Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

re: Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

Jim Hill — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:27:26 GMT

This is a GREAT MOVIE and I'd love to see it again, if only to hear the QNA with Roy Disney and Leslie Iwerks.

Roy's certainly one of the stars of the documentary and there's a great scene where he talks about how Disney was leading talented artists off the lot by their nose and selling off animation desks after the company made a decision (thankfully reversed under Lasseter and Catmull) to get out of the traditional 2D animation business and switch to strictly 3D computer animation efforts.

The first question I'd ask Roy, given an opportunity, would be how he feels about CEO Bob Iger's performance in regards to mending fences with Steve Jobs and entrusting the creative geniuses of Lasseter and Catmull with the company's very heart, soul and extended legacy. How optimistic is Roy today about the future of the company started by his uncle, his father and Leslie's grandfather?

I was fortunate enough to attend a screening that featured a QNA with Leslie Iwerks, John Lasseter and Ed Catmull ... It included a couple of great stories from each of them.

Without Lasseter's firing from Disney in the early '80s -- at least in retrospect -- would there have been the creation of Luxo Jr., memorable TV commercials and a unbroken string of hit animated features with characters that will forever exist as classics introduced to children for generations to come?

Does Roy think the company is poised for another resurgence in animation and at the theme parks?

re: Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

Jim Hill — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:50:23 GMT

Thank you Jim for writing about the showing in Hollywood as I had been wanting to see the movie for a while, but had no idea it would have its first showing in Los Angeles this quickly. The event was great and the theater was packed with hardcore Disney/Pixar fans. The documentary was just amazing, and the film print was just pristine, which really brought all the many different color filters used to highlight different emotions for shots. It was easily one of the most comprehensive and entertaining company documentaries I have ever seen.

The Q/A was a bit short, but was still quite entertaining nonetheless with Roy joking about being 97 the next time he will need to save the Disney company. They also took a few questions from the audience, and were great at sharing stories about not only Disney, but also Pixar as well. The best part about Roy Disney is how honest he was, and how none of his answers seemed manufactured or that he was holding back what we wanted to say.

re: Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

Jim Hill — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:23:39 GMT

Anybody know if this film will have multiple screenings? I live in Seattle and would love to catch a showing but I'm not to sure if that is at all possible. Hopefully this will hit dvd sometime in the near future. I assume the wonderful world wide web would be the only place to find it.

re: Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

Jim Hill — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:26:37 GMT

Ms. Iwerks is still working to secure a distributor -- it should be Dick Cook and Disney, but if you think the salesmen in Burbank has trouble marketing a film like "Ratatouille," try handing them a documentary -- even a very good one like "The Pixar Story."

I don't think Iwerks' is giving up just yet on getting this film out to a wider market -- it's far more than an arthouse movie -- but it'll be a task to convince a distributor and theater owners to see the potential mass marketability of this film. And, that's a shame.

"The Pixar Story" is an entertaining, educational and inspirational look at the birth of 3D computer animation. Disney's distribution arm is leaving millions of dollars on the table not getting this film out wide. Many of today's most-active filmgoers are teens and young adults who will find this documentary engaging and worth their time -- so will older adults who grew up appreciating and admiring the great storytelling in Walt Disney's and Pixar's animated classics.

re: Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

Jim Hill — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:36:13 GMT

Oh, I forgot.

According to Leslie Iwerks, a DVD release is planned within the next year -- with some extended interview footage.

Still, I can't help but think it's a title that will be more commercially successful if it gets the exposure of a full-blown wide theatrical release, complete with reviews and critiques across the full spectrum of media -- print (newspapers and magazines), -- radio and television -- Web sites like rottentomatoes.com -- and the great blogosphere.

re: Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

Jim Hill — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 13:23:34 GMT

To find out more about the screenings check out the official site every week or so:

http://www.thepixarstory.com/