Getting the opportunity to take a peek behind the curtain for a look at how a film is brought to life is enlightening. In the switch from VHS tapes to DVDs, studios began releasing more behind-the-scenes material for packaged films and television shows, providing audiences with additional inside access to productions. For art lovers, this has become an integral part of collecting. DVD and Blu-ray releases of Pixar films have usually included a great assortment of extra features taking us inside the studio and into the minds of the filmmakers. Now, on the web, you can get the closest look at the production of a Pixar film that we have ever seen.
Director of The Blue Umbrella, Saschka Unseld, has been posting videos, concept art, and photos from the production process of his short, and it is nothing short of incredible. On The Blue Umbrella Making-Of Holiday Calendar, Unseld is sharing fascinating tidbits from the production every day through Christmas. In order for a Pixar employee to convince the studio Brain Trust to make his or her short, pitches for several ideas need to be put together. Earlier this week, Unseld posted the script he used to pitch the original idea for the short, which included having the city literally sing. Although the city singing was ultimately abandoned out of a fear that its novelty would overshadow the story, reading how it could have happened is an insightful look at how ideas often change before they make it to the screen.
Today, two videos were posted that demonstrate the tests that were performed to see how umbrellas would appear on screen. The first video, which seems to have been taped in Pixar’s Brooklyn building on the Emeryville campus, has employees walking and running around with umbrellas, all set to the score and music of the film:
For almost the next three weeks, new content will be added daily, which will certainly give us a better understanding of what brings a Pixar short to life. Make sure to bookmark The Blue Umbrella Making-Of Holiday Calendar and follow along!
