How to get Pixarian autographs

The Pixar Studio & People
#1

This thread is to describe, in as much detail as possible, how to get autographs from your favourite Pixarians. :mrgreen:

Since we all love Pixar here, I thought I’d share information regarding the best and most successful way to obtain an autograph from someone at Pixar. I am planning on doing this myself, and it would be great if you followed the instructions as well and we can all share our success and excitement when the autograph does arrive in the mail.

PLEASE NOTE: Among other autograph aficionados there is a bit of confusion between whether the autographs received from Pixar are original or not. That means whether each one sent back was hand-signed (original/authentic) or pre-printed (copy). I can’t say, so the only you would know for sure is if you got one back and judged for yourself. Either way, it is still very neat to have a Pixar autograph to frame and admire. :wink:

Now, if you do choose to write to Pixar and ask for an autograph, you will not just recieve an autograph on a plain piece of paper. This is Pixar, remember! If you would like to see why it is worth it to go to the trouble below, then click here and here to see a representation of what you are likely to receive. (I didn’t paste the image here so as to not spoil the surprise for anyone not knowing what the autograph will be written on.) Doesn’t that look cool?

I got most of this information from a website called Fanmail.biz which specialises in telling people the best way to successfully obtain an autograph from their favourite celebrities.

Requesting an autograph by snail mail:

Step 1. Write Pixar a short letter saying that you would like a signed autograph from the Pixarian of your choice. Something like:

[i]Hello,

My name is Rachel and I love watching your films. I am a big fan of Pixarian’s name and would really appreciate a signed autograph of his.
[/i]

Something as simple as that is fine. Now, it’s totally your choice if you wanted to write a fan letter, but bear in mind that the Pixarians probably wouldn’t have enough time to read it, so just letting you know. But you could always write a long one and they might get the time to read it some day. But do not expect anything back from the Pixarians themselves. The best you could hope for is a short answer written by one of the Pixar secretaries. Try to be as clear as possible in your letter that you are writing to obtain an autograph, and whose autograph you are after.

If you aim for one of the big guns (Lasseter, Bird, Stanton) they have them ready and you should recieve one back definately. Personally, I am going to request one from Lou Romano. Maybe then I will get an original autograph since I don’t think they have reprints of his autograph (yet). If reprints are indeed what they are sending out (see above). You can request lesser known artists from Pixar, and just see what you get back, too.

[spoil]Another option is to request a glossy photo of your favourite Pixar film, with the director’s autograph. If you looked at the example pictures linked above, there is one of Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles but I’m sure they have one of each movie with the directors autograph on it. You can always ask and see what you get back![/spoil]

Step 2. On the front of the standard-sized envelope write:

Pixar Animation Studios
1200 Park Avenue
Emeryville, CA 94608
United States (if sending from overseas)

Step 3: Fanmail.biz recommends the following: if you live in the US, you can just send a letter with the appropriate stamp to send inside the US. If you live internationally, you should buy some “international reply coupons” (inquire at your post office), and put these inside the envelope with the letter. Also, ask the post office how much it costs to send your letter overseas and pay for it there (it will cost more than usual).

Don’t forget to write your address on both the letter and the back of the envelope!

Step 4: Send your letter to the above address and wait. The waiting time to get your autograph back inside the US ranges from 4 - 8 weeks, and outside the US could be up to 3 months. But it all depends on how busy Pixar are at the time, how far away you live, customs, and other varying factors. So be patient.

Step 5: Recieve your autograph and post about it here! :mrgreen:

Requesting an autograph by email:

Now, some people have emailed Pixar and successfully obtained autographs this way. Others have had no response at all and had to write a letter instead. If you choose to do it this way, remember that there isn’t a 100% guarantee of recieving one back then if you were to write a letter.

Follow the instructions above but email your request to:

publicity@pixar.com

If you have any corrections, or if you have further knowledge on the best way to go about requesting Pixar autographs, please comment. Also, please share your experiences with getting Pixar autographs so others can know what to expect. Good luck, and happy writing!

References: - Information from fanmail.biz

  • Pixar autograph example from this thread and this thread on the fanmail.biz website.
  • Anyone who contributes to this information. :wink:
Letter from Pete Docter
Sending something to the Pixar Office
ever gotten something from pixar studios in the mail??
Pete Docter and Brad Bird
#2

Ha-ha. This is great, rachel! :smiley:

I appreciate you dedicating precious time and effort to provide (to individuals) valuable information on how to obtain treasured autographs from note-worthy entities. It’s a helpful, simplistic, and hazardous-free way to add that one-thousandth piece of jeweled handwriting to one’s pristine or dusty collection.

I had never even heard of the website you mentioned – this being Fanmail.biz – before, so thank you for mentioning it and for providing a link to the site in question! It’s wonderful that you also displayed to the audience links to photographs of various autographs that had been previously signed by famous “Pixarians”, as well. Most interesting.

Although I have never executed either action, both of which include asking for an autograph via snail mail and email, these tips are most helpful in case I ever wished to interrogate my favorite Pixar employer/employee for a personal signature. That said, I wish you well in obtaining Mr. Romano’s autograph! I’m sure that you would love to add that to your collection. :wink:

As for myself, I have only ever obtained up to six autographs in my life time, and the people I have obtained them from range from close friends of the family to individuals that I have met but once or twice.

Besides the options that you presented to the public, rachel, there are only two other ways (that I can think of, for the moment) to wind up with a pen-tinted signature of your very own, and both of them are based purely on chance.

1. One way that you can obtain an autograph by someone you admire is if that person is a close friend of the family… or if you are acquainted with/know someone else who is on close/friendly terms with that celebrity/individual of admirable quality. The chance’s of this happening are, of course, probably 50/50*, if not less, but it is convenient.

2. The second, and most obvious, method of nabbing an autograph is to attend an event that is hosted by/features the person you wish to meet. Again, the percentage of actually getting the chance to collect an autograph, much less meet the person, is probably around 50%*… depending on the circumstances.

In a nutshell, the best way to receive an autograph is to follow rachel’s examples/methods.

*Note: All percentages mentioned are based on pure guesswork and are, more than likely, not completely accurate.

As a side note, if anyone would like to know the names of the people I have gotten autographs from (and how I obtained them), I would be more than happy to oblige.

Thank you, again, for all of the useful information, rachel! :smiley:

– Mitch

#3

I got a signed pic by John Lasseter. It is original. Its a glossy print of Buzz and Woody with his autograph in black sharpie. :smiley:

#4

Firstly. you’re very welcome, Mitch. Thanks for the feedback. It was no trouble, really. :wink:

[spoil]Are you going to request a Ratatouille signed glossy print, Mitch? I think they would have them by now…[/spoil]

Oh, and if you wanted to write a detailed description of how to get an autograph through those two methods you mentioned (through family/friends and events), I’ll make a separate section and update the original post. I’m sure there is a method to getting an autograph in each category.

In the next couple of weeks I’ll get around to writing to Pixar. We should really all take photos of the autographs to determine whether they are originals or not. Sometimes it can be hard to tell…

You better believe it. :wink:

Oh, do tell. :mrgreen:

That’s really cool. If you wanted, you can post a picture here…

#5

am i the only pixar fan without an autograph…?.. :cry:

#6

Sylvermagykan: Join the club dude. I ain’t got one either.

#7

For a while now I had actually wondered about not writing to the celebrities themselves, but the people who answer their mail.

I mean, who knows what a Pixar secretary’s life is like. Is it a part time or full time thing? Are they aspiring to move up too? Perhaps they lead interesting lives. I think it comes back to: you’d only get a reply from a celebrity once in a blue moon, but what about the middle man? Much higher chance I think since it’s their job, haha.

There’s probably a wiki-article or something about it, heh.

#8

Me either. :stuck_out_tongue: Though it would be nice, I won’t pursue and bug them for one.

#9

TSS: How do I join? 8D
TW: That would be interesting. I’ve always wondered what it’s like.

#10

I’m getting sweaty hands thinking about a picture of Randall signed by Pete Docter. :laughing:

This is a cool idea, Rachel! I might even give it a go myself, especially with your guide to hand. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we all eventually ended up with our own little Pixar Planet collection of autographs? :smiley:

#11

I’ll scan it and post it.

#12

No… That’s the kind of point of this thread. I said I didn’t have an autograph and I would write soon, therefore I, and many others, don’t have autographs either.

I never thought of that. I don’t think the secretaries would answer back since they might think it was an odd request, though. Heh.

#13

they probably get those requests all day…

so wouldn’t it be more effective to mail the celebrities directly? :confused:

#14

A113: Oh it is easy dude. Membership is free. :laughing:

Anyways, back on topic…

#15

As was requested/asked upon by rachel, here is a list of the well-known individuals I have met and how I obtained their autographs:

Fore-note: For personal and privacy reasons, I may choose to not disclose some of the names of the entities and/or locations mentioned.

Individual: Undisclosed
Location: Undisclosed
Method of Obtainment: The original creator of the popular comic book franchise Elf Quest happens to be a long-time friend of the family, and she and her husband tend to visit us often. Both husband and wife are most amiable individuals, and they don’t mind engaging in various conversation with us (especially art/animation), inviting us to attend special events and parties at their residence, or drawing us a picture or two. I received two autographs by the artist in question when I asked her if she might draw me a couple of pictures – one of her Pomeranian, Angel, and another of one of the many wolf characters in her comic book series.

If you would like to visit the official Elf Quest website, feel free to access it by clicking on this link: elfquest.com/

Individual: Geoff Johns
Location: Disney Studios Backlot
Method of Obtainment: Geoff Johns is a comic book artist and writer, and has worked on such series as Flash, Green Lantern, and, I believe, Superman. (When my dad was working in the Disney Channel/TV show department at Disney Studios, fliers and advertisements for various events of interest would, at times, be posted up around the studio complex. Well-known artists/animators, directors, and other individuals would host/attend informative sessions that centered around specific subjects, and employees of Disney Studios were given an opportunity to reserve a spot for the event. Occasionally, employees were permitted to bring along a family member/friend or two to the screening/event, and that is how I was able to attend such seminars as the one hosted by Andrew Stanton last year.) I didn’t even know who the guy was, but I decided to go along with my dad for the ride and attend a seminar hosted by Mr. Johns… in which he discussed the origins of his career and how he came to be an asset to the animation industry. I wasn’t extremely interested in the subject matter, although the event itself was rather informative; however, I did make to obtain his autograph after the session… along with many hard-core comic book fanatics.

To journey through Mr. Johns’ official website, please select the link presented here: geoffjohns.com/

Individual: Anthony Daniels
Location: Los Angeles Convention Center
Method of Obtainment: A couple of years back, my father, sister, and I, being the “foaming-at-the-mouth” Star Wars geeks that we are, attended the Star Wars Celebration IV event at the LA Convention Center in Los Angeles. This “ceremony” being a huge one, many celebrities were present to hand out signatures and pictures, one of which was Anthony Daniels, better known as the famed C-3PO to the majority of the world’s human population. I had to pay approximately $40 smackaroonies to obtain his autograph, but it was well worth it. (Mr. Daniels has the coolest handwriting in the universe, if I do say so myself.)

Individual: Jake Lloyd
Location: Los Angeles Convention Center
Method of Obtainment: I obtained Mr. Lloyd’s autograph the same way as Mr. Daniels’, only I had to shell out around $25 bucks instead of $40. For those of you who don’t know, Jake Lloyd played the role of young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.

Individual: Undisclosed
Location: DreamWorks SKG/Studios
Method of Obtainment: Sheridan College, a critically acclaimed university located in Ontario, Canada, celebrated its 40th anniversary at the end of last month on/within the DreamWorks Studios complex. My mother being the daughter of one of the founders of the college, I was enabled to attend the event with both her and my dad. Although the number of people I knew there averaged to be around 1%, I was much obliged to have a most informative conversation with an animator there. It turned out that, besides from being a good friend of my dad’s, as usual, he had worked on such features as Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Rescuers Down Under, and pretty much every other animated Disney film after Beauty and the Beast. Naturally, I kindly asked him if he might draw me a picture of Roger Rabbit, so he did so and gave me his autograph, too. I didn’t expect the latter, but I definitely thank him for adding it to my sketchbook.

Individual: Brad Bird
Location: Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara
Method of Obtainment: During the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which ran from January 24, 2008 to February 3, 2008, acclaimed writer and director Brad Bird made his way onto the Lobero Theatre stage around 6:00 PM on February 2nd. My mom and I had heard about the event via a local newspaper only two days prior to the interview, so we were able to obtain tickets at the door before it was too late and collect an admirable seat. After Mr. Bird was interviewed, a number of fans and admirers went down to the stage in an attempt to ask him a few questions and to obtain a signature. I got his autograph at the last second as he was about to leave for the airport. That, of course, is another story, but I will still say that I shall never forget that smile he gave me… smiles

To view photographs from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, click on this link: scottlondon.com/photo/sbiff2008/index.html

I wonder if I should post up my dad’s autograph? He’s been in the business for a billion years and everybody in the universe from Mars to Pluto knows him. Heheh. Nah, I’ll pass. It’s pretty easy to get his autograph, though. :stuck_out_tongue:

In a nutshell, it helps if you know someone who works in the animation/film business, since they probably have access to exclusive events that normally wouldn’t be available for the public to attend. You could, perhaps, inquire upon them as to whether or not you would be able to go to that event with them, if possible.

Another way to obtain autographs is if you are acquainted with someone who works with/sees celebrities often, so that you might ask if he/she could trouble that individual for an autograph.

Yet a third way to acquire a hand-written signature is by searching for/keeping up-to-date on events such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the San Diego Comic-Con, the Wondercon, and others. More than likely, certain well-known individuals will attend the event specially for the occasion, and they may even hand out autographs. Visit official websites for famed events such as those mentioned and find out what celebrities will be there, if any. You may just get lucky…

rachel - You’re welcome for the feedback! After all of that work put into creating a detailed account of how to obtain an autograph, you deserve a little recognition. :wink:

Believe it or not, I will probably refrain from doing so. For some reason, I’ve always had this weird notion that if I don’t receive an autograph in-person, it’s not entirely authentic. It’s an odd fashion of mine… (snigger)

Oh, and that’s all right concerning adding a detailed description to your first post. For one thing, the descriptions probably won’t be that detailed, and secondly, I wouldn’t want to clutter up your post. (eheh) Thank you for the offer, though! :wink:

– Mitch

#16

Dang! That is quite an explaination there. Not to mention a whole lot of names Mitch. Me am so amazed!

#17

Mitch - Woah! What a long post. You sure have met a lot of cool people. :mrgreen:

Yeah, I’ll just ask you for it. :laugh:

That’s a really good tip, there. If you are into animated series then a lot of the artists/creators do autograph panels and Q and As for fans/members of the public - not just the press. I wish some Pixar peeps would do something like that…

Why, thank you. :mrgreen:

I’m not sure what you mean by this… I think all mail to Pixar is screened by the secretary anyway, even if it is addressed to, say, John Lasseter. And we wouldn’t know the method to bypassing them and going straight to Pixarians, anyway - especially the super-busy ones. Even if it did get to them, they would probably let their secretary-type people handle the autographs anyway, since they have the resources for it, not to mention the time, which the most famous Pixarians don’t.

It’s a standard thing for Pixar to recieve autograph requests, and they have a system going, not to mention money to send out free autographs so don’t feel guilty about asking for them, guys. :wink:

#18

As promised:

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#19

That looks great, DrewsterHotRod. Thanks for showing us. In your opinion, do you think the autograph is genuine, or a print?

#20

rachel - Cha, it’s pretty awesome having a dad who is acquainted with so many notable individuals. You’ve gotta come and visit us so that we can show you the sights and sounds of California and its many amazing residents. (snigger)

Ha! You know, I probably could ask my dad to ask someone whom he knows (that is famous) for his/her autograph and then send it to one of you guys, if that’s legal. :stuck_out_tongue:

Apparently, some of the “Pixarians” will participate in signing autographs, since I have Brad Bird’s signature. I’m sure that some other Pixar employers/employees would do the same for you, if possible. :wink:

– Mitch