Fig.1.
20 January 2016
So now that we have decided on an idea, why are we so adamant to base the animation for this project on Pixar’s style and what makes Pixar themselves so popular?:-
Firstly one of the main reasons we want to animate in the style of Pixar is because it is very attractive and will allow us to produce something extremely polished and to industry standard. Secondly both myself and Jamie are 3D modellers primarily but we can animate in Maya, even if its not our strongest asset. It’s a big test that will push us hopefully to a great piece of work and enable us to become better animators at the same time.
Pixar’s success over the years is undeniable. They have created, in my opinion, some of the best and most influential animated movies since the nineties. They changed the mold back in 1995 when they released Toy Story (1995) which received universal acclaim. The studio continued to create huge hits over the years with films like Monsters Inc (2001), The Incredibles (2004) and more recently Inside Out (2015). The films are generally technological marvels and continue to set a benchmark for combining both great stories and dazzling CGI.
One of the things I have noticed about Pixar over the years is their ability to tap into peoples’ emotions often reminding us of both the harsh and beautiful realities of life, for example, the terribly sad scenes in their movie Up (2009) in which the film’s protagonist, Carl Fredrickson, says goodbye to his dying wife.
As mentioned by Chris Weller in 2015 – “ Pixar understands that the most important stories resonate with people because they appeal to some core truth about being alive — regardless of whether those stories are seen through the eyes of monsters, clownfish, robots, or cars.”
Stephanie McCall stated in 2015 that – “The truth is, most of Pixar’s films since 1995 have all been hits to some degree. Some of their appeal remains in their use of CGI – in our technologically-driven world, computerized often means better. Yet Pixar remains enormously popular for several other reasons. Although their films are targeted at children, businesspeople in and outside the film industry readily admit adults can learn plenty from these films as well. With that in mind, let’s look at a few of the key reasons why, twenty years later, adults and kids still love Pixar.”
Stephanie McCall mentioned in 2015 – “that There is no magic. No problems are solved by the wave of a fairy godmother’s wand. This is critical in that it separates Pixar films from the fairytale universe that often appeals to children, but not adults. Adults know there are no easy solutions to most problems, and so the fact that Pixar characters realistically deal with these problems is appealing.”
Below: A beautiful clip from Pixar’s movie Up (2009). The clip shows the main character, Carl Fredrickson, and his wife, Ellie, from getting married right up to her untimely death. This scene is both magical and tragic and really does pull at the heart strings.
Pixar Wiki, Not noted. Pixar Animation Studios [online]. Available at: http://pixar.wikia.com/wiki/Pixar_Animation_Studios. [Accessed 20 January 2016]
Joshua Vardanega, 2013. THE HISTORY OF PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS [online]. Weebly.com. Available at: http://uk.businessinsider.com/why-pixar-movies-are-so-good-2015-7. [Accessed 20 January 2016]
Chris Weller, 2015. Why are Pixar movies so good [online]. Business Insider UK. Available at: http://pixar-animation.weebly.com/journal/the-history-of-pixar-animation-studios. [Accessed 20 January 2016]
Stephanie McCall, 2015. What Makes Pixar So Popular 20 Years Later [online]. Content equals money.com. Available at: https://contentequalsmoney.com/what-makes-pixar-so-popular-20-years-later/. [Accessed 20 January 2016]
Corner Church, 2011. “Up” Sad Scene.mov [online]. Youtube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keVlDaAT7MI. [Accessed 20 January 2016]
Nicky Martin 