‘Conej Steps Out’ Is A Charming, Exuberant Homage To The Golden Age Of American Animation

Conej Steps Out is a charming and exuberant homage to the Golden Age of American animation, drawing inspiration from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, as well as the signature style of the Fleischer Brothers.

Eager to impress his girlfriend, Claire, with the ultimate gift for their upcoming date, Conej sets his sights on the stars—literally. His grand (and wildly unconventional) plan? Build a rocket and convince Claire to blast off to the moon with him. It does not go well.

Said Río of the short:

With this cartoon, our team of artists aimed to create entertainment that goes beyond the written word. I firmly believe animation should be a rollercoaster of surrealism — like looking at a painting, watching Fred Astaire dance, or listening to a beautiful melody. That’s what we set out to achieve in our first cartoon with our old pal Conej.

Bursting with vibrant hand-drawn animation and playful energy, this quirky, retro-inspired short was produced by the Digipen Institute of Technology Europe in Bilbao, Spain, in collaboration with Musikene Higher School of Music of the Basque Country.

Conej Steps Out was created primarily by four Digipen students during their senior year. The film was animated by Río, who also directed, and Leyre Zapata, who served as visual designer. The backgrounds, painted by hand using watercolors and gouache, were made by artists Aitor Olano and Bruno Santoro. The original score, composed by Jordi Arcusa, was performed by a 20-piece orchestra.