Questo mese, il pubblico può schermare Nico and Nickel sulla rete Planet Classroom. Questo film è curato da Kids FIRST! Film Festival.
Nico and Nickel, directed by Sky O’Connell, is a powerful short animation about a lonely boy, Nico, who finds friendship in the unlikeliest of places—a forest-dwelling robot named Nickel. Through stunning visual storytelling, the film highlights how true friendship can bring light to the darkest moments, transforming solitude into strength.
Il Global Ricerca per l'Educazione è lieto di darvi il benvenuto Sky O’Connell.
Sky, what inspired you to explore the themes of loneliness and unexpected friendship in Nico and Nickel?
Nico & Nickel is a film that comes from a very personal place. Come un bambino, even with friends around me who loved and supported me, I often felt terribly alone. This film is dedicated to my family friend, Paul Zizzo, a car mechanic who got free baseball tickets. He was a first-generation Italian immigrant, unmarried, and spent a lot of his free time caring for his mom. Whenever we both had time, he’d take me to games. Those were some of the most fun moments of my life, and I created a lot of work in his honor as a way to cope with the fact that I never got to thank him as an adult.
Baseball plays a central role because it brings so much joy and excitement. I wanted that background to remind the film not to dwell solely on sadness and loneliness. Going to those games left me so thrilled that I’d show up to school the next day with crusted-up Diamondbacks face paint. I loved those moments with him.
I grew up without a dad and resisted anyone trying to fill that role. What I loved about Paul is that he became my first adult friend. He didn’t talk down to me but still shared stories with valuable lessons. As I made this film, it became a way to express my love and gratitude for all the friends who have made my life less difficult.
Throughout my childhood, I felt somewhat adrift, and meeting people who draw me out and show me kindness fills me with gratitude, even if I don’t always express it directly.
The animation was stunning and detailed. Can you share more about the visual choices you made to convey Nico’s emotional journey?
This film is my love letter to animation. I was mesmerized by the works of Tim Burton, Hayao Miyazaki, and The Iron Giant as a child, as well as the comics of Mike Mignola and Matías Bergara. I aimed to blend an inky, traditional animation style with a modern pipeline, avoiding the constraints of analogue methods. Balancing these aesthetics can be tricky, but I let the world of the film guide me; once a world takes shape, it begins to direct itself.
Charlie Kaufman’s views on storytelling resonate with me. A film’s honesty guides you, and sometimes “the medium is the message.” The process of creating Nico & Nickel was emotional and chaotic, and I think that energy reflects in the final product.
What significance does the robot Nickel hold for you, and why was it important for Nickel to remain non-verbal?
I enjoy stories and lyrics that are poignant but open to interpretation. Specificity brings relatability, and I wanted to balance honesty with flexibility. Per me, Nickel represents multiple things: my childhood friend Paul, loved ones in Minneapolis, queerness, self-love, growing up Gen Z with a social life shaped by the internet, and the friendships and acceptance I found there.
I wanted Nickel to be a quiet character to maintain this openness and add to his charm. Though Wall-E wasn’t a direct influence, I think Wall-E’s quiet, gentle personality inspired Nickel’s character. Nickel’s silence adds a layer of gentleness and tension in his connection with Nico, creating a bond that’s stronger because it isn’t easy or straightforward.
These questions are making me reflect even more, and I realize that when I struggle, I often go non-verbal too. Like Nickel, I find it difficult to approach things at times, and there’s a quiet vulnerability in that. Nickel represents a gentle strength I see in myself and others, reminding us that fragility doesn’t mean weakness.
The way you approached the interactions between Nico and Nickel in the woods was remarkable. What challenges did you face in establishing visual cues to bring these nonverbal interactions to life, and what has been the audience feedback so far?
The story iteration process was long—I had about eight weeks to refine the storyboards. Many of the more extravagant beats were cut, and I had to condense a hazy daydream into a structured, two-and-a-half-minute story, which was challenging.
Non-verbal storytelling required deep emotional exploration of each scene. I spent a lot of time on critiques, analyzing every aspect. Col senno di poi, there are things I’d change, but I’m grateful for the critique and support from classmates and professors; I couldn’t have made this film without their insights.
In the rough cuts, I intentionally kept the audio minimal to avoid relying on sound. It wasn’t until the deadline approached that I met Mountain Falls, the composer. Their first draft of the score was perfect, and it brought the film to life. It was one of the most emotional moments for me, and I’m not sure I’d feel the same about the film without their contribution.
Seeing how people have connected with Nico & Nickel has been deeply rewarding. When friends tell me they rewatch it, it means a lot. I put everything into this film, and it has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I’m hopeful to create something like this again soon.
Grazie, Sky.
C.M. Rubin with Sky O’Connell
Da non perdere Nico and Nickel, ora in streaming su Planet Classroom Network. Questo film è curato da Kids FIRST! Film Festival for Planet Classroom.
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