Development In 2018, Disney requested
pitches for theatrical short films. Natalie Nourigat, director of
Short Circuit film
Exchange Student (2020), pitched three concepts that she had written in her sketchbooks. She also pitched a fourth idea (which did not have a proper story) written because of nostalgia for her childhood in
Oregon. Disney ultimately approved her fourth concept. Nourigat noted the abundance of raccoons in their natural habitat while on a research trip to
Cannon Beach, Oregon, and immediately considered them as the short's main characters. Nourigat appreciated the shift, stating: "Having animal characters allowed us to go to these much more exaggerated places, much more emotional places ... because the stakes are so high and everybody understands that with animal characters". In early 2019, Ruth Strother was offered the role of producer. She and Nourigat had worked together on
Ralph Breaks the Internet, in which they served as a production supervisor and story artist, respectively. Strother eagerly accepted the offer since she had firsthand experience with Nourigat's creativity and work ethic.
Animation and design The team took inspiration from real-life raccoons; according to Strother, "they basically are like cartoon characters", meaning there was a way of animating them as appealing while allowing them to behave as they would in their natural environment. The animators found it difficult to establish the correct balance between
anthropomorphism and realism. Early
storyboards were cartoony and depicted the characters acting similar to humans. They reverted to a more natural way of working. The 2D artists conducted some 2D tests to see how far they could push the limits. The works of Manu Arenas, a comic book artist and production designer, were the inspiration for the watercolor animation style. Cannon Beach's cloudy sky, gray sand, Evergreen trees, and foggy, distant mountains created an unusual color palette for the film's setting. Nourigat relied substantially on Disney's Meander drawing system, which was used for the short films
Paperman and
Feast. The system was meant to be a simple accessory, but ended up being used in 96 percent of the short. With Meander, they published a flat color render and incorporated line art as well, much of which was done by hand. Meander allowed the team a large amount of control and artistry by allowing them to redraw where they wanted. To maintain the genuine tone, the artists animated at a slower pace on 3s and 4s. Because the crew enjoyed a glance followed by a powerful stance (which was then held), the animators were encouraged to drop frames. == Release ==