Pixar

New Featurette Shows Off First-ever Footage of Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’

It was a long time coming, but we finally have some great footage of Inside Out to gawk out at.

The footage comes courtesy of the Disney Movies Anywhere app, which means I can’t share the full thing here. But thanks to ScreenCrush, you can view some gifs of the film below.

If you want to see it for yourself, download the app and check out the latest Monsters University fact video. The featurette comes at the end.

And you’ll catch a glimpse of what my face looked like when I watched it:

pixar inside out footage

The girl you see there is the latest version of the film’s main character (and location, technically): Riley. She’s an 11-year-old girl whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco. Her adjustment to this big change marks the focal point of the film’s story.

One cool thing I love about the animation here is how much care they put into her facial expressions. You can truly tell that there is a battle between her emotions in the way she slowly lights up.

Pete Docter (Up) pretty much describes the emotions as “their version of the Seven Dwarfs.”

While the above is more traditional animation for Pixar, the shots below capture something new for the studio:

pixar inside out footage

As you can see, this footage takes place within Riley’s mind, and it’s noticeably more stylistic. Here, you can see Joy (Amy Poehler) throwing marshmallows at Anger (Lewis Black).

And here:

pixar inside out footage

You can see that the flames produced by Anger’s, well, anger is being used to roast marshmallows.

As Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera (also from Up) explain it, they’re using new and classic animation techniques (like “squash and stretch”) to make something we’ve never seen before.

We’ll see if that’s true next June…

 

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The Pixar Detective: The Complete Part 1

The day has finally come. 5 months, 10 chapters, and over 200 pages later, we’ve arrived at the e-book release for Part 1 of The Pixar Detective.

Obviously, I couldn’t have done it without the irreplaceable Kayla Savage, our equally savage illustrator. She pulled in extra hours these past two weeks to give you guys a cover and a bunch of new sketches to fill the pages of this book.

pixar detective part 1 cover

And of course, we would have given up a long time ago if it wasn’t for all of the love and support you guys sent our way in the emails and comments since Chapter 1. You guys are truly the best, and you’ve made writing and drawing The Pixar Detective way more fun than it probably should be.

Also, we finally settled on a name for Part 1! I won’t spoil it here, but you’ll notice that we went ahead and combined a bunch of your suggestions into one! Thanks for your submissions, and we hope you’re up for doing the same as we move into Part 2.

So here is Part 1. It includes the first 10 chapters of the story (soon to be followed by the next 10, of course) but in e-book format. So now you can read and share the story in one document. We published this using iBooks, so you’ll notice that the animations, artwork, and design are ridiculously smooth and fun to look at.

chapter 1

Of course, I’ve provided a PDF format just in case you can’t view the iBooks version (but I strongly recommend you use the iBooks/e-book version. It looks amazing by comparison).

Enjoy!

The Pixar Detective: Part 1 (e-book Version)

The Pixar Detective: Part 1 (PDF Version)

 

Ready for Part 2? Click here to check out the e-book and PDF version. 

You can use the prompt on the sidebar to subscribe for updates or just follow me and Kayla on Twitter to stay connected – @JonNegroni – @KaylaTheSavage

If ‘Up’ Was Directed by Michael Bay

Well. This happened.

Honestly, I’m only bringing myself to share this because it actually made me laugh out loud and hate myself at the same time. What else on the Internet can do that?

Let’s all take a moment of silence and thank Pixar for choosing Peter Docter (not Michael Bay) to direct Up. Also, was that Linkin Park playing in the trailer? Well done MrStratman7 for making this.

up directed by michael bay

The Pixar Detective, Chapter 10: The Peculiar Professor

Hey everyone! Welcome to The Pixar Detective, a serial novel I put together based on the Pixar Theory. The following is a fictional story that explains the theory that all of the Pixar movies are connected and exist within the same universe, using original characters and artwork. The story answers a lot of questions you may have about this theory, but through its own ongoing narrative.

The story originally launched in April, and we’ve recently completed Part 1!

It is available as an iBook on iTunes, which you can check out here. If you can’t use iBooks, you can also download the PDF version. 

Once you’re finished, check back to our Table of Contents, where we’ll be continuing the story through Part 2. A new chapter is released every two weeks on Tuesdays. And please be sure to leave your feedback in the comments for us to read through. Enjoy!

chapter 10 pixar detective

 

PREVIOUSLY, ON ‘THE PIXAR DETECTIVE.’

pixar detective chapter 4

Stevin Parker, Wallaby Jones, and Alec Azam (the Peculiar Professor) have teamed up with a small, purple monster named Mr. Sumner in their pursuit of their missing friend, Mary. They’ve traveled in time to 1935 and have found themselves inside a government facility called “the Hexagon,” which is run by a maniac named “the Maestro.”

pixar detective chapter 8

After splitting up, Stevin and Mr. Sumner were captured by the Maestro, who revealed his pet project to them: a girl named Sadie who has incredible powers and is known as the first “super.” Her power, which the Maestro calls “Dominion,” allows her to transform parts of her body and senses into animals, giving her incredible strength and speed.

sadiebird

Meanwhile, Wallaby made his way to Level 9, a research lab filled with strange cages and experiments. He was discovered by Willem and Flo, two of the Hexagon’s deadliest agents who are also a part of “Project Superlative,” which involves Sadie. Though they captured him, Alec showed up just in time to distract the agents and give Wallaby time to flee through a metal door that may contain more answers than even Wallaby realizes.

Use the prompt on the sidebar to subscribe for updates, or you can just follow me and Kayla on Twitter to stay connected – @JonNegroni – @KaylaTheSavage

The Pixar Detective, Chapter 9: Our Doom

Hey everyone! Welcome to The Pixar Detective, a serial novel I put together based on the Pixar Theory. The following is a fictional story that explains the theory that all of the Pixar movies are connected and exist within the same universe, using original characters and artwork. The story answers a lot of questions you may have about this theory, but through its own ongoing narrative.

The story originally launched in April, and we’ve recently completed Part 1!

It is available as an iBook on iTunes, which you can check out here. If you can’t use iBooks, you can also download the PDF version. 

Once you’re finished, check back to our Table of Contents, where we’ll be continuing the story through Part 2. A new chapter is released every two weeks on Tuesdays. And please be sure to leave your feedback in the comments for us to read through. Enjoy!

pixar detective chapter 9

 

PREVIOUSLY, ON THE PIXAR DETECTIVE.

In their continued search for Mary, our heroes found themselves within the secretive (and dangerous) government facility known as the Hexagon. But Stevin and his new friend, the monster known as Mr. Sumner, have been captured by the facility’s head madman, the Maestro.

pixar detective chapter 8

Meanwhile, Wallaby decided to go his own way by sneaking into the Hexagon by himself. Unfortunately, he was discovered by the strange, seemingly unstable agent known as Flo. With a few strategic lies, Wallaby convinced Flo that he is also an agent, and she agreed to escort him inside.

wallaby

Also inside the facility is the mysterious “super” known as Sadie. A girl who has the power of “Dominion.” But what is this power and why is she important? We’re about to find out.

sadie

Use the prompt on the sidebar to subscribe for updates or just follow me and Kayla on Twitter to stay connected – @JonNegroni – @KaylaTheSavage

Creativity Winks.

I’m writing this as I ride a bus on my way to a bookstore in San Francisco, where I’ll be picking up my own copy of Creativity Inc. 

The book is written by Ed Catmull, who you may know as Pixar’s current President, along with Amy Wallace.

It’s a book about creative leadership, or to be more specific, creating an environment that allows people to create. And maybe not just create, but be incredibly creative. You can imagine why Catmull has the authority to write such a book, considering he’s been in charge of one of the most creative companies in the world (and not only when it comes to movies).

creativity winks
You can click the image to purchase the book for yourself and/or read reviews.

So I’m pretty excited to get my hands on the book, as I’m sure it will provide valuable insights into how I can foster a creative environment for myself. Which is why I’m writing this post and titling it “Creativity Winks.”

Because I certainly can’t lend anything as credible or even profound as Catmull or anyone else in Pixar’s leadership. But before I inundate myself with the wisdom of the experts, I do want to share with you my takeaway about what it means to be creative.

And that’s just it right there. Being creative is missing the point entirely. Everyone is creative, especially about things they care about. Some people try to say that “creativity” is being inspiring when it comes to a topic they aren’t passionate about. But that’s definitely not it either (they’re just confusing skill and empathy with originality).

Creativity winks at us. Our minds (depending on who you are) flash brilliant moments of incredible originality almost routinely. It’s just up to us to play those moments out. Or save them for later.

That moment when a catchy tune gets caught in my head – and I realize I’m the one who thought it up – is a “wink” of creativity that will be lost forever in a matter of minutes. Unless I take out my phone and record my humming. A few days later, I’m figuring out the chords for a new ukulele song I’m writing (yes, this is a true story).

Creativity also winks at me when I write fiction. Some of you may follow along with my serial novel, The Pixar Detective, and I’ve been asked routinely how I come up with the story and characters on such a consistent, uninterrupted basis.

Well I’m certain that if I tried to write an entire chapter of The Pixar Detective in one sitting, I’d produce something that isn’t my best work. And that’s because it takes time for flashes of creativity to arrive. For some of us, it can take hours, days, or even weeks.

What I’ve found, though, is that the frequency in which these “winks” arrive is progressively increased as we apply those ideas when they do come.

In other words: the more you create, the more creative you will become. It’s a simple, but hopelessly ignored concept.

So creativity winks at us. And I’ve learned from experience that some of the most brilliant ideas we can come up with are as fleeting as they are wonderful. But if you take the time to write them down and play them out, you’ll immediately set yourself apart.

Thanks for reading! You can subscribe to this blog by email via the prompt on the sidebar. Otherwise, be sure to stay connected with me on Twitter (@JonNegroni). I’ll follow you back if you say something witty and awesome.

The Pixar Detective, Chapter 8: The Hexagon

Hey everyone! Welcome to The Pixar Detective, a serial novel I put together based on the Pixar Theory. The following is a fictional story that explains the theory that all of the Pixar movies are connected and exist within the same universe, using original characters and artwork. The story answers a lot of questions you may have about this theory, but through its own ongoing narrative.

The story originally launched in April, and we’ve recently completed Part 1!

It is available as an iBook on iTunes, which you can check out here. If you can’t use iBooks, you can also download the PDF version. 

Once you’re finished, check back to our Table of Contents, where we’ll be continuing the story through Part 2. A new chapter is released every two weeks on Tuesdays. And please be sure to leave your feedback in the comments for us to read through. Enjoy!

pixar detective chapter 8

 

PREVIOUSLY, ON THE PIXAR DETECTIVE!

Stevin, Alec and Wallaby continue their perilous search for Mary, who has presumably gotten lost in time. Along the way, our gang finds themselves in 1935, tracking down the past version of the only person who left a trace in Mary’s room, where she was last seen.

pixar detective
Mr. Sumner.

Only, it’s not a person. Our heroes have found someone who claims to be a monster from another world. His name is Mr. Sumner, and he claims that in a mysterious government facility, he was forced to engage in experiments meant to transcend time. To find out what happened to Mary, the gang must take Mr. Sumner to this facility and find a way to communicate with his future self.

pixar detective
Willem (left) with Sadie, the first super.

Meanwhile, a villainous mastermind who simply goes by “The Maestro” is concocting a plan to create an army of “supers.” His prime research subject is a young girl named Sadie, who has a mysterious power known as Dominion. The Maestro has placed three new agents on an unknown mission surrounding this experiment: Willem, Flo, and Peaches. And, of course, their mission takes place within the same government facility our heroes are about to invade: the Hexagon.

Extra Credit!

Why is this government facility called “The Hexagon?” You may have guessed that it has a lot in common with “The Pentagon,” which is the real-life headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense. Of course, the Pentagon itself wasn’t built until the 1940s, as opposed to the fictional Hexagon that takes place within a city called Metroville (sound familiar?) in 1935.

Use the prompt on the sidebar to subscribe for updates or just follow me and Kayla on Twitter to stay connected – @JonNegroni – @KaylaTheSavage