Labels: 3-D, Andrew Stanton, Brad Lewis, Brenda Chapman, Cars 2, Gary Rydstrom, John Ratzenberger, JV PIXAR NEWS, Newt, Pete Doctor, Pixar, The Bear and the Bow, UP

# posted by JV IS TIZ!!! PIXAR @ 5:20 PM

I had the great opportunity to exclusively interview Pixar's Andrew Gordon!

Here is the interview. I hope you enjoy it!

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I know you’ve worked on A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and just a little bit on Cars for Pixar, can you tell me your experience on working on those films?

What can I tell you... Working at Pixar has been great. We try to make really good films and the people care about the art of animation very much. I just passed 10 years at pixar. Looking back there are alot of great memories. I feel like the old building in Point Richmond was sort of a termite terrace type place. There was something special about that. Moving to the new building changed things, not in a bad way, but just changed. The next big change was Disney buying us. All in all, working on these films has been a great pleasure.

Did you work on Ratatouille?

I did work on Rat. I worked mostly with the character Linguinni. I did some of the shots where he is drunk, some when he is trying to tell Collette about the rat that is helping him cook and the shot when he is bringing his bike into this apartment.

What’s your favorite thing about animating for Pixar?

My favorite thing about animating at Pixar is exploring different characters. Thats what its all about. Performance. Entertainment. The exploration process is a fun part. Its also fun to finish it and take some time away from it.

What’s your favorite Pixar film to date?

My favorite pixar film... Hmmmm, I guess the Incredibles. It was a great film to work on.

Many of us are interested in getting into the field of animation and would love to work at Pixar. Could you give us some recommendations on how to go about doing that (education, work experience, etc.)?

Getting a job at Pixar... Well, you need to figure out what it is you want to do, and become really good at it. If its animation, go to a college like Cal-Arts and learn to animate on paper before you touch the computer. Then you really just need to pay your dues and get experience. In the end, to become an animator at a place like Pixar, you need to have good acting chops, good physicality in you work and most importantly a good attitude. Its hard to not be a fan boy when you come here, but its important to be humble and just put your head down and work.

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I asked a few more questions and the reply’s was “no comment”. You might be able to guess what those questions were.

I want to thank Andrew Gordon for doing this interview with me. You can visit his blog by clicking here.

Labels: JV PIXAR NEWS, Pixar

# posted by JV IS TIZ!!! PIXAR @ 11:36 PM

Here's an exclusive interview with Pixar Technical Director Neil Blevins. Enjoy!

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When did you first come to Pixar?

I joined Pixar in 2002 to work on the Incredibles.

What's the best thing about working at Pixar?

Working with cool people, working on films that have excellent stories, and producing pretty pictures. Also, Pixar has a very family friendly environment.

To sum it up quickly, what is a Technical Director’s duty in the pipeline?

There are lots of different types of TDs. Some do modeling, some do shading, some do FX, some do lighting, some do set dressing. I am currently working in sets, so my task is to model and shade props and environments for a film (I’ve also done FX, and some other jobs as well).

How long do you work on the average project (movie)?

An average film takes about 4-5 years. But the first few years is a much smaller team, just the director, the story department, and some concept artist. Since I’m on the 3d side of things, I usually start working on a film about 2 years before completion, and work on it till the end.

What should a person aspiring to be a TD do in terms of courses, study, college, etc.?

It depends on what sort of thing they’d like to do. Many of the TDs at Pixar have computer science degrees, and use code to get their job done. A few of us are more 3d artist types who have a stronger art background. I personally have a fine arts degree, and then worked at a smaller studio as a generalist. So I’d recommend going either the computer science route, the art route, or a mix of the two.

What is your favorite Pixar film?

The Incredibles, although Monster’s Inc comes in at a very close second (I always shed a tear when Sulley has to say goodbye to Boo at the end of the film). But it’s tough to choose, since so many of our films are so good.

What is your favorite Pixar short film?

For The Birds. I love the character design, the simple color palette, and the sassiness of the birds. It’s a great gag.

Did you work on Ratatouille?

Nope, it’s quite common for people to skip a film or two, depending on which department they’re in, and how many people are needed for a film.

We’ve heard rumors of a Cars 2. Can you say anything about this?

Us Pixarians don’t participate in rumor mongering.

What are you working on right now?

Our next film, WALL•E, making environments.

How much does the average Pixar employee know about Pixar websites, blogs, etc.?

It depends very much on the individual. Personally, I don’t read much on Pixar specific blogs, but I do visit lots of cg related forums such as CGtalk. So if something gets posted there from a Pixar blog, I may follow the link.

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Here's Neil Blevins website: http://neilblevins.com/

I'd like to thank Neil for his time, we truly appreciate it. Thanks!

Labels: JV PIXAR NEWS, Pixar

# posted by Gasduude @ 8:33 AM

Tonight I had the opportunity to exclusively interview Pixar Animator Victor Navone!

Here is the interview. I hope you enjoy it!

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I know you worked on Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars for Pixar, can you tell me your experience on working on those films?

It would take more time than I have to go into any detail about the last 7 years of my career at Pixar. Suffice to say that every director is different to work with, and every film presented different challenges and lessons. I've enjoyed working with a wide variety of characters and styles, and I have the deepest respect for all Pixar's directors. Of all the films

I've worked on; The Incredibles was probably the most enjoyable, though I'm really having a great time on WALL-E right now.

Did you work on Ratatouille?

I only did one shot, and I had to beg for that one (I was officially assigned to WALL-E at the time). I did the shot of Linguini and Colette roller-skating down the sidewalk. She starts to spin and fall, and he scoops her up and they skate off together. Bomb Voyage is doing mime in the background, but I didn't animate him or Skinner in the foreground.

What’s your favorite thing about animating for Pixar?

The environment and the people. Well, that's two things, but they're kind of inseparable. The culture of learning and sharing at Pixar is really nurturing to the creative process, and it makes it a fun place to work.

What your favorite Pixar film to date?

Either the original Toy Story or The Incredibles. Ratatouille and Toy Story 2 are right on their heels, though.

Many of us are interested in getting into the field of animation and would love to work at Pixar. Could you give us some recommendations on how to go about doing that (education, work experience, etc.)?

The most important thing is your demo reel. A degree is fine, but your work has to speak for itself. How you go about getting the skills you need is up to you. It should be noted, though, that Pixar often hires animators who have previously served internships with us, so that's one advantage of getting formal animation training. I have a lot more advice on my web site:

http://www.navone.org/HTML/3dadvice.htm

There have been rumors there’s going to be a Cars 2, what your comment on that?

If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be able to say!

Do you know if Brad Bird’s next film will be for Pixar? I know it’s 1906 and it will be live-action, but what I don’t quite know is if it will be a 100% Pixar film.

I don't know if it will have the "Pixar" name on it. Probably not, though. It may just be a "Disney" film, or perhaps Miramax.

What film(s) are you currently working on?

I've been on WALL-E for over a year, and will probably be on it through the spring. After that, who knows...

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I want to thank Victor Navone for doing this interview with me. You can visit his blog by clicking here.

Labels: 1906, JV PIXAR NEWS, Pixar, WALL• E

# posted by JV IS TIZ!!! PIXAR @ 11:01 PM

Labels: JV PIXAR NEWS

# posted by JV IS TIZ!!! PIXAR @ 12:20 PM

Labels: JV PIXAR NEWS

# posted by JV IS TIZ!!! PIXAR @ 3:16 PM