Pixar is able to accomplish something incredible: It manufactures movie magic that seems effortless. But there’s far more to it than meets the eye. There’s an amazing amount of work that takes place behind the scenes performed by a fiercely dedicated crew in Emeryville, California. Pixar’s newest release, Inside Out, took over five years to go from idea to screen. Here’s a peek at the process.
It All Started with a Dad and a Daughter
The idea was born when director Pete Docter began to notice changes in his once happy-go-lucky daughter, Ellie, who had become moody and withdrawn. He asked, “Where did my little girl go?” To cope with the conundrum, he made a movie.
Journey to the Center of the Mind
The filmmakers were met with a big challenge, what does the inside of the mind look like? Production designer Ralph Eggleston and his team tackled the concept and invented a lush and colorful landscape.
Call in the Scientists
The team talked to neuroscientists, psychiatrists and took a well-educated guess to provide Riley's mind with a signature look and a way of functioning.
The Story Reveals Itself to the Group
The story team, comprised of about 8 to 10 writers, would meet in one of the studio’s story rooms to create hundreds of thousands of drawings to tell the story.
Time for the Big Pitch
When a scene came to fruition, they’d pin it to a large storyboard and would then pitch it to the team, as codirector Ronnie del Carmen demonstrates above.
Getting Animated
In the first days of animation, they worked from simple renderings.
Finding the Perfect Palette
The colors are bold and strong inside the mind. As the Pixar team worked on the story, they’d fine-tune the hues used throughout the film.
Lights, Camera, Action!
When the set is created, the animators use camera movements (from dollying to panning) to capture the action. Notice the virtual camera above that is used in the process.
A New Way to Get Notes
Every day at nine a.m., Pete Docter and animators reviewed the dailies in a comfortable screening room filled with couches on the Pixar campus. The crew would get detailed feedback with helpful notes, added directly to the animation for reference.
Adding in More Details
This is an example of a work-in-progress scene that has yet to have the finishing touches added.
Truly Brilliant Characters
Pixar lighting artist Angelique Reisch adds lighting elements to Joy, a character who actually radiates light herself.
When Everything Comes Together
After all those steps, they finally have a screen-worthy version. This process is done over and over again for the entire film. See the movie in all its awesomeness June 19.
