Simple truths: Disney tests a new, streamlined CG pipeline for Glago's Guest.(CG Short Films)

A Russian soldier marches from his outpost into a vast expanse of snow-covered tundra every day. He guards nothing. He keeps his eye on nothing. His name is Glago, and he's the star of Walt Disney Animation Studios' short film "Glago's Guest. "And yes, he does have a "guest."

"I'm being very careful about protecting exactly what happens for those people who haven't yet seen it," says writer and director Chris Williams. "In the second half of the film, a bunch of aliens confront him and give him a new outlook on life. He learns that even when it seems like your life is in a rut, you never know what might happen. He has to make a judgment, and he could be wrong."

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Unlike Glago, Williams' life wasn't exactly in a rut. The 14-year veteran at Disney had worked as a writer for The Emperor's New Groove and Mulan. But, he couldn't have predicted what happened next.

Even though Williams had not directed a film before, he found himself directing "Glago's Guest" and codirecting the feature film Bolt simultaneously. "Glago's Guest" has received four Annie nominations: Best Animated Short Subject, Production Design (Andy Harkness), Storyboarding (Chris Williams), and Writing (Chris Williams). Bolt has received an Oscar nomination for Best Feature Animation.

When John Lasseter took the reins at Disney Animation, he asked Williams to pitch short-film ideas. "John sees short films as a sign of vitality within a studio," Williams says. He pitched six ideas, and or those, Lasseter picked the most unusual.

Because Williams had already storyboarded the film "Glago," it moved quickly into production. But soon after, Lasseter asked him to work on Bolt. "I was excited about 'Glago,' and I could see the enthusiasm on the part of my crew, so I asked John if I could make both at the same time," Williams says. "He okayed the idea, so I split my time."