Ice Age: Scrat Tales Explained

Director:Donnie Long
Theme Music Composer:John Powell
Composer:Batu Sener
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:6
Producer:Anthony Nisi
Runtime:4 minutes
Network:Disney+

Ice Age: Scrat Tales is an American animated series of shorts produced by Blue Sky Studios, which premiered on Disney+ on April 13, 2022. It is a spin-off of the Ice Age franchise and the first series of shorts in the franchise. It is also the final production from Blue Sky Studios to be released by 20th Century Studios following the studio's closure on April 10, 2021. The series focuses on Scrat, a saber-toothed squirrel who discovers that he has a son. It received generally positive reviews from critics with praise for its animation, humor, music, and light-hearted tone, with critics and audiences alike also considering it as a good sendoff to the studio.

Cast

See main article: List of Ice Age characters.

Production

Development

On February 22, 2022, which would have been Blue Sky Studios's 35th anniversary, the series was officially announced, with a release date of April 13, 2022. A teaser poster, the cast and crew, and promotional stills were also revealed and provided in press reports.[2] [3] [4]

Animation

Unlike most Blue Sky Studios projects which use the studio's in-house software CGI Studio, the series was produced using Pixar RenderMan, becoming the first and only confirmed Blue Sky Studios production to utilize the software, as CGI Studio was being phased out in favor of RenderMan. In an interview, Michael Knapp added that as a result, they had to remodel Scrat by re-furring, re-materializing and re-rigging the character.[5] Production was also impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing animators to work remotely.[5] Knapp also went on to state that they were aware of The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild being produced without the involvement of the studio around the same time production on the series occurred.[5]

Music

Batu Sener composed the musical score, with John Powell composing the end titles; Sener was also a composer on the Ice Age film The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022), while Powell composed the Ice Age films The Meltdown (2006), Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), and Continental Drift (2012). The soundtrack was released on March 25, 2022, by Hollywood Records.[6]

Release

The series was released as a Disney+ original series on April 13, 2022.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

"The End"

On April 13, the same release date that had been announced for the series, an unlisted video, simply titled The End, was uploaded by a former Blue Sky Studios employee onto YouTube, whose account went under the name Finale. The short, which was separate from the series, ended the infamous running gag by featuring Scrat finally achieving his dream of eating an acorn with no catches, and then scurrying off screen, presumably to find adventure elsewhere. The short was allegedly the final piece of animation made by Blue Sky Studios before their closure in 2021, made by a small team of animators to serve as "a send off on their own terms." The scene quickly went viral on the Internet which led to widespread coverage from major news sites, as they had reported that it finally left closure to Scrat's 20-year on-screen battle, in which he ultimately accomplished his goal.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Episodes

Every short is directed by Donnie Long, but co-directors are credited alongside him.

Reception

Critical response

Joel Keller of Decider found the series to be entertaining and family friendly, stating, "There are enough funny moments in Ice Age: Scrat Tales to make it worth the pretty brief time commitment, especially if you're watching it with your kids."[18] Polly Conway of Common Sense Media rated the series 3 out of 5 stars, found agreeable the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing compassion and caring across the character of Scrat, and complimented the humor of the series, writing, "Chaotic critter becomes a parent in funny, violent shorts."[19]

Awards and nominations

Batu Sener's score was nominated for the Best Original Score in a TV Show/Limited Series category at the 13th Hollywood Music in Media Awards ceremony in November 2022, but lost to 1883s score by Brian Tyler and Breton Vivian.[20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Calimbahin. Samantha. Scrat's Baby Revealed In Disney+ Ice Age Short Poster (They're Adorable). Screen Rant. February 23, 2022. February 26, 2022. February 23, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220223150638/https://screenrant.com/ice-age-scrat-tales-poster-baby-disney-plus/. live.
  2. Web site: Burlingame. Russ. Ice Age: Scrat Tales Poster Released by Disney+. ComicBook.com. February 22, 2022. February 22, 2022. February 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220222230951/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/ice-age-scrat-tales-poster-released-by-disney/. live.
  3. Web site: King. Aidan. 'Ice Age: Scrat Tales' Reveals Scrat's Adorable Companion in New Poster for the Disney+ Series. Collider. February 22, 2022. February 22, 2022. February 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220222231410/https://collider.com/ice-age-scrat-tales-tv-series-poster-images-disney-plus/. live.
  4. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. 'Ice Age' Lives on with 'Scrat Tales' Shorts on Disney+. Animation Magazine. February 22, 2022. February 22, 2022. February 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220222233557/https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/ice-age-lives-on-with-scrat-tales-shorts-on-disney/. live.
  5. Web site: Bennett. Tara. An Oral History of Scrat Tales: The Death and Legacy of Blue Sky Studios. Paste. April 13, 2022. April 13, 2022. April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220415054008/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/scrat-tales-blue-sky-studios-oral-history/. live.
  6. Web site: March 22, 2022 . 'Ice Age: Scrat Tales' Soundtrack Album Details . live . March 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220325001435/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/03/22/ice-age-scrat-tales-soundtrack-album-details/ . March 25, 2022 . Film Music Reporter.
  7. Web site: Sarto. Debbie. Disney+ Drops 'Ice Age: Scrat Tales' Trailer. Animation World Network. March 29, 2022. March 29, 2022. March 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220329164904/https://www.awn.com/news/disney-drops-ice-age-scrat-tales-trailer. live.
  8. Web site: Cavanaugh. Patrick. Ice Age: Scrat Tales Trailer Released by Disney+. ComicBook.com. March 29, 2022. March 30, 2022. March 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220330000615/https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/ice-age-scrat-shorts-trailer-disney-plus-streaming/. live.
  9. Web site: Seibold. Witney. Ice Age: Scrat Tales Trailer: Back In His Parent's Hands. /Film. March 29, 2022. March 30, 2022. March 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220330004910/https://www.slashfilm.com/814896/ice-age-scrat-tales-trailer-back-in-his-parents-hands/. live.
  10. Web site: Remley. Hilary. 'Ice Age: Scrat Tales' Trailer Teases a Series of Hilarious and Heartwarming Shorts. Collider. March 29, 2022. March 30, 2022. March 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220330011035/https://collider.com/ice-age-scrat-tales-trailer-chris-wedge-kari-wahlgren/. live.
  11. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. 'Ice Age: Scrat Tales' Shorts Go Nutty on Disney+ April 13. Animation Magazine. March 29, 2022. March 31, 2022. March 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220331162245/https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/trailer-ice-age-scrat-tales-shorts-go-nutty-on-disney-april-13/. live.
  12. Web site: Shirey. Paul. Scrat Finally Gets The Acorn In Last-Ever Short From Ice Age Studio. Screen Rant. April 13, 2022. April 16, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416111010/https://screenrant.com/ice-age-scrat-acorn-final-short-studio-video/. live.
  13. Web site: Blue Sky Studios has closed its doors but Ice Age's Scrat finally got his acorn!. BBC Newsround. April 14, 2022. April 16, 2022. August 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220816184723/https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/61106979. live.
  14. Web site: Motamayor. Rafael. Ice Age Character Scrat Finally Gets His Acorn As Blue Sky Studios Says Goodbye. /Film. April 14, 2022. April 17, 2022. April 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220417185645/https://www.slashfilm.com/832905/ice-age-character-scrat-finally-gets-his-acorn-as-blue-sky-studios-says-goodbye/. live.
  15. Web site: Oddo. Marco. 'Ice Age': Blue Sky Studio Let Scrat Get His Acorn in Farewell Short Film. Collider. April 14, 2022. April 17, 2022. April 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220417184703/https://collider.com/ice-age-short-film-blue-sky-studio-scrat-the-squirrel/. live.
  16. Web site: Alter. Rebecca. Scrat Got Nut! Scrat Got Nut!. Vulture. April 14, 2022. April 16, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416152337/https://www.vulture.com/2022/04/ice-age-squirrel-scrat-gets-acorn-blue-sky.html. live.
  17. Web site: Bashforth. Emily. Ice Age's Scrat finally gets his acorn before animation studio shuts down and fans can't stop crying. Metro. April 14, 2022. April 16, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416222433/https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/14/ice-ages-scrat-finally-gets-his-acorn-before-animation-studio-closes-16471399/. live.
  18. Web site: April 13, 2022 . Keller . Joel . 'Ice Age: Scrat Tales' Disney Plus Review: Stream It Or Skip It? . . April 13, 2022 . April 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413220416/https://decider.com/2022/04/13/ice-age-scrat-tales-disney-plus-review/ . live .
  19. Web site: 2022 . Polly Conway . Ice Age: Scrat Tales TV Review . . May 21, 2022 . May 21, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521014153/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/ice-age-scrat-tales . live .
  20. Web site: Hollywood Music in Media Awards. 2022 HMMA Nominations. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230120175938/https://www.hmmawards.com/2022-hmma-nominations/. January 20, 2023. January 20, 2023.