#ThinkpieceThursday – Even Animals have Character Types
Continue reading#ThinkpieceThursday – Movie Animals as Character Types
Pixar and Relatability
#WritingAdviceWednesday – Why must this story be told? Why is it meaningful?
Continue readingPower of Conscience at the Oscars
#TypesTuesday – 2013’s awards season film featured several compelling Power of Conscience characters
Continue readingBrave from Pixar – How Good is Good Enough?
“The standout characters, exciting set pieces and memorable songs that we’ve come to expect are absent. The truest advertising tagline would be, “From the studio that brought you ‘Cars 2.'”
Continue readingAdvice from Pixar and a Few Thoughts of my Own
Pixar story artist Emma Coats has tweeted a series of “story basics” over the past month and a half — guidelines that she learned from her more senior colleagues on how to create appealing stories. My thoughts are in parenthesis.
Continue readingMonsters Inc. – Day Twenty Nine – #40movies40days
This wonderful Pixar movie made me wonder what in my life is powered by fear? It made me wonder what would happen if I turned off that switch and changed tactics, like Monsters Inc.
Continue readingA Bug’s Life & Revolution in the Middle East
I watched Pixar’s A Bug’s Life last night was struck by the similarities in the story to what is happening in Egypt and all around the Middle East. The film is powerful statement of “there are more of us than there are of them.”
Continue readingMy Day at Pixar
I spent an amazing day at Pixar on Tuesday. I was doing a Character Map session with some of their writers, artists, directors and others. It’s easy to spot people coming to Pixar for the first time. They’re the ones, like me, walking around trying to soak in all the wonderful visuals in the building and snapping pictures like mad. Here are some of mine–
Continue readingThe Magic of Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is as powerful, heartfelt, thrilling and funny as any film deserving of a “Best Picture” nomination. It has my vote to take home the 2011 Oscar in that category. It touched me in a profoundly personal way.
Continue readingIdealism Wins at the Oscars
Pixar won the 2009 Oscar for Best Animated Feature with Up. All seven Pixar films released since the creation of the category have been nominated. Five have taken home the Oscar: Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Up. Three of those five Oscar winners— Up, The Incredibles and Ratatouille— are Power of Idealism films.
Continue readingWall-E – Getting to the Essence of Things
In a few seconds the audience (or executive in a pitch session) should be able to get the essential core of your story and character. One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein: “If you can’t say it simply and briefly you probably don’t understand it well enough.”
Continue reading