Pixar Post Podcast: Animation News, Interviews & Reviews

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. Pixa

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 t

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 surrou

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 stor

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 in

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

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

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 Incr

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

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 Pos

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 t

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

In episode 020 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: NEWS SNIPPETS FOR THE WEEK We kick off award season by chatting about Monsters University and how the film is set to receive the Hollywood Animation Award and our thoughts on the upcoming awards season. Ron Howard recently was asked what five films he would have loved to have been involved in - listen in as he surprisingly selects all Pixar films. Jay Leno released a special video of the Pixar 2013 Motorama - such a great way to see a ton of great cars and listen in as Pixarian Jay Ward interviews four other Pixarians regarding their vehicles: Bob Pauley, John Lasseter, Stephanie Hamilton and Mark Walsh. We even hear from Jay Ward and get to see his hot rod that he built as well. TOY STORY OF TERROR! Advertising is in full swing for the soon-to-be-released television special - we chat about the banners at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the newly released still from the short, as well as the first television commercial to be released for the hilarious 30-

In episode 019 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: PIXAR POST FORUM DISCUSSION We congratulate the winner of our Disney Infinity Crystal Lightning McQueen figure sweepstakes - forum user, "csp131". Quick discussion of the title tiers for our forum and the first user to cross over 50 posts, "mac95". TOY STORY OF TERROR! Discussions of the newly released poster artwork. Who voices Woody in the Toy Story of Terror! SKY Broadband commercial (with clips of Tom Hanks discussing his Brother). THE GOOD DINOSAUR Bob Peterson may no longer be the lead Director for the upcoming Pixar film, but listen in as we talk about how pleased we were that Bob is chatting about his departure from the film. We also provide our thoughts and feelings on the Directing change. DISNEY INFINITY Additional discussions surrounding our experience playing both the Wii and WiiU versions of Disney Infinity and our in depth thoughts on why the Wii version possibly shouldn't have been produced. Quick discussions on the Toy St

In episode 018 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: PIXAR POST FORUM DISCUSSION Each podcast, we'll pick the most thought provoking or interesting comments from the Pixar Post Forum to discuss on our podcast. This week we selected - Forum user TOM-4319 posted a comment regarding Pete Docter and Inside Out. He inquired about how the "emotion" characters could have a have a standard character arc (and learn something) if they are only one emotion each. We loved this question and expanded with our thoughts of how we think the emotions will evolve over time to become more balanced. We discuss the Disney Infinity section of the Forum and how you can now vote in polls. Our first poll asks what your favorite Disney Infinity play set is? Let us know and listen to our discussion regarding our favorite set. DISNEY INFINITY Our buying adventure and how we ended up buying almost every set and character. Characters and some basic tips. Basic info on the soon-to-be-released PC (online) and iPad versions of Disney Infi

In episode 017 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: PIXAR POST FORUM DISCUSSION Best discussions in the forum so far Who would you like to see direct a feature film? - The number one requested director for an upcoming Pixar feature was, Brad Bird.  Who wants to work at Pixar and how are your working towards your dream? - We discuss this question at length and also highlight (with audio clips) the SIGGRAPH keynote featuring eight animation veterans, including Pete Docter. PIXAR AT THE 2013 D23 EXPO How to keep organized - with our custom map and utilizing the D23 Expo app. Art and Imagination Expo kickoff, featuring John Lasseter and a The Good Dinosaur preview. Pixar Panels Pixar: Doing our homework. The Art of The Good Dinosaur. Toy Story of Terror! and the motivation behind Pixar's short form content. Women of Pixar panel. Pixar Merchandise - Small Fry Buzz Lightyear, Cars Convoy Brother set, Pixar short films pin set and the Monsters U vinylmation 2-pack. Meet and Greets with Angus MacLane and Bra

In episode 16 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: MONSTERS UNIVERSITY DETAILS Box office review leading up to the movie being in theaters for one month. More Monsters U plush toys to be released soon. The Blue Umbrella iBook high-level review. Monsters U concept artwork by Pixarian Paul Abadilla and Kristian Norelius. Additional discussions surrounding the less common hidden items in Monsters U and for the first time, The Blue Umbrella. MERCHANDISE DISCUSSIONS Review of the limited edition Knick Knack eat hat ornament for sale at the Disney Store. Lowe's Build and Grow session build for the Pizza Planet Truck and the upcoming R.C. build. EVENT DISCUSSIONS Pixar's 12th Motorama festival - with our take on the amazing cars (new and old) at the event. D23 Expo news - John Lasseter to kick off a sneak peek showing of The Good Dinosaur as well as discussions around the Disney Legends Awards. PIXAR POST ANNOUNCEMENT Listen in as we discuss a big addition coming to the Pixar Post site (announced on th

In episode 15 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: MONSTERS UNIVERSITY DETAILS Monsters University official backpack released. Monsters University world premiere in downtown Hollywood. Review and discussion with clips of the Monsters University soundtrack. Our movie review of Monsters University. MONSTERS, INC. HISTORY DISCUSSION We welcome back Jeff from This Day in Pixar for his great historical  A brief overview of Pete Docter's beginnings at Pixar and getting started on Monsters, Inc.. The Hidden City Cafe connection & Jeff's post of his visits to the cafe as well as it's closure. Original Monsters, Inc. story lines that changed quite drastically to get to the story we know and love today. Changes within the characters of Sulley, Mike and Boo. Some of our favorite moments from the film. Longevity of Pixarians at the studio. The studio's move from Point Richmond to Emeryville, California. The un-explained chimpanzee in the DVD extras. Technical elements that amazed us during the film. Two lawsui

In episode 014 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: We are excited to announce our new segment where we will look back at moments within Pixar's history and discuss how their past has shaped their path. For this first segment we take a high-level look at the first year of Pixar's history with Jeff from This Day in Pixar (Follow on Twitter as well). Jeff is a Pixar history buff and we loved his posts so much that we wanted to figure out a way to incorporate his knowledge into our site somehow. After thinking about it, the Podcast seemed to be a perfect fit to allow us to discuss a wide range of topics that really pay respect to Pixar's rich history...as Jeff's site does today. So, welcome again to Jeff to the Pixar Post Podcast - we're excited to see where our conversation may take us. Four new Pixar movies were recently announced and we dive into their release dates as well as what films could potentially be slotted for those dates. Finally, we chat about a wealth of Monsters University news from a huge amo

In episode 013 of the Pixar Post Podcast we discuss: Monsters University (MU) Vinylmation set being released on June 14. Disney Infinity new trailers and details about the MU playset as well as a look into the many ways to race opponents in the Toy Box mode. The seven new MU trailers/commercials/tool kits and more that have been released in the last week-and-a-half. The Lowe's Build and Grow workshops with a tie-in to MU and Pixar in general. The final part in our three-part MU press-event series, we talk about -  Physics 250: Global Illumination - with a ton of extra discussion around the topic and a link to the Pixar technical article we referenced in the discussion ("Multiresolution Radiosity Caching for Efficient Preview and Final Quality Global Illumination in Movies"). Roundtable discussion with MU producer, Kori Rae. Snack Time with Pixarian, Peter Sohn, who voiced "Squishy" in MU. Roundtable discussion with The Blue Umbrella Director, Saschka Unseld. Our write-up reviews of the MU press event can