Before Pixar’s focus turned to feature films, the studio mastered the art of the short. Back in the 1980s, animation technology was far more limited than it is now, but John Lasseter and company were still able to blow audiences away with revolutionary computer animation but more important than that, stories with heart. After the release of Pixar Shorts Volume 1 , which collected such memorable shorts as Luxo, Jr., Tin Toy, and For The Birds on DVD and Blu-ray, many have been anticipating a Volume 2. The time is now, as the Blu-ray and DVD for the second volume has just gone up for pre-order!
PixArt: September 2011 Feature II – Monsters Day & Night
This could very well be the perfect mash-up – Monsters, Inc. meets Day and Night! Thank Canadian artist Ridd Sorensen for this delightful piece. So many wonderful little details. We were thrilled when Ridd agreed to submit something to our little gallery and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Surely you know his work – but if by chance you don’t, you’re in for a real treat. Read on for more about the artist in his own words and find out where you can see more of his great work. We sincerely thank Ridd for his time, talent and effort on this wonderful contribution! [Read more…]
Toy Story 3’s Big Night At The Academy Awards
Going into the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, Toy Story 3 had been nominated for five Oscars, while Day & Night was up for one. After a broadcast that lasted a bit longer than three hours, the smoke cleared and Toy Story 3 emerged a winner. The film did not walk away with the Best Picture award, but did come away with two more golden statuettes that can now be placed in Pixar Animation Studios’ ever-growing trophy case. [Read more…]
2011 Annie Awards: So THAT Happened
A rocky road lies ahead for the Annie Awards, which honors the year in animation. Controversy has overshadowed the awards show for several years now. It finally boiled over this past August when Ed Catmull released a statement that Disney and Pixar would not be participating in the Annies, as the studios felt that the voting process was not fair. The ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) jury went ahead and added Toy Story 3 and Day & Night to the Annies ballot, which resulted in four nominations between the two. After the 38th annual awards were presented tonight, it is apparent that the controversy is here to stay. [Read more…]
Day & Night Honored At 2011 VES Awards
(L-R) Teddy Newton, Kevin Reher, Tom Gately (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images North America)
The 9th Annual Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards, a show that honors achievements in visual effects and animation, took place Tuesday night at the Beverly Hilton. While Toy Story 3 had been nominated for two awards, it turned out to be a bigger night for Teddy Newton’s Day & Night. [Read more…]
Teddy Newton, Kevin Reher Talk Day & Night and 2012 Pixar Short
Copyright Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
The year 2011 has barely begun and Pixar is already finishing production on the short we can expect to see with Brave in 2012. Day & Night director Teddy Newton and producer Kevin Reher sat down with Animation World Network to discuss their recently released film. It is an insightful interview that is a must-read, not only for its in-depth look at Day & Night, but also for the very brief mention of the 2012 short that we have not heard about until now. [Read more…]
Lee Unkrich, Michael Arndt, Teddy Newton, Darla K. Anderson, Randy Newman React to Oscar Nominations
This morning was quite the media circus, as the Academy Award nominations were announced. Toy Story 3 was nominated for five awards, while Day & Night bagged one nomination. EW has compiled several statements that have been released by Lee Unkrich, Michael Arndt, and Teddy Newton, in which they thank the Academy and others. Read on to view their full statements. [Read more…]
Pixar Films Nominated For Six 2011 Academy Awards
Today was a huge morning for Disney/Pixar, as the studio received six Academy Award nominations for the two films that they released this year. Toy Story 3 and Day & Night, which were released together back in June 2010, continue to be critical darlings. Hot off winning Best Animated Film at the Golden Globes just one week ago, Toy Story 3 was nominated for five Academy Awards. Meanwhile, the mind-bending short, Day & Night, received a nomination for Best Animated Short Film. Read on for a complete list of nominated categories. [Read more…]
Live Blogging The 2011 Pixar Oscar Nominations
I will be live blogging right along with the Oscar nominations that are being announced this morning. Watch the nominations announced right alongside The Pixar Times. Keep it right here or follow on Twitter for all Pixar-related Oscar updates:
For a full list of nominations for Pixar films and an in-depth analysis, click here. [Read more…]
Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011 and Cars 2.
2010 was a big year. Pixar released Toy Story 3, which made over $1 billion on its way to becoming the biggest animated film of all time. Critics loved it, audiences adored it (tears and all), and now the film is being considered for awards from the most respectable organizations. What some feared would be a stretching of a franchise past its prime did not come to pass. Far from it. Pixar showed us that the quality of a film does not need to be inferior just because it is a second sequel. Toy Story 3 made filmmaking look easy, but if you hear the many stories from the 4-year process it took to bring the film to the big screen, those Pixar employees poured their heart and artistic creativity into their work. Oh, what creativity it was. [Read more…]
