What Directors Can Learn From Daniel Chong's 'Hoppers' Test Animation

The past weekend, Hoppers was number one at the box office. It's a Pixar movie that is a hilarious and surprisingly deep environmental sci-fi adventure about a teenager who transfers her consciousness into a robotic beaver. You know, one of those movies.

It's also the perfect kind of movie to take your family to, which is what I did.

It's wonderfully zany and fresh, the kind of movie that feels like it just appeared out of thin air. And that's kind of true, but that air was actually a dream of director Daniel Chong.

To celebrate the film's massive opening weekend, Chong shared a fascinating glimpse into the past: a 28-second 2D animation test from 2020, created by Pixar Story artist Lorenzo Fresta.

And yeah, it got the entire social media buzzing. So today, I wanted to talk about that and some other lessons directors can learn from Chong's approach.

Let's dive in.

Why Is the Internet Buzzing for Beavers?

The animation above features a watercolor-esque scene of two beavers floating down a river in a distinctly Studio Ghibli-inspired style.

People marveled at the colors and depth.

It was distinctly different than the Pixar 3D CGI animation we got, not better, but not the same.

Chong noted this version was created purely for inspiration. Yet it was cool to see the story done in a different style and to show how ideation is really the first building block that evolves over time.

For filmmakers and animation directors, this tiny clip offers a masterclass in early-stage development.

Here are some lessons I learned from watching it and the discourse around it.

1. Establish the "Feel" Before the "Look"

You don't need to work in your final medium to figure out your movie's soul. You can doodle ideas to find the heart, or even pull stills from different genres.

Even though Hoppers was always destined to be a 3D Pixar film, Chong used 2D animation to capture the tranquil, organic essence of nature (which is a very Ghibli idea).

The test wasn't about rendering lights, establishing the physics of the world, or testing fur texture; it was about defining the world the characters would eventually fight to protect. And everyone watching immediately understood what was at stake when they saw it.

2. Wear Your Influences on Your Sleeve

Why did you get into this business in the first place? Who are the people or the movies that inspired you to be this way? Cross-pollinate artistic styles to find something new.

The 2020 test drips with Studio Ghibli influence. It's all simple colors, stylized features, and a reverence for the natural world. The Pixar team was able to translate that into their own 3D pipeline and to find a vibe for the movie that shares the same soul.

3. Ground the Chaos in a Quiet Core

I love how bananas this movie was and how it took a ton of wacky turns. But high-concept comedy only works if the emotional stakes feel real.

Hoppers is easily one of Pixar's weirdest films. Chong ensured his team understood what was at stake before they introduced the comedic madness by showing us the natural world. If the audience doesn't care about the peaceful river, they won't care about the chaotic mission to save it.

4. Use Proofs-of-Concept to Align the Team

How can you accurately communicate your vision to a bunch of people? A visual anchor prevents feature creep over long development cycles.

An early mood piece like the test serves as a North Star. When you go through development and rewrites or even reshoots, it's great to point to something and say, "I want to do that!" When a narrative gets too chaotic or the aesthetic strays too far, having a foundational piece of art reminds everyone of the project's heart.

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Summing It All Up

Daniel Chong’s 2D test for Hoppers proves that early animation tests don't have to be literal drafts of the final product. Instead, they can be emotional blueprints.

And when you wear your heart on your sleeve, you can show it to everyone else and help them align with the vision.

Let me know what you think in the comments.