For the Birds

For the Birds is a short film released in 2000. It was written and directed by Ralph Eggleston - his first time in the directing chair. The short appeared before Monsters, Inc..

Plot
Blue birds stand on a power line. They encounter a goofy and huge bird. They mimic and tease him but he goes on the cord anyway. The little birds start pecking on him. They successfully get him off but when the big bird falls off, the birds are flung away into the sky. The short ends with the big bird laughing hysterically.

Production
Ralph Eggleston had this to say about his inspiration for the short:

"Probably visits to my aunt when I was a kid. She lived in the country and I spent long rides to her house peering out the car window at birds on a wire. Also, I did a project in my design class at CalArts that my friend, Ken Bruce, told me might make a good film.  I boarded it out at CalArts, but frankly, I couldn’t imagine the difficulty of drawing all those birds.  Little did I know it would be just as difficult on the computer!"

Trivia

 * The background music in this short, titled "Big High Wire Hop", is performed by Riders in the Sky. It is included in the band's 2002 album, Monsters, Inc. Scream Factory Favorites.
 * There is a boat in Finding Nemo called "For the Birds."
 * The small birds on the power line make a cameo appearance in the movie Cars.