John Musker, renowned for his work as a writer and director on Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid, Hercules, and Moana, brings his signature touch to the new playful independent animated short film, I’m Hip.
Musker’s work is known for its musical numbers and fluid timing and transitions. Like his other movies, Musker added his flair in the new playful independent animated short film, I’m Hip. I’m Hip features a cool cat with a soul patch that dances in the city lights and in crowds of other very hip caricatures of famous film critics and movie enthusiasts. Viewers will enjoy the four minutes of hip-singing and dancing.
I’m Hip has been shortlisted for an Academy Award and is a fun-loving short film, featuring a cat singing and dancing to a catchy 1970s jazz song by David Frishberg.
Director: John Musker
Soundtrack by: David Frishberg
Run Time: 4 minutes
Release Date: October 8, 2023
Genre: Animated Short
The Director
In a recent interview with Cartoon Brew, John Musker, a retired Disney animator, shared insights into the creation of I’m Hip, the animated short film. Mr. Musker is a veteran Disney animator who retired from Disney in 2018 and spent roughly four years making this independent animated short film. Production began pre-covid.
Musker, known for his “penchant for teasing people,” aimed to poke fun at those desperately seeking attention and striving to be “on the cutting edge of things.”
The Soundtrack of I’m Hip
The short film’s soundtrack is the song “I’m Hip” originally written by Dave Frishberg and Bob Dorough’s comic piece for Blossom Dearing, a cabaret performer who played piano and sang. The Director heard of the song back in the 1980’s. He “seriously thought about making a short based on this song.” After the suggestion of his wife, Gale, to “Do Something funny,” Musker returned to the idea of creating the short film.
Musker greatly admired Frishberg’s comic delivery and witty lyrics that poked fun at people who try to be “hip” or on trend, constantly trying to adjust to the new style of the day. That, coupled with Frishberg’s piano playing and bass and drum accompaniments, Musker thought that the song would be perfect for an animated short film.
Animation Style of I’m Hip
Musker aimed to celebrate jazz and hand-drawn animation with the animated short film, I’m Hip, drawing inspiration from Disney greats like Ward Kimball and Eric Goldberg. The film exudes the 1950s and 1960s vibes while incorporating drag, overlap, and squash and stretch techniques to bring caricatured characters to life.
Musker aimed to celebrate jazz and hand-drawn animation with I’m Hip, drawing inspiration from Disney greats like Ward Kimball and Eric Goldberg. According to Musker “I wanted the film to be a celebration of jazz and Frishber’s song, but I also wanted it to be a love letter to hand drawn animation.”
The film has a good amount of 1950’s and 1960’s vibes, but Musker wanted to take the animation style further by adding drag, overlap, squash, and stretch techniques. In addition, he wanted the drawings to come to life and to move in a caricatured fashion- seemingly of their own will.
Another inspiration for the style was the cover art of jazz albums from the 50s and 60s, particularly the work of David Stone Martin.
I’m Hip: Use of Caricature
If you may have noticed, notable filmmakers and movie enthusiasts had cameos in the short film through the use of caricature.
If you don’t know what caricature is, it is a form of art that involves exaggerating certain distinctive features of a person to create a humorous or exaggerated portrayal.
The director explained in his interview with Cartoon Brew that he has been a caricaturist for many years and enjoyed doing ones of his friends, family members and co-workers. As the scenes were being animated, Musker decided to add background characters with the likeness of people that he already knew instead of making generic character designs.
Caricatures include film critics, Charles Solomon and his partner Scott Johnston, layout artist Jennifer Yuan and her husband Mark, and Disney publicists, Howard Green, and Mike Bonifer.
My take
I got a chance to see John Musker’s I’m Hip at a limited showing in a movie theater that focuses on showcasing independent films. I immediately got the general gist of the theme as the cat moved from one trend to the other at a rapid pace. One line went something like- “When it was hip to be hep- I was hep.” Additionally, the cool cat fell out of love with beards because they were not ‘hip enough.’
I enjoyed the animation style which seemed to move effortlessly from one scene to the next. Though the joke was on others trying too hard to be hip and cool, the short film was, indeed, very hip!
Recommendation
I highly recommend I’m Hip to fans of 2-D hand drawn animation and admirers of John Musker’s work.
With its captivating animation and nostalgic jazz undertones, this short film offers a delightful trip down memory lane.
What did you think?
What are your thoughts on the film? Did any of the caricatured characters stand out to you? Share your feedback in the comments!
What did you think of the film? Did you recognize any of the characters? Let me know in the comments!
Resources
As a movie lover, especially classic 2D animation, I launched this blog as a guide to keep fellow enthusiasts updated on the latest news and information about films and shows. Through Movie Prairie, I strive to share my insights and recommendations, inviting you to explore and appreciate the magic of movies just as much as I do. Join me on this as we delve into the captivating world of film together.
