The Pixar Story

[Dragonfire]

Somehow I either missed or forgot that The Pixar Story was on my WALL-E DVD.  Then Sophie mentioned it in another thread and I got to looking and found that I had it.  So last night I decided to watch it.

I think it runs about an hour and 20 minutes long.  I honestly could have watched longer if there was more material.  I've loved Pixar movies since they started, though I didn't know as much about how the company began.  This covers John Lasseter first studying animation and then getting a job at Disney.  I had no clue that he'd worked there before.  That didn't go well at the time, but in the long run, what happened was probably for the best because that allowed him to take the job with the group that became Pixar when they were still part of ILM.  I enjoyed hearing about the early projects and even the trouble they had with Toy Story to begin with - because of Eisner wanting the story to be more edgy.  The most is shared about Toy Story, though there is a decent amount for A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, including how everyone at Pixar felt the material sucked while Disney said it was good enough...so they decided to start over.  That dedication to making a good movie with a strong story is why their movies have been so successful.  This was made in 2007, so the last few movies aren't included and there is only a short little clip of Ratatouille.  It would have been nice if there had been a bit more shared about some of the other movies.

There is a lot of footage showing them working on various projects over the years that I thought was really interesting.  Some footage of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen doing the voices for Toy Story is shown. Interviews with the different animators are shared and are very interesting.  Some of the people who have done voices for the movies are also featured.  Steve Jobs is featured - I wasn't completely sure of what his part in the company was before, though I had heard there was one.  The issues that came up between Disney and Pixar before Eisner was replaced is covered, along with how that situation worked out once the new guy took over at Disney - I have forgotten his name at the moment. 

This is wonderful and definitely worth watching for anyone who likes Pixar movies.

 

By the way...Eisner is an idiot.  I've felt that way for several years now, but some of what is shared in this about his decisions involving Pixar and animated movies in general just cements that feeling.  Thank goodness he isn't at Disney anymore.

[Critter]

 
Great review. I love how the film really touches on the trouble between Disney and Pixar before they became practically one company. The fact that Disney was almost out of the business becuase Pixars films were so much better at the time was interesting. Also, before watching the film I wasn't sure about how large Steve Jobs role in Pixar was either, but I must say I liked him a great deal more after watching the documentary.  The fact that he just kept putting more and more money into such a shaky a venture that looked like it was not going anywhere, and would end up costing him a great deal was nothing short of heroic in my eyes. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't even had Pixar.

[Dragonfire]

That is very true.  If Steve Jobs hadn't first been willing to invest and then to ride out the...rough years, Pixar would have been done before it really got started..which would have sucked tremendously. 

Oh..I forgot to mention.  I had no idea that Pixar had worked on some other Disney animated movies before either.  Like the backgrounds and stuff in Beauty in the Beast.  I also hadn't known about the programs they developed being used by other filmmakers for special effects, like in Jurassic Park.

[Critter]

Yes I got a surprise also when I found out they did effects work for other films before Pixar. Such as the stained-glass window coming alive in Young Sherlock Holmes. That scene alsways used to scare me when I watched that film as a child so it was quite neat finding out that the people behind Pixar were responsible for it.

[Dragonfire]

I can't remember if I've seen that one completely before.  I need to change that. 

[Critter]

Well I recommend it... I think. To be honest I saw it when I was about 7 and it scared the crap out of me. It might be interesting for me to rewatch it now and see if I still find it even a little bit scary.

[Dragonfire]

I could understand it being scary seeing it that young..that stained-glass window guy could be freaky to a kid.

[Jimmy]

By the way...Eisner is an idiot.

Of course he is, not for that. But because he gave the most stupid name I've ever seen for an hockey teams when Disney got one in an NHL expension (don't make me start on their jersey ). It's a shame the other owners didn't say "Get your movie out of our league that will make us the laughingstock of the professional sport!!!" to him.

[Kathy]

What's wrong with Mighty Ducks?!? 

[Jimmy]

This

Poor Paul Kariya who had to wear this ridicule logo on him so many years. It looks so scary and tough for an hockey team.

or this

[Dragonfire]

That mascot does kind of look like a deranged Donald Duck.   

[Critter]

Okay, how did I only find out about this today!



[ Watch on Youtube ]  [ Full Screen ]

 

This link also offers a much better Pixar-made video on the topic but I am unable to embed it.
http://media.digisynd.com/AQAAAMAZNs_oRHRVsNB0HngjDiQn1xNn_____4xzA0Sa3kegyAx_pFupmpK9JJJ7/play;frame=AQAAAE7GUZic34YUb4d90jWCp2Un1xNn_____yGFuaZKV7shTzrIB1bvUKzSNc39/

[Dragonfire]

I hadn't heard about this before either.  Interesting.

[Critter]

Pixar currently release one film a year on average, a second studio could boost these numbers which is an exciting prospect. On the other hand I hope they don't lose qaulity to qauntity, but I doubt that will happen. As Ed Catmull himself said 'Everything we touch must be excellent".

[Dragonfire]

They seem very determined to continue to put emphasis on good, strong stories.  Even when they were talking about getting to the point where they could do one movie a year, they were still emphasizing quality.  I don't think that will change.