I met Brad Bird at what was billed as the “premiere” of the documentary “The Pixar Story” at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival earlier this month.
I don’t have the internet at home right now, and I have limited time, so I’ll start with my own brief interaction with Brad Bird during the audience Q & A, and when I have time, I’ll go back and talk about the film itself and the onstage interview that followed.
I will say that Brad (may I call him Brad?) was very smart and funny, a natural performer.
The person who was called on before me presented Brad with a large and impressive framed painting of Mr. Incredible.
I said that I had a picture to give him, too, and the interviewer joked, “No questions without a gift!”
I went up to the stage and gave him a print of my picture, “Surreal Giant Rat at the Café Dali” I told him that it was drawn two years before “Ratatouille” came out, but that it reminded me of the film. He said, “that’s strange.” I’m not sure if he was referring to the picture itself being strange (which it is, I’m proud to say,) or that it was strange that it was similar to the film even though it was drawn before it came out.
I also asked him a question,
“As you can see from my artwork, I come at things from an unusual perspective. Is there a way to get into the animation industry other than going to a school like CalArts?”
Brad said that it was possible, and suggested that I make my own film. However, he said, there is a benefit to watching a film multiple times with an audience to see when the “butt-shifting” in the seats occurs, which, he said, is how you tell the audience is bored. (I assume he was talking about watching films with other students in a classroom). He said he knew every “butt-shifting” moment in “Lady and the Tramp”.
After the Q & A, he signed autographs. As he signed my “Ratatouille” calendar (picture to come) I asked him when those “butt-shifting” moments were in “Lady and the Tramp”. He said that it was just after the lullaby (“La La Lu”) when they show diapers hanging up. “The audience is thinking, ‘when is the story going to start!?’” (I disagree with him on this point.)
Leslie Iwerks (who directed the great documentary) was also at the theatre, and I talked to her after Brad Bird had made his escape. She was polite, but seemed a bit ill at ease, as though she was less used to interacting with the public. I asked her to sign a coffee table book about the evolution of Mickey Mouse. (Her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, originally designed the look of Mickey Mouse). She signed it, but said, “I don’t think I’m the right person to sign this.” I told her I wanted to get into the animation business, “like everyone else,” and she said, “good luck,” in a sort of “you don’t have a chance” way.
Interestingly, my girlfriend liked Leslie Iwerks, but thought Brad Bird came off as “arrogant.”
Was anyone else at this event? 
It must’ve been awesome to meet Brad Bird in person, though!
