Pixar Post Podcast: Animation News, Interviews & Reviews

As we celebrate the 12th anniversary of starting our website (March 25, 2012), we wanted to celebrate by bringing back the Pixar Post Podcast. We started the podcast in 2013 and paused recording episodes at the beginning of 2020, but we always felt we had more to say. We're thrilled to be back leading up to the release of Inside Out 2 in June and will share some upcoming details from the artists—stay tuned. PIXAR PODCAST SHOW NOTES Here are a few of the exciting topics we discussed during the episode. Kicking off the show, we reminisce about our website's 12th anniversary. We talk about our custom Partysaurus Rex toy that started it all, seeing the first Dolby Atmos film (Brave), and the history of our logos. At 40:14 into the show, we talk about Pixar Animation Studios. We discuss what we want to stay the same at Pixar Animations Studios and what we want to see change in the future. What to do with the "special features" now that DVD sales have slowed.   We want fewer human characters and more

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 vi

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 wh

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

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+

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

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 w

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).

  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 t

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 regard

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 featu

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 roundt

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 w

  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 dev

  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 u

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 J