4 Pixar Announcements You May Have Missed This Summer

Although there isn't a Pixar film being released in 2014, there is still a lot we should be anticipating from the studio in the near future. Some of those projects were teased and previewed this past summer. Here are just a few announcements you may have missed from Pixar.

1. New Animated Short

The animation studio’s next short, Lava, is a musical. It will show in front of Inside Out, beginning June 19, 2015. Watch the short clip below to see the film’s star, a volcano named Uku. 

From Pixar Animation Studios, director James Ford Murphy and producer Andrea Warren, "Lava" will premiere in July, 2015 in front of "Inside Out." 

2. New Animated Full-Length Feature

Director Pete Doctor (Monsters Inc., Up) continues to tease characters and scenes from Pixar's upcoming animated full-length feature titled, Inside Out.  The film centers on a young girl named Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. To help us visualize how Riley deals with this change, the film will take us inside her mind where we'll find five key characters in her emotional "Headquarters".

Click here to get a closer look at some of those new characters. 

Pixar's next feature film, Inside Out. ©Disney/Pixar. 

3. New Animated Full-Length Feature Reimagined

The Good Dinosaur, a Pixar film originally scheduled for release earlier this summer, was pushed back a year later due to creative road-blocks. 

Recently, we learned that the film's story plot had been retooled and reimagined. Actor John Lithgow sheds a little insight on some of those changes here. 

Concept art for The Good Dinosaur. ©Disney/Pixar. 

4. Book By Pixar Co-Founder

Earlier this year, Co-founder and President of Pixar, Ed Catmull, wrote a book about the studio's organizational culture. Here's a review that will surely get you to pick up this incredibly ground-breaking material. 

Creativity, Inc. by Pixar Co-founder Ed Catmull.

For The Love of Pixar: Official Event Poster

Here's the official event poster for our show on October 11! If you wish to contribute artwork for charity or would like to join an event team, make sure to get the details on the artwork entry form here or volunteer form here. It's not too late. 

Don't forget to tell your friends!

Interview with Writer and Pixar Detective Jon Negroni

Remember that Pixar Theory that went viral last summer? That was written by Jon Negroni. Do you recall the theory suggesting Andy's mom from Toy Story was Emily, Jessie’s previous owner? That too was made popular by Jon Negroni. Does a sad theory about Andy's dad come to mind? That revelation was also brought to you by Jon Negroni.

In the blogosphere, Jon Negroni's work offers some very imaginative answers to some of Pixar's most mysterious characters.  

The Pixar Theory as told by Jon Negroni, 2013. ©Disney/Pixar.

Last week I had the honor of briefly interviewing writer and Pixar Detective Jon Negroni. To further acquaint you, here are his answers to my three questions:  

1. The Pixar universe is full of characters we can relate to. Is there one particular character you identify with the most? Why?

That's the beauty of Pixar characters, isn't it? It's so easy for me to relate with so many different characters, it's hard for me to single out any one of them. But I guess I can use the power of nostalgia to settle on the one character that has inspired me from the beginning (because he reminds me so much of myself). And that would be Toy Story's Woody. Of all of the Pixar stories, his redemption and growth as a loyal, compassionate leader has always struck a chord with me.

Left: Woody. ©Disney/Pixar. Right: Jon Negroni. 

2. What person, place or thing is inspiring you right now?

Right now, I'm being bombarded with the genius of The Beatles. I've been a diehard fan of the music since high school, but I just recently purchased the Box Set on iTunes. So I've been binging on all of their songs for the last few weeks as I write. It "inspires" me in the sense that it opens up my creativity. I think and create in different ways when I'm exposed to the music, and every time I hear something truly complex within the seemingly simple tunes, I'm challenged to add more depth to the simple things I say, do and bother to write down.

3. Over the years you have written content that has shaped how people think about life, art, and culture. It's obvious that somewhere along the way you discovered that writing was more than a hobby for you. For those having a difficult time pinpointing their passion, what are some indicators they should look for in the discovery phase? 

If people don't like that you're doing something a certain way, that's how you know you're on to something. In other words, my English teachers mostly hated me (in the nicest way possible). And when I started blogging out of college, everyone told me the way I picked my blog's topics was too scattered. They all said I needed to settle on a niche. Just one singular focus. That way, they said, I could build a loyal fan base. 

But I told myself that I'd rather just write about whatever I want. Best blog-related decision I've ever made. So if you're trying to figure out your passion, then sometimes its useful to just try some different things and see what works. Let yourself get excited about the things that easily excite you. This can be hard if you're not naturally an opportunist. In those cases, pay very close attention to how people react to what you contribute to the world and find a reason for why you do it.

------

For more of Jon's musings about life, art, and culture, make sure to check out his blog at jonnegroni.com

Let These Pixar Sand Sculptures Inspire You

Last month, my friend Kyle posted a link to my Facebook Timeline that directed me to a collection of Pixar-themed sand sculptures. My jaw dropped when I saw the images of these wonderfully crafted masterpieces.     

So, I decided to share them here for your viewing pleasure. Perhaps they will help you nourish your own creativity.

The Blankenberge fest featured sculptures on the beach—like this massive Cars sculpture. Courtesy: Disney Parks.

When Brave came out a few years ago, Disney marked the occasion by holding a Highland Games Tournament at Epcot. Courtesy: Disney Parks.

The 2013 Weston-super-Mare Sand Sculpture festival in England featured this Toy Story 3 piece. Courtesy: Getty Images. 

Finding Nemo. Courtesy of: Diswhiz.com

Inspired yet? To view the entire gallery, click here.  

Interview with Writer and Illustrator Jerrod Maruyama of The Pixar Times

I recently had the privilege of asking the extraordinarily talented Jerrod Maruyama of The Pixar Times three questions about his love for art and all things Pixar. Below are his answers.

Signing at the Huckleberry booth – Comic Con 2013 (Photo by Jian Shen of BEARO)

1. Pixar has told incredible stories over the years. Is there one particular story sequence in any of their films that has impressed you the most? 

There are two that come to mind instantly. They are structurally and thematically very similar. Jessie's montage in Toy Story 2 and the Married Life Montage from UP both deal with great happiness and great loss. These scenes truly define the characters they feature and set up their story arc eloquently. They are, of course, touching and emotional so they stay with you long after the film ends. But they also elevate the films they're featured in. I think Carl and Ellie's scene in particular is so powerfully effective and comes so early in the film that it takes you by surprise. And you have to love a film that finds a way to surprise its audience.

Jessie's montage. Toy Story 2, 1999. ©Disney/Pixar. 

2. One of my favorite works of yours is the Pixar-inspired piece titled, Kawaii UP. Besides the film, what other things influenced this piece? 

My love of all things cute it is a constant source of inspiration for all of my work. I have such love for that film and the characters that I wanted to pay tribute in some way. Putting my own "kawaii" spin on these fantastic designs just seemed the natural thing to do. It's what I love to do.

Kawaii UP by Jerrod Maruyama. 

3. Many creatives are fearful of making pop cultural references in their works for fear of compromising the integrity of the original character or property. How would you encourage an artist to explore their own style in the process?

That's a difficult question to answer. I don't believe there is one "right" way to do anything. I think you have to do what comes naturally. Try to find what appeals to you about the character. Animated characters are already caricatures of real life. So in many ways, fan art is a caricature of a caricature. You just have to find some appealing aspect of the subject and either exaggerate that characteristic or go in a completely opposite direction. Either way, you have to bring something to the depiction. Otherwise it just looks off-model.

-----

Want to check out more of Jerrod's work? Make sure to visit his site by clicking here.

Call for Incredible Volunteers

We're now building teams of volunteers for our Pixar exhibition benefiting Invisible Children, LiNK: Liberty in North Korea, and Give Clean Water, on October 11. Your incredible abilities will help the success of this event. Click here to access the volunteer form. 

The Incredibles by Erin Hunting, 2014. 

Illustration by Erin Hunting. To view his stunning work, click here. 

Behind Every Camera There Is...

Woody's Boot: Jojography via Favim.com

There are a long list of phrases that photographers, in general, dislike. Good hearted people will mistakenly say things like, "Your camera takes great pictures". But the truth is, the camera doesn't take great pictures. My camera is only the tool. My camera is my paintbrush. The image sensor (and sometimes film) is my canvas. The lens is my chisel and the world before me is my giant block of marble. What comes out of my darkroom (digital or otherwise) is a unique representation of how I see the world. It's not the way the camera sees it.  

Painters look at a canvas and see swirls of paint working together to create a painting. Sculptors look at a chunk of rock and see a three dimensional creation that they need to dig out. As a photographer, I look everywhere and see shadows. I see depth. I see colors and tones and textures. I work with light and angles, painting with light and sculpting with my lens.

Jessica Chastain as Princess Merida in Latest Disney Dream Portrait by Annie Leibovitz for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.

Sadly, in some circles, photography is undervalued as an art form. There is this idea that because something that already exist can be reproduced then it lacks artistic integrity. Yet, I don't see filmmakers struggling with this. The truth is that art is the creation from out of my mind. Photography is simply my medium of choice. Still cameras and two dimensional images make sense to my brain and to my imagination. Whether I choose to share that with paint or stone or digital images or stick figures really makes no difference. That is why I do this. That is why I love this.

For this event, I think that photography is one of the more challenging mediums to work with. If you are going the character route, you have to find locations, models, possibly make up artists - all before you even take a single shot. Finding landscapes to match existing animation is tricky as well. But this is where creativity and imagination will shine. As photographers, it is up to us to take the visible world in front of us, the concept we are in pursuit of, and CREATE. You may want to use silhouettes, special lighting, expressive colors, and anything else that comes into your mind to put together an image that will excite the imagination of others. Best of luck to you in your pursuit of some amazing images!

Pixar Inspired Photography

Photographers eager to participate in the Pixar benefit exhibition are free to get creative with engagement shoots, lifestyle portraits, or landscape photography. 

Top: Savi Yummy (Brave cosplay). Bottom: Joy-Harmon-Prouty (Up engagement shoot)

Ideas are everywhere. Recreate a scene from Cars, reference the architecture as seen in Ratatouille, or have your friends dress up like The Incredibles. 

To complete the entry form, click here. All show pieces must be submitted by Tuesday, September 30th.

Kim Jae Hwan (Monsters Inc.). 

Joel Robinson (Toy Story).