival 2001 | The Guardian
    Nov 19, 2001 · This is towards the first phase of Pixar, our short film phase, Knick Knack was the last short film I did before we went on to Toy Story. JR ...Missing: concept | Show results with:concept
  11. [11]
    Our Story — Pixar Animation Studios
    It is the first short film created by the future animation studio, featuring complex flexible characters, hand-painted textures, and motion blur. It is also the ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  12. [12]
    [PDF] Pixar at the Museum of Modern Art - MoMA
    Director: John Lasseter. 35mm film, color, 5 minutes. Knick Knack. 1989. Director: John Lasseter. 35mm film, color, 4 minutes i. Toy Story. 1995. Director ...
  13. [13]
    [PDF] pixar: 20 years of animation illustrates marriage of traditional artistry
    A six-screen installation of John Lasseter's short films made between 1984 and 1989 ... (1986), Red's Dream (1987), Tin Toy (1988), Knick Knack (1989), Geri's ...Missing: timeline | Show results with:timeline
  14. [14]
    Pixar's Demo Reel From the '80s Is a Trip to the Digital Dark Ages
    Mar 18, 2017 · The Pixar Image Computer was cutting edge tech in the late '80s and it cost $135,000 a pop. Users also had to buy a $35,000 workstation from Sun ...
  15. [15]
    How to tell a great toy story | 3D - The Guardian
    Feb 11, 2009 · Interview: John Lasseter A pioneer in computer animation, the Pixar ... [Knick Knack] in 3D." Extra dimension. "Theatres started ...
  16. [16]
    https://graphics.pixar.com/library/Reyes/paper.pdf
  17. [17]
    https://graphics.pixar.com/library/TOD/paper.pdf
  18. [18]
    The Real Story of Pixar - IEEE Spectrum
    Aug 3, 2021 · Then Ed Catmull and I began the grind of finding funds for our new company. Our first idea was to approach VCs. Apparently we didn't fit their ...
  19. [19]
    https://graphics.pixar.com/library/ShadeTrees/paper.pdf
  20. [20]
    Knick Knack - Pixar Animation Studios
    Life on a shelf as a snowman trapped in a snow-globe blizzard can become wearing, especially when you're surrounded by knickknacks from sunnier locales.
  21. [21]
    Release info - Knick Knack (Short 1989) - IMDb
    Knick Knack (Short 1989) - Movies, TV, Celebs, and more ... November 25, 1992. Japan. August 7, 1993. 8 more. See all. Also known as (AKA).
  22. [22]
    Knick Knack (1989) - Release Dates — The Movie Database (TMDB)
    10/20/2006, Theatrical, Theatrically released with the 2006 Disney Digital 3-D theatrical re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
  23. [23]
    Knick Knack - Pixar Wiki - Fandom
    Some sound effects were replaced, modified or enhanced. The end credits have been updated without the closing title. In Finding Nemo, Sunny Atlantis appears as ...
  24. [24]
    Alternate versions - Knick Knack (Short 1989) - IMDb
    This original version is no longer available, with its last release on the laserdisc release of Toy Story (1995). All subsequent releases, including in Pixar ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
  25. [25]
    Knick Knack - Disney Wiki - Fandom
    Knick Knack is Pixar's fourth short film. It was released in 1989 at SIGGRAPH and then released on May 30, 2003 with Finding Nemo in theaters.
  26. [26]
    Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 1 - Pixar Wiki - Fandom
    Knick Knack uses the newer version that was featured with Finding Nemo. All shorts have audio commentaries, with the exception of Jack-Jack Attack. That's ...
  27. [27]
    Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 - Amazon.com
    This collection includes shorts like "Luxo, Jr.", "Geri's Game", "Boundin'", "Jack-Jack Attack", "Mater and the Ghost Light", and "Mike's New Car".
  28. [28]
    Watch Knick Knack | Disney+
    A snowman in a snow globe wants to join other knick knacks, but his vacation plans are cut short when he breaks free. It is a 3 minute animation.
  29. [29]
    Pixar Animated Short Film - Knick Knack Remastered - YouTube
    Jul 9, 2015 · A snow globe snowman wants to join the other travel souvenirs in a hot party, but the glass dome that surrounds him gets in his way, ...
  30. [30]
    MOVIE REVIEW : 'Knickknack': Gimmick Worth Waiting For
    Aug 4, 1989 · It was worth waiting for: “Knickknack” is even better than “Luxo Jr.” and the Oscar-winning “Tin Toy.” The film centers on the little snowman ...Missing: critical reception
  31. [31]
    “Knickknack” by Pixar - ACM SIGGRAPH HISTORY ARCHIVES
    This film has it all! Not just one or two, three full Cartesian dimensions! Not just two or three, but nine heartwarming characters! Not just three or four, but ...Missing: techniques | Show results with:techniques
  32. [32]
    Knick Knack (Short 1989) - User reviews - IMDb
    ... Knick Knack is short the story is charming and never dull or rushed. The characters are among some of Pixar's most memorable, especially the snowglobe snowman.
  33. [33]
    Pixar Review 5- Knick Knack - Rachel's Reviews
    May 3, 2015 · In the commentary John Lasseter says they got the idea for Knick Knack from his wife's snowglobe collection. ... Pixar films and animated shorts.Missing: concept inspiration
  34. [34]
    Knick Knack - Director's Commentary Review - Pixar Post
    Jun 1, 2012 · Knick Knack is a geometric, no-human cartoon inspired by 'Chuck Jones' style, originally in 3D, with a mermaid idea from Deirdre Warin.
  35. [35]
    [PDF] Finding Luxo: Discovering the Pixar Brand through Short Form ...
    Ed Catmull, Pixar's president and co-founder, claims “because everyone ... Knick Knack helps the Pixar artists practice that skill since it is Pixar's first.
  36. [36]
    [PDF] 1 THE DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE DEPTH AND ...
    In the previous years, he had worked on many animated short movies focusing on inanimate objects, such as Tin Toy and Knick Knack. This in-depth knowledge ...
  37. [37]
    [PDF] Kennedy, John F., Jr.; Pixar; Religion and Spirituality in Canada
    With Pixar's computer-animated short film Knick Knack (1989) winning numerous prizes,. Pixar and Walt Disney Studios in 1991 entered into a. $26 million ...
  38. [38]
    Every Toy Story Easter Egg On Andy's Bookshelf Explained
    Dec 26, 2022 · The book Knick Knack is a nod to the short film of the same name that was released in 1989 and tells the story of a sad snowman who wishes to ...