In celebration of 25 years of Pixar magic, the top creatives from the studio sat down for an informal chat at the D23 Expo on Saturday. On hand for the event were John Lasseter, Jim Morris, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, Mark Andrews, Dan Scanlon, Pete Sohn and Ronnie del Carmen. Scheduled but missing from the panel was Lee Unkrich. The “nine young men” told stories about Pixar’s past and reminisced about their time with the studio. Each Pixarian was asked to recall their favorite memory while working at the studio. Some of the stories were new and some famiilar. From the first SIGGRAPH convention to the production of the first Cars film, each panel member had a great story to tell. [Read more…]
D23 2011: The Art of Brave Panel
D23 Expo goers were given a rare and wonderful opportunity this past Sunday when Pixar presented “The Art of Brave.” The panel, hosted by production designer Steve Pilcher and shader art director Tia Kratter, offered a glimpse into the production and visual development process of the studio’s next animated feature. This really was something special. It was like personally being walked through an “Art of…” book with the artists themselves. They revealed beautiful concept images and pencil sketches featuring everything from landscapes and environments to characters and costumes. From what was shown, it is clear that this will be one of Pixar’s most beautiful films to date. [Read more…]
D23 2011: First Look At Monsters University – New Details, 20+ Character Images
Before today, Monsters University was a fairly mysterious film. Sure, we knew that it would take us on a journey through the early relationship of Mike and Sulley in a college setting, but other details were hard to come by. Additionally, the only visual we had seen for the film was the logo, which was released a few months ago. Needless to say, people were anxious for more information about this prequel to the beloved Monsters, Inc.. Read on for details on the film, the voice cast, and a look at over 20 images of the characters’ designs. [Read more…]
D23 2011: A Few More Details On Pixar’s Dinosaur Movie
Pixar brought its “A” game to D23 this year, showcasing Brave and Monsters University, while also announcing two brand new films. While we do not know much about Pete Docter’s 2014 film that has to do with how the mind works, we did see and hear some minor tidbits about the studio’s 2013 dinosaur film. As it is early in development, the film remains untitled as well. Director Bob Peterson, who is making his leap into solo directing for the first time, talked briefly about his inspiration for the film’s concept. Read on for more on this mysterious dinosaur film! [Read more…]
D23 2011 Live Blog: A Conversation With The Pixar Creative Team
Almost right after Pixar had a huge presence in the Walt Disney Studios panel (read more about that here), the main figures at the studio are sitting down for a chat with D23 attendees. Will they provide us with a retrospective and talk about the Pixar films during their amazing 25 years or will they talk more about their upcoming projects. Most likely, it will be all of the above. Follow along with the panel in my live-blog below! [Read more…]
D23 2011: Pixar Previews Brave With New Plot Details And Clips
John Lasseter was on hand at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA today to reveal the line-up of animated films coming out of Walt Disney Animation Studios, DisneyToon Studios and, of course, Pixar! Clearly, one of the most anticipated of the lot was next summer’s Brave. The studio took this opportunity to release a few details from the lamp’s next feature, which is its first original story since 2009’s Up. Lasseter brought out producer Katherine Sarafian and the very lively director Mark Andrews (dressed appropriately in a kilt and flowing locks) to talk about production on the 2012 film. Andrews and Sarafian played a montage of clips including scenes from the teaser trailer as well as rough production footage shown for the first time to an audience. Much of it was conceptual footage that needed more work before it can be seen in the final film. They also showed an extended clip from the film. This was the first time an audience outside of the studio was viewing this still-in-progress scene. All of the animation and modeling had not been completed.
Note: If you don’t want to know anything about the film before seeing it for yourself, stop reading here. [Read more…]
D23 2011: Pixar Previews Brave & Monsters University, Announces Two Brand New Films
The huge Walt Disney Studios panel just let out here at the D23 Expo, and if Disney was trying to leave an impression with media and fans, they truly succeeded. Previewing films from Marvel Studios, their animation and live-action branches, as well as Pixar, Disney brought out a ridiculous amount of clips, directors, and writers to talk about their upcoming films. We were provided with clips and artwork from Pixar’s 2012 and 2013 films, Brave and Monsters University, respectively. Pixar also surprised the D23 attendees with the announcement of two brand new (and completely original) films – one involving dinosaurs and the other focusing on how the mind works. Read on for a quick recap of the fantastic presentation! [Read more…]
D23 2011: 100 Images From Day One
As I walked around the show floor for D23, it became quite clear that there were some great pieces of merchandise and artwork throughout the convention hall. Toys and paintings were in great supply, with long lines winding up and down the aisles. I have compiled an extensive collection of images from Friday, featuring images both from the main hall and also from the Pixar Shorts and Pixar Stamps panels. Read on to take a look at about 100 hundred pictures from Day One of D23 Expo 2011! [Read more…]
D23 2011: New Toy Story Toon “Small Fry” Plot Details
One of the greatest reveals at today’s Pixar Short Films panel was the confirmation of the next Toy Story Toon. Entitled “Small Fry,” the short refocuses on Buzz after placing Barbie and Ken in the spotlight for the first Toy Story short, Hawaiian Vacation. Not only did director Angus MacLane provide the title of the upcoming short, he also spoke briefly about the set-up for the short and surprised the audience with a short clip as well. Read on for more details on what we learned! [Read more…]
D23 2011 Live Blog: Pixar Shorts Panel
Coming up later today at 2:30 PM PST (5:30 EST), I will be live-blogging the Pixar shorts panel, where several Pixar shorts will be shown and some of the directors will be there talking about the films. While La Luna will be shown and director Enrico Casarosa will be there, I will not be providing an in-depth description of the short, as it has not been released nationally at this point. I will have a post up later with my spoiler-free thoughts about La Luna, so stay tuned for that! [Read more…]
