As a seasoned cinephile who’s witnessed the evolution of animation from the back rows, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgic admiration for Pixar during its scrappy start-up phase. The tales shared by Toy Story alums at D23 Expo were reminiscent of a garage band making history, creating the soundtrack to countless childhood memories with their groundbreaking film.
Reflecting on Pixar’s early days while creating their first feature film, “Toy Story,” key team members like Andrew Stanton, Bob Pauley, Bonnie Arnold, Jonas Rivera, Katherine Sarafian, and Pete Docter shared memories of the unique atmosphere at Pixar before it grew into the company we know today. As Pete Docter put it, “We had around 120 employees or so,” which is roughly equivalent to a single department working on a film like “Inside Out 2.” Bonnie Arnold added that some support staff would even prepare and bring in meals for everyone to share, creating a close-knit, family-like environment.
In a very homemade, haphazard fashion, Toy Story came into being. As Jeffrey Katzenberg phoned and expressed, “We wish to create a film with you and John [Lassiter], but we’re uncertain about the concept,” Stanton recounted. “So think of some ideas,” he was told. The three concepts Pixar presented to Disney Animation were 1) James and the Giant Peach, 2) an adaptation of Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, and 3) a tale about toys becoming alive. Disney exhibited the most enthusiasm for option number 3.
As a film enthusiast looking back, let me share that when the project kicked off, Arnold and Pauley were two of the most seasoned crew members we had on board. Arnold had recently wrapped up work on the first Addams Family flick, while Pauley had been part of The Nightmare Before Christmas team. That movie had a distinct, rebellious vibe; as Bob Pauley put it, “At Nightmare, everyone was sporting leather jackets and puffing away, but when I joined Pixar, it seemed like everyone was in casual shorts instead!”
As a film enthusiast, I’ve always been fascinated by the antics of the Pixar team, even though they may not have matched the mischief of Henry Selick’s crew. Pete Docter once shared a tale about borrowing a colleague’s car without permission and going for an exhilarating drive. “I hope I wouldn’t steal someone’s car and bring it to work these days,” said Sarafian, “but who knows?” Stanton too drew from his rebellious past to create the character of Sid. As Docter put it, “Mutant toys was inspired by Andrew’s real childhood.” Stanton vividly remembered attaching an M80 to a G.I. Joe as a kid, considering it for a scene in Toy Story, with the idea that Joe’s exploded head would turn to other toys and scream “Save yourselves!”, but it was deemed too extreme. There might still be room for such scenes in Toy Story 5.
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2024-08-10 02:53