Hello everyone,
First and foremost, I sincerely apologize for waiting this long to write up a review on the Animated Feature Symposium event that I attended last month. Life caught up with me, as usual, and I never did find the hours to devote my time to composing a commentary on the subject.
Secondly, to those who are wondering, I am not an official reporter. I am simply an adolescent aspiring artist who happens to be a supporter and fan of Pixar Animation Studios and its productions, people, and affiliates.
Last, but not least, my father, sister, and I enjoyed the session immensely and would not hesitate to attend another one if the opportunity permitted itself to arise. I wrote down many an informative note, and it is my pleasure to share them all with you.
Enjoy the report! 
On February 19th of 2009, I had the privilege of attending an event entitled the “Oscar -nominated Animated Feature Symposium”. The session took place at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, and invited the directors of Bolt, Kung Fu Panda, and WALL•E (those directors being Chris Williams and Byron Howard, John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, and Andrew Stanton, respectively) to discuss their film’s development and their creative process, and to present clips illustrating their techniques.
As I mentioned earlier, I was fortunate enough to attend this free seminar with my dad and sister on the 19th of February, and I’m pleased to say that the panel was equally informative and engaging.
Tom Sito, who is an animator and an art historian who is well-versed in the business/industry, served as the host of the event, and he presented many interesting questions to each director.
The session proceeded as follows: Mr. Sito formally introduced himself to the vast audience that was present, discussed the origin of the event at hand, and then made to present two clips from each film, beginning with Bolt and concluding with WALL•E. A segment from one film would be shown, and then the director(s) of that production would appear on-stage to discuss the creation of that sequence. Afterwards, the director(s) would depart form the stage and one final clip from their film would be shown. (Concerning WALL•E, the clips shown included the moment when you first see WALL•E come home from a long day’s work and distributing his findings throughout his truck, and the “Escape Pod” sequence, the latter of which Andrew Stanton lovingly described as the “Wuthering Heights” scene.) Last, but not least, all of the directors were invited onto the stage to engage in a “Q & A” panel with the host, Tom Sito, take questions from the audience, and meet and greet the audience (and give out autographs).
I did take down a handful of notes during the event, so it is my pleasure to share them with you!
Bolt
• During the production of Bolt, John Lasseter came on hand to head the Disney Animation Features department. This particular department/unit actually wished for this to happen. It was during a meeting (in which some of the directors at Disney were called) that it was announced that Lasseter were joining the team.
• Chris Williams and Byron Howard mentioned that Lasseter is a tough boss, and one who believes that “quality is the best business model”.
• Once Chris Sanders left the studio, the new directors on Bolt were given the chance to start from scratch on the project, with only the premise being left intact (that being, “a dog who believes that he’s a super hero”).
• The entire project was completed in approximately two years, which is quite fast for an animated feature film. (I believe that it was done in this short time span after Mr. Sanders had departed from the film.)
• Several films served as an inspiration to those who worked on Bolt, including some of Ridley Scott’s productions.
• An art director (Paul Felix) and one of the artists who worked in the lighting department (who went by the first name of Adolf; I neglect to remember his last name) delivered exceptional quality to the film, as is apparent in the finished result.
Kung Fu Panda
• According to directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, the concept of this particular project had rested at the studio for quite some time, but unveiling the core idea (namely, a cute, cuddly panda versus the subject of martial arts) was a difficult task. It was ultimately decided that they would not mock martial arts, but, instead, honor it.
• Some inspirational figures in the eyes of the directors included “Tenacious D”, a known band, and Jack Black himself.
• Thematically, the directors wanted to make Kung Fu Panda in such a way as if “Kurosawa shot a Jerry Lewis film”.
• A specific balance was purposefully set throughout the film, competing ying against yang, and slapstick against drama. Such an example of the latter balance includes the introduction of Po into the final battle. Various elements of this type were inserted into the feature, and it makes for a smooth, yet intriguing, result.
• One of the reasons why the film, Kung Fu Panda, opens in a 2D format is because the directors and the crew love the traditional medium, and because they wished to surprise the audience. They favored a stark transition from 2D to 3D at the beginning of the film.
• One of the two directors (I believe it was Mark Osborne) used to work in the television department, and he mentioned that it was a huge leap for him to jump from working on telelvision shows to full-length feature films.
• The directors constantly referred to the Chinese artists at DreamWorks for advice in an attempt to nail the source material. Henceforth, it was especially pleasurable for them to hear a report back from a distributer from Hong Kong (who had seen the film) stating that they, “Got the Kung Fu right.”
• Stevenson, Osborne, and the Kung Fu Panda team went for a very restricted and subtle action style, physics-wise; they didn’t resort to a “Tex Avery” style.
• The moment in the film that involves the title character, Po, and Oogway, the tortoise, conversing underneath the peach tree was one of the last sequences finalized, and by that time… the art of subtlety (which the directors were going for) had been fairly mastered. Even so, it took them some time to “get it right”.
• Jack Black was the first one to portray Po as a rather vulnerable character, and it added something more to Po’s personality overall.
• Two of the artists at Dreamworks (“Ramone” and “Tang”) raised the bar on art direction significantly.
• It was briefly mentioned that the head of story on the original Kung Fu Panda film will be directing its sequel.
WALL•E
• Concerning the genesis of WALL•E, Andrew Stanton began by stating that films, in general, take so long to make, and you want to change it up; Toy Story ultimately set a bar, and each production after that was a challenge for the team at Pixar. They realized why that particular film worked the way it did was because they had followed the vision of one guy (that gentlemen being, of course, John Lasseter), so it was soon discovered that the basic “voodoo”, or… solution, to a successful feature is, “whoever is the visionary of the film should be ‘thumb-printing’ it and designating it”.
It was in 1994 that the crew at Pixar realized that they may have the opportunity to create another film after Toy Story, and so, as many of now know by way of the WALL•E teaser trailer, the head directors went to a lunch… and brainstormed. Eventually, the idea of a science fiction film was brought up; in fact, it was actually Pete Docter who proposed the idea of WALL•E…
After that lunch, both Docter and Stanton continued to discuss this proposition, suggesting that the title character should resemble R2-D2 from Star Wars, and basically expressing their interest in the project.
A long hiatus ensued, in which various other production were released from Pixar (including A Bug’s Life, [i]Toy Story 2[i], and Monsters, Inc.), and it wasn’t until 2001 that the subject of WALL•E was resurrected. Andrew Stanton was doing rewrites on Finding Nemo at the time, something that he admittedly hates, and while he was in his room, throwing pencils at the ceiling and basically procrastinating, he made to listen to a few CDs (music, he mentioned, is inspirational to him). It so happened that, when he popped in and listened to the main theme of Star Trek, the idea of WALL•E suddenly returned. After that, he begged for additional rewrite time on Finding Nemo, although, in actuality, he was writing WALL•E. Consequently, the first thirty minutes of WALL•E that you now see is what he wrote during that time.
Eventually, Andrew Stanton called up Pete Docter and told him about the idea of WALL•E that they had had, and asked him where the archives on it where and if he still had them at all. Pete Docter said, “Yeah, they’re under my bed”, so the archives were pulled out, looked at, and discussed, but, once again, the idea began to die out for a time…
After Finding Nemo was released, Mr. Stanton proposed the idea of WALL•E to the Pixar crew, and the jumped on it right away (although, Mr. Stanton mentioned that this was partly because they were to scared to say “no” after the success of “Nemo”). Production was finally put in place for the project, and the result is, of course, WALL•E.
• The host of the event, Tom Sito, asked Andrew Stanton what the climate was like when he was first hired at Pixar, back in 1990. Mr. Stanton said that, before he was brought on to work at the studio, he thought that Pixar was what it was today. However, when he arrived there, his workplace consisted of a small cubicle with one phone and a chair, and he had to share three computers with everyone else at the company. Such experiences as being introduced to the e-mail system, among others, was most bizarre to him at the time.
• Back when Pixar was rather diminutive and in its early stages of development, Mr. Stanton found that he was a natural at turning a drawing on a wall into a full-fledged idea/film. Such an advantage has helped him to devise and direct such films as Finding Nemo and WALL•E.
• Although it is most likely known by many fans of WALL•E, during the seminar Andrew Stanton mentioned that the human characters in the film were originally going to be jello-like substances, but they realized that this concept was not only too silly, but also rather annoying and unappealing; henceforth, the decision was made that oversized humans would be developed instead of glutinous “blobs”. It was actually Steven Jobs who suggested that the humans could, perhaps, do nothing but talk. Mr. Stanton built upon this idea and researched such plausible subjects as bone loss, which, in turn, helped him to give a solid and scientific background to the idea so that the concept of “blobby humans” seemed logical.
After each director was interviewed individually, all of the film-makers were given set questions. Some of the questions proposed and answers given during the session included these:
How did you bridge the change from a general artist to a leader?
Williams and Howard (Bolt): The director has a unique job in that he oversees every department and makes certain that things run smoothly. One of the directors mentioned that he loved the art of in-betweening and one point and figured that he would stay with it, but mentioned that it was an interesting experience to branch out and take on a leadership role/position.
Stevenson and Osborne (Kung Fu Panda): One of the directors had Jim Henson as his mentor, so he had a leg up in the field of directing/leadership; during that time, he realized that one doesn’t have to “be a jerk” to get people to follow his orders. He also realized that collaboration is one of the keys to success as a director.
It was amazing to them to be able to support and get the best out of their crew. As was stated by one of the two directors, you eventually give up trying to be the best you can be all the time and rely on the ability of your crew. They asked those who worked on the project for notes and suggestions on how to improve the film. Basically, the stressed the importance of showing your film to your crew, collaborating with them, and accepting feedback whenever possible.
Stanton (WALL•E): Random acts of kindness and compliments really works in favor of (and touches with) both the director and his crew. Back when they were working on A Bug’s Life, a time limit was set for the employees in that they were only allowed to work up to a certain hour in the day (I believe it was 6:00 PM), because the employers understood that their crew, like themselves, had families to attend to and lives to live. (I take it that this routine is still in full force at the studio today, which further stresses the fact that Pixar is concerned (and cares) about its employees and their schedules.)
A rather humorous story was recounted in favor of the subject of time management. Mr. Stanton mentioned that, during a particularly hectic time at Pixar (I think it took place during production on Toy Story 2), restroom breaks were schedule, and there was only one time where Mr. Lasseter had to be fetched from the bathroom because he stayed in there too long. I believe that that’s the first and last time that such an instance occurred at that studio, though.
What’s it like once a production has been finalized/completed?
Williams and Howard: It’s nice to settle down and feel like you’ve accomplished something.
Are duties divided between directors if there are two are more on a project? If so, how is that accomplished?
Williams and Howard: It’s an intense schedule. Originally, only one director was present, but he felt that he wasn’t contributing enough to the project and so made to collaborate with another director. It was also mentioned that the duty of “guiding a crew” is like a “cheerleading” job, so it was nice for the directors on Bolt to have each other to bounce ideas off of.
Stevenson and Osborne: There’s a period (usually after two years into production) when you realize that there’s “still two years to go”, so stamina is a big factor here. It was stated that Stevenson and Osborne split up their directing duties; for example, one of them supervised the lighting department, while the other was head over animation dailies.
Stanton: Although “dual directing” was attempted at Pixar Animation Studios at one point, it simply “blew up in their face”. Instead, directors have co-directors, the latter acting as something of a deputy or a director trainee. Andrew Stanton, in particular, set up what he called his “President and the Cabinet” circle during production of Finding Nemo – by way of this method, he and his crew discussed the project, expressed their hopes and fears concerning it, etc… Evidently, it worked so well with Finding Nemo that Andrew Stanton exercises this method every time now.
How do the directors work with the actors?
Williams, Howard, Stevenson, Osborne, and Stanton: Basically, the actors are told to be themselves. The Pixar crew found out early on to “get out of the booth” and be there to interact with the actors. On Kung Fu Panda, people would take turns listening to the actors’ recordings and working with those actors.
What was it like working with Ben Burtt?
Stanton: He gave Mr. Burtt examples of phrases/etc… for the robots in the film; they would literally go through a hundred or more various “languages” for the characters until suitable ones were chosen.
How was the cinematography aspect of the film composed?
Stanton: The cinematographers who were brought onto the project were extremely helpful. Stanton wanted WALL•E to look different cinematically, and so he invited such veterans as Roger Deakins to assist them with the production. Mr. Deakins, in particular, had a very simple approach to shooting sequences. The music artist “Sting” was also influential to Stanton; he (Stanton) had heard this particular artist discuss his experience in playing various notes on a (special) keyboard and then running them back randomly, and in this way he discovered unique tunes that he normally wouldn’t have thought up on his own.
Why do you believe successful and captivating animated films “lift people up” during difficult times?*
Stevenson and Osborne: Great films speak to people, regardless of their age.
Stanton: Outside of Spielburg’s films, animation is the only medium where you have a shot at capturing unadulterated wonder. (This was told to him [Stanton] by someone he knows/is acquainted with, if I’m not much mistaken.)
Why make an animated film when it could be done in live action?*
Stanton It’s a challenge, but why pass it up?
*Questions from the audience.
So, there you have it! My apologies in not constructing a professional report. At the time, I was attempting to jot down notes as quickly as possible. If anyone would like to rearrange these findings so as to compose a more professional commentary, be it oral or written, please feel free to do so.
My sister and I were fortunate enough to meet Mr. Stanton and shake his hand afterwards. It took forever for us to get down to the front of the podium, but it was well worth the wait and the effort. Everyone wanted to get a “piece of the pie”, so to speak – attendees got to meet the directors, ask them questions, and even receive autographs. (The Academy said that autographs weren’t allowed, but, apparently, they lied. Heh.) As for us, my sister and I were literally trembling when we got up to Mr. Stanton. I know that he’s just a regular dude like everyone else, but still… Once we got up there, I said to Andrew, “Hello, Mr. Stanton! My sister and I would just like to shake your hand.” He pulled this HUGE smile and said, “Oh!”, right before I said, “Thank you for all of the laughs and the smiles”, or… something along those lines. He gave both of us a nice, firm handshake and stated, “I hope you get to where you want to go!”, or something similar. Now, even though my sister and I both had sketchbooks in our hands, we didn’t show them to Mr. Stanton, nor did we tell him that we wished to work at Pixar Animation Studios in the future. Still, I have a very shrewd suspicion that he knew what our goals were.
In addition, my sister asked him how Up was coming along, and Mr. Stanton kindly replied by saying that, although it was actually Pete Docter’s project and not his, it is coming along nicely… and that it’s hilarious. He said that we’re sure to love it, which is something that I don’t doubt in the least.
Had it not been for my sister, I would have been able to ask him if Pixar was planning on opening up a 2D department. As it was, though, I didn’t want to bother him any further, especially since there were a couple billion other people waiting in line behind us. I also very cleverly forgot to ask him if he frequents the Pixar Planet forum boards, because I’m stupid like that. I swear, the next time I meet him, I’m going to ask him! 
So, yes, he’s a most amiable fellow. Mr. Stanton, if you’re reading this, thank you so much for the opportunity! We sincerely appreciated it. You have one of the coolest smiles, by the way.
To layer upon the information which I have already compiled, the host of the “Animated Feature Symposium” event, Tom Sito, very briefly mentions his attendance at the session on his official website. If you go to www.tomsito.com/blog.php, and scroll down to the picture of Brad Bird holding an Oscar statuette/award, you’ll notice that he mentions the event in less than four sentences. (He talks about it right above the aforementioned picture.) It’s brief, but it’s there.
Thank you all very much for reading, and have a wonderful day!!
– Mitch
