How short film ‘Once Upon A Studio’ featuring over 500 Disney characters was born

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney directors Dan Abraham and Trent Correy would meet in separate cars at a Taco Bell parking lot in California. 

The pair, who previously directed the “Frozen”-inspired short film “Once Upon a Snowman,” would talk through their car windows about projects they wanted to do together.

“One of the ideas that bubbled up really quickly was the realization that we were going to be at the [Walt Disney Animation Studios] for the 100th anniversary, and wouldn’t it be cool to do something for that. We organically thought about a project that would mark that milestone,” Abraham recalls.

When Abraham first saw the animated classic “Lady and the Tramp” as a little boy in 1955, he was inspired by the characters and the level of storytelling. “‘Lady and the Tramp’ truly got into my heart and Disney had been the goal ever since,” Abraham tells NextShark. 

Similarly, Correy reflects on his childhood, which was filled with the wonder and magic of Disney characters. Although we’re adults now, he says, we remain children at heart. The idea behind the pair’s latest short film aims to remind people to embrace the childlike wonder and sincerity in a world that can often be cynical.

For over eight months, Abraham and Correy worked in secret, developing gags, character ideas and sketches before presenting their labors of love to Jennifer Lee, the…