Experiencing Interruptions?

"WALL-E's Old Man"

After getting laid off by a factory where he's worked his whole life, an old man is inspired to build a robot that long outlives him

  • Jeff Blyth
    Director
    "Cheetah" "From Time to Time" "Wonders of China" "The Secret World of Alex Mack"
  • Jeff Blyth
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 32 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 15, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    computer animation
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Die Laughing Film Festival
    Los Angleles
    United States
    May 7, 2022
    Festival premiere
    Best Animated Short
  • Independent Shorts Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    May 12, 2022
    Gold Award - Best Animated Film, Best Sound Design, Best Original Story for the month of May
Director Biography - Jeff Blyth

Jeff Blyth has been making films all his life, from documentaries during his early years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa, through his extensive travels to every corner of China for Disney’s EPCOT Center. His experience as a writer, producer, and director has taken him around the world and, in turn, he has brought audiences to these same locale with productions that are both immersive as well as emotional. Walt Disney Pictures recognized this unique background in selecting Jeff to direct the challenging feature film, “Cheetah” on location in Kenya. Jeff has worked with A-list talent (including some Oscar winners and nominees) as well as emerging stars and even non-professional actors, in both feature films and TV.

Jeff has written several scripts, three of which have been produced as TV movies. His most recent writing is a book, “Polishing the Dragons, the making of EPCOT’s Wonders of China” which details his experiences and hardships making the very popular Disney attraction.

Jeff lives in Glendale, California, with his wife Kathy and they have enjoyed being part of the community of Hollywood filmmakers for over thirty years. Jeff is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America, the Director’s Guild of America, and is a proud to have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Director Statement

I started making animated films back in the late 1960s There were no animation classes at my university so I created an individual projects course with a professor, exploring a variety of methods. In those days there was one computer on the entire campus and it filled a whole floor in the Computer Science Building; communication was slow and laborious via punch cards. Over the years as a filmmaker I've had opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills in both animation and visual effects, quite often as a supplement to my career in live action for theme parks, film, and television. In my spare time between larger productions, I’ve found great pleasure in creating little animated projects, mainly for myself and friends, and now a wider audience online. These hand-crafted efforts allow me to continue to explore new areas and challenge myself because there’s always some element or technique I’ve never tried before. Since I work in animation by myself, on a single aging computer, my efforts to emulate Pixar films are a perfect example of the Robert Browning quote, "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp."