Last night I had the opportunity to see the new Pixar movie (Cars 2) and a Q&A with the wonderful John Lasseter, thanks to IFTA. So no doodle this week, instead here are a few notes I took on what Mr Pixar said.... Enjoy
John Lasseter Q & A Notes
On Storytelling
3 things for a great film
1) A compelling & unpredictable story
2) with memorable characters
3) in their own believable world
Trust the original idea & trust the process
- when boarding a sequence again and again – think of it like live action
“coverage” (shooting different angles)
- it's the only way to find out what works
Everything we do at Pixar serves the story
What is the 'emotion core' of the story
In sequels, never just tell the same story – always make it different
“Every Pixar film, at one point, looked like the worst movie ever made”
On the Business of Animation
Quality is the best business plan
A studio/company makes withdrawals and deposits with your audience – good movies
are deposits; bad movies are withdrawals – always have money in the bank
On Animation
What is the character thinking?
- 'Aiming' – character always anticipates by looking first then doing
In computer animation, you must respect the integrity of the material – you can
get away with more squash and stretch in 2D animation.
Photo copyright IFTA 2011
