About Geri's Game

Geri's Game is an American computer-animated short film written and directed by Jan Pinkava. It was produced by Pixar and released in 1997. The film is a charming exploration of the game of chess. It features an elderly man called Geri, who plays a game of chess against himself, becoming more youthful and vigorous as he changes seats to control the black pieces.

Making/Production

Geri's Game was Pixar's first short film after the company had moved into feature length films with Toy Story. Despite the short film's simplicity in its concept, it required most of the technologies that Pixar had developed for their feature films.

Actors

• Bob Peterson: Provided the voice for Geri. Bob Peterson delivers a captivating performance, articulating Geri’s emotions without the use of dialogue, solely with laughter and grunts.

Trivia/Interesting Facts

• The character Geri later appeared in Pixar's Toy Story 2 as the repairman who fixes Woody.
• The teenage version of Geri that appears in the film was actually modelled after the director, Jan Pinkava.
• The film took approximately a year and a half to complete.

Awards

Geri's Game won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

Quotes

• There's no distinct dialogue in Geri's Game, as the film primarily relies on the physical humor of the solitary chess match and the zest of the protagonist Geri.

Music, Soundtrack

• The film uses no actual track for music but leverages skilled sound design to enhance the comedic timing and give life to the game of chess. Gus Koven was the sound designer of the film.