Comments on: A Billion Pixels and None of Them Wasted

By: I Heart Movies

I Heart Movies — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:06:41 +0000

[...] you liked that post, you’ll love, “A Billion Pixels and None of Them Wasted,” “Batman Left My Wife Lying Crumpled on the Floor,” or “An Old Dream Come [...]

By: A Good Year | Writer Dad

A Good Year | Writer Dad — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:18:14 +0000

[...] 2 took everything that worked in the first one and made it like a perfect second date. It was Pixar’s third home run, and the ball flew further than ever [...]

By: Glenn

Glenn — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:09:16 +0000

I always heard that Pixar had two different divisions: their computer graphics research branch and then their art/story branch. I’m a CS Masters and I have a background in graphics, but some of that stuff is tough and I’ll admit still over my head, but it’s a lot of continual learning. I have actually built my own raytracer though! :)

I learned something interesting from a couple of artist friends who were talking about getting work at Pixar. One of the key reasons that Pixar is so good is because they have a dedicated staff of story artists. They take story concepts and make concept art to explore all the possibilities of the original idea. I also hear from my friends that Pixar tends to look for artists with unique and interesting art styles.

Glenns last blog post..Frakkin’ Spammers

By: Writer Dad

Writer Dad — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 03:38:24 +0000

iWally: Sorry I missed this comment. I’m really sorry you didn’t get the job at Pixar. That would’ve been awesome. When my wife and I collaborate on projects, we talk about Pixar as a model. They obviously take no short cuts, and craft everything to perfection. If everyone followed their work ethic, the world would be an amazing place.

By: iWally

iWally — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:46:50 +0000

First time here. Being a writer and a Dad, I had an immediate connection to this site. And then I stumbled across the Wall-E post. How can I explain? Well, I started with Laser Discs containing computer animations of “Andre & Wally B”, “Luxo Jr.”, “Red’s Dream”, and “Tin Toy” (the precursor to Toy Story). PIXAR is that rare company that could release a movie with zero advertising and I would be there opening night. I now have every Pixar DVD released, Wall-E on my iPhone, wallpapers on Flickr, you name it – I am the quintessential Pixar fanboy!

Regarding merchandising, I am completely disappointed. Every other Pixar film has shelves of product available, but the handful of items available for Wall-E makes for a very short list. Since I share the star of the films name, I was hoping for an offering the likes of Cars. And I’ll agree that Cars was Pixar’s weakest movie. Toy Story 2 almost was, but Lasseter rescued it in the eleventh hour and it almost cost him his marriage. Still, Cars has nearly ten feet of shelf space and Wall-E merchandise barely fills an end cap.

I’ll close with my brush with Pixar greatness. I was an arrogant high school senior sitting at my Amiga watching Lightwave render animation frames one, slow, painful row at a time. I sent a demo reel to Pixar (doesn’t everyone start with bouncing chrome balls and teapots?) and waited for the call. After a few weeks, I called Pixar and asked for a job, any job, the janitor and potty wand duty will be just fine, thank you. I was put through to Deirdre Warin who basically told me I needed a graphics art degree *and* a computer science degree to get a job at Pixar. I was crushed. Partly because I was struggling to pay my way just through community college. I hold no hard feelings, though. That’s how Pixar got to where they are – by hiring the best of the best. They are the Top Gun school of film making. Maybe my path will cross with Pixar’s in the future. One can always dream in RGB.

iWallys last blog post..Adobe CS4: It’s Going To Be Brilliant

By: Writer Dad

Writer Dad — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:43:01 +0000

J Noronha: It took me so long to respond, I’m sure you’ve already seen it. I hope you like it, and I’m sorry.

Glenn: I totally see what you’re saying about WALL-E and the human design, but some of the stuff on Earth, and in space, was just beautiful. Studio Ghibli is amazing; I’ve never seen anything from Miyazaki that was anything less than wonderful. From what I understand, Up, Pixar’s next, draws from that particular well.

By: I Heart Movies | Writer Dad

I Heart Movies | Writer Dad — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:49:08 +0000

[...] you liked that post, you’ll love, “A Billion Pixels and None of Them Wasted,” “Batman Left My Wife Lying Crumpled on the Floor,” or “An Old Dream Come [...]

By: kenwooi

kenwooi — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:27:00 +0000

hello there, thanks for sharing! =) kenwoois last blog post..Movie: WALL-E

By: Glenn

Glenn — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:05:50 +0000

I liked Wall-E quite a bit myself, but I think Ratatouille is still my favorite Pixar movie. It was a great story, well shot and animated. It’s just a joy to watch the characters move and emote. My problem with Wall-E was that there was no diversity amongst the human characters and it seemed to be a step backwards for Pixar’s animation. In Ratatouille you can definitely see the attention to facial expressions and subtle movements, especially the restaurant diners.

If you’re into the great storytelling that Pixar offers, I’d suggest to you films from Studio Ghibli. They make movies like Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Totoro, and Nausicaa. John Lasseter got these films imported to the States, and the creator of these films, Hayao Miyazaki, is often considered the Walt Disney of Japan.

Glenns last blog post..Frakkin’ Spammers

By: j. noronha

j. noronha — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:37:19 +0000

I think I watched every Pixar movie ever made and couldn't agree more. Didn't watch Wall-e yet, but it's in the top of my to do list, much more now that I read your post. j. noronhas last blog post..Tema Para WordPress Parte 3: Criando os Templates