Pixar Post Podcast: Animation News, Interviews & Reviews

The hilarious Disney+ short film, Lamp Life goes behind the scenes of the Toy Story franchise and lets viewers see what happened to Bo Peep and her Sheep all those years after she left Andy and Molly's house (between Toy Story 2 and 3). But, potentially even better than the laughs and excitement of the film, is that we were able to go even further behind the scenes and learn all about the "making of" Lamp Life. We recently spoke with Director, Valerie LaPointe, and Producer, Marc Sondheimer to chat about the editing, the animation, the easter eggs and so much more. Show Notes: 00:00 — Show kickoff and Pixar trivia — how many Pixar films have released in March? 02:24 — Toy Story 4 took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, we discuss the exciting new here. 07:27 — Ian and Barley Lightfoot are set to appear in Disney Parks, catch a glimpse of what they are going to look like. 11:14 — Guinevere, Barley's van from Onward is hitting the road on a tour. Learn more about the tour dates and watch a walk-around video tour of the van as well. 18:49 — An Onward preview is playing at Disney Parks now, catch the preview until the movie opens. 20:10 — We chat all about Pixar Nite at Disneyland coming on March 5 (from 8:00 PM to Midnight). Listen as we describe some of the events (including a cool For the Birds and Geri's Game backdrop for photo opportunities), the food, and the character meet-and-greets which will be available. 26:44 — Interview lead-in. We chat for around 8 minutes about the funny "growing up" connection Julie and Valerie had as well as our love for the short film. 34:47 — Interview with Valerie LaPointe and Marc Sondheimer. Listen as we chat all about the hilarious gags, the filmmaking process, and so much more in this fun and upbeat interview. We had a blast chatting with the team and we know you'll love listening in. 55:34 — Post interview and show wrap-up.

Pixar's Onward kicked off on September 17, 2013. After 6 years, we went to Pixar to dive behind the scenes and learn all about the making of the film. In this first installment of the Onward series, we sit down with Director Dan Scanlon and Producer Kori Rae to learn all about the triumphs, the struggles, and more while making this epic and emotional adventure.

In episode 69 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we chat with Jake Monaco, the composer behind Forky Asks A Question and many other Pixar properties you didn't realize he was involved with...and more coming soon. We also chat about Pixar's next 7 films and how some of the recent release dates have changed. We dive into how Kristen Lester may be one of the upcoming feature film directors and even touch on an exciting new show which will feature 15 new Pixar-themed screen-printed posters. We cover a new mini-series of comics centered around Dash and the Incredibles (and a new villain called Slow Burn. Disney Plus is very popular right now and we chat about the Disney Plus Guide, the Pixar projects which are coming soon to Disney+ and wrap up the episode (after our interview with Jake) offering our review of Forky Asks a Question.

In Episode 68 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we dive into and discuss Pixar's seven films in development, we inquire about Brad Bird's upcoming film, we dive into Awards season chatter about Toy Story 4 and we wonder – is Pixar looking for production support outside the United States?  As if that wasn't a full episode in itself, we also share our interview with Director of Studio Mastering & Operations, Cynthia Slavens as we dive into a background of her team, how they tackle re-rendering a Pixar film into Ultra High-Definition 4K format and learn if every version of the film is cataloged in the Pixar Archives. The episode (of course) kicks off with T.J. putting Julie to the test with two Pixar-themed trivia questions. What percent of Monsters in Monsters, Inc. have Mike Wazowski’s same tongue in their character rig? During the production of Up, the average animator produced how much animation in a week. At 3:48 into the show, we discuss Toy Story 4 producer, Mark Nielsen's discussion with Digital Spy in which he noted that there were seven Pixar films in development currently. We talk about who we already know is working on a film (of with two of those films are Onward and Soul) and explore Mark Andrews and Brad Bird's upcoming films (not necessarily Pixar films). Heck, is Mark still employed at the studio and what is Brad's connection to the book 1906? Starting at 20:41 we chat about a group of Pixar employees heading to the View Conference (October 21-25, 2019 in Turin, Italy) and SIGGRAPH Asia (November 17-20, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia) Of course, nothing is confirmed by any means, but a pair of recent articles got us thinking, "Is Pixar looking for production support from outside the United States for additional Disney+ projects?" We chat about a recent interview with Pixar President, Jim Morris in which he expresses interest working with India and Katherine Sarafian's meeting with the Armenian President who noted he's interested in "cooperation with Pixar." This is discussed starting at 30:30 into the show). At 40:27, we dive into Disney+ discussions as well and how this may relate to Pixar needing additional support outside of the United States and what is this "different type of storytelling" that they want to do which would involve threading together a number of shows? Awards chatter has begun and at 44:18 into the show, we chat about Toy Story 4 being included in the "For Your Consideration" push for Best Animated Feature as well as all three of the original SparkShorts being included as well (Smash and Grab, Purl, and Kitbull). Toy Story 4 is up against 32 films (to be whittled down to 5 before the Oscar's air on Feb 9, 2020) and there are an astounding 85 short films included in the list of eligible short films. At 52:34 into the episode, we get into our discussion with the Director of Studio Mastering & Operations, Cynthia Slavens. We chat all remastering Pixar's films into Ultra High-Definition and how the team balances remastering legacy films while supporting current production as well. We talk about how long it takes to remaster a film from scratch (yes, they go back to the original Toy Story masters and start fresh), and even explore Cynthia's journey to Pixar. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

Listen to our Toy Story 4 spoiler-free movie review – the film truly goes to infinity and beyond. Then join us as we share our discussion with the sets team behind building, designing, and filling the antique store (as well as the carnival) in the film. The sets crew we talked to were Stephen Karski, Thomas Jordan, and Rosie Cole during our trip to Pixar Animation Studios in April 2019. More details and photos can be found on our homepage – https://www.pixarpost.com/2019/06/toy-story-4-spoiler-free-review.html

There is so much detail that is put into every pixel on the screen — but, why does Pixar do this? Ling Tu (Sets Shading Lead) mentions in our session at Pixar that by putting all the rich detail into the backstory of everything that you see, they're able to enhance their stories. If everything visually looks as you'd expect (set locations like a carnival or a porcelain character with tiny cracks), your mind looks right past those things and you can dive right into the story because everything visually is so familiar. Listen in as Craig Foster (Graphic Arts Director) and Alex Marino (Characters Shading Lead) also dive into what makes a Pixar film shine — oh and don't forget a discussion into all those hidden Easter Eggs that populate the film — there are hundreds in Toy Story 4. 00:00 — Episode 66 Kickoff 01:14 — Pixar Trivia. 03:24 — Love the Disney Parks, do you help plan your friend's vacations, visit Destination Mouse to become an agent. 08:20 — The Final Toy Story 4 trailer is hitting on May 21, get ready. 12:32 — Want to watch Toy Story 4 early or catch a sneak-peek, here's how. 18:14 — Bo Peep is coming to Disney parks this summer, get a look at her in-park design. 22:54 — What is happening with Pixar in New York City? 31:03 — Our interview with The Pixar team — It's all in the details. 1:05:21 — After the interview discussion. 1:10:44 — 1-on-1 interview with Craig Foster and Ling Tu. 1:17:48 — Wrapping up the show. Stay tuned to PixarPost.com all week for the latest Pixar news. T.J. and Julie

In episode 65 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we dive into the full discussion with Josh Cooley and Mark Nielsen — actually answering 15 questions (of which we highlighted 7 above) all about Toy Story 4. Before we dive into the episode fully, we also highlight some of the latest news from the studio — show notes below. We kick off the episode with Toy Story trivia and then offer a high-level overview of our trip (highlighting all that we're going to share over the next few weeks). At 15:28 into the episode, we cover the recent trip we took to Canada to visit Toys R Us and the product videos we've been having a blast creating. At 25:34 into the show, we discuss the Toy Story 4 French premiere at the Annecy Film Festival on June 14 and at 28:02 we discuss the new Toy Story themed table-service restaurant which was recently announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios. At 31:56 we talk about Mychael and Jeff Danna scoring the upcoming (March 2020) release of Onward and then dive into a follow-up discussion on Disney+ and the Monsters at Work show (at 33:44). We also touch on Billy Crystal's historic honoring at the Grauman's Chinese Theater and his impressive nod to Mike Wazowski (at 40:30). Finally, before the interview, we provide some updated comments to our prior podcast (episode 63) asking if Pixar's short films are no longer happening and now transitioning to SparkShorts exclusively. The fantastic conversation with Josh Cooley and Mark Nielsen kicks off at 46:51 into the episode. Listen along as they answer 15 questions over 30 minutes to dive deep into Toy Story 4.

In Episode 64 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we chat with Kelly Bonbright (Script Supervisor on Incredibles 2), dive into Toy Story 4 news and of course start the episode with Pixar trivia. The episode kicks off with T.J. putting Julie to the test with some Presto-inspired trivia — the theme of Presto was chosen since the Funko of the lead rabbit, Alec Azam came out a few weeks back. Additionally, we talk briefly about the opening of Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy and the latest Toy Story 4 news (Tony Hale playing Forky, Don Rickles voicing Mr. Potato Head, the Toy Story 4 US / International trailer and more). KELLY BONBRIGHT INTERVIEW In our interview with Kelly Bonbright you'll learn all about her journey to Pixar — how she started in Consumer Products and eventually moved into the Script Supervisor role. You'll learn how the film is broken down into more manageable segments, funny sequence titles, and even some fun-facts. One of those fun facts was that Incredibles 2 had 59 total story sequences in the final film, but there were 121 omitted story sequences — that's a lot of awesome content and ideas that we still haven't seen! Listen to the entire episode below for even more great facts and learn what Kelly believes are the top skills you need to be a Script Supervisor.

In Episode 63 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we discuss Pixar's SparkShorts (and offer our rankings of Purl, Smash & Grab, and Kitbull). In addition, we talk about if Pixar will continue to release feature film short films — especially since we haven't heard anything about a short film for Toy Story 4. We also discuss Toy Story 4 news and when will the next trailer be released (you know, the one that's been rumored for a long time), the trailer which was shown at the Disney Annual Shareholder meeting, the upcoming book releases, and toy releases. Also, we chat about the possibility of starting a Patreon, we expand on the return of our podcast and how to listen to the episode with chapters to skip sections.

In episode 62 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we chat with Toby Chu, the wonderful composer of Pixar's short film, Bao. Additionally, we discuss the Pete Docter impersonator on Twitter (to kick off the show), Purl, the second short film in Pixar's Experimental Storytelling initiative (at 5:21 into the episode), and the box office successes that Incredibles 2 has achieved (11:18). Incredibles 2 is currently the third highest grossing animated film of all time, will it reach Frozen to become the top animated film? We break down the numbers. The main portion of the interview is our interview with Bao composer, Toby Chu (16:23). It was so great talking to Toby as we learned about his origins and passion for music, how he turned "no" into motivation to continue trying, and how the short film mirrored his life so closely. Did you know that he had to submit a demo for Bao? We get geeky about Pixar and discussed how much it meant to him that he was involved with the project, what it was like walking into the studio, and working with Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb (among others). Related Posts: - Breaking News: Pete Docter Named Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios - Podcast #61: Our Spoiler-Free 'Incredibles 2' Film Review & Our Candid Take on John Lasseter's Exit From Pixar - Book Review: Pixar Animation Studios Artist Showcase 'Box Meets Circle' by Aaron Hartline   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 61 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we share our spoiler-free review of the action-packed, Incredibles 2, as well as dive into the deep topic of John Lasseter's departure from the Walt Disney Company & Pixar at the end of 2018.  We talk candidly about our thoughts on John Lasseter's departure from the studio in the first half of the episode, while the back half of the show is our feedback regarding Incredibles 2 (a recording straight outside of the theater with our friend, Giovanni). INCREDIBLES 2 FILM REVIEW: I know this is going to sound "sales-y", but Incredibles 2 is incredible. It is high-paced from the opening moments of the film and doesn't let up until the final scene — but more importantly, when the film does take breaks from the action, there are also tender moments with important character arcs and big comedic scenes.  STORY & IMAGERY: The film feels very balanced from the story perspective and it is so much more than just a simple role-reversal (i.e., it's not just a Mr. Mom story). The animation is gorgeous (as to be expected) and the direction and layout of the film are stunning. I'll need a few more watches to really let this soak in, but my initial reaction was that the direction is one of Pixar's best — the angles and camera choices paired perfectly with the visuals on the screen.  CHARACTERS: With any sequel, you have a well-defined set of characters that audiences will be expecting a lot from.  As mentioned above, in addition to the vastly-improved visuals over 14 years of technical advancements, it felt like we were able to see the Parr family as they were intended — with hair rendered to perfection and outfits that popped off the screen.    Jack-Jack is a total scene-stealer and definitely generated the most laughs of any character (Dash being a close second). Violet won't let fans down and steps up in a big way to help the family during battles (wait until you hear the sound her forcefields make when she throws them).   Another fan-favorite, Frozone, always seems to be there when you need him (well, Honey doesn't think so). He's there to help Bob and Helen realize they need to make a change at the beginning and jumps right in to help with Jack-Jack when Bob is at his wit's end.   So, what about the new wannabe supers? They'll certainly leave you wanting more as they don't have a lot of lines or interaction overall — but they certainly take advantage of their screen time when present. Let me also just say that Reflux (the senior-aged super) is my favorite of the bunch — he can often be found resting or holding his belly while cracking an unintended joke.   That's not to say the other new characters aren't also great — we describe them in a lot more detail in the episode (player above). The Screenslaver is also another superb character who "could" cause young viewers to get a little scared (Film is rated PG). The action when he's on screen really captivated us and you even get a few Bane vibes (Batman) when he gives a hypnotizing monologue. Is he on the same level as Syndrome? You'll have to wait and see.   We have so much more to say in our podcast — check it out above and let us know your thoughts. Leave a comment below or chat about Incredibles 2 with other Pixar fans in the Pixar Post Forum dedicated to the film.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  In episode 60 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we share our complete interview with Ralph Eggleston (Production Designer), Bryn Imagire (Shading Art Director), Philip Metschan (Visual Designer) and Nathan Farris (Sets Supervisor) as we dive into how the team created the worlds of Incredibles 2. Earlier, we shared an article that dove into how the team created the Parr's new home in the film and now we're going to share the entire 40-minute interview that explores the home, the cities in the film, as well as the research behind the design choices which were made. SHOW NOTES: At the beginning of the episode, we chat about all-things Incredibles 2 (no surprise) and highlight the Pixar Post Forum and the breadth of conversations going on — from sharing bus advertisements, to concerns about continuity between the two films, if you haven't signed up or shared your views, check it out. Next up, we discuss the Incredibles 2 soundtrack being available for pre-order as well as our thoughts on Michael Giacchino's punny titles. We also follow up on two recent posts that we completed where we dove into The Art of Incredibles 2 book as well as some early Easter Eggs which have been spotted in the film (the reused Chinese food takeout box and the famed A113 has been spotted). There are quite a few early-screening opportunities for Incredibles 2 and we list out at least 18 different choices you have - (D23 Gold Member Gatherings, D23 Gold Member Complimentary Tickets, AMC Double-Feature tickets and even some options at AMC IMAX theaters as early as June 6. Before we get to the main interview with the Pixar crew, we also shared details on the amazing marketing of the Parr family home listing on Zillow. INTERVIEW: The main portion of this episode (starting at 30:20) is our interview with Ralph Eggleston (Production Designer), Bryn Imagire (Shading Art Director), Philip Metschan (Visual Designer) and Nathan Farris (Sets Supervisor). Listen in as they share wonderful details about how they held back the animation quality of the new film at the very opening of the film so it wouldn't be as visually jarring if someone watched The Incredibles and immediately wanted to turn on Incredibles 2. They also discuss some amazing details about how the crafted complete cities for the film (even some buildings in the background).   Chat about Incredibles 2 with other Pixar fans in the Pixar Post Forum dedicated to the film.

In episode 59 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we share our complete interview with Incredibles 2 writer/director, Brad Bird and Producers Nicole Grindle and John Walker. Along with the interview we share our thoughts on our two-day visit to Pixar Animation Studios earlier in April to discuss the film. We talk about many of the insights and details we learned as well as our high-level thoughts on the 22 minutes of footage we screened. Throughout the podcast, you'll learn about many details of the film's process, from the reason why the Incredibles family has the powers they do, to why the film swapped release dates with Toy Story 4. Additionally, you'll hear as we inquired which returning vocal actors (and which new vocal actors) really knocked it out of the park and why the film didn't have a time jump (since it picks up right where the first film left off). Oh, and have you ever wondered if you'll see Honey (Frozone's wife) in Incredibles 2? Listen for all the fantastic details. Check out even more details regarding our visit to the Studio on our homepage, PixarPost.com. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 058 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we continue our interview series from the two-day Coco press event where we talk with Co-Director and Screenwriter, Adrian Molina, as well as Lead Story Artist, Dean Kelly. We share the full audio from the 30-minute discussion with the duo as they shared what worked with the film early on, what didn't work, and even provide some facts about the Dia de los Muertos heritage (and how the tradition fits into the film). Note that there are some light spoilers in the podcast — nothing about the plot is revealed, but insights into the film and its creation are discussed. (Read below for a summarized view of the questions answered in the session.) Listen to the Podcast using the player embedded below or directly on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe and enjoy directly on iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast. SHOW NOTES: Kicking off the show we start with some Coco-themed trivia and then dive into the latest Coco news.  One of the main songs from the film, Remember Me, will be featured during the October 16 episode of Dancing With The Stars (Disney-themed night). For Your Consideration - Coco is hopeful to be included in the Best Picture category at this year's Oscars. November 3 will see a sneak peek of Coco coming to Disney World and Disneyland parks. Pixar's first Virtual Reality experience will be centered around a Coco-themed game. Although we'll do a full video review soon, we give our quick overview of the first batch of Coco-themed books which hit shelves on October 10. We also give our take on the most recent Coco merchandise which hit the Disney Store website - how can you resist Alejibre Dante? Southwest Airlines recently decked out a 737-700 airplane in full Coco styling (with a logo, artwork and will even offer a live concert in the sky). Cars 3 news Just a quick reminder that the digital version of the film comes out on October 24 and the 4K/HD/DVD version hits stores on November 7 - read the full list of special features here. We continue to expand on how much we love the demolition derby scene in the film and how we could watch it over-and-over again...in fact, you can watch the entire scene on Pixar's Twitter feed! Incredibles 2 news JAKKS Pacific was recently announced as the manufacturer of the upcoming film's toy line. We also discuss our thoughts on the new Movies Anywhere video service and the closure of Disney Movies Anywhere. INTERVIEW WITH ADRIAN MOLINA & DEAN KELLY  Listen in as we chat with Coco's Co-Director and Screenwriter, Adrian Molina, as well as Lead Story Artist, Dean Kelly. The duo touches on the challenges the story department faces, how they pushed through blocks to find a story that worked and provided some insights into earlier versions of the story. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the podcast by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email — we'd love to hear from you. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 057 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we bring you to Pixar Animation Studios for the Coco press event and we dive into our experience at the two-day event. We also share the full audio from the 30-minute filmmaker roundtable discussion with Lee Unkrich (Director), Darla K. Anderson (Producer), and Adrian Molina (Co-Director). Note that there are some light spoilers in the podcast — nothing about the plot is revealed, but insights into the film and its creation are discussed. (Read below for a summarized view of the questions answered in the session.) Listen to the Podcast using the player embedded below or directly on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe and enjoy directly on iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast. SHOW NOTES: Kicking off the show we start with our discussion highlighting Julie's trip to Pixar, noting the highlights from visiting the studio (including the store), her thoughts on the 35-minute screening, and our feedback on the roundtable interview. Summary of questions asked during the roundtable How many references are there to The Shining in Coco? What other movies influenced how the afterlife was depicted in Coco? How would you like Mexican communities and cultures to view the film? Was there any concern with the number of characters in the film? What is Miguel's character arc? (Not answered) Will people feel left out since there are moments of untranslated Spanish throughout the film? Are there Mexican historical figures in the film? Where did the idea for the film come from and were there concerns since you're not Latino? What role did the cultural consultants play that you brought on? Will John Ratzenburger still lend his vocal talents to the film (even though it's an all-Latin cast)? Much like other Pixar films, are there still subtle lighting cues which signify struggle and success even though the film contains a lot of darkness? The film is elaborate in size and scale, did the studio ever say "no" to something on the film because it was too expensive? Were there a lot of new programs which had to be created to accommodate the film's production? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the podcast by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email — we'd love to hear from you. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 056 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we discuss Disney's additional stake in BAMtech, Cars 3 box office results, Coco news, and much more. Listen to the Podcast using the player embedded below or direct on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe and enjoy directly on iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast. SHOW NOTES: Kicking off the show we start with some Pixar trivia — asking, what are the similarities between WALL-E and R2-D2 from Star Wars. Disney Streaming — we dive into the we news of Disney purchasing additional stake in the company, BAMtech. We talk about what this means for the Netflix deal Disney signed a few years ago and how it fits into the overall streaming arena. Cars 3 Box Office — We talk about the somewhat perplexing box office numbers for the film — we look at our website statistics, Rotten Tomatoes ratings, comparisons to Cars and Cars 2, and an article from Variety which talks about the summer box office slump overall.  Cars 3 Blu-ray — We also discuss the home release for the film and look at what we believe may be the DVD & Blu-ray cover art as well as talk about the release date possibilities. Coco Press Teaser — Although Julie doesn't share any details, we discuss her time visiting Pixar for the recent press event to cover the film. Coco international trailer and TV Spot — We talk through the wonderful Spanish trailer for the film as well as the 30-second TV advertisement. Between the two, there are some great new moments of footage and we discuss them both. Coco release dates & books — We talk about why we love the fact that the film is being released in Mexico before the U.S., and which of the upcoming books (as highlighted in our post), we're excited for the most (hint, it's the "Art of" and "Family Tree" books). SIGGRAPH — we also note that a forum user who was at SIGGRAPH is really eager to chat about his excitement towards Smash and Grab (a film tied to Pixar's experimental short program). If you were there, let us know in the forum. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the podcast by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email — we'd love to hear from you. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  Get ready as we dive into the mud and chat about the Cars 3 Production Pipeline from the perspective of Bobby Podesta (Supervising Animator), Jon Reisch (Effects Supervisor), and Michael Fong (Supervising Technical Director). In this combined post and podcast episode (#055) we continue our Cars 3 interview series. We explore the Pixar pipeline and the challenges the effects team faced while digitally crafting mud as well as some great production tips about embracing last-minute story changes (even if that means scrapping some completed work). Michael Fong, Andrea Warren and Brian Fee at a production meeting Bobby Podesta kicked off our 40-minute production session (which centered around the crazy-8 sequence in the film) and shared some of the team's demolition derby research trip photos. Of course, all Pixar projects start with some form of research, and this one seemed particularly fun — crushed cars, mud, and roaring engines. Speaking of mud, Jon Reisch gave us a peek into the 6-month development of mud in the film — is it a liquid, is it a solid? This was the challenge he and the effects team had to tackle to make the soon-to-be infamous derby scene ring true. The effects team is responsible for natural phenomena in the film (e.g., water, smoke, fire, dust) and has to provide a believable interaction with the environment which grounds the characters in the world — a world we (as viewers) can relate to.   So, how did Director, Brian Fee describe how to make mud? Fee joked with Reisch to make the mud look like "chunky oatmeal that's in soup." Well, between a multitude of comparisons to cake frosting and liquid chocolate, the team's efforts finally paid off, and the mud (which is integral to the scene) really looks fantastic. Jon Reisch image © Pixar Wrapping up the main session (before our 1-on-1 interview with the trio) was Michael Fong. By now you may know the Pixar adage, "Story is King," but Michael and the team's way of supporting this are wonderful to see in practice. He noted that although late story changes may alter or delete some of their current work, they embrace the change and realize that everything at Pixar is in service of the story — to enhance the characters and improve the film. This level of professionalism and practicality really stood out, and we really appreciate even deeper the passion that the teams put into their films. Podcast plug. If we can be so bold as to recommend listening to the entire session, I would also stick around for the 1-on-1 interview with the gang as well — you can really get geeky as we expand on how the team simulated the air around the cars (a Pixar-first) to enhance the look and realism of the shots. Additionally, it was great to hear some insights from Podesta about the scenes he animated with Chick Hicks in the new film — giving us lots to explore in the background of the film. Listen to the Podcast using the player embedded below or direct on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe and enjoy directly on iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the podcast by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email — we'd love to hear from you. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  In episode 054 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we kick off our Cars 3 interview series as we explore the next generation of Cars characters. We dive into the design, rigging and animation of many characters in the film — from Lightning, Jackson, Cruz, and more we chat with Jay Shuster (Production Designer), Michael Comet (Characters Supervisor), and Jude Brownbill (Directing Animator). You'll hear how the team created Jackson to make Lightning look (and feel old), how they meticulously rigged, shaded and painted the characters (down to the headlights and suspension) to get the character ready for the animation team.   In addition to our group (and individual) interviews with the trio, we also dive deep into the new Cars 3 soundtracks by providing clips from each of the artists who will appear on the soundtrack. We also continue our "Ask Pixar Post" segment where we answer your questions - thanks Mark F. for the questions! (Have a question you want to ask - email us here.)   Listen to the Podcast using the player embedded below. Be sure to subscribe and enjoy directly on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, or Overcast. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the podcast by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email — we'd love to hear from you. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 053 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we center in on two main topics — Our discussion with Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera on the development of the now beloved film, Inside Out and how it is being honored at the first annual AutFest (details below). Additionally, we continue our "Ask Pixar Post" segment where you ask the questions (this time centered around Disney), and we answer them (with some quirky and fun responses included).   Listen to the Podcast using the player embedded below. Be sure to subscribe and enjoy directly on iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast. DISCUSSION WITH PETE DOCTER & JONAS RIVERA ABOUT THE AUTFEST Celebrating autism awareness "from spectrum to screen," AutFest, the first film festival solely dedicated to an autism audience and filmmakers will take place this weekend, April 22-23, 2017. The first Annual AutFest International Film Festival will honor Oscar-winning director, actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck and Oscar-winning Pixar Animation Studios' filmmakers, Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera, for their cinematic portrayals of the complexity of human emotions in The Accountant and Inside Out. On-hand to honor Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera will be AutFest Honorary Committee member, Ed Asner (who voiced Carl from UP), after the sensory-friendly screening of the film. The screening which will take place Sunday, April 23 at 12:20 PM, will be followed by a Q&A where Asner will present Pete and Jonas with their award and allow for audience-generated questions. Tickets are still available to attend this event which will be held at the AMC Orange 30, Orange CA (attend one or all events). For a complete schedule and full list of films that will be screened at the festival, visit autfestasa.com FILM SCHEDULE Saturday, April 22 10:00 AM — Block of Shorts 12:15 PM — Redha 2:20 PM — Aspergers Are Us 3:50 PM — Swim Team 5:30 PM — Swim Team Q&A with Director Lara Stolman 6:00 PM — Jack of the Red Hearts 7:55 PM — Life, Animated 9:30 PM — Life, Animated Panel of Siblings Sunday, April 23 10:30 AM — Destiny 12:20 PM — Inside Out 1:55 PM — Inside Out Q&A with Pixar's Pete Docter & Jonas Rivera 2:50 PM — Po 4:25 PM — Po Q&A with director John Asher & actor Julian Feder 4:50 PM — Sponsor Reel 5:00 PM — The Accountant 7:10 PM — The Accountant Q&A with Ben Affleck 8:00 PM — VIP Reception at the Cafe TuTu Tango   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the podcast by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email — we'd love to hear from you.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie Related Posts - Pete Docter & Jonas Rivera to be Honored at AUTFEST - 1st Annual Film Festival Dedicated to Autism Awareness - Summary of Pete Docter's Live 'Inside Out' Q&A Twitter Session - Review: 'Inside Out' Captivated Us From the First Musical Cues

In episode 052 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we discuss the news surrounding Cars 3, we dive into the Piper crew Q&A session, the latest Pixar animation news of the week, and continue our Ask Pixar Post segment - where we answer questions from you, our listeners.   Kicking off the show we start with some Pixar trivia — talking about John Ratzenberger, Richard Kind and the number of birds from For The Birds. Next, we dive into the wealth of Cars 3 news that hit within the last week. Cars 3 and NASCAR press event with images of Dinoco Cruz Ramirez and the additional vocal cast announcements. Cars 3 merchandise - we chat about the NASCAR store apparel/collectibles, the Poster Art of the World of Cars book and even some rumors of Funko Pop Vinyl Cars 3 characters coming soon. We touch on the Piper Q&A session with Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer and play clips from the session and offer our thoughts. The Pixar tour featuring Nick Pitera was fantastic and we chat about the video as well as the potential spotting of Toy Story Easter Eggs. Following up on last episode's discussions surrounding Lou, we talk about the world premiere at the 2017 South-By-Southwest festival as well as Dave Mullins' exciting "How to pitch a compelling short project" presentation at the event. We touch on Andrew Stanton's direction on the upcoming season of Stranger Things as well as his wants to direct The Americans — we also segue into the Ask Pixar Post segment with Julie's prior workings with Stranger Things Producer, Shawn Levy. Finally, we wrap up with our continued segment titled, "Ask Pixar Post" in which we answer questions from you so you can get to know us more. If you have a question about Pixar, want to know more about us, or just want to inquire about an upcoming movie, let us know. Email us your questions here or send us a message through any of our social media channels. In the second edition, we answer two questions from our listener, HayLee, about what Cars character we would we be and why — along with our thoughts on which Pixarian we'd like to shadow for a week.   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

� In episode 051 of the Pixar Post Podcast, we chat about the latest story updates regarding Lou, Piper's big win at the Annie Awards, Cars 3 merchandise, a new segment where you can get to know us more called, "Ask Pixar Post" and a whole lot more.    Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and enjoy directly on iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast. Kicking off the show (as usual), we put Julie under pressure and ask her two Pixar quiz questions.  Next, we dig into the Annie Awards and discuss our thoughts on Piper's big win as well as Finding Dory being overlooked. The VES Awards were held on February 7, and we discuss the win for Outstanding Animated Performance for Hank in Finding Dory. We think it's a highly deserved win and we describe why. We then dive into the highly-anticipated short film, Lou, and discuss the rumors that it may be like Woody interacting with Sid in Toy Story, as well as how it tackles playground bullying. Cars 3 is up next, and we discuss the products hitting shelves in just a few months — books, clothing, beach towels, sunglasses, Lego Junior sets, and video games. We touch on the Mater & The Easter Buggy die cast cars which have finally been released as well as the Easter Eggs in the book. Finding Dory swam all the way to Paris and will premiere in a new float (Discover A New World) in the parks - we have a quick discussion surrounding the new characters which will appear in the "Disney Stars on Parade" show. Finally, we wrap up with a new segment titled, "Ask Pixar Post" in which we answer questions from you so you can get to know us more. If you have a question about Pixar, want to know more about us, or just want to inquire about an upcoming movie, let us know. Email us your questions here. In the first edition, we answer three questions from Don S. who asked us about our least favorite vegetables (i.e., Riley and broccoli in Inside Out), what we do for a living, and if we woke up tomorrow and we were Pixar characters, who would we be? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 050 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about Dory's reach to $1 Billion dollars, Dory deleted scenes, Lee Unkrich's impromptu Twitter Q&A session (we summarized the most intriguing responses), our website re-design and much more...but, the gem of the episode is our interview with Pixar employee, Beth Sullivan (Administration Manager of the Studio Mastering Department). Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes, Stitcher, or Overcast. Kicking off the show (as usual), we put Julie to the test and ask her some Pixar-themed quiz questions...but for episode 50, she turns the tables on T.J. and asks a few questions of him as well. At 6:00 into the show we talk about Dory's reach to $1 Billion...and beyond. 9:58 - We summarize and provide insights into Lee Unkrich's Twitter Q&A session — with a few Coco details. 24:36 - Back to Finding Dory, we chat about some recently released deleted scenes which will be part of the Blu-ray & Digital release and talk about Andrew's comments of if it should have stayed or be left out. 31:19 - There have been a slew of fantastic Pixar products recently and we chat about some Pixar pajamas, a new WALL•E screen print by Tom Whalen and more. 36:49 - The main feature of the podcast is our interview with Beth Sullivan and her wonderful metal artwork of many of our favorite Pixar characters. Read more about this amazing artwork — including viewing photos of each character piece.   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  In episode 049 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about Lou (Pixar's upcoming short film), Dory approaching $1 Billion dollars, (as well as the Blu-ray versions which will be available) and many more great Pixar topics. Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes,  Stitcher, or Overcast. Kicking off the show (as usual), we put Julie under pressure and ask her Pixar quiz questions and she gets 4-out-of-4 correct.  At 3:11 into the show we transition and start talking about the short film, Lou, which was teased last week. At 8:30 we talk about Piper's 2-week run on the Disney Movies Anywhere app as well as our reiteration of the soundtrack review (read our review and purchase the score). At 15:35 we talk about Finding Dory coming out on Digital & Blu-ray and we run through the store-exclusive versions as well as discuss which version we recommend. Additionally, we talk about Dory's approach to $1 Billion dollars at the box office. At 28:43 we dive into a series of special features which Pixar has been releasing on their YouTube channel surrounding Brave and Monsters University — including one which was previously only exclusive to the Target Blu-ray release. At 32:09 we talk about the Toy Story Vans shoes and accessories collection which release on October 7. We offer our initial reactions on the line, which ones excite us the most and our plans to visit a Vans store to explore the entire line.   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  As part of our latest Pixar Post Podcast episode (#48) we were lucky enough to sit down with Piper Director, Alan Barillaro and chat about his passion in crafting the film into the stunning work of art it is today. We discussed the nuances of animating feathers by hand, using eyebrow rigs for waves, re-recording part of the score under water and having a little fear (in a good way) when working on a project. As nuanced as many of those things may sound, they all came together to form the adorable six-minute short film. left to right around the table - Alan Barillaro, Erik Smitt, Ferdi Scheepers, Jason Deamer, Rich Horine & Sarah Reimers We're not the only ones that seem to have fallen for Piper either — when speaking with fans or other critics, we've only heard people utter "10-out-of-10" when asked what their rating would be. The number one comment is the film's adorable lead character, Piper, followed quickly be the gorgeous visuals. Listen to our interview (posted below) as we chat with Alan and unpack many of the technical details and story elements which led to its final form. We begin our interview with Alan at 24:44 into the episode, but please enjoy the entire podcast as we review Finding Dory (the film and soundtrack), put Julie on the spot with some Dory and Nemo quizzes and much more. EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS Along with the interview, we're thrilled to share an exclusive set of behind-the-scenes images from the scoring session as well as lead team member's discussing the project. Even more behind-the-scenes photos from Piper can be found in the Pixar Post 'Piper' Gallery. Left to right - Alan Barillaro, Brett Levin, Erik Smitt & Jason Deamer Piper scoring session Composer Adrian Belew (right), Score Engineer, Greg Hayes (left) Piper scoring session - conducted by Brian Byrne   Related Posts: - Dive Deeper Into Pixar's 'Piper' - Details About the Story & Score - Pixar Post Podcast 047: 'Coco' animation begins, 'Finding Dory' and 'Piper' news & much more - All About 'Coco' - From 2012 To Now   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

      In episode 047 of the Pixar Post Podcast we we discuss the animation kickoff of Pixar's Coco, Finding Dory news (Art of book, soundtrack, fun facts), Piper news (Alan Barillaro, the score, the concept artwork) and chat about Danielle Feinberg's amazing TED Talk about the science of light (with audio clips). Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes,  Stitcher, or Overcast.   Kicking off the show, we put Julie under pressure and ask her a question from the Ultimate Inside Out Trivia Quiz (via Oh My Disney). At 1:37 into the show, we discuss Lee Unkrich's tweet regarding the kickoff of the animation team on, Coco. 3:01 Finding Dory news We discuss some recent fun facts released and get geeky calculating the average number of storyboards created by the story team (103,000) and breaking that down per year (1,635 - assuming 18 average story team members over 3.5 years) and per day (6.28 - assuming a 5 day work-week). Also chat about the release date of the Finding Dory Soundtrack & the newly updated Art of Finding Dory book cover (and "look inside" details). EW article about the ease of vocal casting due to Ellen DeGeneres' talk show. In case you missed the map of the Marine Life Institute from the April Fool's joke video, it's worth another look to get the layout of the park. 12:45 After Inside Out quiz question #2 for Julie, we delve into Piper We chat about the brilliant concept art by Jason Deamer, Alan Barillaro's directorial debut for the short film, The painterly effect the film may contain, The score by Adrian Belew. 26:39 After Inside Out quiz question #3 for Julie, we chat about Danielle Feinberg's TED Talk about the science of light (with audio clips).    Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you.  Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  In episode 046 of the Pixar Post Podcast we continue our behind-the-scenes look at The Good Dinosaur and chat with Directing Animator, Rob Thompson and Animator, Kevin O'Hara. We also chat about the big Golden Globe win for Inside Out, the wonderful Sanjay's Super Team "making of" video and much more. Kicking off the show, we chat about our latest news wrap-up called the "Pixar Minute". At 2:20 into the show, we discuss the Golden Globe awards, the Oscar nominations, BAFTA awards, VES awards and the Annie Awards. At 13:34 into the show, we chat about the wonderful For Your Consideration promotional videos for The Good Dinosaur and Sanjay's Super Team.   ROB THOMPSON & KEVIN O'HARA INTERVIEW   Kevin O'Hara & Rob Thompson Starting at 21:19 into the podcast, we share our interview with Directing Animator, Rob Thompson and Animator, Kevin O'Hara. Rob and Kevin share amazing insights into the process of animating a quadruped (4-legged animal) and talk through some great insights into the process of animating on The Good Dinosaur. Anyone interested in animation or looking to get into animation definitely should listen to this interview as the pair share industry terminology and set a great base for animation at Pixar. In our discussion after the presentation, we also mentioned a sample quadruped walk cycle video - this 45 minute tutorial is located on Vimeo.   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, writing a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  In episode 045 of the Pixar Post Podcast we continue our deep-dive into The Good Dinosaur and chat with story supervisor, Kelsey Mann and Screenwriter, Meg LaFauve. We also chat about the news of the week and break down some of the upcoming awards season as well as awards which have already been won for Inside Out. Kicking off the show, we chat about the upcoming awards season. Julie summarizes the award nominations for Inside Out as well as The Good Dinosaur. Read more details here and share your thoughts regarding the awards in the Pixar Post Forum. Ten minutes into the show, we discuss the gorgeous re-design of the Petersen Automotive Museum and their integration of the Cars franchise into one of their exhibits. At 14:30 into the show, we chat about Michael Giacchino officially signing on to score The Incredibles 2 and Tom Hanks' return to the recording booth for Toy Story 4.   KELSEY MANN & MEG LAFAUVE INTERVIEW Photo of the East side #6 story room for The Good Dinosaur   Starting at 21:10 into the podcast, we share our interview with Story Supervisor, Kelsey Mann and Screenwriter, Meg LaFauve. The pair dig into the importance of teamwork (avoiding "sequence-itis"), insights into the making of The Good Dinosaur and listen as Kelsey pitches the hilarious gopher sequence (with Arlo and Spot) from the film. Meg Lafauve & Kelsey Mann (center back)   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, leaving a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you.   Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes,  Stitcher, or Overcast. Related Posts: - Episode 043 of the Pixar Post Podcast - Our Studio Visit to Discuss 'The Good Dinosaur', Interview With Sharon Calahan & Much More - 'The Good Dinosaur' Review: An Awe-Inspiring Tale of Friendship and Perseverance - 'The Good Dinosaur' Soundworks Collection Interview With Mychael & Jeff Danna Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  Episode 044 of the Pixar Post Podcast is dedicated to Toy Story That Time Forgot - listen in as we review the Blu-ray release and chat with Director, Steve Purcell regarding the production process, working with the voice actors and even discuss a few uncovered Easter Eggs. Kicking off the show, we chat about the in-home release of Toy Story That Time Forgot and run through our favorite moments from the special features.  At 11:50 seconds into the show, we welcome our special guest, Steve Purcell, to chat about the release, the special features and some additional behind-the-scenes details from the television special.   EASTER EGGS During the episode, Steve mentioned a few additional Easter Eggs and hidden items which were previously uncovered. He noted that the three stylized posters behind Bonnie & Mason in the video game room represented upcoming Pixar films - Coco, Inside Out and Cars 3 — each crafted to subtly hint at the films (for instance, Rainbow Unicorn's mane was stylized to represent Inside Out, Coco featured Dia de los Muertos flower designs & a road and lug nuts signified Cars 3). He also clued us in that the children on the Battlesaur product boxes were Riley's classmates from Inside Out! Steve noted, "We create so many assets in the company, it's fun to be able to find a place for assets in a different show from where they were designed" — we couldn't agree more — be sure to reference our original Easter Egg post for even more fun hidden treasures from Toy Story That Time Forgot (fully updated with more Inside Out references...and new hidden gems we only spotted after we saw the show in high definition).     Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode by leaving a comment on iTunes, leaving a comment below or sending us an email - we'd love to hear from you. Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes,  Stitcher, or Overcast. Related Posts: - In-Depth Look at the Easter Eggs Hidden in 'Toy Story That Time Forgot' (UPDATED w Inside Out, Coco and Cars 3 hidden items) - Angel Kitty and Mr. Jones 'Toy Story' Special Plush Toy Reviews - Review of the Thinkway 'Toy Story That Time Forgot' Battlesaurs Buzz & Woody Talking Action Figures Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 043 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about our recent visit to Pixar Animation Studios to dig into the creation of The Good Dinosaur, our visit to the Pixar Archives and much more. STUDIO VISIT Kicking off the show, Julie recounts her recent trip to the studio, describing the 2-day event which explored the research, creation and challenges the teams overcame along the path to make the modern day dinosaur film. Additional details from the visit can be found in our Behind-the-Scenes look at the film as well as our visit to the Pixar Archives. (Future podcast episodes will also share additional details on the event and interviews with employees.)     GOOD DINO CAMPUS CRAWL Starting at 31:39 into the show, we chat about our visit to a Good Dino Campus Crawl event at Eastern Michigan University with Lighting Supervisor, Jonathan Pytko (additional details from the event are included in this post).   SHARON CALAHAN INTERVIEW Starting at 39:30 into the podcast, we share our group interview followed by our 1-on-1 interview with Director of Photography for Lighting, Sharon Callahan. She discusses the research team's trip to the wilderness for inspiration, how her landscape paintings shaped the look of the film as well as the other films that served as inspiration for the vast and gorgeous landscape. If you like digging into the Pixar's research trips, this is a fantastic interview to listen to. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned all week for the latest Pixar news. Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes,  Stitcher, or Overcast. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

  In episode 042 of the Pixar Post Podcast we break down all you need to know to be ready for the upcoming release of Disney Infinity 3.0. We invited Will from DisneyInfinity.tv to breakdown which starter pack you need (disc or digital), we layout the five known play sets, chat about the 40+ game figures available for play and chat about the many power discs coming to the latest release. Will also dives into his experience playing the Inside Out play set, his experience at the Toy Box Summit and the Disney Interactive panel at the 2015 D23 Expo. Once you listen, be sure to leave a comment on our post or chat about the game with other users in the Pixar Post Forum - we want to know, what is the first play set and figure you're planning to pick up on launch day? Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes, or subscribe and listen on Stitcher or Overcast. Related Posts - Disney Infinity 3.0 'Inside Out' Play Set Preview - Browse all previous episodes of the Pixar Post Podcast - Disney Infinity 3.0 Toy Box Summit 2015 - Event Details, Ordering & Unboxing Pixar Post - T.J.

In episode 041 of the Pixar Post Podcast we give our wrap-up discussion of the D23 Expo which took place from August 14-16, 2015 in Anaheim California. We also chat with Lava director, Jim Murphy in our short one-on-one interview and dive into the updated Disney Infinity 3.0 news (The Good Dinosaur) and so much more.   D23 EXPO Kicking off the show, we jump right into the D23 Expo and mix in the news over the last few weeks. Read our wrap up review of the D23 Expo with photos here. We discuss the announcements regarding Riley's First Date The Good Dinosaur (included in our wrap up review) Finding Dory (with the first Easter Egg) Coco (read all about Coco in our detailed post looking at the film from 2012 to now). Toy Story 4 (read the buzz about Lasseter's comments that the film will feature a love store between Woody and Bo Peep) We also include the news of Don Rickles' return as Mr. Potato Head (along with the newly announced returning voice actress, Kristen Schaal - yeah, Trixie is back) Other Pixar sightings at the Expo Inside Out panel - Pete Docter / Jonas Rivera / Phyllis Smith Pixar secrets revealed panel - Mary Coleman / Mark Andrews / Darla Anderson / Ronnie del Carmen / Dan Scanlon Toy Story: 20 years later panel - John Lasseter / Pete Docter / Andrew Stanton / Lee Unkrich / Galyn Susman / Ralph Eggleston / Sharon Calahan / Eben Ostby / Bob Pauley / Bill Reeves Sculpting with Greg Dykstra (The Good Dinosaur T-Rex sculpt) Autograph Signings with Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera Andrew Stanton and Lindsey Collins Ralph Eggleston Nick Pitera Angus MacLane - WALL•E LEGO reveal and discussion along with autograph session A special collection of John Lasseter's famed Reyn Spooner Hawaiian Shirts News of Toy Story Land at Disney World along with the revamped Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters ride at Cars Land. Precision Series die-cast Cars characters are coming and they're releasing all of Radiator Springs as individual play sets.   PIXAR NEWS Quick updates on the news and a few product updates Inside Out Blu-ray release date and special features Toy Story That Time Forgot Blu-ray release date and special features Disney Infinity 3.0 coming out soon - and thanks to the Expo we now know that Spot from The Good Dinosaur will be joining the game as a toy box figure.   LAVA INTERVIEW WITH JIM MURPHY Next up, we present our one-on-one chat with Lava director, Jim Murphy. We chat about everything from the sculpts, the concepts, the story development and the catchy song that drives the shots. As we indulge over the Uku and Lele casts that Jim brought in, we also discuss the sound design, his status meetings with John Lasseter and so much more as the team refined the short into what it is today.   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned all week for the latest Pixar news.   Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes, or subscribe and listen on Stitcher. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 040 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about our continued experience at the Inside Out press event, where we bring you our interview with Angelique Reisch (Inside Out Character Lighting Lead). We also chat about the rating of the first full-length The Good Dinosaur trailer, Disney Infinity 3.0 release date and D23 Expo details, our review of the Toy Story Legacy Collection soundtrack (with clips) and much more. Pixar News Kicking off the show, we discuss the news of the first full-length The Good Dinosaur trailer rating - when can we expect its release? At 3:48 into the show, we chat about Brave's Merida appearing in an upcoming episode of Once Upon A Time.  Starting at 6:52 into the podcast we chat about the August 30, 2015 release date for Disney Infinity 3.0, the exclusives to watch out for, the benefits of pre-ordering and the August 16, 2015 event at the 2015 D23 Expo. At 12:53 into the podcast, we present our review of The Legacy Collection: Toy Story soundtrack. We chat about the packaging, the design, the 2-disc set as well as how to access the exclusive bonus content found in the retail edition. (We also made a quick mention of the Toy Story Sketchbook). Be sure to pick up the The Legacy Collection: Toy Story on Amazon or iTunes (released on July 10, 2015)   SDCC - Sanjay's Super Team Panel Wrap-up Last week, Sanjay's Super Team Director, Sanjay Patel and Producer, Nicole Paradis Grindle held a session at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con and not only screened the short film, but also dove into the background development and inspiration for the short. Starting at 22:25 into the episode, we provide a detailed wrap-up session of the panel (including the audience Q&A session). Lit and unlit characters from Inside Out       Inside Out Interview with Angelique Reisch Starting at 32:23 into the podcast we present our discussion with Angelique Reisch as she walks though a day-in-the-life of a Lighting team member, discusses the Principles of Lighting (which are fantastic) and talks through some of the challenges and successes from Inside Out. Pay special attention to the chat about the newly developed geometry light that the Renderman team created - this is a great example of teamwork and brilliant technology as they turned Joy into a light source (rather than solely being lit). Additionally, at 58:45 into the episode, we also were lucky enough to chat with Angelique one-on-one to delve into a few more details from Inside Out.     Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned as we'll be releasing audio from all of our group and one-on-one interviews from the press event with even more tips, details and fun from the Inside Out event.   Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes, or subscribe and listen on Stitcher.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 039 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about our continued experience at the Inside Out press event, where we bring you our interview with Patrick Lin (Inside Out Director of Photography). We also chat about the announcement of the first The Good Dinosaur teaser trailer, sample some Inside Out score moments, chat with a visitor to the Real Up House and much more. Pixar News Kicking off the show, we discuss the big news of The Good Dinosaur teaser trailer which was released and give our thoughts and feedback. We also chat about our custom The Good Dinosaur T-Shirts we made in honor of the new poster artwork for our Live Google Hangout to chat about the trailer. At 6:00 into the show, we chat about an Inside Out summary of recent news, TV commercials as well as the Pixar Post Products page and our recent review of 15 different Inside Out themed books. Starting at 9:34 into the podcast we sample a quick audio clip from Inside Out as well as chat about the recently released track listing as well. We also chat about (at 20:45 into the podcast) some corrections and clarifications regarding Michael Giacchino's work from our last podcast thanks to a long-time studio musician who has worked on many of Pixar's films. There are some great insights and we truly appreciate the clarifications and insights. Click to read a few details from the musician's work on Inside Out on the Pixar Post Forum (user miafka).   Inside Out Interview with Patrick Lin Starting at 27:15 into the podcast we begin our design discussion with Patrick Lin. With the breadth of information and details that Patrick imparts regarding the Layout team (also-known-as the Camera and Staging department), we know you'll be enthralled. For film or camera geeks, you'll be able to hear how Pixar took real lenses and created digital profiles of their properties to use in the film - the first time this has been done for a Pixar film. Additionally, you may also be interested to look at our behind-the-scenes look at the film as we explore a scene from concept, to layout, to screen.   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned as we'll be releasing audio from all of our group and one-on-one interviews from the press event with even more tips, details and fun from the Inside Out event. The Real Up House Visit At 52:42 into the episode we present our discussion with Dan and his trip to visit the Real Up House in Utah - view additional details as well as photos from Dan's visit to the Up house. If you haven't heard of this house before, Dan dives into all the fun details on the history of the house, how their photo session went as well as some tips and tricks for people visiting the house.   Pixar Post - T.J.

In episode 038 of the Pixar Post Podcast we wrap up the recent Pixar news as well as discuss John Lasseter's speech at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on "The New Audience - Moviegoing in a Connected World" - including audio from the discussion. Pixar News & John Lasseter's Discussion Kicking off the show, we chat about all latest Pixar news, including brief highlights from - Disney Infinity 3.0 The Finding Dory sneak peek at the D23 Expo The updated synopsis for The Good Dinosaur The bevy of Inside Out clips, TV spots and trailers released in the last week Michael Giacchino's big summer blockbuster season of three movies Starting at 16:10 into the show, we discuss John Lasseter's speech at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as he discusses the changing landscape of technology and how it interplays with the film making. (Thank you to our friend who attended the event and was kind enough to send us audio from Lasseter's discussion.)   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned as we'll be releasing additional audio interviews (group and one-on-one interviews) from the Inside Out press event in our next episode.   Pixar Post - T.J.

  In episode 037 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about our continued experience at the Inside Out press event, where we bring you our group AND one-on-one interview with Ralph Eggleston (Inside Out Production Designer). We also chat about the the announcement of Sanjay's Super Team, the Lava mini documentary and so much more. Pixar News Kicking off the show, we discuss the wonderfully put together behind-the-scenes documentary that was released for Lava. Starting at 8:02 into the podcast we chat about the news of the new short film featured ahead of The Good Dinosaur in theaters November 25, 2015 - Sanjay's Super Team. At 16:40 into the episode, we chat about the release of the Inside Out soundtrack on June 16.     Ralph Eggleston - image © Pixar Inside Out Interview with Ralph Eggleston Starting at 19:02 into the podcast we begin our design discussion with Ralph Eggleston. From Ralph's captivating discussion on Riley's "personality islands" to his insights into the film, we know you're going to thoroughly enjoy this audio interview. Starting at 49:55 we continue our discussion with Ralph and present our one-on-one interview where we dive into more details on the design of the Train of Thought as well as some early memory sorting design elements which were later removed from the film.   Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned as we'll be releasing audio from all of our group and one-on-one interviews from the press event with even more tips, details and fun from the Inside Out event. Pixar Post - T.J.

In episode 036 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about our continued experience at the Inside Out press event, where we bring you our interview with Ronnie Del Carmen (Inside Out co-Director) and Josh Cooley (Inside Out - Story Supervisor). We also chat about the Inside Out advance screening opportunity, Ratatouille in Concert and so much more. Pixar News Starting at 3:00 into the podcast, we kick off by discussion by chatting about Ratatouille in Concert. At 10:25 into the show, we chat about Ed Catmull's potential to have his likeness cast in wax for Madame Tussauds as well as my personal meeting Ed at the Studios. At 16:08 into the podcast, we chat about the new French trailer for Inside Out along with some of the Easter Eggs which were spotted in the trailer. At 20:10 into the discussion, we chat about the special advance screening of Inside Out on June 16 (3 days before it's broad theatrical release) as well as the live Q&A session and 15 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage. At 22:37 into the show, we discuss our thoughts as well as Brad Bird's comments regarding Dolby Vision - the latest Dolby technology that produces superior visual projection of films in theaters. Inside Out will be the second film projected with this technology. At 25:28 into the show, we discuss the potential of Josh Cooley's Inside Out Blu-Ray release of Riley's First Date. Inside Out Interview - Ronnie Del Carmen and Josh Cooley Starting at 27:36 into the podcast we being our chat about our experience in the story review sessions for the press event - covering our thoughts on the room, the process and insights from the interview. The interview itself begins at 33:21 into the show. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned as we'll be releasing audio from all of our group and one-on-one interviews from the press event with even more tips, details and fun from the Inside Out event. Pixar Post - T.J.

In episode 035 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about Pixar news updates as well as discuss a multitude of details from our visit to Pixar Animation Studios for the Inside Out press event. We share our thoughts on the film (spoiler-free) and share audio from the roundtable discussion with Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera. Below are our show notes from the episode with time codes for your reference: Pixar News Starting at 2:08 into the podcast, we kick off by discussion the Disney deal which extends IMAX distribution of Disney•Pixar films through 2017 - which means we'll get Finding Dory and Toy Story 4 on an even bigger, big screen. At 3:36 into the show, we chat about (and include audio from) an interview that Brad Bird did with NPR where he briefly discussed that he was starting writing The Incredibles 2 as well as gave the audience a taste of his brilliant vocal work for Edna Mode. At 8:37, we chat about an update to the Disney Inquizitive app and it's recent update with more quizzes - and we give Julie a live test on-air about her Pixar movie line knowledge.   Inside Out Press Event Details & Roundtable Interview Starting at 10:58 into the podcast - We chat about our experience at the Pixar Press Event for Inside Out. We discuss our thoughts on the experience, the film itself (with a breakdown of some of the characters - spoiler-free), a discussion of the easter eggs that we've already spotted, our time meeting the cast and crew of the film and finally we include audio from our interview with Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the episode below and stay tuned as we'll be releasing audio from all of our group and one-on-one interviews from the press event with even more tips, details and more regarding Inside Out.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie  

In episode 034 of the Pixar Post Podcast we chat about Pixar news updates as well as discuss some of the upcoming merchandise for Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur and To Protect and Serve. In addition to the news, we also are wrapping up the Pixar Pipeline Project with our interview with Laura Meyer with the Pixar the Localization/Post Production team. Finally, we chat about a post which puts some of the localization team members' work into visual form. Below are our show notes from the episode with time codes for your reference: Pixar Post Website Updates At the top of the episode we chat about the Pixar Post Book Club kicking off for 2015 with a complete lineup for the year laid out. More details on the book club and how to read along can be found here.   Pixar News Starting at 1:53 into the podcast, we chat about a really fun video and photos that Michael Giacchino posted on Instagram with a sneak peek of the Inside Out score. Starting at 5:07 into the podcast - We chat about the amazing Inside Out concept artwork on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum. At 9:12 into the podcast we chat about the toolkit animation clips that have been showing up online (on our Forum as well as Tumblr), on the Disney Channel and more. At 10:23 into the podcast we talk about the upcoming slate of toys from Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, To Protect and Serve (Cars Toon), Wind-up Pixar toys and the Toy Story 20th Anniversary line. At 19:54 into the podcast we talk about Grant Alexander's great blog post about his work on the Dream Elder character (clay sculpt) from Toy Story That Time Forgot.   Part Eight of The Pixar Pipeline Project Starting at 27:50 into the podcast - We are excited to bring our eighth-and-final interview as part of the Pixar Pipeline Project. The Project was originally a nine-part series (and became an eight-part series) of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through its journey from story to screen.  Our interview this month is with Laura Meyer from Pixar's Localization department. We chat about everything from the day-in-the-life activities for her role, to the importance of emotional elements in movies being presented in the region's local language. We were blown away with Laura's love for her craft and can't wait for you to listen to the interview.  Finally, we wrap up our interview with Laura by discussing her journey and inspirational life step to get to Pixar. Be sure to view our follow up post where we visually show screenshots across three countries to illustrate Laura's great work in Monsters University.   Post Interview Discussion Starting at 52:28 into the podcast - We wrap up with our final thoughts on Laura's interview as well as wrap up the Pixar Pipeline Project as a whole - we also incorporate a discussion on getting to Pixar and finding real happiness in your job (with an excerpt from this TED Talk with Shawn Achor).   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 033 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss a ton of great Pixar news, including our exclusive first look at To Protect and Serve, the continuation of the Pixar Pipeline Project with Jason Johnston of the Effect team and so much more. Below are our show notes from the episode with time codes for your reference: Pixar Post Website Updates At the top of the episode we chat about Pixar Post getting on Tumblr. We have some great plans for how to use Tumblr to bring you the latest Pixar products on the web so you don't miss any of your favorite items when they go on sale.   Pixar News Starting at 2:45 into the podcast - we chat about the Toy Story That Time Forgot commercial that aired alongside the re-broadcast of Toy Story of TERROR! a few weeks back. Starting at 6:45 into the podcast - we chat about the two gorgeous images released for LAVA (the turtles and the whale) as well as several interviews with director, Jim Murphy. Starting at 11:18 into the podcast - we chat about the release (and disappearance) of Party Central from Disney Movies Anywhere. Starting at 14:52 into the podcast - we chat about the announcement of Peter Sohn moving into the lead director role on The Good Dinosaur. Starting at 18:30 into the podcast - we chat about our exclusive first look at To Protect and Serve, Pixar's 2015 Cars Toons release. We dig into all the gritty details from the synopsis, to what we can gather from the screenshot, to our predictions for the story elements of the short.   Image © Debbie Coleman/Pixar Part Seven of The Pixar Pipeline Project Starting at 32:26 into the podcast - We are excited to bring our seventh interview as part of the Pixar Pipeline Project. The Project is a nine-part series of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through its journey from story to screen.  Our interview this month is with Jason Johnston from Pixar's Effects department. We chat about everything from a day-in-the-life of an effects artist, to his Visual Effects Society award winning work on Ratatouille, Up and WALL•E, all the way to his brilliant advice for those looking to get into the effects field. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on Jason's journey to Pixar. We're certain you'll be amazed with the level of detail and work that goes into the effects team's work - enjoy the interview. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 032 of the Podcast we continue our Pixar Pipeline Project by chatting with Angelique Reisch, of Pixar's lighting department. Angelique is the character lighting lead on the upcoming film Inside Out, and although we didn't chat specifically about details from Inside Out, we're certain that you'll thoroughly enjoy the day-to-day details of a lighting artist coupled with fantastic film references from Up and Monsters University. Additionally, her thoughtful advice for those looking to enter the lighting arena (or Pixar in general) we be invaluable information for eager listeners. Part Six of The Pixar Pipeline Project For those that may not be familiar with our series of interviews called the Pixar Pipeline Project, this is our sixth interview in the group. Overall, the Project is a nine-part series of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through its journey from story to screen. Be sure to follow along each month as we interview a new department within Pixar. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 031 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Pixar Post Website Updates At the top of the episode we chat about the wrap-up of last month's Book Club discussion of The Pixar Touch as well as the announcement of our next book, The Art of WALL•E. Be sure to check out more details on the Book Club page.   Pixar News Starting at 4:09 into the podcast - we chat about the amazingly hilarious Toy Story That Time Forgot Sky Broadband commercial. Starting at 13:40 into the podcast - we chat about the release of the Toy Story of TERROR! Blu-Ray and play our favorite clips from the vintage toy commercials (including a lot of laughter) - we even dig into the Pixar employees who worked on these three pieces. Finally, we cover the Partysaurus Rex director's commentary which certainly tops the list as one of our favorite commentaries to date. Starting at 28:00 into the podcast - we chat about the Inside Out sneak-peek that was released and cover our thoughts on our first glimpse at Riley. Starting at 34:19 into the podcast - we chat about the first clip of LAVA which was recently released as well. We cover our thoughts on the song, visual elements as well as our anticipation for the entire short being released ahead of Inside Out.   Part Five of The Pixar Pipeline Project Starting at 42:38 into the podcast - We are excited to bring our fifth interview as part of the Pixar Pipeline Project. The Project is a nine-part series of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through its journey from story to screen.  Our fifth interview is with Aaron Hartline from Pixar's animation department. We chat about everything from a day-in-the-life of an animator, to his work as the Supervising Animator on LAVA (with additional insights and details from the project). Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on Aaron's journey to Pixar as well as some amazing stories of inspiration and perseverance on getting into animation. Like we mentioned in the podcast, we want to hear from you - did Aaron's interview inspire you, did it make you think deeper about the career path you're on? Let us know - send us an email (info@pixarpost.com) or leave us a voicemail and we may even play it on our next episode (voice mail line (415) 799-7678[POST]).   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie  

In episode 030 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Pixar Post Website Updates At the top of the episode we chat about two new changes to our site - the addition of a dedicated Book Club page to help readers more easily identify which book we're reading and the addition of a new Fan Art / Gallery page which should make our images much more viewer friendly. Additionally, the Gallery will now also feature images from Disney Infinity, Pixar movies and even have a section for your own fan art (coming soon).   Pixar News Starting at 4:19 into the podcast - we chat about the exciting news that Angus MacLane's LEGO WALL•E has reached the 10,000 votes mark on Lego Ideas - we chat about what this means and out hopes for the fun project. Starting at 8:13 into the podcast - we chat about the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) merchandise news and cover the Pixar Villain Vinylmation news as well as some Toy Story That Time Forgot merchandise. Starting at 15:40 into the podcast - we chat about the SDCC panel discussion surrounding Toy Story That Time Forgot. The links we discussed during the podcast were - Our event summary of the panel, our Live Google Hangout to discuss the news of the day and our forum page where readers have been really digging into the Toy Story That Time Forgot news.   Part Four of The Pixar Pipeline Project Starting at 27:48 into the podcast - We are excited to bring our fourth interview as part of the Pixar Pipeline Project. The Project is a nine-part series of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through its journey from story to screen.  Our fourth interview is with Mahyar Abousaeedi from Pixar's layout department. We chat about everything from a day-in-the-life of a layout artist, to some amazing insights into Up and how Mahyar's vision helped tweak a moment from the iconic Married Life sequence. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on Mahyar's journey to Pixar as well as some great insight as to how someone would navigate their way to a layout position at an animation company. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 029 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Pixar Post Book Club We chat about our lessons learned from the first run-through for Creativity, Inc. and have retooled slightly to put a more centralized focus on the process to engage more readers. Be sure to stay tuned to the Pixar Post Book Club Forum page for more details and get ready - we'll be discussing The Pixar Touch at the end of July.   Inside Out & Lava News Starting at 2:20 into the show - We chat about the Pixar's newly announced short, Lava, covering the official synopsis, the comparison to other musical love stories and a few details on the music. We wrap up the Lava discussion with a little background on the short films director (James Ford Murphy) and producer (Andrea Warren). Starting at 12:15 into the show - We continue our earlier Google Hangout discussion regarding Inside Out and expand on the news from the Director's Guild of America event. We cover the new concept art that was revealed as well as some of the additional story elements which were discussed at the event.  Additionally, we dig into a topic that Dan the Pixar Fan brought up on the Forum in which he explored some of the previous projects (non-Pixar) which have similarities to Inside Out. We chat about Herman's Head, Cranium Command, Reason & Emotion and finally, Body Wars.   Part Three of The Pixar Pipeline Project Starting at 38:00 into the podcast - We are excited to bring our third interview as part of the Pixar Pipeline Project. The Project is a nine-part series of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through it's journey from story to screen.  Our third interview is with Craig Foster from Pixar's art department. We chat about a range of work from his experiences on Monsters University (including the creation of Art's famed Dream Journal), WALL•E and even some of the design work for Cars Land in Disney's California Adventure. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on Craig's journey to Pixar as well as some inspirational words he shares about working towards your goals.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie  

In episode 028 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Pixar News of the Week We kick off by discussing the announcement of Michael Giacchino scoring Inside Out. With included audio from the pre-concert Q&A session where Michael discussed the project to the rumors of another composer who may have been scoring Inside Out as well, we chat about our thoughts on the news. Pixar Post Book Club news - we announce that we'll be delaying the video wrap up discussion of the book by one week to allow more readers a chance to catch up. Our full video discussion will now take place on June 4, 2014. Stay tuned for more details. Star Wars weekend just passed at the Disney Parks and another set of Pixar die cast Cars characters have been released. We chat about the set and ways that you can purchase the cars even if you're not able to make it to the park. Toy Story of TERROR! was recently announced to be released on Blu Ray / DVD / Digital on August 19 - we chat all about the special features and our excitement to dig into more of the behind-the-scenes moments.   Part Two of The Pixar Pipeline Project Starting at 17:00 into the podcast - We are excited to bring our second interview as part of the Pixar Pipeline Project. The Project is a nine-part series of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through it's journey from story to screen.  Our second interview is with Chloe Kloezeman from Pixar's editorial department. We chat about everything from her work on Toy Story of TERROR!, to her journey to Pixar and some really amazing insights into the workflow and processes within the editorial team. We also chat about our fun conversation with Chloe after the main interview with a fun crew easter egg from Toy Story of TERROR!   Radiator Springs 500½ Discussion & Review Starting at 45:00 into the show - We chat about our take and review on the newest Cars Toons short, Radiator Springs 500½. We discuss our reader's ratings of the short as well as the elements that really shined (the color and lighting) as well as the trickier moments (the fast-paced nature of the short). We also cover an amazing correlation that our forum user came up with and how a certain deleted scene from Cars might have been an inspiration for the Baja race scene.   Looking at The Next Podcast Starting at 01:05:03 into the show - At the top of the show, we discussed Toy Story of TERROR! coming out on Blu Ray, but we dig back into the special features for a few we forgot to mention. Additionally, we chat about a topic that we're working on for our next podcast - Inside Out. What is the new technology that was used and is there a certain connection to an early 90's television show called Herman's Head? Be sure to include your comments and we may include your thoughts as a part of our next show.   Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes, or subscribe and listen on Stitcher. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 027 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Pixar News of the Week We kick off by discussing the new Pixar items that are new to the Disney Store - from the Buzz iPhone case to the return of the Hamm bank (including a discussion of the differences between the old and new version). What's your Ratatouille? We chat about the forum topic which asks about the foods, smells, sights or sounds which take you back to your childhood...much like Remy's ratatouille dish took Anton Ego back with his first bite. Fred Armisen's fake Pixar role. Disney Infinity's big announcement for the next version of the game. DCONSTRUCTED - We review and provide samples of the Pixar-themed tracks on the Disney•Pixar new EDM album.   Announcing the Pixar Pipeline Project Starting at 17:58 into the podcast - We are extremely proud to announce the kickoff of our Pixar Pipeline Project. The Project is a nine-part series of Pixar interviews which will allow us to follow the path of a Pixar movie through it's journey from story to screen.  Our first interview kicks off with Louis Gonzales in Pixar's story department. We chat about everything from how he kicks off his workflow, how the research process takes place (with a great story about Brave's Scotland research trip), keeping your sketching fresh as well as some of the skills that are essential to know if you're looking to work in the story department. During the interview Louis mentioned a few items that we wanted to specifically call out in our show notes in case you wanted to learn a little more about them.  Who is Wes Anderson? Learn more about the 108˚ Rule in cinematography. Learn more about the Wacom Cintiq tablet which Pixar animators utilize.   Pixar Post Book Club Announcement Starting at 57:14 into the show - We chat about another big announcement we had this week...the formation of our Pixar Post Book Club. We discuss the reason we started the book club and that our first book we're reading is Creativity, Inc.. Be sure to grab a book, read more and start chatting with us - we'll even have a Live discussion once we've completed reading the book.   Ed Catmull's Live Q&A Session Starting at 01:00:57 into the show - Earlier this week, Ed Catmull held a live question and answer session through the Guardian website. We were lucky enough to have had two of our questions answered by Ed and we chat about his responses.   Feel free to listen to the Podcast using the player below, subscribe and listen directly in iTunes, or subscribe and listen on Stitcher. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 026 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Our World Record To kick off this episode, we chat about the fun world record that we set - wearing the most Pixar-themed T-Shirts at once. We discuss how the idea came about and some of the fun outtakes from our trial run the night before.   Ed Catmull's, Creativity Inc. Book & Our New Contest Starting at 10:55 into the podcast - We've started reading our review copy of Ed Catmull's book and we chat about how engaging the book has been so far. There are so many interesting facts about Pixar, people and leadership included in the book - let's put it this way, we have even more reasons to be jealous of not working at the studio. Announcement of our new contest - for more details on how you can receive a free copy of Ed Catmull's new book, check out the details on our Forum post.   Disney Infinity Starting at 17:30 into the show - We chat about the Phineas and Ferb toy box pack that was released as well as the hidden Star Wars lightsaber weapon that you can use. We also provide a few tips and tricks if you're hunting for Wave 3 power discs.   Inside Out Teaser at CinemaCon Starting at 28:17 into the show - We chat about the teaser that was shown for Inside Out at CinemaCon. We discuss the clip and throw out our predictions for when we'll see a broad release of the teaser.   Samuel L. Jackson Chats About The Incredibles Sequel Starting at 32:47 into the show - Earlier this week, Samuel L. Jackson talked with Digital Spy UK about The Incredibles sequel and mentioned Frozone. Although many sites have reported this as a confirmation that Frozone will appear in the upcoming sequel, we take a different approach and discuss how this is a consideration rather than a confirmation.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 025 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Toy Story That Time Forgot - Follow Up As we mentioned in our last podcast, we believe we found a connection to a book, The Land That Time Forgot and Pixar's upcoming holiday-inspired TV special. We discuss some potential connections between the story and the special. To read about the special, check out our original post on Toy Story That Time Forgot. You can also read some of the initial discussions from our readers (regarding Toy Story That Time Forgot) in this forum post.   Ed Catmull's, Creativity Inc. Book We chat about Ed Catmull's upcoming book titled, Creativity, Inc. and how the release of it inspired us to start our Pixar Post Book Club. Read more about how to pre-order Catmull's book or to view the dates for the speaking events he will be at to promote the release of his book (both at the bottom of the post).   Incredibles 2 and Cars 3 News Earlier this week, the internet was ablaze with the news that a sequel was in the works for The Incredibles as well as Cars. We discuss the initial news and touch on our predictions for where the story may take place for The Incredibles sequel. In our discussion of Cars 3 we candidly talk about how the reactions to this news were mixed and why we feel people may be too harsh.   Radiator Springs 500-and-a-Half News of the short, Radiator Springs 500½ may have been released a while ago, but we discuss the new plot details and release date for the upcoming toon. During the episode we also chat that the short will premiere as part of the Disney Movies Anywhere app - read more details and download the app.   Party Central - With Exclusive Kelsey Mann Interview Hot on the heels of the theatrical release of Party Central alongside, Muppets: Most Wanted we chat about our theater experience and the audience's reaction. We were also lucky enough to chat with Party Central's writer and director, Kelsey Mann. We're happy to pass our interview along to you since Kelsey gets into great discussions around the story, the vocal work on the short and shares some details on his personal journey to Pixar. During the discussion, we also mention that we'd love to know what you thought of the short - feel free to rate the short and leave your feedback in the Pixar Post Forum.   Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 023 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Toy Story That Time Forgot - Christmas Special We dig into Pixar's latest news of a 2014 holiday special called Toy Story That Time Forgot. Thanks to a hearty discussion on this forum post, we have dug into the story that may have inspired Pixar's upcoming special called, The Land That Time Forgot. We discuss the many ways in which we feel the special is connected to the original story and invite others to read the book since we'll discuss it in more detail on the next podcast episode. We want more of your input as well - if you find another connection to the book, or just want to chat about the special, add your comments to the Toy Story That Time Forgot forum post. Comparison of Toy Story 2 & 3 Story Elements We invite Dan "the Pixar fan" Taylor on the podcast to discuss his amazing forum post which dug into the many story similarities between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 - we even share a few laughs along the way as we discuss our favorite moments. Monsters University & the Oscar Snub The podcast is rounded out with a discussion on Monsters University and how we feel it was snubbed by not being included among the list of nominees in the Best Animated Film category. We also chat about the very thoughtful comments we have received on our post regarding the Academy Awards. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 023 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Party Central Short to be Released in 2014 Our thoughts and discussions on the updated release date of the Monsters University-inspired short, Party Central. Award Show Nominations and Omissions We chat about the Academy Awards nominations on January 16 with discussions around the 'For Your Consideration' advertisement. We discuss the omission of Monsters University from the 71st Golden Globe Awards and what our thoughts are on the three nominated Animated Films: Despicable Me 2, The Croods and Frozen. Details on the upcoming BAFTA awards. Discussion on the 41st Annual Annie Award Nominations - both Monsters University and Toy Story of Terror have been nominated - with details about us live-tweeting the event on February  1. Details on the awards and predictions for the People's Choice awards, the Critic's Choice awards, the 12th Annual Visual Effects Society awards and the 5th Annual 3D Creative Arts awards. Pixar Inspiration and Upcoming Pixar Post Information Discussion on our kickoff post to 2014 where we talked about artistic inspiration and how each year motivates us to look at our "wants". We also chat (with a few hints offered) about the exciting changes coming to Pixar Post soon. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 022 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: THE BLUE UMBRELLA We discuss the omission of The Blue Umbrella from the Animated Shorts nomination category of the 2014 Academy Awards. We provide our candid reactions to the news and compare The Blue Umbrella to the remaining ten short films. Additionally, we read comments from our readers with their reactions to the news as well. FOLLOW UP FROM EPISODE 021 We also follow up from an earlier discussion in Episode 021 where we interviewed Toy Story of Terror, Supervising Animator, Michal Makarewicz. During the interview Michal answered one of our reader's questions and elaborated on the animation dailies.  Thanks to our reader and friend, Jeff from This Day in Pixar, he noted that Craig Good (longtime Pixarian) had started a blog and specifically mentioned the animation dailies as well. We dig into Craig's article and pull out some great advice for people looking to enter animation - or any other field frankly...it's about making the work better, not taking feedback personally. We then wrap up with a open discussion about our own personal experience taking feedback too personally and explained how the turned out in the end. Have you experienced a moment of frustration when you received feedback that you weren't hoping for or expecting on your project? How did you rally? Did you find the work to be better in the long run? Let us know in the comments below or join in the conversation on the Pixar Post Forum. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie

In episode 021 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: NEWS SNIPPETS FOR THE WEEK We discuss the closing of Pixar Canada that took place on October 8, 2013 and thank all of our friends from the studio. Forum discussion: One of our forum users brought up the topic of the age difference between Charles Muntz and Carl Fredricksen. We share our thoughts and discuss the real age difference of the characters according to Lee Unkrich. Disney Infinity released the highly anticipated Toy Story in Space playset.  MONSTERS UNIVERSITY  We discuss the release of not only the digital version of Monsters University but the Blu Ray release as well - including our favorite extras. We chat about the possibility of a broad release of the Monsters University Scare Cards. Be sure to check out our full write-up on the scare cards. CARS 3? We discuss the interview with Michael Wallis, voice of Sheriff and how he revealed that he is busy working on Cars 3, with the crew traveling on Route 99. THE GOOD DINOSAUR We discuss our thoughts on the "leaked" teaser poster and how we didn't feel that it was a true Pixar produced image. We share two voicemails from our listeners regarding the changes with The Good Dinosaur. TOY STORY OF TERROR (& EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW) We share our reactions to watching Pixar's first 30-minute television special. We discuss some of our favorite hidden references and easter eggs. We chat with Michal Makarewicz, longtime Pixarian and Supervising Animator on Toy Story of Terror. During our discussion, Michal shares his journey to Pixar as well as his passion for teaching at the Animation Collaborative. In addition, we also discuss many of the exciting and challenging moments from Pixar's first television special. We also wanted to provide a little additional information regarding The Animation Collaborative for our readers - we can't recommend checking out their website enough. The Animation Collaborative's goal is to provide a focused, professional environment that fosters creative growth, community and collaboration. With instructors who are passionate about teaching with experience in both school and studio settings. These talented instructors currently work some of the most successful studios for animation and are here to give students individual attention in smaller workshops rather than larger classrooms - a perk that sets The Animation Collaborative apart from other schools. Pixar Post - T.J. & Julie