As we should all know, making a Pixar film (or any animated movie for that matter) isn’t as easy as pressing a magic button on a super computer.
In fact, it’s much more complicated than that, yet some people believe otherwise. Luckily, clarifications like this Toy Story 3 shot progression (recently found on the German PixarBlog) are readily available. Lotso and the gang from Andy’s room might do the trick, but for us Pixar fans it’s simply eye candy!
The animated GIF above breaks down as follows (click for still):
1) Storyboard – Story is king! (Example by Jeff Pidgeon)
2) Art – The color script is being created alongside all sorts of concept art. (Example by Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi)
3) Layout – Blocking the camera/Posing the characters.
4) Animation – Bringing the characters to life!
5) Final Picture – Lighting and final effects bring the film together.
One must remember that the snippets above represent years of hard work and dedication. Great stuff, although you could break the process down even more. Regardless, the folks at Pixar did an amazing job and reportedly had tons of fun at yesterday’s wrap party!
Your thoughts?
Last modified: May 9, 2010
Is there a specific program they use for storyboarding or is it merely Illustrator?
I’m not sure, but it’s definitely digital.
I know that they use After Effects for storyreels.
Ya, digital is starting to become a lot more common for storyboards. I guess it’s just more convenient. 😛 I love the drawing by Jeff Pidgeon… he’s very neat with his lines.
—Leirin
I don’t think the 3rd one is layout. Usually in layout, the characters are stiff and not moving, right? I think it’s animation and number 4 is adding effects.
pixarfan9099- That’s what I thought too!! But whoever sent PixarBlog (German) the pictures, probably Disney PR Germany, says otherwise. At least, when I translated the page. You know, I’m honestly not sure. Blocking animation *can* be rough but it doesn’t have to be, and it might just be camera blocking. I’ve fixed it to reflect how I see it.
Plus in the 3rd one, where the heck are Ken and Barbie?
What a beautiful sequence from story idea to final product! I really enjoyed examing these transitions. Such a nice insight into the process of animated film making!