Career Day

Transformers Animated animated short »
Because kids need more realistic role models these days.
"Career Day"
Airdate	N/A (the DVD containing this short was released on June 17, 2008)
Written by	Marty Isenberg
Directed by	Who knows.
Animation studio	Studio 4°C

Optimus Prime is forced to confront the most dangerous and horrifying force the world has ever known...school children.

Synopsis

It is career day at Black River Elementary School, and Optimus Prime has stopped by to lecture the children. Prime is clearly a bit frazzled by the whole thing, and it doesn't help that one particularly inquisitive child is barraging him with a series of questions, such as where his head goes when he turns into a fire truck and how he manages to see when it's tucked away. Before Prime can adequately answer these questions, however, Daniel and all the other students start excitedly demanding that he change into a fire truck. Optimus reluctantly complies and, one stock footage sequence later, assumes his altmode, much to the delight of the students. Prime then returns to robot mode eliciting yawns and groans of boredom from the others, and attempts to return to his original speech. But Daniel raises his hand once more and asks where Prime's trailer goes when he returns to robot mode. The scene fades out as Prime is seen stuttering, trying to figure out the answer to that question for himself.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Humans
Optimus Prime (1)	Daniel (2) Other unimportant children (3) and their teacher (4)

Quotes

Daniel: Can you turn into a fire truck right now?
Optimus: Uh, well, I wasn't planning on...
Children: *cheering* FIRE TRUCK! FIRE TRUCK! FIRE TRUCK! FIRE TRUCK!
Optimus: *sighs* Fire truck...

—Prime learns that there's just no pleasing some audiences...

DVD release

Howedo Ya?

"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie, and two all-new animated shorts (this one and "Evel Knievel Jump"). Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "Home Is Where the Spark Is."

Notes

• The DVD containing this short does not list the title or feature any production credits. This information comes from Animated designer Derrick J. Wyatt.
• The short is also watchable on the video section of Hasbro's website.

Animation or technical glitches

• In the beginning, you can hear Optimus Prime speak, but his lips do not move until a close-up, unless he was wearing his face-plate. Kids can be a little germy.
• Optimus's firetruck mode is huge, with the kids being very small, and the teacher only coming up to the bottom of his front bumper.

Transformers references

• Fans have been wondering about just where Optimus Prime's trailer disappears to when he transforms for many, MANY years. In a way, though, it's relieving to know that Prime himself is just as in the dark as the rest of us. On the other hand, if even Prime himself doesn't know, then what chance do we have of finding out?
• On the other hand, it's only vaguely been discussed how Transformers "see" in their alternate modes, so it's nice to get (part) of an official explanation. (It sure beats googly-eyes in the headlamps!)

Trivia

• When Optimus transforms back to robot mode, the dramatic music played when he transforms to FIRE TRUCK! is played again, only backwards this time.

• The kids in this century and setting are so used to robots, even giant ones that talk and originate from alien planets, that a fire truck is a lot more exciting to them. How times have changed.