Joe Ranft was (and still is) an inspiration for everyone at Pixar Animation Studios. Similarly, he is an inspiration for all of us – not only in filmmaking, but also in life. He was incredibly gracious, always willing to help fellow employees and friends and offer them kind words. Additionally, he was extremely giving, often working with charities to assist others. Yes, he was a tour-de-force in animation, but it was his personality that people loved most.
As part of his birthday celebration (he would have been 51 years old today), we set out to share stories about what made him such a great individual. Below you will find a link to all our stories, videos, and artwork from today.
– Celebrating Joe Ranft – An introduction to “the heart and soul” of Pixar.
– PixArt: Special Feature – Joe Ranft’s Heimlich – Artwork featuring Heimlich receiving a birthday cake.
– Video: “Celebrating Our Friend Joe Ranft” – Video created by Pixar to pay tribute to the great man.
– A Look at the Voice of Joe Ranft – Looking at Ranft’s great voice acting, highlighting his turns as Wheezy and Heimlich.
– Video: Joe Ranft Tribute – A very touching tribute created by Disney director John Musker.
To read a more in-depth account of Ranft’s life and work, we highly suggest the book “Two Guys Named Joe” by John Canemaker. It gives you a broad look at both Joe Ranft and Disney artist Joe Grant – two storytellers that changed animation forever.
It is safe to say that Pixar would not be what it is today if Joe Ranft had not walked the halls of the studio. We honor him today and we will continue to honor him far into the future.
Happy Birthday, Joe!
Artwork by Jerrod Maruyama
