Taiko Studios: One Small Step

Since launching on the film festival circuit in April, this superb animated short from Taiko Studios has attracted much attention and bagged a sizeable haul of awards. Now that it’s finally released in its entirety, you can see what all the – justifiable – fuss has been about.

Combining the best of digital illustration and modern 3D animation, the short film was created by award-winning producer Shaofu Zhang and veteran Disney animators Bobby Pontillas and Andrew Chesworth and follows the story of Luna, a Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut.

Chesworth’s experience animating for Disney spans nine productions over six years. Prior to Disney, he directed over 30 commercials and short films for studio Make, LLC. Co-director Bobby Pontillas’ own background and journey to become a character designer and animator at Disney Animation Studios helped inspire Luna’s journey. “All dreams begin with a single step,” he says.