Nickelodeon Shorts
AlmightyKingPrawn
Video captures courtesy of
Broken Saw through a capture by FT Depot
(July 10, 1996)
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Visuals: On a fancy stage with a red, velvet curtain and moving spotlights, a janitor leans on his broom, content, only to suddenly notice that the audience is watching and scream. Sticking his tongue out, he pulls down a wide filmstrip that has many disembodied shorts, the largest being in the middle, "walking" on a purple cloth background. He throws the filmstrip so that it takes over the screen. An iris surrounds the largest pair of shorts with light orange. An orange arm with a hand on both ends that reads "NICKELODEON" wraps around the circle with the shorts to stretch out a small blob into the green and brown text "SHORTS" below, then relaxes. The right hand waves goodbye as the logo further irises out to just the pair of shorts, still walking.
Technique: Traditional 2D animation for the janitor. It is unconfirmed, but based on the artstyle being extremely similar to his work, it has been theorized that the janitor animator may possibly be Pigeon book author and Sheep In The Big City creator Mo Willems. The stage background is live action. The shorts appear to be CGI, while the arm, "SHORTS", and irising are further 2D animation.
Audio: An orchestra warming up, the janitor shouting, and then a record scratch that cues a funk theme. The iris around the largest shorts is accompanied by a note, the arm wrapping around the circle with the shorts is given downward xylophone, the arm stretching out "SHORTS" is accompanied by a squash and a cartoon anvil noise, and afterwards, the janitor can be heard sighing. The hand waving goodbye is accompanied by a strange faint gurgling noise.
Availability: Was only seen on the print of the pilot of Hey Arnold! that played before Harriet The Spy in theaters.
