Jay Shuster on The Creative Process at PIXAR #trgconf
Behind the Scenes: Jay Shuster on The Creative Process at
PIXAR #trgconf
PIXAR #trgconf
The story is central to Pixar. Jay’s in the art department as
the production designer – his team designs everything you see on the screen.
the production designer – his team designs everything you see on the screen.
Pixar goes into a film without a locked script. Art and
story work so closely together. Art informs script.
story work so closely together. Art informs script.
“We never finish a movie. We just release it.” ~ John
Lasseter
Lasseter
They have a big team with a lot of nerds, and people who are
really good at what they do.
“Hire people smarter than yourself.” Everyone
becomes a designer of a film.
becomes a designer of a film.
PU Tube – find people talking about their projects. Mistakes
Made, Lessons Learned. Always access this stuff to learn from what we’ve done
along the way.
Made, Lessons Learned. Always access this stuff to learn from what we’ve done
along the way.
“art challenges the technology…technology inspires the art.”
And always have fun doing what you do.
Design of the building – the left wing is the left brain –
“the smartests” and the right wing is the right brain — “the artists”. With a
place to connect in the atrium.
“the smartests” and the right wing is the right brain — “the artists”. With a
place to connect in the atrium.
Toy collections at Pixar are like a status symbol.
“Fail forward – bad ideas are fuel for good ideas.” Andrew
Stanton (making mistakes!)
Stanton (making mistakes!)
Trust – he spent
months working on drawings for Wall-e.
months working on drawings for Wall-e.
Keep it loose. At Pixar, what impressed him was how loose
things were – napkins with stains become the main drawing. Communicate the
ideas however you want.
things were – napkins with stains become the main drawing. Communicate the
ideas however you want.
“Do your homework.” – go to Toys R Us and buy a ton of toys.
Go study mars rovers.
Storyboards are the currency – how ideas are bought and sold
at Pixar. Even if they’re super loose, they all communicate stories.
at Pixar. Even if they’re super loose, they all communicate stories.
Over 100,000 storyboards on every project. One guy pitched
the same sequence 32 times.
the same sequence 32 times.
In the early stages, they get all their employees to watch
the film and take notes and ask questions.
the film and take notes and ask questions.
“No” gets said after months of work. But the story dictates…
Things flow as people contribute their own skillset.
“It turns out, it’s a beautiful film.” [Wall-e]
“Pain is temporary. SUCK is forever.” – this is the
overarching ideal. We’ve got to everything on the screen kind of perfect,
because it’s going to be up there for a long time. That’s where the neurosis
comes from.
overarching ideal. We’ve got to everything on the screen kind of perfect,
because it’s going to be up there for a long time. That’s where the neurosis
comes from.
Everything we do comes from that quote by the founding
fathers: “make it great.”
fathers: “make it great.”
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