With music by GRAMMY® Award winner musician Lou Reed, "The Bridge" is inspired by a true story about a man who is struggling with his mental health after being left by his wife, and, in parallel, a story about a dog abandoned by his family and left on the streets of NYC. As these two characters experience lives filled with rejection, we see their paths cross and a quiet bond begin to grow. The film explores how this connection ultimately saves both of their lives.

Art direction was pivotal in depicting the main characters’ internal mental health struggles. The overall art direction of the film was developed to create a hostile world where our characters feel cramped and un welcomed in the world they inhabit. The New York City we created is distinctly different from a playful PIXAR-like style. Our characters’ surroundings are distorted and feature gothic-inspired angles.

Studies have shown that pets provide health benefits linked to our mental and physical well-being, including reduction of stress, anxiety, and depression; and easing loneliness. With COVID-19 triggering a secondary loneliness pandemic, this topic has become increasingly relevant. PAWs NY needed an asset that would stand out from other animal organizations in order to increase donations and volunteers amongst potential donors.

Mixing 2D and 3D techniques, our characters’ surroundings are distorted and feature gothic-inspired angles. Our main character designs are also distinct from the light-hearted style of PIXAR animated characters. They were created with unusual proportions and edgy, scribbled textures to portray their stress and agony. Color plays an important role in the narrative of the film. The blue and gray tones are a metaphor for the inner mental states of both characters, as they struggle with depression and loneliness. Conversely, orange is used to represent hope and the road to healing, and first appears in short flashes triggered by the positive interactions they have with each other. “The Bridge” culminates in a fully transformed, bright, orange world reflecting the characters' now positive and hopeful mental states, following their now unbreakable human-animal bond.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences on mental health, leaving a loneliness pandemic in its wake. It’s well-documented how the human-animal bond can positively impact mental health, and the role of pets in our lives has taken an even more important role.