NATAS SF/NorCal members Get Behind The Scenes Tour of Pixar in Emeryville
By Liz Gonzalez, Governor NATAS/SF
Think a NATAS SF/NorCal membership doesn’t have its perks?
Just ask those who got the opportunity to visit Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville on January 24th.
From the legendary lamp and Luxo ball, to the Town Square and Lower East Side (those who know, know!) a group of nearly 20 people toured the campus where creativity thrives—thanks to NATAS SF/NorCal Governor Amanda Jones, who works at Pixar!
The tour began and ended at the Steve Jobs building named after the legendary innovator and leader in the early years of Pixar.
Jobs had two credos:
“Always be influenced by the outside world.”
And
“Always be influenced by the people you work with.”
The group learned Jobs used these two credos in the design of the campus specifically the massive, 220,000 square-foot building that’s named after him.
The atrium, known as the Town Square, consists of tables, couches, a mail station, a gift shop, a coffee bar and commissary. It has wide windows, exposed beams, and two arching, interior walkway bridges.
The open design is meant to intentionally make people interact and exchange ideas (the buildings’ only restrooms are in this area too, as Jobs figured people could even interact as they washed their hands!).
Artwork lines the walls in the form of murals and stills inspired by its feature films (fun fact: did you know it’s animators work at a speed of 24 frames a second?).
But creativity at Pixar goes beyond paper and computer screens.
Some of Pixar’s artists also customize their workspaces. One workspace was designed like a submarine, complete with hardware designed by using cake pop molds! Another workspace resembled a haunted house in the woods – and another a she-shed– although pictures were not allowed in these areas. Gotta keep some work under wraps, right?
In the neighboring building, known as “Brooklyn”, members got to screen two episodes of Pixar’s first all-new original series, “Win or Lose”, a project on which Jones worked as Art and Assets Manager.
The eight-episode series follows the adventures, wins and losses experienced by members of the Pickles—a middle school softball team.
The show premiers on Disney+ February 19th, making the NATAS SF/NorCal groups one of the first to see episodes (with the exception of Pixar staff, of course).
A Q&A session followed with the show’s creator Carrie Hobson and Producer David Lally, who shared the intricacies of creating a show with mass appeal— and how voice actors helped craft the characters’ personalities.
And, heads up Pixar fanatics— there’s a Pizza Planet truck “easter egg” in every episode!
Speaking of easter eggs, a trip to Pixar requires you to keep your eyes peeled as some of the animation studio’s most beloved characters are on display around corners (Mike & Sully, The Incredibles, Buzz Lightyear and Rainbow Unicorn) and under staircases (Jack-Jack).
The group left feeling grateful, inspired and in awe at seeing all that goes into making the movies that have provided “core memories” for so many!
Keep an eye out, as more adventures are being planned for NATAS SF/NorCal members.
If you have a story you’d like to see in ‘Off Camera‘ please send us an email to offcamera@emmysf.tv
