Why do so many of the Pixar people, like John Lasseter, for example, love to say that Pixar listens to their fans and gives them what they want, when it’s apparent to anyone who’s actually tried to correspond with them that this isn’t the case? They don’t respond to letters(other than with the “dear john” type responses, IF that), and in general don’t seem to keep tabs on the most-obvious source of fan bases, the internet. That’s my impression, anyway. I have to say that I’m feeling quite disappointed in Pixar right now, as far as really paying attention to fans.
They do respond to letters. I’ve gotten personalized letters from Pete Docter and Brad Bird. They are all very busy though, so they don’t always have the time to personally respond to each and every letter they get.
And I’ve read that Pixarians swing by PP every now and then so they do keep some sort of tabs on the fan base.
^ Yup. Bird wrote me back too. Sometimes it takes a while. I wrote him right after the sneak of Ratatouille and didn’t get back to me until after the oscar win.
They do listen to fans whenever they get the chance. It’s not like they hate people, they love their fans - it’s just, the people at Pixar are very busy folks and it’s not always easy responding to the hundreds of letters they get all the time.
As far as listening to the fans, I think it’s certainly true that they listen to the fans and give them what they want… What do they give the fans? Top quality films that are full of heart and joy. They know Pixar fans don’t want rushed films just to make a quick buck; and so far, they’ve been true to us: their fans.
Top quality films is what Pixar does. It doesn’t so much influence if they listen to their fans or not. A new film could come out, be a hit, and that’s that. They enjoy the messages of encouragement and admiration and what not…but in terms of “I think this might have been longer…like…” or “Maybe this could have…”…messages like those, are most likely ignored. Sure, one may say that it’s Pixar’s “no outside ideas” rule (chuckles “rule” ^0^). But the fact is of LISTENING to those suggestions. Sure, may take them awhile to reply…but if they DON’T at ALL…then it’s not listening.
“Top Quality” is a matter of perspective, and you know it. You know exactly what I’m talking about-remember a petition we sent in with several hundred signatures on it, the letters WE wrote and never heard from again? Come on, I’m getting old, and MY memory is better than that.
I would simply want to be able to establish a dialog with Pixar, to express some concerns as a loyal fan, especially in light of Up and the Pixar-endorsed BOOM comics, but I have doubts that this is possible. I’m probably the only person on this board who is becoming more and more unhappy with the direction of Pixar’s movies, or perhaps, the only one in the crowd who has suddenly realized that the Emperor is walking about butt-naked, while everyone else is still gushing about how gorgeous and to-DIE-for his new threads are. I want to keep liking PIxar’s movies, and believe that I will enjoy them, and that they will “think outside the box” and refuse to follow someone else’s old worn-out formula for making animated entertainment, but my faith is flagging enormously at this time, and I would love to be able to hear something from someone at Pixar that will reaffirm my faith in them as the best animation studio out there, the best and most original storytellers in the business, rather than what is stated in the press. Finding out otherwise, the hard way, would be rather like finding out that one’s best friend has been stealing behind your back and cheating with your spouse at the same time.
Yeah I agree…especially describing with the “thinking outside the box” bit…and using a formula that’s already been used by some many media isn’t just wrong for them, it’s also, honestly, kinda lazy, something I don’t think people should expect form Pixar.
The thing is, as a company grows and expands it will inevitably become more ‘corporate’. Pixar has managed to avoid this pretty successfully so far- as others have said, even if it does take a while, a lot of the Pixarians do reply to fan letters and some of them even come on here- but they just don’t have the time to reassure their fans, as they’re spending all of their time working on their next films and making sure they’re the best quality possible! I’d say that’s a pretty fair trade-off.
And whether or not you like Pixar’s newest films are personal preference, surely? Some might prefer their classics- I know I have a soft spot for them- but look at WALL-E, a film that, even if you didn’t like it, undeniably “thinks outside of the box”. I can’t comment on Up as of yet, but it seems like the reviews (and not just the fan ones, but critics’ reviews and the general consensus) is that they’ve “done it again”, and believe you me, if the quality and direction of Pixar’s films were flagging badly, there are many critics out there who would be the first to point it out.
I think 5 or 6 years of being patient may be enough.
cranes neck In concept to “thinking out of the box”, up till Wall-E, like said I haven’t seen Up yet, they have. Wall-E itself is so amazing. And the daring bit of having half the film without voice acting made the visual art more meaningful. That what you were seeing, not hearing, was what mattered.
Yeah I was gonna ask that too. What is it that you want them to do? I’ll level with ya, Up did not impress me as much as their other movies, but I still think it’s good. I’m not all that into Ratatouille either. And I like about 2/3 of their short films. So I dont blindly love everything they do, but I dont think any less of them because of it.
I’m not sure how much time Pixar has to search internet fan bases or personally respond to letters. When I wrote to John, he sent me an autographed pic and that was good enough for me. I’ve written to Andrew twice, with no response, but I’m not holding that against him. I’ll keep trying till I get something. And while I’ve heard “Pixar listens to fans” I also hear “We make these movies for our own enjoyment too”. I still think Pixar is above par in terms of giving the people what they want.
Sincere apologies for pumping life back into an old thread.
There does seem to be evidence that Pixar, at the very least, does not seem to make themselves easily contactable (if that’s a word). For proof, check their website: has anyone else noticed that they don’t allow emails for general inquiries? It’s almost like they intend to not listen to the average person, and the few they DO respond to seemed to have nothing negative to say about them, even despite that those negative details do exist, as some fans have pointed out.
Take myself, for instance. Many people here have sent letters to Pixar and got responses back. Well, guess what? I also sent a letter, specifically to Peter Docter; the only difference is that it’s been nearly half a year and he’s STILL not responding to me! Clearly they do NOT like to even listen to polite suggestions about how to take their upcoming movies, which is much of what a movie fanbase exists for!
As for what I wrote in my letter, lennonluvr9, I’m only going to give a hint: have you noticed anything at all that lizardgirl, pitbulllady, Nexas, and I have in common, in relation to Pixar?
Just realized something that further proves my point about Pixar ignoring fans: YouTube. I sent a PM nearly two weeks ago to their official channel. And I know they’re ignoring me because within those almost-two weeks they have uploaded videos. If they have enough time to load high-quality videos (which are a pain time-wise on YouTube), then they obviously have time to check PM’s, or at least delete them, like they probably did with mine.
I understand that you guys are frustrated about this stuff, but why are you spending so much time and energy by trying to point out the flaws of a company you are apparently fans of? I don’t have a problem with what you’re saying, and I understand where you’re coming from, but it’s kinda odd that you’d talk about this stuff so thoroughly on a Pixar fan forum. It just seems like something I’d be more likely find elsewhere. (Like a dreamworks forum, haha).
Again, I’m not trying to start an argument or anything, and I don’t have a problem with any of the stuff you guys are saying, especially since the whole thing mainly revolves around this issue with you guys and the portrayal of Randall, and that’s not really something I’m involved in. I’m just kinda wondering.
And I’ll offer this as a rebuttal for the question posed. I think Pixar tends to be more willing to respond to positive input rather than negative, or any propositions regarding story, because they’re in control of their own property. They’ve got control of a massive staff, and for one thing, they can’t individually address every piece of fan mail they get, so they might categorize the ones they get, and respond accordingly, such as autograph requests, personal mail, etc. I’m not saying it’s unreasonable for them to respond to you guys, especially since you’ve been so determined, but I’m coming from a different place in that regard. I got a hold of them through similar means, but with a different message in mind.
Also, just because they don’t respond doesn’t mean they don’t take what you write into consideration. In regards to the youtube stuff, I really wouldn’t expect a company’s youtube or facebook to be the best means to contact them, stuff like that is primarily used to give public updates and stuff. Not saying they wouldn’t respond, but I wouldn’t expect them to. They probably get loads upon loads of stuff like that and can’t really sort through it all.
Just to let you guys know, I’m trying to make a neutral standpoint here, I’m not trying to lean for either side’s favor. While I understand your frustration, and I agree you should have gotten some sort of response, I think it’s based on what the company actually does respond to, and how they get it. You guys have a valid argument.
I appreciate the suggestion that they might take my thoughts into consideration, though.
I’m honestly not sure what to think. On one hand, they’ve created one of my favorite characters for reasons many don’t seem to want to understand, but on the other, you just said yourself, ffdude, that they don’t even listen to polite suggestions, which is what I did in BOTH of my messages (the letter as well).
Being fans of a company and fans of their work are different. Have the man that makes fire and you praise him. Even more so when he shares it. But not when he decides to burn things.
Pixar seems to only accept and respond to praise and offers of material (such as autographs), but not when it comes from concern and criticism.
I for one understand criticism, as I never ask for it for my work because I am aware of my limitations and workings at the time.
However, Pixar has been around long enough to at least listen when not one, not two, but a whole group of people ask for an audience of some kind.
We understand they’re a large company, and the management of perhaps many contacts is stressful. However, we HAVE tried contacting them many times in the past. And no replies.
The only thing we got was a “recent event” (many years from where we started), that showed Pixar WAS not listening AT ALL. And in fact gave the “middle digit”. Albiet this was done through a secondary party, and the involvement of Pixar in a degree is yet to be established…but the fact they commissioned this “event” is evidence enough they did not care.
And even before this “event”, Tokyo Disney went ahead with another attraction. With Pixar’s info or not, it clearly held no bars in showing the killing of someone. shakes head I mean this in no aggression or the like…Perhaps soon you and others will understand the signifigance. chuckles Ahh…let me be the shepherd to lead to understanding perspective…
Exactly, Nexas. Thank you for backing me up. I’m not so much a fan of the company as I am a fan of their work.
I hadn’t remembered the contacting them in the past, but that further proves my point: we Randall (and that’s apparently okay to say now, what with ffdude bringing the name up) fans had even sent a petition to them, with thousands of signatures, mind you, and basically Pixar took all these thousands of people and said (pardon the swear, even despite it’s censored), “F— YOU!” to them by allowing such events mentioned by Nexas to be made.
I am currently considering changing my video link in my signature on this forum in order to show people here a video that, aside from promoting a certain campaign, shows just what Pixar is up to in this department.
Well, it’s like this, FFdude. If I WEREN’T such a big fan of PIxar, and didn’t hold them to the highest standard as a result, I could absolutely care less if one of their movies featured negative stereotyping, gave out the message that two wrongs make a right and revenge is a good thing, gave out the message that the way to “defeat” fear is through violence, and pushed the concept that people cannot change-once bad, always bad, once good, always good. If this were any other studio, I would not, honestly, expect any better from them. But it’s Pixar, and fair or not, I DO hold them to a higher standard. They have an opportunity to fix this, to show me that they do NOT believe that violence dispels fear, and that two wrongs do NOT make a right, that people can and DO change for the better, and that “getting even” with someone solves nothing, nothing at all. OR, they can continue down a path towards the Same Old, Same Old, a path that puts them in pretty bad “shark-jumping” territory. When they cannot accept constructive criticism from the people who put them where they are now, i.e., their FANS, I have a problem with that. When ANYONE feels that they are perfect, that are beyond reproach and therefore can only listen to or respond to positive things, this is what my folks used to refer to as “getting a bad case of the Big Head”, and the Big Head is not good for anyone, whether it’s an individual or a company. When a group of fans have a concern, a question, and it’s not addressed, or worse yet, the company continues to do EXACTLY what we had the concern about in the first place, only worse, it’s honestly like the Pixar folks are flipping us the middle finger.
I’m not a suck-up, never have been, and don’t plan to start being one now. If I have a problem with something, I let you know. I’m not like the crowds who lined the street “oooh-ing” and “ahh-ing” as the Emperor debuted his new “clothes”. If he’s walking around buck-naked, I am more like that little kid who let everyone know. Most Pixar fans are the opposite; they claim to be fans, but when there’s a problem or a flaw, they refuse to see it. This is not, ultimately, to the company’s benefit at all, because it fosters that Big Head syndrome. Like I said, if Pixar meant nothing to me, then I wouldn’t expect any better of them and it wouldn’t bug me so much. I expect second-rate messages and storylines from second-rate studios. BUT, even the second-rates and the wannabe’s still acknowledge who can make them or break them-their fans, and still are willing to communicate with them, whether it’s to address concerns or accept praises.
SgtYayap has a very good point. Perhaps most of you haven’t noticed, but out of all of Pixar’s “bad guys” or “villains” or whatever you want to call them, only ONE, Randall Boggs, has been repeatedly dragged through the mud. He’s become Pixar’s whipping boy, a character who is not only reviled and punished in the movie in which he appeared, but in many other “incarnations” as well, among them the BOOM! Studio comics and the Tokyo Disney “Ride and Go Seek” attraction. This hasn’t happened with Buddy Pine/Syndrome, not with Auto, not with Sid, or Hopper, or even with the MAIN “villain” of “Monsters, Inc.”, Henry J. Waternoose, and probably won’t happen with Charles Muntz, either. Only with Randall. I have to ask, “Why HIM?” Is it out of some sort of deliberate defiance of his fans who actually DARE to question the Great Pixar, or to further someone’s anti-reptile agenda(even though Randall is not technically a reptile), or what? Why is this one character “brought back”, again and again, to be humiliated, made a fool of, hurt, beaten, crushed and abused? Exactly what is Pixar trying to prove with this, if indeed they are responsible? Why do they want to continue to sent a very negative and illogical message, when they have a chance to do better? Do they honestly believe themselves to be perfect? And, does being a fan of a company’s works mean that you have to turn a blind eye to their faults, especially when those faults appear to be growing, or that recognizing and questioning said faults means that you’re not a fan? It’s sort of like the “Whole Language” approach to teaching, which means basically that teachers cannot EVER tell a child he/she is wrong, and have to accept basically anything the child turns in. If a child spells “cat” as “K-A-T”, the teacher cannot tell the child that this is wrong but has to instead praise the child for his/her “creative spelling” of the word, “cat”! No, I’m not making this up. So, if a teacher comes along who tells the child that “cat” is NOT spelled “K-A-T”, and tells the child the correct way to spell it, does it means that this teacher is mean and doesn’t like the child? We Randall fans are like the teacher who not only knows that “cat” is spelled “C-A-T”, but is willing to stick out her neck and let the child know, too, before it’s too late and the child’s reading and spelling skills are hopelessly lost. We are doing this NOT because we don’t like Pixar and aren’t fans, but because we ARE fans, and we do not want to see them “get by” with substandard storytelling just because so many others either don’t care or can’t see it(like the naked Emperor)or don’t know any better themselves.
Of course, it’s not to say that before these “events” and circumstances we were not fans of the company itself.
I would like to note to any repliers of this post that we are not aiming to turn this into a discussion solely about Randall. He is, however, one of the main reasons (if not, the one), we feel is part of our opinion of Pixar as a company.
That’s a good addition Pitbulllady.
Emperor?
chuckles Interesting point there, considering a large degree of people I knew in high school could hardly read.
