Presto is a 2008 Pixar computer-animated short film shown in theaters before—and included on the DVD and Blu-ray release of—their feature length film WALL-E. The short is about a magician trying to perform a show with his uncooperative rabbit and is a gag-filled homage to classic cartoons such as Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes. Presto was directed by veteran Pixar animator Doug Sweetland, in his directorial debut.

The original idea for the short was a magician who incorporated a rabbit into his act who suffered from stage fright. This was considered to be too long and complicated, and the idea was reworked. To design the theater featured in Presto, the filmmakers visited several Opera Houses and theaters for set design ideas. Problems arose when trying to animate the theater's audience of 2,500 patrons—which was deemed too expensive—and was solved by showing the back of the audience.

Reaction to the short was very positive, and DVD reviewers of WALL-E considered it to be an enjoyable special feature. One critic called Presto a "winner through and through",^[2] while another found it to be "a short and hilarious animated film".^[3] Presto was nominated for an Annie Award and Academy Award.

Plot

Turn-of-the-century magician Presto DiGiotagione^[a] is famous for a hat trick wherein he pulls his rabbit Alec Azam^[b] out of his top hat. The short begins with an unfed and unhappy Alec locked in a cage, out of reach of a carrot.^[4] After Presto returns from eating a meal, he begins practicing his act with Alec, revealing that the top hat is magically connected to a wizard's hat kept backstage with Alec, so that when Presto reaches into the top hat, his hand appears out of the wizard's hat, allowing him to grab Alec and pull him out of the top hat. He intends to feed Alec the carrot, but realizes that he is late for the show and rushes off to the stage without doing so. Presto tries to start the performance, but Alec refuses to cooperate until he is given the carrot. Presto then spends the rest of the show trying to catch Alec through the opening between his top hat and the wizard's hat. Alec cleverly turns the hat's magic against his master in painful and humiliating ways, such as putting the magician's finger in a mouse trap and later into an electrical socket, causing him to dance wildly, and having his head sucked into a vacuum kept offstage. The audience interprets this as a part of the act and applauds wildly. Eventually, Presto's foot is caught on a rope that lifts him up to the top of the stage. When his foot comes loose from the rope, he falls from the ceiling, along with a piano and some scenery. Alec, realizing that Presto will be crushed, uses the magic hat to save him, much to his frustration, earning the audience's wild approval for both himself and Presto. Presto gives Alec the carrot (and many more), as well as second billing on the posters advertising the show.