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]]>There’s always a serious discussion to be had around Pixar’s Oscar wins, but it’s impossible to argue that Soul hasn’t been a record-breaking film in a huge number of ways. Soul is now the first film to win Best Animated Feature without releasing in US theatres. It’s also the first Pixar film with a black protagonist, the first Pixar film to be completed while staff were working from home, and – it’s set a new record for Pete Docter.
Pete Docter, who also directed the Best-Animated-Feature-winning movies Up and Inside Out, is now the record holder for the director with the most Best Animated Feature wins – three! (Monsters Inc. lost to Shrek which we still have mixed feelings about).
My wish for all of us tonight, is that we could follow the example of jazz musicians. That wherever we are, whatever we have: we turn it into something beautiful.
Pete Docter (representing himself, co-director Kemp Powers, and producer Dana Murray at the Academy Awards ceremony last night)
Congratulations to the Soul crew, and congratulations to the Onward and Burrow crew whose films were also nominated!
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]]>The post Soul – Something To Look Forward To appeared first on Upcoming Pixar.
]]>One thing about Christmas that is certain is we’ll be able to watch Soul, and Burrow (the short that was supposed to precede it in theatres).
Pixar have done a really profound thing by releasing Soul on Disney+ on Christmas Day. Not only are its themes – chasing dreams and celebrating life – a wonderful reminder of what lies ahead for all of us, but it’s given us something to look forward to. December 25th may be full of doubt and worry for a lot of people this year, but the release of Soul is something we can count on to bring people together.
We were lucky enough to attend a digital press conference for Soul earlier this year, and it was inspiring to be in the (virtual) company of such talented filmmakers, producers, and actors. Pete Docter revealing a lovely sketch of the interviewer right before the conference ended may have been the highlight. He’d been secretly working on it throughout the conference.
Soul is something to look forward to this festive season. We’ll leave you with some facts we learnt during the press conference that will hopefully help make the thought of Christmas a little easier for some of you.
1. The counsellors in The Great Before are based on simple, twisted wires
The Great Before is where all souls are formed and shaped before they’re ready to move on to Earth. Pete Docter remarked “We figured if the souls just ran amok, no one would ever get born. It would just be bedlam up there. So they need a little bit of steering.”
That’s where the counsellors come in! They almost take on the role of kindergarten teachers. They’re totally unique looking – very different from the design of the individual souls, and very different from humans too. The Great Before could be described as quite ‘minimalistic’ and abstract, and the counsellors fit right in with that aesthetic. They’re based off of wire models shaped slightly to resemble a human face, but just wait until you see how they’re animated! It’s mesmerising. They’re apparently one of the most tricky character designs that Pixar has faced yet. Also – they’re pretty much all called Jerry.
©2020 Disney/Pixar. All rights reserved.
2. The settings in The Great Before had some unusual inspirations
Because the world of souls is suitably very abstract and philosophical, it was difficult to settle on a ‘look’ for The Great Before. The filmmakers tried taking inspiration from Ancient Greece, but that ended up being too “culturally specific” – The Great Before needed to be more universal. So they turned to – World’s Fair photos from the 1940s! Of course. It does kind of make sense though: it’s abstract, timeless, and borrows from all sorts of different cultures.
1939 New York World’s Fair – Image by © CORBIS
3. How Pixar made sure their first movie featuring a black protagonist was authentic
Soul wasn’t always going to be about a jazz musician. They wanted a passionate lead who was figuring out what to do with his life and how to pursue his dreams. Joe was a scientist, an artist, and an actor before they settled on jazz. And once they knew he was going to play jazz – music that originated from black communities in New Orleans – they realised he had to be black.
Kemp Powers and a whole team of other consultants were brought on board to make sure the film was as authentic as possible. And this was absolutely the right move – Soul oozes authenticity. Black employees at Pixar were also brought together to create a trust and were involved in the making of the film at every step.
Kemp Powers recalled that when Pixar first asked him for his involvement, he pointed out:
“You know that I’m gonna be pushing for, like, a lot of black stuff. Because I can’t help myself … our culture is amazing. And, a lot of people, particularly in Hollywood, will tell you that, in order to appeal to a wide audience, you want to get away from that. And I feel the opposite. I feel, like, there is universality by going for the hyper-specificity.”
© 2020 Disney/Pixar. All rights reserved.
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]]>The post The first trailer for Soul is here! appeared first on Upcoming Pixar.
]]>“What would you want to be known for on earth? We only have a short time on this planet. You want to become the person that you were born to be? Don’t waste your time on all the junk of life. Spend your precious hours doing what will bring out the real you; the brilliant, passionate you that’s ready to contribute something meaningful into this world.”
That’s Jamie Foxx’s distinctive voice-over in this new trailer. Gorgeous shots of New York City dominate, as gangly Joe Gardner goes about his day. And it turns out, it’s simultaneously the best day of his life – and the last. With jazzy music and piano undercutting his words, we’re already fully immersed in his world and his mind. He excitedly asks for a haircut because he finally got his dream gig. He avoids pins on the sidewalk, banana peels, even a speeding motorcycle, before he falls into a manhole. Already these few minutes illustrate what we learned about the theme of Soul just yesterday – how we can be so consumed by art to the detriment of everything else.
After his body whooshes downward into the manhole, Joe is transformed into a glowing bluish-green version of himself, his soul. The cityscape is replaced by a vast starry expanse. And there Joe is joined by 22, who speaks with Tina Fey’s unmistakable voice.
Pixar fully convinced me with Inside Out about the way our emotions work, and I’m really eager to see how they portray the inner workings of the soul. This trailer seems to have just enough humor and is also fully grounded in the day to day to balance out the metaphysical.
There’s also a gorgeous poster too!
Be sure to let us know what you think and your own theories! Soul will be released on June 19th, 2020.
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]]>Domee Shi, best known for directing Pixar’s newest short “Bao”, has been fuelling the studio’s movies with fun and creativity for a number of years now. She started out as an intern, contributed to Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, and Incredibles 2 as a storyboard artist, then had her directorial debut as the first female director of a Pixar short, which received an overwhelmingly positive response for several reasons. Firstly, “Bao” is wonderful. It beautifully represents Domee Shi’s Chinese-Canadian background while still depicting a very universal message. It’s also a sign of a great leap forward for Pixar and the animation industry as a whole to not only see a female director, but a female director who is actively bringing more diversity onto our screens, and in such a heartfelt and personal way.
(Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Shi was recently interviewed by Deadline, and the interview as a whole really fills you with confidence about Pixar’s future. There are some very important and exciting things to be taken away from this chat with Shi, the most obvious one being that Shi is working on a new feature length film for the studio! This is huge. Only one Pixar film has been directed by a woman (Brenda Chapman for Brave), and she was replaced by Mark Andrews midway through the film’s development.
“We’re just developing the story for it right now,” Shi says. “It’s super early on, but I’m really excited to play in this new 90-minute film format.”
Shi originally had to pitch three different ideas for a Pixar short, so it’s clear that she has plenty of imagination to offer. Shorts are often more experimental in their stories, concepts, and character designs, but here’s hoping that Shi’s experience as a short director stands her in good stead for creating a unique feature film for us to look forward to.
Completely charming concept art for “Bao” by Domee Shi
It’s also incredibly encouraging to hear how Domee Shi feels about Pete Docter’s new role in the company, and how she’s excited about the studio’s future. Pete Docter was officially named as Chief Creative Officer for Pixar Animation Studios this June, and this was pretty much unanimously met with enthusiasm – Docter’s films (Monsters Inc., Up, Inside Out) are seen as many as some of ‘Pixar’s best’. It’s comforting to hear that within the company he is viewed as a good mentor, a “humble and down to earth” man, and someone who values creativity and diversity.
We’ll leave you with these particularly heartwarming quotes, but the full interview is definitely a worthy read.
“I think [Pete Docter]’s always been a huge supporter of unique voices at the studio. You can tell he’s really curious and interested in different types of stories, different types of characters—and he always wants to try new things.
“I feel like Bao was a pretty huge example, for me, that Pixar is fully behind supporting diverse storytellers. I think Sanjay’s Super Team and Coco were the two other films at Pixar that really helped pave the way for Bao to be made, and because those two productions were done before Bao, it gave me confidence, knowing that Bao isn’t just going to be a trend, or a blip.”
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]]>The post Lasseter Out, Docter In – Pete Docter Named As Pixar's New Chief Creative Officer appeared first on Upcoming Pixar.
]]>John Lasseter announced he was taking a six month leave of absence at the end of last year, following sexual misconduct allegations. He has since stepped down from his role as Chief Creaitve Officer, and will leave the studio at the end of this year.
The news that Lasseter was leaving Pixar was largely met with relief, but also concern about who Pixar would choose to fill the position. Pete Docter has been up there with the most likely contenders ever since the disappointing news first broke out last November. The director of Monsters Inc, Up, and Inside Out, Docter has been with the studio for 28 years and we feel that the future of the company couldn’t be in better hands. Read his official statement below:
“I started here 28 years ago. I am fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented people on the planet, and together we will keep pushing animation in new directions, using the latest technology to tell stories we hope will surprise and delight audiences around the world.”
© Deborah Coleman, Pixar
Jennifer Lee has also been named as the Chief Creative Officer for Disney Animation Studios. Lee and Docter will jointly take on Lasseter’s old role.
Whenever a new Pete Docter-directed Pixar movie is announced, a huge amount of excitement always follows. The fact that Docter has now been named chief creative officer for Pixar Studios conjures up this same feeling of excitement for the company’s future – let’s hope Pixar’s story from here on out is as positive and uplifting as Docter’s beautifully woven stories that we’ve been introduced to throughout his career.
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]]>The post D23 2017 – a quick rundown of yesterday’s Pixar highlights appeared first on Upcoming Pixar.
]]>- The “Creating the Worlds in Pixar’s Universe” panel gave some wonderful insights into how Pixar movies are made
In a presentation by directors of photography Sharon Calahan and Kim White, production designers Ralph Eggleston and Harley Jessup, and producer Katherine Sarafian, examples across Pixar’s entire repertoire of movies helped teach the audience how the studio’s staff built these worlds that we’ve all come to know and love over the years. A focus was put on believability, collaboration, and creativity. Pixar have transported us to worlds both real and fantastical, and it’s the worlds that we have never seen before that present the biggest challenge. Even seemingly simple things like the colour of the sky are thrown into question when you’re building a world from the ground up.
“On @PixarInsideOut, we had to think about what the color of the sky was on the inside of the mind.” – Ralph Eggleston, Production Designer pic.twitter.com/hUE6en7x6m
— Pixar (@Pixar) July 15, 2017
- The “Evolution of Pixar Characters” panel delved into the world of character design
Pete Docter was joined by Daniel Arriaga, Tia Kratter, Deanna Marsigliese, Chris Sasaki, and Jay Shuster to give an inside look into how Pixar’s characters are conceived and designed, and the changes that are made along the way.
- New Pixar themed attractions are coming to Walt Disney parks
These new additions include Toy Story Land at Disney World, a Ratatouille themed attraction at Epcot, and the grand opening of the Pixar Pier at Disneyland Resort, along with a limited time Pixar Fest event. Toy Story Land and the Pixar Pier are to open in Summer 2018.
- The world of Toy Story is coming to Kingdom Hearts 3
Incredibly confusing plotlines aside, the popular video games series Kingdom Hearts involves Sora, Donald, and Goofy traversing Disney Pixar worlds and saving them from the Heartless. It was revealed yesterday that the Toy Story world will be featured in Kingdom Hearts’ next instalment in 2018! A trailer was released, showing the game’s protagonists meeting Woody, Buzz and the gang for the first time. With its updated graphics, it’s amazing to see how the character models look almost indistinguishable from the ones that we’re used to seeing in the movies – it’ll be interesting to see how Woody and his flailing limbs fare on the battlefield. The attention to detail is positively heart-warming – Sora’s Toy Story-themed keyblade features a western style cactus, little Buzz-inspired wings, and a cute alien keychain.
Footage and photos of some of yesterday’s highlights have also now been made available online – there are photos on Pixar’s instagram, and a video of the performance at the end of the Coco presentation. There are still more Pixar-themed D23 events to come later on today , including a demo of Pixar in a Box, a signing with composer Michael Giacchino, and a drawing demo with Daniel Arriaga.
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Courtesy of AutFest
Inside Out director Pete Docter, and producer Jonas Rivera, will be attending AutFest this Sunday as they receive special honors from the festival in celebration of its debut. This weekend will be the 1st Annual AutFest International Film Festival, located in Los Angeles, CA. AutFest is a unique film festival that celebrates autism and strives to promote autism awareness while supporting autistic filmmakers and artists.
Courtesy of AutFest
Scott Badesch, President of Autism Society of America, describes AutFest’s goal and motivation as follows: “The first Annual AutFest International Film Festival is a perfect opportunity for us to celebrate the role film is now playing in autism awareness. We are proud to honor outstanding filmmakers Ben Affleck, Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera, for their cinematic portrayals of the complexity of human emotions, as we can see with our two spotlighted films The Accountant and Inside Out.”
Ed Asner will also be honoring Pete and Jonas following a screening of Inside Out and a special Q&A afterwards this Sunday, April 23rd, at 12:20pm. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, be sure to stop by AMC Orange, 30 in Orange County to re-watch Inside Out (or see it for the first time) on the big screen.
For more information on AutFest and other films that will be playing this weekend, check out their website here.
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]]>The post You Can Now Take A Pixar Storytelling Course Online For Free! appeared first on Upcoming Pixar.
]]>This month Pixar launched the first course of their 6-part online curriculum on “The Art of Storytelling.” The program will be helmed by Docter, Andrews, and a plethora of other top notch animation talent from the studio. The course is aimed to guide anyone who is interested in learning more about the Pixar storytelling process – the segments will give tips on how to create original stories, captivating characters, and diverse worlds. The courses will also offer a variety of techniques other than your typical video and reading assignments; there will be firsthand exercises that will even teach some newcomers the ABC’s of taking an original idea and seeing it through to the story boarding phase. Pixar’s online class will disperse their different lessons throughout the year, so stay-tuned for more production wisdom from the studio!
Pete Docter’s own statement on the course should give you enough motivation to give it a try: “We hope that by sharing how we tell stories, we’ll inspire students all over the world to tell their own stories.”
“The Art of Storytelling” can be accessed through the online-education website Khan Academy.
Have you already taken the course or are thinking about trying it out? Let us know on Twitter and in the comments below.
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]]>The post Jonas Rivera Wins PGA Award appeared first on Upcoming Pixar.
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Disney/Pixar
The Good Dinosaur was also nominated along with Anomalisa, Minions, and The Peanuts Movie. The PGA Awards honor the best producing work in film and television and are usually a precursor to what takes home the gold during the Academy Awards. Next to the Oscars, it’s one of the most anticipated events in the industry. Here’s hoping that Inside Out also wins the Oscar for Best Animated Film next month! Best of luck to Jonas Rivera, Pete Docter, and the team at Pixar!
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