PIXAR'S ANIMATION PROCESS

Pixars moving making has a long design process. A Pixar movie takes about four to five years to be ready. Pixar emphasis on planning all based on storytelling.

Filiming is a visual presentation. The first development when creating a film is using the traditional ability like drawing, painting, sculpture and storytelling.

Pixar build the idea slowly using collaboration of the team so there would be different opinion and different ideas. The team consists of designers and animators.

"Making movies isn't always about pride in what we can achieve as individuals...
Making movies is about the pride you feel as a group." said Michael Giacchina

Pixar's animation process is as follows:

STORY IDEA

First, Pixar begin by thinking about story ideas. Then the ideas continue to evaluate in the team.

TEXT TREATMENT

They create a short document that includes main ideas. This document will continue to be developed until they have a clear idea and open possibilities.

SCRIPT

The script is always written after the idea developed.

STORYBOARD

Storyboards are like a free hand-drawn version of the movie. Each storyboard the artist has a script, which includes characters feelings and emotion that need to be seen in movement. These guidelines helped the artist know what to draw and what to produce to the director.

VOICE TALENT

Talented actors record their voices for this animated movie..

LOOK AND FEEL (COLOUR SCRIPTS)                                                                    

Based on design process (the storyboard, their idea generation, the sketching and the script). The art department created an inspirational art illustrating the environment and the characters. They also design the props, the set and colour scheme. The colour is created by light and the light is a really important element in the screen

MODELS

The characteristic of Pixar animation software is to create a three-dimensional pc models that include characters, props and sets. With this 3D modelling software you can visualize the shape and the motion that include action and expressions. Sometimes they use the method of sculpture by hand and then scanned in 3D software or modelled directly in 3D software. Because this is a 3D object that is on its axis this can be rotate and viewed with different angle. When you start modelling all you can see is the wireframe of the object or of the character, because there wouldn't be any colour surface of textures.
The characters are given "avars", with this the object can move. Like example, Woody has 100 avars in his face alone.

SETS

The set is created where the actor to appear in the film. As the set is created they have to include the props in it chairs, curtains, and toys, to build a realistic since. The characters are established on the set in a process called blocking. The director and experts animators block the key of the character positions and they take many types of shots with the camera in different angles for the movie.

SHOTS

To transfer the idea in a 3D scene, they put the character in the scene and take separate shots with their camera to catch. There are multiple of shots taken, this is so they give it to the editor and choose layout to cut so then they create the storytelling effect. When this process is ready it is time to begin the animation.

ANIMATION

Pixar's still use traditional animation because they draw or paint the shots. Using Pixar's animation software, they choreograph the movements and expressions in each scene. Pixar's animators choreograph the action in each scene by construct key frames or poses. They are using computer commands and the character's avars to construct key poses. Automatically the computer then creates the "in-between" frames, which the animator modify as needed. It's normal when an animator start over a single short animated part many times before the director is content.

SHADE

3D software that explains surface factures contains of textures, finishes and colours are applied to every think in the scene. These programs, called "shaders," can affect many type of display, including wood, metal, fabric, glass, hair and skin. Practically everything is given texture and colour from this stage, including characters and props. They try to make scene look as real as possible like characters dressed with clothing that creased and flows naturally with body motion, hair and fur that waves in the wind, and skin that looks real enough to touch.

 LIGHTING

The light creates the mood and emotions of every scene. By using "digital light", every scene is lit in different levels. The Lighting is inspired from colour and the scripts created by the art department. Animators create ambient by spotlights to create a more depth, shadows and moods.

RENDERING

Rendering is the final process. It gathers every shoot together (sets, colours, character movement), into a one frame of film. Pixar's uses RenderMan as a software t "draws" the final product by computing every pixel of the picture from the model, animation, shading, and lighting information.
By using a great digitar all the design process is combined together that create one frame of film.  Even a company like Pixar, it takes time to render one frame of the film. A Pixar animated films consists of 24 frames per second. There are about 130,000 frames in about 90 minute animated films.

FINAL TOUCHES AND MUSICAL SCORE

Editor to complete the composition of the animators is including sound effects and background music. sounds are edit when they adds special effects.