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Joe Ranft Celebration Wrap-Up

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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. [Read more…]

Video: Joe Ranft Tribute

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For Joe Ranft’s memorial, director John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog) created a tribute in the only way that was truly fitting – he used storyboards. Ranft was a great storyboarder and became known as one of the best in his generation.

The tribute is a heartfelt retelling of Joe’s life, from his difficult childhood to his storied time at Pixar. It is not challenging to see through these images how much he was loved. Last year, Musker shared the extremely touching video with the world, and you can view it here:

A Look at the Voice of Joe Ranft

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Joe Ranft far outpaced many in his storytelling ability, but his vocal abilities also held a special quality. His characters could steal a scene after only a few seconds. Two of the most notable voices he provided were for Wheezy in Toy Story 2 and Heimlich in A Bug’s Life. The characters made audiences laugh but they also made people feel. Ranft injected the voices with life and filmgoers had nothing left to do but fall in love with the animated characters. After a short period of time, the animated characters did not feel so animated anymore – actually, they jumped off the screen with a lifelike quality and Ranft’s vocal talent played a huge role in that. [Read more…]

Video: “Celebrating Our Friend Joe Ranft”

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We can talk about the greatness of Joe Ranft for a long time, but it is best seen through the lives of those he touched. Ranft worked at Pixar for about 10 years, collaborating with directors John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter, among many others. He was clearly loved for his talent and the warmth that he constantly displayed to his fellow employees and friends.

A video tribute to Joe Ranft was included on the Toy Story 2 Blu-ray set and I have embedded it here so we can see just how big of a mark he left at the animation studio. It covers his film career, focusing on his master storytelling skill and his unreal ability to bring others joy and make them laugh. He brought joy to those around him and he continues to bring us all joy to this very day.

PixArt: Special Feature – Joe Ranft’s Heimlich

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Celebrating Joe Ranft by Andy Wilhite

Joe Ranft was talented enough when it came to storyboarding, but his skill did not stop there. He also crafted voices for some of Pixar’s most memorable characters – Wheezy in Toy Story 2, Jacques in Finding Nemo, and of course Heimlich in A Bug’s Life. As Heimlich, Ranft raised character humor to a whole new level of hilarity. [Read more…]

Celebrating Joe Ranft

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On March 13, 1960 an individual by the name of Joseph Henry Ranft was born. He went on to become one of the greatest storyboard artists ever, working on such films as The Brave Little Toaster and The Nightmare Before Christmas before landing at Pixar Animation Studios. At the studio, his level of talent was unparalleled, as he was a comedic genius while he simultaneously possessed the ability to make audiences care for the characters he helped bring to the screen. Whether it was his skill with his pen or his voice acting, everything he touched carried something special. March 13 is the day that brought us the great Joe Ranft, making it a day that should be celebrated. [Read more…]

Happy 25th Anniversary To Pixar

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On February 3, 1986 Pixar became an independent company. While it would be almost ten years until they released their first feature film, Toy Story, the independence was a major step (albeit a scary one). Unsatisfied with their focus on manufacturing hardware, the fledgling studio set out on a long journey, where they sought to create films. The effects of the hardware they created are still a factor to this date and will continue long into the future. Why is that? The name of that hardware was the Pixar Image Computer and it became the namesake for the studio.

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Remembering Glenn McQueen (1960-2002)

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“He was the heart and soul of our animation department.”

-John Lasseter

Today, on this Christmas Eve in 2010, Glenn McQueen would have celebrated his 50th birthday. Born in Canada on December 24, 1960, McQueen landed a job in 1994 as an animator at Pixar Animation Studios. He played a vital role at the studio, working on Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc. as an animator. Tragically in 2002, he passed away before the filming of Finding Nemo was completed. Pixar honored him by dedicating Finding Nemo in his name and then naming the main character in Cars after him (Lightning McQueen). He clearly was a man loved by many.

“Probably the most valuable thing that I’ve gotten from working at Pixar…is making all kinds of friends.”

-Glenn McQueen

Though Glenn McQueen may no longer be with us, he lives on in the great films he worked on and in the memories of those he left behind. Thank you, Glenn, for everything.

“Glenn is not gone from us. He’s still alive in all of us.”

-John Lasseter

Note: Quotes were taken from the incredibly moving Glenn McQueen Tribute on the Finding Nemo DVD.

Gift Ideas For The Pixar Fan In Your Life (2010)

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It’s that time of the year when we all sit around and think of that perfect gift to get somebody. Go ahead and try to convince me that you’ve never Googled “Best Gifts” or another phrase of that sort. Well, I’m here to give you some ideas on what you can pick up for this special person in your life. Is this certain individual a fan of Pixar’s films? “Who isn’t,” you ask? Good answer! Here are suggestions on some last-minute gifts to consider: [Read more…]