Representation matters.

It was a powerful decision to feature the two main characters as kids of color, and to introduce Disney’s first non-verbal autistic character, Renee! I loved that this film added flavor to Pixar’s gold standard animation in that one of the characters spoke like me and resembled my friends. Marcus, played by Christiano ‘Chachi’ Delgado, used AAVE and wore a snapback, but it wasn’t like too much… it was just enough. 🤏🏾 🤏🏾 Those small notes were significant in making the characters relatable, and not forcing inclusivity for diversity’s sake.

I adore when under-represented human characters are highlighted in animation! The main aim of this short was to introduce Marcus and Renee to different stimuli, and view their perspectives when overstimulation occurred. Using canoeing as the medium for connecting was such a cool idea!

Two senses, sound and touch specifically, were the main modes of communication during the film. “Loop” captured the characters’ first interaction, their conflict, and how they patiently worked through differences when communication was challenging.

The sound editing was fantastic! I enjoyed that the story artists also explored a friendship that isn’t typically emphasized in the visual arts. “Loop” is an example of how animation can be an impactful tool, and I applaud the animators and storytellers for getting this right. I’m excited to see more from SparkShorts!