Life as the sole sale item in the clearance corner of Eben's Bikes can get lonely. So Red, a unicycle, dreams up a clown owner and his own juggling act that steals the show. But all too soon, the applause turns into the sound of rainfall, as reality rushes back. Red must resign himself to sitting in the corner and await his fate.
Direction
Lasseter's debut—every frame aches with intention.
Score
Jazzy noir that turns devastating without warning.
Cinematography
Rain-soaked pawn shop noir in 4 minutes flat.
Director
John Lasseter
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 1987 short proved computers could do *emotion*, not just geometry—directly enabling Toy Story's existence.
The clown is Lasseter himself, rotoscoped. The unicycle has no voice because Lasseter couldn't afford a sound designer.
US
