Andrew Stanton has gone over to live action
Brad Bird has gone over to live action
Are these just ‘temporary’ appointments to give them a break from animation? It would be a major blow to Pixar to lose them, especially Stanton.
I think that both Bird and Stanton will be back to make animation films, specially Stanton, he will surprise us with a new Pixar film after John Carter, but I see Bird very far from Pixar, now that he is making a film to a different studio; Seems that Paramount won’t lose the chance to offer him the control of a new animation division in there, remember that Paramount is starting to make CGI movies like Rango, I only know that if MI4 makes money they won’t let Brad leave the studio…
I totally hope they go back. I would be very disappointed if they never made more PIXAR movies. Especially Brad. 
It’s not just a directors…a lot of the regular staff has left in recent years. It’s pretty concerning to me. 
It bothers me the most when they go to DW. I respect their artists, and some of their recent films are excellent, but PIXAR is going to die if everyone keeps leaving them.
I believe that in one of the articles posted on this site a while back it was mentioned that Brad Bird liked the style of working employed at Pixar and wanted to work that way on 1906. If he does return to animation, I don’t see him going anywhere other than Pixar, especially after the marketing mess that happened with The Iron Giant (unless he wants to make a traditionally animated feature, in which case he might have to go elsewhere). His biggest successes so far were with Pixar. I think that the Mission Impossible thing is a way for him to prove that he can direct live-action so that he can do his own projects, not neccesarily because he feels like leaving Pixar.
As for induvidual animators etc. leaving the company, I think that’s a fairly natural thing for them to do anyway. Some people may change companies for a change of pace, others because there’s a project they really want to be involved with, some becaause they’d like to move to a more important position. Also, it may come down to what work is available, and how good the pay and hours are. If one company pays less for more hours, then you’d probably feel more inclined to go elsewhere. But I don’t know what the pay is for animators generally, so I can’t say much.
^ Woah, that last line totally makes sense. I feel better now. 
it annoys me too,
IMO, one of the most disappointing departures was the one from Doug Sweetland, he was hired by Sony to direct the computer-animated film called The Familiars.
he directed the fabulous Presto
It may seeem like a downer and a loss, but one must keep in mind that they’re also hiring new, fresh talent as well. A lot of art and animation grads straight out of college may have less expirience, yet they also bring a lot new stuff to the table.
And look at Unkrich. He was originally a film editor, and now he’s a director, and made (arguably) the most successful Pixar film.
It’s just depressing to me is all. It’s illogical, but all human emotion is. 
I wouldn’t say Pixar is ‘losing’ anyone. I mean neither Andrew Stanton or Brad Bird have said they are officially leaving Pixar or anything like that. I’m sure it’s just temporary. I mean if they want to try Live Action they can and they can’t do it at Pixar, so I can see why they went to other studios to do that.
That makes sense. I just hope they go back!!
Can’t think of too many creative folks who like to stay in one place doing the same thing for the same compensation…especially directors. Woody Allen worked in a “rut” at Orion for many years, but most relationships between directors and studios are pretty fluid. It’s a fair guess that talented Pixar alumni will always have a home in Emeryville if the wheel turns 'round that way. No worries here about staff rotations at Pixar…
That’s very true, they are after all still on the Brain Trust and active at Pixar. For expample, Stanton was a Co-Producer on Up and helped work on the story for Toy Story 3. I think everyone’s overeacting about this, and as I’ve said before new blood only makes them stronger.
Exactly. There will always be a cycle. It’s sad that some of the more experienced artists are leaving or trying out other ventures, but creative people don’t tend to stay in the same studio for their whole life. They like to try out new things and find new challenges. It also leaves room for the new talent and come in and grow; providing their fresh ideas.
Pixar won’t die any time soon. The incoming talent will learn from the old and keep the company running at it’s top standards. And there’s still plenty of Pixar veterans working at the studio still.
I agree about the cycle of fresh talent, although I would like to see directors like Bird and Stanton return to direct animation at Pixar.
It’s somewhat parting from the original thread topic, but isn’t it a strange thing to imagine Pixar several decades from now? We see WDFA as this untouchable thing that most if not all generations living today grew up with (that meaning it existed when they were young, not that they saw it in theaters); for instance, my grandparents were children when Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was first released. What if Pixar becomes the same way, but perhaps even better? What if they have thirty, fourty, FIFTY films before I’m dead? We’re essentially witnessing history in the making, the beginning of something that could grow to be even more fantastic and magical… Good gosh, that warms my heart to think about.
Okay, done.
I’d definitely like to see Bird and Stanton come back to direct at Pixar too!
That is a really interesting point. I hope Pixar is the same way. I’d love to see Pixar’s growth for decades to come! And how awesome would it be for some of us to be working together at Pixar sometime in the future; be the fresh talent!
I agree with this. I want new artists for them, but those two made some of the better PIXAR films(IMO, excluding the Toy Story series), and it breaks my heart to see them work somewhere else.
I think what’s really important is that they’re doing what they want to do.
I understand that. But at the same time, again, that’s just one of those weird things that bother me.