Watch: Touching and Poetic New Short Showcases Talents of Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Animator

Once an artist for Walt Disney Animation during the studio’s most prolific period in many decades, Glen Keane served as supervising animator on such films as “The Fox and the Hound,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Pocahontas” as well as creating iconic characters like Ariel, Tarzan and Aladdin (among others). Since leaving DIsney, he has joined Google/Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group, where he is working to create hand-drawn animation that explores the potential for interactive storytelling.

His first animated short associated with the project explores the unique spacial dynamics of animation. “Duet” premiered at Google’s I/O Conference on June 25th and is a piece of great humanity that traces its two protagonists through the distinct but intertwined paths of their lives. It’s a testament to the capabilities of traditional animation in an era where computer generated imagery has become the norm, and to the potential for complete stories to be told non-verbally and in a small time frame. Check it out below: