Created by Dylan Waller Spray
A CLOSER LOOK: VIDEOGRAPHIC CRITICISM 2025 – Young video essayists comment on popular audio-visual culture. Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television degree at Southampton Solent University and brought to you by Making Waves Film Festival.
What is it about Pixar’s short films that so often leave us feeling something deep, despite their brief running time? This video essay explores how Pixar consistently taps into powerful emotions—joy, sadness, nostalgia, even grief—through compact, visually driven storytelling.
Rather than relying on dialogue-heavy scenes or extended plotlines, these shorts use simplicity, symbolism, and character design to draw audiences in. The essay considers how Pixar uses rhythm, visual cues, and carefully chosen moments to create emotional resonance in just a few minutes.
From early experiments like Luxo Jr. to more recent pieces such as Purl and Out, the video reflects on how the studio crafts experiences that feel intimate and universal at the same time. It also touches on how brevity itself can heighten emotion, making each beat land with greater weight.
As part of the A Closer Look series, this essay highlights how short films—especially in the hands of skilled storytellers—can leave a lasting emotional impression.
This essay is part of A Closer Look, a series of video essays created in collaboration with Southampton Solent University and hosted by Making Waves Film Festival. Each one offers a thoughtful perspective on a piece of moving image culture, seen through the lens of emerging critical voices.
