Walt Disney Animation Studios has announced that Paperman a short film combining computer-generated and hand-drawn animation will make its theatrical debut in front of Wreck-It Ralph an arcade-game-hopping adventure that hits theaters nationwide in November. The short will play in front of Wreck-It Ralph for most international markets (release dates vary by market). Paperman is directed by John Kahrs and produced by Kristina Reed. Using a minimalist black-and-white style the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention his efforts are no match for what fate has in store for him. Kahrs a veteran animator who joined WDAS in 2007 led a team of 2D and CG artists who used a proprietary program called Meander to create the short. Employing a technique called final line advection artists were able to add a level of grace and expressiveness never before seen in an animated film. The world premiere of the short took place on the opening night of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival June 4. Its U.S. premiere was at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
