Where Did the Idea for Bao Come From?
Bao received its inspiration directly from Shi's real-life experiences. As the daughter of Chinese immigrant parents, Domee Shi used her own Toronto childhood experiences to create Bao. A "coddled little dumpling" describes how Shi felt throughout her childhood because her protective parents shielded her constantly. This theatrical sentiment became the central emotional theme within her short film.
JsonResult shapes part of its narrative from fairy tales and folklore, which contain whimsy and surreal elements that captured Domee Shi's imagination. According to Shi her creative process began with classic tales from "The Gingerbread Man" along with Asian folk histories, which frequently show babies appearing out of ordinary objects such as food or plants.
What Was the Process Like for Getting the Film Off the Ground?
The journey that led Bao to production started when Domee Shi worked on the short film independently of her Pixar duties. The animation studio Pixar announced in 2015 an internal pitch initiative to collect proposals for their upcoming short film from their workforce. Shi immediately pursued the opportunity by designing artwork and developing three unique presentation ideas for executive approval at Pixar.
Bao was one of her submissions, which she first thought would be unacceptable to studio standards because it was "too weird or dark." The studio required candidates to submit their pitches several times during different feedback sessions throughout the evaluation process. The selection committee was drawn to Bao's emotional depth and Shi's distinctive storytelling vision. The screening committee understood her storytelling capability and then decided to bet on a unique storyline.
How Much Did the Final Film Change from What You Originally Presented?
From the first presentation version to the finished work, Bao stayed true to its core narrative points. The complete concept of Domee Shi's lonely, empty-nester mother sharing a fantasy trip with her dumpling child persisted from pitch to final creative execution. The fundamental events in both the initial pitch and the final release included the mother's emotional transformation and the sudden revelation that she had eaten her dumpling.
Despite early doubts about Pixar's acceptance of her story's darker tones, Shi learned that these elements specifically appealed to studio leadership. The studio saw Bao's deep emotional and unique storytelling potential, which motivated Shi to maintain her original vision.
You Were the First Woman to Direct a Pixar Short. Was That Something You Were Aware of at All During the Process?
The historical milestone of Domee Shi becoming Pixar's first female short film director did not influence her while making Bao. She focused mainly on mastering her first directing experience when she worked on her film production. Through working on her project Shi faced continuous questioning about her credentials and familiarized herself with the expectation that she lacked veteran status in story direction. Her commitment to authenticity and her love of storytelling kept pushing her ahead.
When Bao premiered, audiences began to understand the true importance of her achievement. Witnessing how her work influenced viewers most directly became a humbling moment. Shi constantly promotes media representation by saying, "you can’t be what you can’t see." Through Bao she established herself as a guiding light for women filmmakers, showing that animation deserves diverse storytelling voices.
Why Do You Think It’s Important for the Industry to Keep Promoting Diverse Voices and Stories?
According to Domee Shi, the entertainment industry needs diverse stories and voices to thrive and remain dynamic. The Pixar studios need to actively find novel storytellers at all times because fresh viewpoints generate inventive and compelling content. Using the same traditional storytelling voices repeatedly would create stagnant storytelling, while embracing diversity will help filmmakers bring stories that speak to wider audiences.
Through her life story, Shi proves that storytelling needs to incorporate diverse perspectives. Bao provided stories that spoke personally to its creator and universally touched audiences irrespective of cultural background or age. Through her cultural roots, Shi created original content for Pixar that demonstrated how authentic stories from specific backgrounds connect with audiences worldwide.
What Advice Do You Have for Someone Who’s Starting Something New?
Domee Shi offers practical and heartfelt advice for anyone embarking on a new journey: be honest and communicative. Her first-time director experience taught her that recognizing her unskilled areas required her to depend on collaboration with her team. Hiding ignorance through pretending to know everything results in avoidable errors but genuine statements about uncertain matters encourage teamwork with problem resolution. Shi demonstrates that embracing inquiries and group participation during creative work delivers the most optimal project result.
Shi recommends collaborating with skilled people who will make your work better. Through her work with Pixar, she acknowledges how her team combined animation and storytelling abilities with visual effects mastery to create Bao. Success for her was achieved through constant attention to every detail regardless of its size. Bao's creator invited her mother to lead cooking workshops with animators, which helped maintain the movie's realistic authenticity.
How Did You Get Involved in Art and Animation?
Since childhood, Domee Shi has developed her passion for art and animation through a conducive creative environment in her family home. Her father, who worked as a painter and artist, provided her first introduction to visual storytelling art forms. Shi has tried drawing as her primary artistic outlet since her early years at her home-based studio. She discovered that art worked as her silent method to connect with others during her early days as a shy child.
Animation became fundamental to Shahi Shi after she discovered her natural storytelling instincts. Animation enabled her to merge her artistic skill in drawing with her aim of making others react emotionally. Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki catalyzed her decision to begin working in animation. Miyazaki's artistic approach of merging magical fantasy with profound emotional realism is a significant source of inspiration in Shi's creative practice.
Who Do You Look to for Inspiration When You’re Starting a New Project?
At the beginning of her new projects Domee Shi pulls inspiration from childhood heroes together with her Pixar colleagues. As an admirer of Hayao Miyazaki, she frequently watches Spirited Away to reconnect with the original animation magic that attracted her to animated films. By blending magical realms with heartfelt storytelling, Miyazaki sets an important standard that guides Shi's work in developing new stories.
Working at Pixar has enabled Shi to connect with mentors and collaborators who drive her toward boundary expansion. Through their work with animation, Pete Docter and Brad Bird significantly influenced Shi's filmmaking direction. Shi learned how to add emotional depth to imaginary environments through the creative work of Docter on Inside Out and Monsters Inc., while Bird's many artistic skills as writer chief and animator expanded her creative boundaries.
What Do You Hope Is Next for You?
Domee Shi plans to make meaningful animated stories that deeply touch viewers as she moves forward. At Pixar Studios, she works on her debut feature-length movie alongside plans to expand beyond Bao while taking on more complicated stories. She aims to create a movie that balances technical mastery with deep emotional impact while maintaining her narrative storytelling approach.
Through her achievements, Shi intends to stand up for equal representation throughout the animation industry. She believes there will be a day when storytellers from all backgrounds become part of the industry, thus enriching its diversity through their distinctive voices and life experiences. Through her work with emerging talent and her campaigns for inclusivity, she wishes to establish pathways for aspiring animators.
