Pixar films are renowned for their compelling characters as well as their gorgeous animation. The studio is also known to have a bit of fun, hiding “easter eggs” in hard-to-find places that can often only be found on repeat viewings. In Brave, the latest film from the animation powerhouse, audiences quickly found two hidden references that we have come to expect in all of its feature films – the Pizza Planet truck and a nod to the next film down the line (in this case, Monsters University). However, the A113 code that has appeared in every one of Pixar’s feature films has proven to be elusive – until now, that is. Take a look at the find after the break!
As part of the home video release of Brave, Pixar has released screenshots of two more easter eggs (via Mashable), the first of which is the previously mentioned A113. First up is a screenshot from the film, followed by a zoomed-in version created by Mashable:
Up above Merida’s head, you can spot ACXIII, which is A113 in Roman Numerals – Pixar sure got creative with that one! It is no wonder that we were having difficulty locating it. For those who want a better explanation on what A113 means, check out the video below that the studio released to promote Toy Story 3:
While we may have expected the Pizza Planet Truck and A113 easter eggs, Pixar employees also managed to sneak in a reference that we were not expecting – the image of the late Joe Ranft (close-up follows the screenshot below):
Embedded in the woodwork of one of the pieces is a design featuring the unmistakable face of Ranft, who was known for his incredible storyboard work and great voice acting (e.g. Heimlich in A Bug’s Life and Wheezy the Penguin in Toy Story 2). He died tragically in a car accident in 2005 and is now considered to be one of the greatest storyboard artists ever. Clearly, his significance to the studio continues to be seen by those still working there today.
For more on Joe Ranft, you can watch the following video which was included as a special feature on the Cars DVD and Blu-ray sets:
