The short stands out from Lasseter's other early short films at Pixar in its reliance on pure comedy to drive the story. It was inspired by "Tom and Jerry", "Looney Tunes", and the work of animators Chuck Jones and Tex Avery. Lasseter and his wife, Nancy, collected snow globes and also enjoyed souvenirs from distant places and those elements made their way into the short as well. Singer Bobby McFerrin improvised the a cappella vocal jazz soundtrack to the film while watching a rough cut which was eventually left unchanged in its final edition.