PixarAficionado was lucky enough to attend The Cartoon Art Museum Pixar Benefit and sent me the following report and photos to share with you all.
The first event during the afternoon was a more family-oriented event. Each family or group was given a card with the numbers of two different workshops to attend. We got a drawing workshop led by one of Pixar’s brand new storyboard artists, and then we were taken into the screening room for a “texturing” workshop. Between workshops you were allowed to explore the studio a bit and take a look at some of the art. They had the place set up a bit more like a museum in a sense, and my ultimate favorite part was the story area set up in a full-out Nemo theme.
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Their Playstation area was open as well, and on one of them was actually set up with the brand-new Cars game Mater-National that has yet to be released. Along with the general stuff to look at, they also set up a cool little scavenger hunt thing for the kids to do around the studio. When they came in, the kids all got to receive a piece of paper with about twenty little pencil drawings of Remy. The kids would then have to search around the studio to find each of the tiny drawings scattered on the walls throughout (i.e., along the floorboards, in the corners, etc. An example of one of these drawings is attached). After everyone was released from their workshops, a little more time was given to explore before everyone gathered in the Pixar theatre for the event finale: A marathon of Pixar shorts including Luxo Jr., Knick Knack, For the Birds, Boundin’, Jack-Jack Attack, One Man Band, Mater & the Ghostlight, and Lifted.
The second event was a bit more grown-up, professional, and classy. The beginning allowed you to just float around and help yourself to wine and (insanely gourmet) hors d’oeuvres, and also take a look at the silent audition that included a few pieces of original artwork and autographed posters. Everyone then all gathered into the Pixar Theater for the main event, a presentation hosted by Dr. Michael B. Johnson (Lead, Moving Picture Group at Pixar). Mr. Johnson spoke a bit about the benefit event, then introduced the three guest speakers: Mark Andrews, Dylan Brown, and Sharon Calahan.
Mark Andrews talked about the storyboarding on Ratatouille and showed us all a story reel of an alternate version of the film’s “climax” with Anton Ego in which Remy did more narrating of the scene. Dylan Brown talked about some of the animation techniques and tests done for Ratatouille, including his own (rather hilarious) animation test on Linguini. Sharon Calahan’s presentation included a slideshow of some beautiful reference photos that inspired certain scenes in the movie, and even a few instances in which scenes from certain movies inspired certain shots. The capper of the presentations was the premiere of the short Your Friend The Rat, followed by commentary and a behind-the-scenes look of the short by Jim Capobianco. However, it was specially requested that nothing be “blogged” about the short, so you’ll just have to wait another few weeks to see it for yourself.
After dismissal from the theater, everyone got the chance to get coffee and dessert and speak one-on-one with Mr. Andrews, Mr. Brown, and Mrs. Calahan. Mark Andrews had to leave right after he spoke in the theater, however, because both of his kids were at home with the flu. I did get to talk with Dylan Brown and Sharon Calahan about their work, however, and we pretty much stuck around until they started turning the lights off. As a special little take-home treat, everyone got a couple of cartoon books on their way out – Don’t Parade On My Reign – The “Farley” comic strip appearance of “His Willness,” San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown by Phil Frank and May It Amuse the Court – Editorial Cartoons of the Supreme Court and Constitution by H.L. Pohlman and Michael A. Kahn w/foreword by Kathleen M. Sullivan.
You can view more photos from the event, here.
Last modified: October 25, 2007