Making movies the Pixar way

"Ants don't talk!" said Michael B. Johnson of the Moving Pictures Group at Pixar Animation Studios, referring to the ant creations that roamed the silver screen in the motion picture "A Bugs Life." Johnson, a University of Illinois alumnus, returned to his alma mater last Tuesday as a part of the University's Designmatters3 lecture series. The Pixar exec regaled the audience with stories of his work and shed light on how the good people at Pixar do what they do.

After briefly being interrupted by a fire alarm, students and Champaign-Urbana residents filed into the auditorium in the Wohlers building located at 1206 South Sixth Street just a little after 5:30pm. The house was packed and the room buzzed with excitement as everyone waited for Johnson to begin. The title of the lecture "Making movies is hard fun - building tools for telling stories" opened the door for CU residents into the world of making movies.

The main points of Johnson's talk regarded Pixar's history, they way Pixar operates, and his role in that operation.

In brief, Pixar spun off from Lucasfilm in 1986 and had roughly 40 employees. They eventually merged with Disney and now find themselves in an ideal situation: a financially stable studio that has produced ten critically acclaimed animated feature films.

Johnson entertained the audience with a story from when he first started at Pixar 16 years ago. He had asked a colleague where the name 'Pixar' came from. Apparently, Pixar's 'Brain Trust' wanted a simple two-syllable word that sounded similar to 'Kodak' and brought forth the idea of the word 'pixel'. That is not the story Johnson's colleague told him.

"Pixar was a moon near Yoda's home planet Dagobah," Johnson was told. His superiors enjoyed that story and encouraged him stick with it. This mind-set just attests to the amount of fun that the men and women of Pixar bring to their work.

This attitude of positivity influences the Pixar philosophy. "(We look at filmmaking) as art; as team sport," said Johnson. Pixar stresses a strong relationship between the creative people and the technical people.

"We are a director driven studio," said Johnson. With most Hollywood studios, the producer is the point man. The producer would hire the screenwriter, the director, and be the main driving force during the early stages of development. While Johnson had nothing negative to say about this way of doing things, he stressed that if a director had a story to tell, it would be the director who pitched the idea to the studio and got the ball rolling. "(It is) a question of passion and love, not necessity," said Johnson. This love could explain Pixar's excellent track record of never once having a flop.

Johnson presented the audience with the method to the madness that his peers use in crafting the framework for their films. First, design a rich believable world. Next, create interesting characters that could logically exist in this world. Then create a story for these characters to undertake. "(If you) encounter a problem, refer to the previous step, and repeat until done," said Johnson. The emphasis is on the fundamentals that make stories work. Without a strong foundation, how can the artists and technicians create a solid movie?

Johnson told the audience the basic points of giving a peer a good note. Point out a problem, propose a solution, and only give the note when they can still use it. The people of Pixar thrive in a "culture of constructive criticism," said Johnson. Iteration and criticism is fundamental to all creative endeavors at Pixar. This friendly scrutiny is apparent in all levels of production from story development to editorial to lighting etc. The ability to take a note well is also essential. "Fifty one percent of this job is the ability to play well with others," said Johnson. Pixar's commitment to excellence is boundless.

Johnson himself leads the Moving Pictures Group within Pixar. He is responsible for research and development; he and his team provide tools to make everybody else's job easier.

"We aim to solve these problems in the most concise and powerful way we can," said Johnson in respect to the Moving Pictures Group.

Johnson and his team focus their energies on buying off-the-shelf hardware and buying or developing software, though most of the work they do deals with creating custom software.

Johnson also gave tips on how a person in his job can perform effectively. "If people are getting mad at each other there is probably a need I can fill," said Johnson. Easy to use software that improves communication and understanding between various departments would be an example. Johnson stressed that the aptitude to make his users visibly better at their jobs and the desire to go out of his way to help is key. "Be a hero," said Johnson. The men and women who work at Pixar share camaraderie rooted in telling good stories and seem to do their best help each other in the shared struggle.

Audience reactions to Johnson's talk were positive. "I am excited to learn about his inspiration," said Brian Cerier, a junior studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois. Cerier, like many other students present, was at the talk for a class, while some, like Ashlea Thomsen a sophomore majoring in Media Studies found personal reasons for going. "[Johnson and I] have similar career paths," said Thomsen.

According to the University's InfoStructure Web site, "The Designmatters3 series exists to promote design thinking that integrates design, business and technology in the creation of innovative products, services and experiences."

These events are free of charge and are just one of the many ways CU residents can educate and entertain themselves in the areas of design and technology.