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The summer animation season is in full swing. Early trailers for Inside Out had gotten me curious, but, I’ll admit, the draw was mostly in the strength of Pixar as a name. The concept seemed cute enough but I wanted to see how they were going to get a story out of the idea. The studio has created characters that reasonate with human audiences out of some of the most unlikely subjects, from a cute little desk lamp to fish. Why not personify emotions and make them the next thing to capture our hearts.

As with previous features, an animated short kicks off the big screen spectacle. This year, it’s about a lonely volcano singing his hopes to the sky. The entire thing is set to a gentle ukulele song performed by Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig. I don’t think I’ve ever felt emotionally connected to an island before,...

While Pixar has long been known for their imaginative and exciting feature-length films, they’ve also been known to release short films that are often just as original as their features.

Lava is one such short film, playing before this month’s emotive Inside Out. Lava is a story told through song, recounting the myth-like fate of a lonely Hawaiian volcano. Voiced by Hawaiian Kuana Torres Kahele, whose ukulele version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow put him on the map, the lonely volcano watches over millions of years as seemingly every other life form finds love. Just when it is about to sink into the sea, its luck finally changes.

Also featuring the voice talent of Napua Greig, Lava is a beautiful entry into the world of Pixar shorts. Naturally, it shows off the kind of vivid and original animation that Pixar has made its signature. We spoke with director...

Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out features an original score that captures the emotional spirit of the story by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino.

The soundtrack will be released by Walt Disney Records on June 16, 2015. Directed by Academy Award winner Pete Docter and produced by Jonas Rivera, Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out opens in U.S. theaters on June 19, 2015.

Giacchino worked with director Pete Docter on Up (garnering an Academy Award® for best original score) and also counts Disney•Pixar’s films “Cars 2,” “Ratatouille” and “The Incredibles” among his credits.

But, says the composer, “Inside Out” was different. “Pete [Docter] wanted the music to feel as if it was coming from the inside—from internal thoughts,” says Giacchino. “We were going for something atmospheric. Something that wasn’t traditional film score.”

According to the composer, the goal of the music mirrored the goal of the film. “It had to feel emotional,” says Giacchino.