The new 12-minute animated short film Optimus Prime: Awakening is now playing in theaters nationwide with showings of The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary re-release. It features the late Peter Cullen’s final original voice performance as the iconic Optimus Prime. Director Josh Wassung (co-director of last year’s bold Predator: Killer of Killers) reflects on Cullen and details bringing this short to the screen. (This Animation Scoop Interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy:Congrats on this. How does it feel to have this screen in theaters nationwide as part of The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary event?

Josh Wassung: I grew up with Transformers toys – always imagining worlds while playing with the toys and watching the series from Day 1 – so it’s an incredible honor to get to give a piece of my imagination back to the epic world of the Transformers franchise… and to see it on the big screen? 6-year-old me couldn’t have dreamed of anything cooler!

JM: I’m also a big fan of Predator: Killer of Killers which you co-directed. What do you love about action-packed and emotional storytelling in animation?

JW: I love animation because anything is possible; you just have to make it with emotion. That means everything from color choices, lighting, composition, timing, and performances all contribute to the scene, whether that’s an intense fight or a profound character realization. It all has to be crafted from scratch, but that’s what makes it so invigorating!

JM: What was most challenging about creating the glowing visuals?

JW: The most challenging part was finding the balance between the original hand-drawn style and modern techniques without losing sight of the story. Insanely talented artists spent countless hours poring over ways to make sure the piece captured the beautiful imperfections of the original hand-drawn animation 40 years ago. In the end, it was a combination of many techniques across all of the disciplines – texture, paint, lighting, and compositing all worked together to create imperfect, handcrafted line work. Animation and rigging worked to emulate the uniquely fun cheats of a hand-drawn robot’s movement. It took a lot of teamwork, but it was worth it!

JM: What amazes you about what Peter Cullen was able to deliver with his excellent, final original voice performance as Optimus Prime?

JW: What I was most amazed with was how Peter could go from hilarious and fun 85-year-old man straight into the iconic Optimus Prime character at the flip of a switch. It was as if no time had passed since his first recording. I was blown away by his vocal mastery.

JM: Why do you think the Transformers fanbase is still so enthusiastic?

JW: I think the Transformers brand continues to inspire generation after generation because the characters spark everyone’s childlike imagination by asking, “What if that thing I see every day — what if it was alive?” But at the same time, Optimus Prime imbues Peter’s kindness and bravery to stand up for what’s right. He’s an incredibly hopeful character, and I think that will always resonate with an audience.