View source for Gumball (test animation)

{{Tab}}
{{Non Canon}}
{{Infobox episode
|image = EarlyReelTitle.png
|season = 0
|time = 1:30
|writer = [[Ben Bocquelet]]
|storyboard = [[Sylvain Marc]]
|next = "[[The DVD]]"
|previousproduction=N/A|nextproduction="[[The Car]]"}}
'''''"Gumball"''''' or '''''Early Reel''''' as it is more commonly known, is the short test pilot of [[The Amazing World of Gumball]]. Lasting one minute and 30 seconds, the short was produced in May 9, 2008 by [[Ben Bocquelet]] and [[Studio Soi]] as a demonstration for some of the prototypic appearances of the series' [[Character guide|characters]].

It was uploaded to [[Wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]] by Bocquelet around February of 2010, but was removed soon after by [[Cartoon Network]] for copyright-related reasons after they were informed about it by a prominent early fan of the show. <ref>https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/the-amazing-world-of-gumball-%E2%80%93-news-discussion-thread.4912641/post-75677551</ref> For the following few years it became lost media, with only a few screenshots existing online.

Finally, on January 18, 2013, it was officially re-released on YouTube by Bocquelet under the title "'''Gumball 1min animation test'''", this time with permission from Cartoon Network.<ref name="early reel">{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpbSqQ0CrjQ|title=Gumball 1min animation test|last=Bocquelet|first=Ben|date=January 18, 2013|accessdate=February 10, 2022|website=YouTube.com}}</ref> It was not aired on television.

==Synopsis==
[[Gumball Watterson|Gumball]] and [[Darwin Watterson|Darwin]] build a [[Wikipedia:Rube Goldberg machine|Rube Goldberg machine]] in an attempt to escape from [[Elmore Junior High|school]].

==Plot==
The short begins with a wide shot of the [[schoolyard]] of Elmore Junior High, with several students (and [[Lucy Simian|Miss Simian]]) present. Gumball and Darwin are shown at the edge of the area. Gumball explains to Darwin that today they are going to break out of school, and shows him a simplified version of their plan, which is, even post-simplification, extremely long and complex. The boys mount a see-saw, and Gumball asks his brother if he is ready. Darwin is still unclear on what they are doing, but Gumball executes the plan regardless.
He flings a steak at [[Tina Rex|Tina]], who lunges at it. A string tied to her tail and a roundabout is pulled in the process, spinning the roundabout rapidly enough to launch [[Carmen Verde|Carmen]], who was standing on it. She collides with and pops [[Alan Keane|Alan]], who is being kissed by [[Masami Yoshida|Masami]]. Masami bursts into tears, raining on [[Leslie]], who sprays pollen over [[Rocky Robinson|Rocky]], making him sneeze. This blows the petals off Leslie and propels [[Teri]] into the [[girls' bathroom]]. The girls within scream and throw him into a nearby garbage can, which weighs a pair of scissors down enough for them to cut through the web of [[Ocho Tootmorsel|Ocho]], making him fall onto a trampoline which launches him at [[Banana Joe]], who is on a swingset.

Joe is sent flying upwards, landing unscathed soon after. He is excited to be unhurt, but is soon stepped on by [[Hector Jötunheim|Hector]], making the giant stumble back and step onto the [[Watterson family|Watterson]] brothers' see-saw. This launches them, but not out of the school— onto Hector's buttocks. As an injured Joe laughs, Gumball points out that it could have gone worse. However, when Hector's buttocks squeeze together and make the boys kiss, they both cry out in disgust. After this, the title—"''Gumball''"—is shown over a background of the sky, as what would become the final notes of the [[opening theme]] of the final show play, ending the reel.<ref name="early reel"/>

==Characters==
===Main characters===
*[[Gumball Watterson|Gumball]]
*[[Darwin Watterson|Darwin]]

===Supporting characters===
*[[Alan Keane|Alan]]
*[[Masami Yoshida|Masami]]
*[[Carmen Verde|Carmen]]
*[[Tina Rex|Tina]]
*[[Rocky Robinson|Rocky]]
*[[Leslie]]
*[[Teri]]
*[[Ocho Tootmorsel|Ocho]]
*[[Banana Joe]]
*[[Hector Jötunheim|Hector]]

===Minor characters===
*[[Fuzzball]]
*[[Juke]]
*[[Clayton]]
*[[Idaho]]
*[[List of scrapped characters|Fragile]]
*[[Bobert 6B|Bobert]]
*[[Tobias Wilson|Tobias]]
*[[Carrie Krueger|Carrie]]
*[[Lucy Simian|Miss Simian]]
*[[Rob]]
*[[List of scrapped characters#List|Purple person]]

==Trivia==
*Many characters use old designs in this episode, making this, "[[The Mystery]]," "[[The Curse]]," "[[The Joy]]," and "[[The Void]]" the only episodes in which characters use old designs.
*[[Nicky Jones]], famous for the voice acting on the show ''[[Wikipedia:Chowder (TV series)|Chowder]]'' as the titular character, voices [[Gumball Watterson|Gumball]] in this episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khx7XGGVfk0|title=In Conversation with ATF - Nick Jones (AUDIO ONLY)|first=Amber|last=Jones|user=AmberTheFangirl|website=YouTube.com|date=Feb 12, 2023|accessdate=January 15, 2025}}</ref>
**[[Jake Pratt]] also voices Darwin in this episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/local/jake-s-busy-with-film-and-tv-roles-1-1435444|title=Jake's busy with film and TV roles|publisher=The Scarborough|date=October 31, 2008|accessdate=February 10, 2022|website=TheScarboroughNews.co.uk|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507055333/http://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/local/jake-s-busy-with-film-and-tv-roles-1-1435444|archivedate=May 7, 2016}}</ref>
*In this episode, [[Masami Yoshida|Masami]] kisses [[Alan Keane|Alan]] (who does not object), but in the actual series, it has been shown that [[Carmen Verde|Carmen]] and Alan love each other.
**This early pairing was however referenced in "[[The Storm]]," where Masami is revealed to have a huge crush on Alan. 
***It would later be referenced again in "[[The Astrological]]" when [[Steve Small|Mr. Small's]] prediction of Alan and Masami being a couple is shown to come true.
*According to the plan drawn in chalk by Gumball, [[Teri]] was originally a boy.
*Ben Bocquelet uploaded the video to his Twitter, two years after it was created.<sup>[''citation needed'']</sup>
*Gumball appears to be very intelligent in this video, judging by the plan drawn out in chalk.
*[[Rocky Robinson|Rocky]] appears to have an allergic reaction to pollen.
**Also, it may be implied that he is a student rather than a custodian, which he is in the series.
*[[Darwin Watterson|Darwin]] bears a slight resemblance to Nemo from the movie ''[[Wikipedia:Finding Nemo|Finding Nemo]]''.
*Darwin's CGI model can be seen in the background of the [[Void]] in the episode of the same name.
*In this episode, the opening credits are not shown. However, at the end of the episode, it simply says "''Gumball''" instead of "''The Amazing World of Gumball''." Also, the background of the credits is the sky instead of space.
**The name originated by Bocquelet thinking of things a kid would randomly have in his pocket.<ref>https://vimeo.com/68915551?share=copy#t=444.807</ref>
*[[List of scrapped characters|Fragile]], [[List of scrapped characters|Splatty]], and the [[List of scrapped characters|purple person]] are in this episode but were scrapped in the final series.
*Darwin immediately forgetting Gumball's plan is a remnant of a later scrapped character trait mentioned in an early bio, in which the former had terrible memory due to being a goldfish.<ref>https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/the-amazing-world-of-gumball-%E2%80%93-news-discussion-thread.4912641/post-75668541 </ref>
*The name "Early Reel" was coined in the early 2010's to refer to the, at the time, lost early pilot reel of the show. The name then stuck with it ever since, being used even more frequently than the short's official name.

===Goofs/errors===
*In the shot where Gumball smiles at Darwin, the other characters in the background are missing.
*In the scene where [[Tina Rex|Tina]] is catching the steak, [[Leslie|Leslie's]] petals very briefly change from blue to pink.
*When Gumball and Darwin are launched at [[Hector Jötunheim|Hector's]] butt, Gumball disappears for a couple of split seconds.
*There are some scenes where Gumball's eyes (sclerae) are transparent.

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpbSqQ0CrjQ Early reel on YouTube]
*[http://polyminthe.blogspot.com/2012/06/amazing-world-of-gumball-development.html Early development of ''The Amazing World of Gumball'']

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[es:Early Reel/Piloto]]
[[pt-br:O Piloto]]
[[fr:Pilote]]

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