Back in April, I was invited to Pixar to preview the first half-hour of Brave, and speak in-depth with several of the filmmakers. I had the opportunity to sit down with the film’s production designer, Steve Pilcher, who worked on the film for almost seven years. That may sound like a frustrating amount of time on one film, but Pilcher loves what he does. After the jump, read my exclusive interview with him, where he talks about the job of a production designer, the change in directors that Brave went through, the mythical aspects of Scotland, the importance of mystery to the film’s look, and more! [Read more…]
Interviews
Exclusive: A Chat With The ‘Brave’ Video Game Producer
Previously categorized as cheap attempts to make money, games based on properties have come a long way over the past decade. Pixar realized the importance of the art and began working closer than ever with the teams developing video games based on its films. The Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 games are recent success stories for Disney Interactive and Pixar, smartly developed to be accessible and fun for everyone, without alienating gamers looking for more of a challenge. Recently, I had the chance to ask Brave video game producer, Glendon Dphrepaulezz, a few questions about Pixar’s involvement, the gameplay, and more. Read our exclusive interview with him after the jump! [Read more…]
Interview: Enrico Casarosa Discusses ‘La Luna’
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to sit down with La Luna director Enrico Casarosa and talk to him about his work on the short that has been generating a good deal of buzz. Topics of discussion include the short’s journey from inception of the idea to getting it made, how Monsters, Inc. and Up director Pete Docter suggested they screen it at film festivals, that the short will be eligible for eligible for accolades this awards season, and the bold visual and sound choices made to give the film a unique voice. We also briefly hit upon a certain Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs that Casarosa will be working on next. For the first time, I am also including the audio of the interview, so if you would rather listen to our discussion, you have that option. Continue on for my in-depth interview with the director of one of Pixar’s newest (and most magnificent) shorts. [Read more…]
Exclusive: Cars 2 Supervising Animators Shawn Krause and Dave Mullins Talk Pixar Animation (Part 1)
A few months ago, not only did I have the chance to talk to Cars 2 composer Michael Giacchino and story supervisor Nate Stanton – I was lucky to also be able to talk to the supervisors of the animation process on the film. Shawn Krause and Dave Mullins served as supervising animators for years before Cars 2 was released in theaters. I spoke with them about their job, how it is working together, and the intricacies of the animation process at Pixar. Read on to view Part 1 of the interview here! [Read more…]
Exclusive: Story Supervisor Nate Stanton Talks Cars 2
A few months back, I had the chance to sit down for an exclusive interview with Cars 2 Story Supervisor Nate Stanton. We spoke about exactly what a story supervisor does, the difficulty of the job, transitioning the Cars sequel into the spy genre, the response to criticism for the original film, and the inspirations for the spy aspects. We learn great new details about how the creative team had to cut scenes that were deemed too dark to make the cut. Yes, Pixar was determined to make a great spy film. Read on for an enlightening interview with Stanton! [Read more…]
Press Junket: Class With Professor Michael Giacchino
Back in late March, I went out to Pixar Animation Studios for a press event for Cars 2 and went on to participate in many roundtables with a variety of individuals who worked on the film. Directly after watching some half-an-hour of footage, we were whisked away to sit in on a discussion with the awesome composer Michael Giacchino. He had already been working on the music for the film and was actually set to start recording that weekend. What followed was one of the highlights of the entire junket, as it was almost like sitting in a class with Professor Giacchino teaching students about how to write music and create memorable themes. Class is in session, so get ready to learn from the brilliant Michael Giacchino. [Read more…]
Exclusive: Composer Michael Giacchino Talks Cars 2, The Incredibles, Lost, Inspirations
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to participate in a roundtable with Cars 2 composer Michael Giacchino. The Academy Award winner has earned much praise throughout the last decade for his work on Alias, Lost, Star Trek, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and of course Up, the film for which he won the Oscar. This year, the incredibly busy Giacchino has composed the music for Fringe, Super 8, and still managed to find time to return to Pixar to score Cars 2. Check out my exclusive questions for Michael Giacchino, where he discusses his inspirations, his past work, and his time on the upcoming Cars 2. [Read more…]
Exclusive: Darla K. Anderson Talks Pixar and ‘It Gets Better Project’
During the past year, hundreds of celebrities and employees at companies around the world have taken to the web to share a message of hope through the It Gets Better Project. In November of 2010, Pixar employees collaborated to create an emotional addition to the project that received overwhelmingly positive feedback across the world. Toy Story 3 producer Darla K. Anderson introduced the video to the hundreds of thousands of people who viewed it over the next several months. A few days ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with Darla about her involvement with the video and how Toy Story‘s Woody went on to help out with the project. Read on to view the transcript from our discussion.
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