Toy Story 3 - the directors story

From editor to Pixar director ..

How did that happen ?

The first thing i notice that is important and different about the Lee Unkrich the director of Toy Story 3, is that he started at Pixar not as an animator, not as a storyboard artist, not even as an animation designer, but an editor. And he came from a live action background, not an animation background.

He started a long time ago at Pixar, in fact he started 15 years ago as an editor on Toy Story, no less, the film that made animation history, since it was the worlds first computer animation feature film. It is significant that Lee Unkrick is an editor and ill explain why as we go along.

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Over the years Unkricks advice was sought not just as an editor, but as a person who understood film making .. and the moment arrived where he was asked to co- direct films. He went on to co directed with John Lassiter, Pete Doctor and Andrew Stanton and worked closely with major talents like Brad Bird and others.

For Unkrich life was good as co director - he explained he had all the fun of directing without without carrying the burden of full responsibility. That would fall on the shoulders of the first Director.

To make the journey from editor to director - is a major feat, especially when your not an animatorand your working in arguably the most famous animation studio in the World, where to be an animator is everything. So how did he do it ? How did he make that transition ?

The fact that Unkrich has made that journey says a lot of course about his talent and calling as a film maker and what he was able to contribute to Pixar films over the years just by being around and giving his advice. It also says a lot about the profession of editor.

" The Art of Toy Story 3 " beautiful coffee table presentation book. An overview of art from Toy Story 3 . A gift that will give pleasure for years. Excellent value at around $25.00

back to my story - Editors are really important in the film making process. That may seem obvious, but .. they are really important .... and really privileged too - how so ?

Editors exist at the point in the film making process where all the elements, the planning, the effort, the resources, the film shots, the music, the voices, the visuals, the timing – all those diparate elements - finally converge on the editors table, or more accuratly these days, converge in the editing software on the editors computer ..

At that moment, its finally possible to see how all the disparate elements are going to work together .. or if there not going to work together .. its possible to see what needs to be changed and adjusted .. what needs to be fine tuned .. what needs to be done with the sound and the music .. and what needs to be done with the last qualifying creative element that will give the film that final polish ..the timing .. right down to a single frame sometimes, one twenty forth of a second ... to achieve maximum effect.

Its an exciting, interesting, and creative moment, to see the pieces of the puzzle coming together. And the editor has control over their precise arrangement of those elements, and control over the timing .. that is a very privileged position to be in .. few in the film making process have that experience.

It's akin to the conductor giving the final timing and tuning to the performance of a symphony orchestra, with its dozens of elements, musicians and instruments.

If there is any one person that can be singled out, that is closer to the gestalt of the film making than anyone else, that person is the editor. And the privilege of being in that position. the training, the understanding and the practice that it brings ..is the best training one can possible have into the way films really work .. therefore it is the best training for anyone who aspires to be a director in control of their craft and a director who understands what film making is all about.

That was a long winded way of saying that being an editor is great traning for being a director. But hey, i wanted my readers to have a feel for the significance of that and why it is so.

Having said all that - it’s no surprise to learn that the only non animator, non animation storyboard artist, non animation story writer - to achieve the lofty status of director at Pixar .. is an editor by background and training and therefore likely to be a person with a trained understanding of film making.

above - a great looking " Buzz Lightyear " from Amazon. Wow look at that - a whole $1.24 off the list price ! just kidding .. Amazon do give good deals. And he is a cool looking Buzz. There are some Buzz toys a little cheaper too at the same link. 

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back to the director's story

So much of the Pixar's journey - has always seemed to me to have a sense of destiny about it. The convergence of many factors, including money and talent, at the right time and the right place, that has contributed to Pixar's success over the years, is uncanny.

For example there was a time in Pixars early history, back in the days they were making shorts and experimenting with computer animation, they needed something like an angel investor to take them to the next level. A person with the vision, the belief, the foresight, to recognise their talent, put up the millions of dollars necessary, and just hang out with the guys like a benevolent presence, providing encouragement and capital, but basically at the same time, just leaving them alone to get on with what they knew best .. where on earth are you going to find a person like that ?

For Pixar their angel investor did arrive just as they needed him, in the person of Steve Jobs, who was basically looking for something to do at the time, having recently been kicked out of Apple by a renegade Board that supported John Scully. So Steve licked his wounds, and decided to relax and enjoy himself hanging out with some crazy fun animator guys for a few years, before he got seriously involved in " Next " Computers. A fortunate convergence for everyone involved, wouldn't you say ? Just when you need it a young guy, in his 30's, comes along, with a spare 400 million dollars, looking for something to do. How often are you going to run across someone like that in your life ? There's a sense of charmed destiny about a thing like that.

In the same way it seems to me very satisfying and complete, that a young film maker and editor, should start work at a new animation studio about to embark on the first animation feature film the world has ever seen in Toy Story 1 - and 15 years later this same editor is offered what has to be to the most coveted animation assignment in the world - the job of directing the same characters, now famous and much loved the world over by millions of fans, Woody, Buzz, Potato Head and all the rest of the gang, in their third outing - Toy Story 3.

There's something of the hand of destiny in a thing like that wouldn't you say ?

below is a link to another Toy Story article " Toy Story - the story "

photo capture from the movie - the Toys get at tour of the daycare center

and now for a real treat - the official trailer - its only had 10 million views at You-tube. Buzz is fanstastic as the Spanish Toreador