How did you encounter Pixar ?

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#1

Do you remember the first time you heard/read/saw something about Pixar ?

Luckily for me, I remember pretty well the first time I saw something from Pixar. I was 10, sitting in my classroom. They were these daily papers for kids (I still remember the title : Mon Quotidien), and an article was dedicated to a movie. Its name was Toy Story. The article said it was going to be the first film ever done only with computers. It gave the release date. But the one thing that caught my eye was this picture :

I remember thinking “Wooow ! These are cool characters ! I want to see that movie and I want these toys !” And I couldn’t stop looking at the picture.

Back at home, I talked of Toy Story to my family. I made sure they wouldn’t forget to bring me to the theater when the movie is released. I saw Toy Story three days after its release in France, with my mother and my brother. The last words I said to them before the movie began were “Now, quiet !” :mrgreen:

So, what about you ? How did you encounter Pixar ?

#2

Nice topic, Archibald!

I hardly remember it, but I believe it all started back a very long time ago when ABC used to always show A Bug’s Life. I thought it was a bit scary (I think I was 6 or 7 maybe? idk) at first, but then saw Flik, and thought he was a great character. Of course, I thought it was Disney, and never eve heard of Pixar until I saw Toy Story 2. It became my favorite film, and then I just had to see Toy Story, but never did until 5 uears later, I believe. A long time after that, I saw Monsters, Inc., and thought it was hilarious. I then saw that this was Pixar and not Disney, and I became a Pixar fan. Later, my mother wanted to take me to see Finding Nemo in theatres, but I had never seen a 3D film in theatres before, so I passed. I’m still mad at myself for missing that opportunity, because once I saw it on VHS (you know this was a while ago xD), it became my favorite film ever. Then I was officially a Pixar fan, and once The Incredibles came out on VHS, I saw it, and loved it. Then I was totally a Pixar freak, and on the day Cars came out, I saw it in theatres, and it totally ROCKED! I’ve been a Pixar freak ever since I had dreams of Cars that night.

#3

Good idea, Archibald. :smiley:

I honestly don’t remember, though. Toy Story came out when I was five, and although I know I had it on video, whether I actually saw it in the cinema is something I just can’t remember. I do remember being very excited about seeing ABL though- there was an article about it in the paper, and I just recall being so thrilled that it was coming out soon.

I have to admit, I only really became a proper Pixar fan once Monsters, Inc. had come out, because by that time I was old enough to truly understand how much time and effort is put into these movies, and that Pixar was behind it all.

#4

I blame my brother for finding Pixar. He was only about 2 years old then but he wanted to see the movie and we wound up seeing it in theatres. I liked it too, of course, but he loved it much more seeing as it was about a space ranger and a cowboy.

And so, I’ve been looking forward to new Pixar movies ever since. :smiley:

#5

Well, I’ve always liked Pixar, since Toy Story, but I never really knew the Pixar name until Monsters, Inc. So when Toy Story came out I was 2, so I did not see it at the theatre. I saw it not too long after on VHS, I thought it was clay, I just couldn’t comprehend CGI at that age, same with A Bug’s Life. I probably saw Toy Story 2 in the theatres and I definitely loved it because, those where three of my four favorite movies at the time, the other one was The Lion King and I thought all of them where made at Disney. Little did I know that I’d be obsessed years later. Anyways, I had seen Monsters, Inc. at the theatre and loved it, I’d been waiting to see it for a while since I saw the poster and by then I understood it was made on computers, I was 8. So that was probably the first time I encountered Pixar, knowing it was Pixar and not Disney. What would lead to my fandom started when I was at a store, probably Target, and I saw the Monsters, Inc. home video dispaly, it was big and it caught my eye as I was going to the cash register with my mother. I had to have the movie and when I walked up to the display, I realized I had just enough money. But I had a dilemma, I couldn’t chose between the DVD or the VHS. At the time (2002) we only had a VHS player, but we had a laptop that could play DVD’s. It was very hard for me to chose, I wanted to see it on my TV screen, but DVDs where so cool. So I was about to get the VHS, when I looked in the back and saw all the special features I could watch, I was sold. I got the DVD and watched it at home. My fandom started when I first saw the special features. Over the years of watching and re-watching the special features, mainly in the Humans Only section, I realized I wanted to be an animator, not just an animator, an animator at Pixar. The featurettes showing how the people at Pixar worked and what exactly each person did, and how work was divided, and how the animators controlled the charatcers just sucked me in. I saw the studio and thought the environment was so awesome, it was (and still is) my dream job. So later, in the summer of 2003, I had to see Finding Nemo, I loved animated movies (I still do), I really liked the teaser on my favorite DVD and it was by Pixar, and I thought all that was really great. The visuals and animation were stunning, not only that but the colors where so rich. That movie definitely re-inforced my fandom, which at the time had more to do with the studio than the movies (now I like them equally, and I’m obsessed.) I should add that the short films had the most amazing characters I’d seen, it made me want to be an animator even more and more, and I still do, I want to bring life to these awesome characters on screen. So, Pixar could never fail me. The Incredibles was amazing, the environments themselves are what truly got me into that movie, the story and animation where just the icing on the cake. And the DVD was just great, it had so much more I could learn about my favorite topic. Then, Cars happened. I’m not a big fan of cars or the west, so when I saw the trailer I was dissapointed, the studio that NEVER dissapointed me was about to. I started losing my faith in what I loved just because of that movie, but hey, it was Pixar so I gave it a chance, when I came out, I was stunned, the characters and the visuals where amazing! There Pixar proved to me that they can’t go wrong! Of course that’s when I got extra obsessed with not only the studio but the films themselves (I already loved them, but after that, it got to a whole 'nother level), of course Cars isn’t my favorite film, and my pre-viewing opinion still lingers in my head, but somehow, whenever I pop it into the DVD player I can’t stop watching it, as opposed to other films, also it made me get into Pixar more than ever. I made me want all the knowledge I could get about Pixar, I crave it. I had seen the Ratatouille trailer attached to Cars, and I was extremely excited about it, it looked so awesome (and it was!). From Ratatouille on, I would check Upcoming Pixar daily and a bit later got an account at Pixar Planet so I could talk to people with my interest, which seem to not exist in the real world. These two sources of Pixar fandom where a big reality check for me, but it’s ok, I’ll still be persistent in my dream, besides I still have 4 years ahead of me until anything can happen, I just need to practice. Anyways, although I was worried about Cars for personal reasons, I knew Pixar’s target audience would flock to theatres and buy the toys etc. etc. But there was Ratatouille a comedy about a rat… that can cook. Those Jim Hill articles and other sources that tried to put down the movie before they even saw it got me worried for it’s performance (I was never worried about the story, although I realized it was much more than the comedy I thought it would be). Anyways, I followed the box-office performance week by week, at some points day by day, but it’s a Pixar film, it did great, it was a blockbuster and I had nothing to worry about, not only that but it was the best reviewed film of 2007! I promoted this film so much and got the most non-DVD products of a Pixar film I’ve ever gotten for this one, and I enjoy it every time. Right now as you know, I’m following WALL-E and I can’t wait for it, I think it’ll do great as long as people are open minded about the no traditional dialogue in the film. Well anyways, after those experiences, I know for sure, Pixar is my calling, and I’m a loyal fan for good reasons, and I always will be!
So if I had chosen the VHS, I’d probably never be here.

#6

Well, Mitch holds the record for longest post, and I believe martini just broke the record for longest paragraph. 8D

~~=oP

#7

Wow, I got carried away!! :laughing:

#8

Nice topic of discussion, Archibald! :smiley:

My first introduction to Pixar Animation Studios was, most appropriately, during the year of 1995 – the year that Toy Story was officially released in theaters. I was around the age of six when I went to see it in cinemas* and, although I had absolutely no knowledge of who the real geniuses behind the production were, I loved the thing to death. Of course, at that young age, I didn’t know why I adored that particular film as much as I did. My brain was blown off course by the astounding animation, naturally, but it was the story that resulted in the thing itself coming across as so endearing, hence my love for Pixar as I… didn’t know it. (snigger)

The second time I was introduced to another of Pixar’s productions was when my father, whom is an animator, received an early copy of Geri’s Game on VHS. (Being in the artistic business of… art, he received [and still receives] copies of movies and other little interesting trinkets now and again before the rest of the public.) Now, you have to realize that, at this stage in the process, I was still very young and was thoroughly convinced that Disney Studios had churned out a pretty dang good film for a change, that film being, of course, Toy Story. No clue did I have of Pixar Animation What’s-its-name.
My dad popped in Geri’s Game into his television set and my family and I burst out laughing throughout the entire thing. Again, I didn’t know what the heck it was, but I loved it.

When A Bug’s Life was released, I think that I began to have some idea that Disney Studios wasn’t the only industry involved in producing these deliciously crafted films. Still, all I cared about at the time was having something to do on Saturday, and A Bug’s Life certainly filled up the satisfaction meter. Once more, almost everyone who saw the film loved it and ended up applauding like crazed idiots once the production (and its blooper/out-take reel) had drawn to a honey-scented conclusion. And, once more, I adored it… but didn’t know why the heck why. (One of my favorite memories of seeing A Bug’s Life in theaters for the first time was when everyone in the theater, including myself, clapped for Flik along with all the other bugs near the end of the movie. Heheh.)

By the time Toy Story 2 reared its computer-tinted face onto the big screen… I knew that something was up. I enjoyed it more than its predecessor, and that never happened in the real world. Only once or twice had I developed a fondess for a film’s sequel, and Toy Story 2 surpassed expectations.

When Monsters, Inc. showed up, I think that I had a pretty good idea of who ultimately produced these fantastic films, and so I was, naturally, more curious about “le studio de magic” (and I’m not talking about Disney Studios). In fact, when the official DVD for the movie in question was released… my sister and I memorized practically every line of dialogue in those “Pixar Tour” and “Pixar International Air Show” bonus featurettes on the second disc. (We still know the whole thing to this day, too.) Of course, we had memorized every line of dialogue in every freakin’ Pixar film up to that day anyway, but memorizing the bonus features was going overboard, even for us…

Finding Nemo was the production that eventually opened my eyes and started le amour de romance (Ha! “Love of Romance”…) journey from pure blindness to ultimate realization. Besides The Lion King, I had never been so deeply touched and moved by a film… and by the imaginations of these individuals whom had assisted in creating such a powerful feature. By then, I began to research the studio more thoroughly, visit its official website, listen to every commentary and documentary on all of its DVDs from Toy Story to Finding Nemo, and to learn more about Pixar Animation Studios in general. The obsession had officially begun…

The Incredibles was released soon after that, and then Cars, and then Ratatouille. Of course, we all know what happened after I saw Ratatouille, but the main point I’d like to hit on here is that… it’s amazing how one thing that you witness from your childhood… could become your future in the end. Heh.

In any case, I love the studio; adore it; wanna work there there so much that I know where the bottom floor bathrooms are located; blah blah blah… To date, it is probably the only studio where my sister and I would feel the most comfortable in. We require an environment where people can understand our craziness, you see, and Pixar Animation Studios fits the bill. Plus, it simply seems like a wonderful place to work – the people are charms, the films they produce touch the hearts and lives of others, and the atmosphere is one of “enjoyability”, if that be even a word.

Heh. And the funny thing is that, during the very first time I saw Toy Story in theaters, I remember watching that little Jr. lamp jumping across the screen and thinking, “That was cute”, or something along those lines, without even paying attention to the name of the studio of whose capital ‘I’ it had flattened. Amazing.

PV - Puh-ha! That’s an understatement… :stuck_out_tongue: :laughing:

– Mitch

*My gosh. The most memorable year of my life was 1995, when I was six, which was when Toy Story was released! I can’t believe I never realized that until now…

#9

Martin: Wow. I love your story!
Mitch: Did you really expect me to read all that? By the way, where exactly are the bathrooms? 8D
I totally loved your story, too. My favorite part (your posts are the only posts that have parts) was the Monsters, Inc. part. That DVD was the best, too!

#10

Wow, can’t remember. I only know that I got Toy Story on video when I was… I don’t know… six… seven years old? Whatever.
But the first Pioxar movie I’ve have sen in theatre was A Bug’s Life a few months after I got to the elementary school. I immediately loved this movie and of course I wanted on video right then when the video came out. Since then I’ve seen every Pixar movie (save for TS) in theatre.

#11

It started with my parents.Being that my brother and I were little toddlers my parents used to buy classic Disney films.So I guess you could say it started when I was little .Back then Toy Story was my favorite Pixar film(it was my brother’s too),then when Cars came out I offically became a Diehard Pixar fan.Huzzzzah! :sunglasses: :smiley:

#12

A113 - Aha-ha. Well, thank you! I’m glad that you found it entertaining. :smiley:

Where are the bathrooms, you say? In order to locate the many restrooms in Pixar Animation Studios, please follow these directions:

1. If you have the official Pixar Shorts Collection DVD, pop it into your DVD player or CD ROM drive.

2. Once transported to the main menu of the DVD in question, simply go to “Set Up” (at least, I believe that it is “Set Up”) and, low and behold, you will notice a small map (on the right side of the screen) detailing the lower floor/section of Pixar Animation Studios, including the locations of the studio’s many bathrooms.

Now, I’m not entirely sure if this map is fictional or “true-to-geographical-standards”, but it is rather interesting to note if it is, indeed, the latter.

But back on-topic… :wink:

– Mitch

#13

Well, my story is simple and short. I was probably in kindergarden when I heard about Pixar. Maybe because of the release of Toy Story. Since TS, I have always anticipated Pixar’s next and newest release. I never really got into Pixar until I saw the teaser for TI. And the rest is history.

#14

Well, I’m not sure if I remember. Of course I remember Toy Story and when it came out and I remember going to see it, but I dont think I knew of Pixar then. I think I was first made aware of Pixar later when Bugs Life came out, maybe because their name was used.

#15

rachel - A most intriguing story, rachel. I quite enjoyed reading it! Interesting how you weren’t all that thrilled with Pixar’s films at first, yet grew to love them later on in the game. Everyone has a different tale to tell. :smiley:

Amen to that, dude.

– Mitch

#16

Mitch - Thank you. Well, I like to think that I have matured since then. My eyes have been opened to the greatness that is Pixar. Heheh.

I liked reading your story, too. I was particularly impressed that you and your sister were able to memorise all of the dialogue in Pixar’s films, and a few DVD extras on top of that! Now that’s dedication. :wink:

#17

I’m surprised no one has said this yet: SESAME STREET! Anyone remember sesame street?! Jeeeeez.

youtube.com/watch?v=mTkF7jS9 … re=related
youtube.com/watch?v=mjLvLytm … re=related
youtube.com/watch?v=nsVh7NUo8Xs

The sesame street segments fascinated me. 3D was new back then, and I got excited any time I saw it anywhere. Hell, I got excited when I saw a 3D video game, that’s how new this stuff was. I used to watch this horrible movie about the revolutionary war over and over, just because it was 3D and 3D movies where unheard of at the time. I know Toy Story was officially the first movie to be made with computer graphics, but this revolutionary war movie was made by some random guy, not a movie studio, and it was only about a half hour long. I guess it didn’t count as a real movie - but for the record, it was computer generated and it existed long before Toy Story. My favorite episode of The Simpsons was the one where homer goes into the 3D animated universe. I could go on but I think you get the point.

I saw Toy Story when I was 7. It was a great movie. The graphics where impressive, naturally miles ahead of anything else. I wasn’t as impressed by it as I was when I saw it again at an older age though. I think a story about having a difficult friendship is a little too dark for younger kids. At that age I was idealistic and I preferred movies that where also idealistic. Disney movies back then where still very good quality and of course they where idealistic so I tended to like those better. I think I was a bigger fan of A Bug’s Life when I was a kid, which makes me unusual because for most people that seems to be their least favorite Pixar movie.

My dad liked Toy Story so much he immediately bought a lot of stock in the company. So I made a point to see every Pixar movie, just for the sake of the stock. Soon I got to be a huge Pixar fan for Pixar’s own sake though, especially since Disney got so terrible and Don Bluth more or less disappeared.

I think the first time I thought “hey… I’d really like to work for this company” is when I saw Ratatouille. That movie was beautiful. Also that movie happened to be released at the age when I had to start seriously thinking about what I was going to do beyond high school. As an artist I could kind of relate to a story about creative guy trying to build a career but not always being taken seriously.

#18

Well, I’ve bee watching PIXAR films ever since Toy Story, but the studio hadn’t grabbed my attention as being specifically special. Then Finding Nemo came out. Man, I thought it looked REALLY dumb, but went to see it in the theater for some reason I can’t remember and ended up eating my words. XD I haven’ doubted then since.

#19

Ohh boy…I remember seeing Toy Story for the first time…I was really quite ecstatic. But during my childhood, Pixar wasn’t really in my vocabulary. Any Pixar movies we had were right there with our other movies. I didn’t really know anything about Pixar until my friend Sara told me about Cars. I had seen the ads, and decided to go see it in the theaters. I was quite surprised at how good it was. After that, I sort of got a crash course in Pixar and really got to like their movies. Obviously, after joining Pixar Planet, I became even more enthralled with them. so now, I’m looking forward to Pixar’s many upcoming releases, and I know they’ll never let me down!

P.S. I’ve even had friends complain to me that I talked to much about Ratatouille last year. :stuck_out_tongue: