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The original score for Pixar’s OUT is now available!

Soundtrack, SparkShorts

Posted by Joanna • July 3, 2020

If you haven’t seen Pixar’s latest SparkShort “OUT” yet, then I envy you – watching it for the first time is an absolute joy. It’s on Disney+ along with all of the other shorts from Pixar’s experimental shorts programme. You can read our review of it here.

“OUT” was made even more charming by its soundtrack, written by Jake Monaco and Natasha Adorlee. The rainbow space cat and dog duo’s theme – which is titled Pink and Purple in the soundtrack listing (by Natasha Adorlee) – stuck with me in particular. I think it stuck with the protagonist’s parents too, evidenced by the fact that they hum along to it at the end of the short.

You can purchase and listen to the soundtrack now.

Apple Music 

Spotify

 

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Catch A Sneak Peek Of Soul – Tomorrow!

Pete Docter, Soul

Posted by Joanna • June 26, 2020

Pixar’s next film Soul, directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers, was originally set to release on June 19th. It will now released on November 20th. Lots of ‘firsts’ have happened this year due to obvious reasons, so Soul is now Pixar’s first movie to be postponed not due to production delays but due to a…global health crisis. A lot of the marketing is clearly shifting to virtual means because of this too.

Tomorrow (June 27th), Essence Festival of Culture is hosting a virtual conversation with the team behind Soul. We’ll even be given an exclusive sneak peek at the film.

The team behind Disney & Pixar’s upcoming film, “Soul” – director Pete Docter, producer Dana Murray, and co-director Kemp Powers – are joined by Dr. Johnnetta Cole and Jon Batiste to offer an exclusive sneak peek at the film.

To see the little featurette, you need to RSVP by following this link. The Soul portion of the event will run live from 6:44PM to 6:54PM ET. Since it’s live, we’ll be tuning in a bit earlier to make sure we don’t miss anything!

 

For many of us, Soul is acting a bit like a light at the end of a very long tunnel. We’re hoping that November 20th won’t just feel a bit more normal, but also better than the previous ‘normal’. I’ll leave you with this lovely quote from Pete Docter that has seen me through a lot.

“It’s like you run into this dark tunnel, trusting that somewhere there’s another end to it where you’re going to come out. And there’s a point in the middle where it’s just dark. There’s no light from where you came in and there’s no light at the other end; all you can do is keep running. And then you start to see a little light, and a little more light, and then, bam! You’re out in the sun.”

 

EDIT:

Here’s the sneak peek and conversation with the film makers in case you missed it:

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Pixar’s “Out” Is A Weirdly Wonderful Coming Out Story

SparkShorts

Posted by Joanna • May 22, 2020

The latest SparkShort Out, directed by Steven Hunter, is Pixar’s first coming out story featuring its first gay protagonist, Greg. It’s moving day, and Greg is preparing for a new life in the city with his boyfriend Manuel. Moving day ends up being a little more hectic and otherworldly than he expected – not only do his parents show up on his doorstep, but a magical collar appears, defying the laws of time and space.

When the title of Out was first revealed, I’ll admit that my mind at no point envisaged a coming out story, but I am so thrilled to have been surprised by this. Not only is it a coming out story, but it’s a weird one. In the best way possible. The weirdness doesn’t take away from the emotional impact – if anything, it adds to it.

Greg is suffering from a struggle that will be familiar to many – coming out as gay to his parents. When the opportunity is flung on him, he freezes and does anything he can to hide the truth. In fact, he is so determined to not have his parents find out about his relationship that even when he swaps bodies with his dog his first priority is to continue hiding the evidence. And that leads to some pretty drastic decisions.

It’s only when he’s given the chance to sit and listen to his mom’s own inner struggle that he finds the courage to open up about his too.

Pets are wonderful things. They can’t talk back (at least in human). They’re just there, and they let you talk through your feelings. It’s so cathartic to have a dependable ear for those words to fall on instead of having them dissipate into thin air. Countless people have poured their hearts out in front of their cat and then thought “Wow, I wish I could just tell my parents that.” It’s good practice though.

This is what went through my mind when Greg’s mom was taking a moment to reveal her worries in front of Jim the dog (she wasn’t to know that her son was currently residing in the dog’s body). We should all wear our hearts on our sleeves a little more, and I think Greg learnt that in this short snippet of his life. Even more importantly, though, is that he learnt that there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s gay, and that’s good.

“What is wrong with you?” “Hm…nothing.”

The story isn’t the only wow factor that Out has – the experimental animation style, the character designs, the voice acting, Wheezy from Toy Story 2…they’re all great. It’s amazing that they fit this all into just 10 minutes.

No two coming out stories are going to be the same. This one was based on a true story, and we’re wondering how much was real and how much was imagined. Fingers crossed that beautiful gay-space-rainbow cat and dog couple are real though. Bravo SparkShorts on yet another inspiring film!

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New Pixar SparkShort – OUT – Coming To Disney+

SparkShorts

Posted by Joanna • May 1, 2020

OUT is the title of the new short coming out of Pixar’s SparkShorts program, and it will be available on Disney+ on May 22nd.

We don’t know anything about the story of OUT yet, but here is a very charming still that was just released today:

We’re enjoying the different art style they’ve gone for here – it’s a little reminiscent of the lovingly drawn and animated SparkShort Kitbull. And look at what’s in this cute pup’s mouth: Wheezy from Toy Story 2! Right?! We wonder if his squeaker is still working.

The SparkShorts program is really inspiring – it allows Pixar employees from all sorts of different departments across the studio to tell their own stories and try out new things. So far we’ve been beyond impressed by Kitbull, Purl, Float, Loop, Smash & Grab, and Wind. It’s been exciting seeing how creativity can be fuelled by limited resources and limited time. The animation style experiments have been eye-opening!

Not all SparkShorts have quite been released on the European Disney+ yet. Wind was released last week, and Loop is still to become available.

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What Pixar Have Been Up To During Lockdown

Round-Ups

Posted by Joanna • April 23, 2020

It’s time for another Woody’s Round Up on Pixar news! Even though the world in general is moving very slowly at the moment, there are some Pixar news nuggets to pick up on.

Companies around the world have had to drastically shift the way they engage with audiences. Pixar were already very active online on various social media platforms, but it’s been great to see some new content aimed at people who are stuck at home and feeling bored, anxious, or a combination of the two.

Learn how to draw your favourite Pixar characters

It’s no secret that Pixar employees are talented. Employees that are similarly stuck at home have put together some fantastic art tutorials. So far, there are tutorials on how to draw Barley from Onward by Kelsey Mann, Duke Caboom from Toy Story 4 by Emilie Goulet, and Lightning McQueen from Cars by Scott Morse. We’d love to see more! Learning a new skill is something that a lot of people are finding value in during lockdown, but it’s nice to just hear from the artists too. We’re all in this together! Remember to use the hashtag #DrawWithPixar

Pixar artists haven’t just been teaching us how to draw Pixar characters though – Ana Ramírez González also made an adorable ‘how to draw a koala’ tutorial to help celebrate Nat Geo’s ‘Earth Day at Home’ event.

Super cute!

 

WALL-E in 16 bit

This has been another addition to the Pixar YouTube channel which is incredible. WALL-E in 16 bit graphics! We can’t decide if we want a whole movie done in this art style, or a video game. Both would be ideal.

 

New Hallmark Pixar Christmas ornaments have been revealed!

Hallmark have revealed some new Pixar Christmas ornaments that will be available for purchase later this year. They’re the sort of ornaments you can imagine having out all year round and not just restricting to festivities. Our personal favourite is the Bo Peep one (available July 11th), but you’ll also be able to find the Pizza Planet Truck (!!), Boo from Monsters Inc, WALL-E, Woody and Buzz from Toy Story, Anger from Inside Out, Crush from Finding Nemo, Jack-Jack and the raccoon from Incredibles 2, and Ian from Onward. 

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The gem of Onward

Onward, Opinion Piece

Posted by Simoa • April 17, 2020

Nobody could have predicted that a deadly pandemic would sweep the globe this year, shuttering businesses, schools, restaurants, churches, and movie theaters. COVID-19 has halted life as we know it. So how could we have known that Onward‘s theatrical release would last just a week? What I could have predicted though, is the critical response. I was hoping that Dan Scanlon’s second film would avoid Monsters University‘s fate. How could it not? An “original” Pixar film, when most think the studio has lost what made it so exciting and innovative in the great before; a 1980s tinged fantasy adventure; and Pixar’s first with siblings.

Of course those elements aren’t enough to make a good movie. And Onward has a gem of its own to be one. I guess it’s going to join Pixar’s other offbeat treasures, the ones that are perfectly good but not apparently up to Pixar’s ultra high standards: A Bug’s Life, Cars, Brave, Monsters University, and The Good Dinosaur.

Some spoilers ahead!

(more…)

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Soul’s New Release Date: November 20th

Pete Docter, Pixar, Poster, Soul

Posted by Joanna • April 13, 2020

Soul, Pixar’s next original movie directed by Pete Docter, has been pushed back from it’s original release date of June 19th to November 20th. This means it will land on the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Many movies have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first official word of Soul being pushed back, but it doesn’t come as a surprise.

Other movies with less notice have had to resort to straight-to-digital release, but with lockdown effects likely to be differing around the world come June, a delayed release seems the more sensible choice. It was revealed last week that a number of Pixar employees have been put on furlough – perhaps this would have had an effect on the completion and marketing of the film as well.

Soul was originally set to share a ‘release date birthday’ with Inside Out (another of Docter’s films).

Bring on November 20th – hopefully this new date will see us in a much more familiar world and will allow us to experience the film for the first time in an exciting crowded theatre.

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Top 5 Best Pixar Movies To Watch While Social Distancing

Opinion Piece, Pixar

Posted by Joanna • April 10, 2020

We realise that this title alone raises a lot of questions – aren’t all Pixar movies great to watch during social isolation? And actually; aren’t they all great to watch at any time?

Yes. But we think that creating ‘top 5’s is a reasonable activity during these difficult times. A lot of people are looking for a bit of escapism right now, and we hope that either inspiring you to spend an evening losing yourself in a Pixar movie, or inspiring you to create your own ‘top 5’ list because you disagree with us, helps your day feel a little more normal.

To pick out our selection we’ll be focusing on this ‘escapism’ theme. Which Pixar movies are best at transporting you to a different world? Which succeed the most at helping you forget the outside world for longer than the movie’s runtime?

So, in no particular order:

1. Onward

At the moment, it’s important for us all to still feel connected. It’s great that there’s a newly released Pixar movie digitally available to a lot of us at the moment – something new to discuss and watch together (even virtually). But Onward offers much more than that. It fully embodies the fantasy genre, but puts a different spin on it. It has a world that you want to spend more time in and learn more about (and the multitude of fantasy references means it’s worth so many rewatches).

Onward will help you feel more connected to the world and your relationships not only because it’s ‘current’, but because family connection is at its heart.

2. Ratatouille

There’s something that only some very special movies are able to achieve, and I call that the ‘I can do anything’ effect. It’s when you have that feeling of endless possibility flood over you when the credits start rolling.

Ratatouille is one of those movies for me. “Anyone can cook!” Or, (this quote is better): “Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” At the moment I think we all need a little bit of that feeling. Watch Ratatouille, and then go indulge yourself in some creative hobbies. Try a new soup recipe. Go wild!

3. The Incredibles

The Incredibles has such a beautifully fleshed out world and such an exciting plot that you can’t help but get lost in it. It’s just pure fun. We may be going through a crisis right now but there’s nothing wrong with taking time to smile and to laugh.

Also – the soundtrack will be in your head for days after, which is a huge plus.

4. The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur is one of the most relaxed and atmospheric Pixar movies. It has been criticised for its simple plot and slow pace, but honestly…I view those things as its greatest strengths?! It’s the perfect ‘chill out’ movie, while also being very cathartic.

Its scenery is also stunning. A lot of us are missing having access to nature right now, so let the beauty of The Good Dinosaur’s settings wash over you and remind you of the light at the end of the tunnel.

5. Inside Out

This was a difficult one. Inside Out deals with such complex emotions and doesn’t shy away from the ones that we perceive as more ‘negative’. Inside Out won’t be so much of an escape – it’ll be more like facing your feelings head on and coming to accept them. So this choice might not be for everyone. But if you’re feeling up to it, then it might help you feel stronger going forward.

 

Let us know what you’ve been watching to help you cope lately. We’re thinking of you all! Stay safe!

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Onward Deleted Scenes, Insights And – Video Call Backgrounds?!

Dan Scanlon, Onward

Posted by Joanna • April 9, 2020

Pixar have been busy despite the world slowing down. Here’s a quick ‘Woody’s Round-up’ of some things of note that have happened in the last few weeks (which honestly feels like an era).

New Onward deleted scenes

Onward is out on Disney+ in the US now. For those of us that are still waiting for it to release in other countries, I’m afraid the news is quite vague, but Disney+ is working as quickly as they can to try and make it available more internationally. Here is a quote from a Disney+ spokesperson (thanks to Metro):

‘There are operational complexities involved in delivering the movie and making it available across multiple platforms on a global scale. We are happy to be able to offer the movie in the US now, and will continue working to broaden availability as quickly as we can.”

Some deleted scenes were posted in celebration of the Disney+ release.

‘Sirens’: This deleted scene even features a central character that ended up being cut from the movie – Jenny.

‘Partnership’: We find out more about Jenny in this scene. In the end, the focus needed to be more on the brothers and their relationship, and seemingly Jenny just got in the way of that.

‘Training’: This training sequence ended up being incorporated into other scenes in the movie. It’s interesting seeing the staff functioning in a different way here – it using up different ‘elements’ is a fun idea.

‘Unstoppable’: THIS IS THE MOST EMOTIONAL ONE AND I’M NOT SURE I CAN EVEN TALK ABOUT IT IN DEPTH. Please watch it.

Pixar-themed video call backgrounds

With the world being thrust into this weird virtual reality where suddenly everyone is using video calls for communication with friends and family and for conference meetings, Pixar have had the great idea of posting some backgrounds that can be used. You can find out what’s on offer and how to use them here.

Some more insights into Onward

Director Dan Scanlon did a live-tweet ‘watch-together’ session for Onward last week, which gave us a real insight into how the story came about and why certain scenes played out like they did. Here are some of our personal favourites:

 

Can’t wait to watch it again with all this newfound knowledge! And yes – A Quest of Yore is going to be a physical thing! It’s already a guide book which is currently available to buy at book stores, Disney Books, and Amazon. The board game is releasing later this year.

 

We hope everyone’s keeping safe and looking after each other and themselves during this difficult time! We’ll be aiming to post more regularly to keep people’s feeds filled with some more positive things.

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Early Digital Release for Onward

Onward

Posted by Joanna • March 20, 2020

In an admirable move on Pixar’s part, Onward is becoming available digitally under a month after its theatrical release. It will be available for purchase in the US this evening on Movies Anywhere.

Given the current circumstances resulting from Covid-19, this is the best case scenario for a whole host of movies that, ideally, audiences would be continuing to enjoy in theatres at the moment. Households all around the world are being encouraged to stay indoors – let’s hope that Onward, and many other movies choosing this direction, will brighten up some days in this uncertain time.

In just two weeks (April 3rd), Onward will also be available on Disney+ in the US.

From all of us at Upcoming Pixar – stay safe, and look after yourselves! Remember that panic and worry spread more easily than empathy and kindness. Let’s all take things a day at a time. If any of you want someone to talk to, hop over to our Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr page and one of us will gladly chat about Pixar movies with you!

Posted today by Onward story artist Austin Madison.

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