Adorable Short Alert: "In a Heartbeat"
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 at 12:46PM 
Cartoon hearts can break, too. I can't get over this new animated short in which a young boy's heart betrays him at school. And the feeling is apparently mutual on the internet. By the time it took me to post this between watcing it four times last night and waking up this morning to say a few words, it has been everywhere racking up millions of views and inspiring fan art already as well as official parody posters.
See the full four minute short after the jump and a few more comments after the jump. It's well worth your time...
This is everything we want animated shorts to be: funny, emotional in some ultra specific way, well animated, and complete-feeling despite the succinct nature of the format. It's always nearly impossible to understand the provenance of animated shorts and how they end up in awards contention (it's a very complicated festival-based qualifying system with multiple culls afterwards) but we'll be rooting for this one and hoping its eligible for end of year honors.
The short is a debut film from Beth David and Esteban Bravo via the Ringling Bros College of Art and Design and we predict big animation careers for both.
Hint: when you play it, turn it up real loud because the 'voice work' by Kelly Donohue and Nick Ainsworth (though there's no actual dialogue) on that little heart that knows what it wants is immensely satisfying.
Reader Comments (13)
All gay boys know this feeling. God! This short and Frank Ocean's Forrest Gump does a good job of illustrating those feelings.
Nice short, even though it brings me awful memories of the terrible "Paperman" winning the Oscar. That has to rank among my least favorite Oscars rewards.
I want this to somehow be nominated and win the Oscar.
Esteban is a friend of mine from high school. Super charming guy. So happy to see his breakthrough work get this much attention. Lovely short indeed.
Pure joy.
Thank you for sharing.
<3
Very cute and well done
Steve -- that's awesome! tell him we love it. :)
Love it.
Steve_Man, please tell him that it is all over Pop Culture groups in Facebook, and people are loving it. Beautifully done, and so very true! Thank you!
;___________________; so much awwwwww!
It also got an article in the NY Times that has, among other things, a quote from Nick Davis...
My favorite part has got to me the little heart brushing against the crush's hair. Brilliant little moment there.