Career Day
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 Because kids need more realistic role models these days. | ||||||
| "Career Day" | ||||||
| Airdate | June 17, 2008 (DVD release) | |||||
| Written by | Marty Isenberg | |||||
| Directed by | Matt Youngberg | |||||
| 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 |
|---|---|
|
|
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...
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.
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.
- The first stock footage is reversed. As a result, Optimus has the Autobot insignia on his right shoulder.
- Optimus's firetruck mode is huge, with the kids being very small, and their teacher Mr. Groovy 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!)
Real-world references
- Black River Elementary appears to be located near Philip A. Hart Plaza, which Optimus is standing in front of.
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.
- Oddly enough, nobody seems to be waving when the scene involving Optimus changing into a firetruck cuts to a distance shot, despite the sound effects indicating that the crowd's still going wild.
- As the crowd goes wild over Optimus changing into a firetruck, one man (presumably Mr. Groovy, since he's the only adult there) hysterically yells, "YEAH! Did you see it? FIRE TRUCK!"
- 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.
Home video releases
- DVD
2008 — Transformers Animated — Transform and Roll Out (Paramount) — English and Spanish audio.
2008 — Transformers Animated — Transform and Roll Out (Paramount) — English and German audio.
2008 — Transformers Animated — Transform and Roll Out (Paramount) — English and German audio.
2008 — Transformers Animated — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.
