[1] The program consists of giving employees at Pixar six months and a limited budget to develop indie short films, all of them based on personal experiences.

Set on a futuristic Mars-like planet, two worker robots, named Smash and Grab respectively, must fight their way to freedom after choosing to escape from their exhausting work routine.

[7] A non-verbal girl with autism and a chatty boy must learn to understand each other in order to fulfill a canoeing trip in an urban lake during summer camp.

[10] The film centers on a widowed grandmother named Nona who plans to spend her day off by shutting out the world to watch her favorite TV show, E.W.W.

[10] The film centers on a wooden doll who desperately wants to fit in makes an ill-fated wish upon a star, sparking a journey of self-discovery.

[11][12] Purl was praised by many as an allegory for gender inequality and feminism,[17][18][19][20] which Meghan Mehta of Study Breaks noted was "mature for Pixar's target audience".

[24] The series, which provided "an immersive look at the next generation of Pixar filmmaker[s]", was executive-produced by Brian McGinn, Jason Sterman and David Gelb.

[24] On July 21, 2021, it was reported that the project was being redeveloped as a docu-film under the name A Spark Story, with McGinn, Sterman, and Gelb producing.