Pixar Talk

Jeff Pidgeon has been with Pixar since the early days. He has been an integral part of the story team on the feature films Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., WALL-E and Toy Story 3. His story contributions are also on display in the shorts, Mike’s New Car, Lifted and Your Friend the Rat. Check out his complete Pixarian profile here.

In this exclusive interview with Pixar Talk, Jeff talks about the early days of Pixar (and how things have changed), working on some of the most celebrated films of the past 15 years, his passion for toys and what lies ahead.

Q: On Toy Story, you were an animator, but since then you’ve worked primarily as a story artist. What made you decide to switch to the story process?

Jeff: Animating on the computer was fun, but I really love drawing in the traditional way.  I worked like an apprentice under the story artists on Toy Story, doing cleanup and fixes, and before I knew it I’d been storyboarding for over ten years!

Q: What was it like watching Pixar transform from the small time studio it was during Toy Story into what it is today?

Jeff: Awesome, but a little weird.  Everyone wants to be a part of a successful company, so it was great. Try and imagine, though, what it would be like to work at a service station with some of your college buddies.  All of a sudden, you’re working at Standard Oil, and over half the cars on the road are using your gas!

Toy Story Concept Art By Jeff Pidgeon (copyright Disney-Pixar)

Q: How did you get to be the voice of the Green Aliens in Toy Story? Is it easy for you to channel your inner green alien?

Jeff: I used to do an imitation of one of those old electronic spelling toys to make people laugh.  I think that led to getting to try out for the Green Aliens. Now that I’ve done the voice for three movies, it’s not too hard to do.  The key is to sound awestruck most of the time, as if you’re seeing something incredible happening in front of you.

Q: Tell us about your involvement on Monsters, Inc? Tell us about collaborating with Pete Docter and what parts of the story you had the biggest hand in?

Jeff: Collaborating with Pete is amazing because he’s incredibly imaginative… He’s always trying to tell a story about a world no one’s ever seen before, but with humor and feelings that everyone understands.

I don’t think I can really point to anything specific in Monsters and say, “that’s mine”.  Working in story on an animated film is so collaborative that every second you see is touched by hundreds of terrific people.

Q: Didn’t you also work a bit on Pete Docter’s Up?

Jeff: I did - I worked on the film for over a year!  That’s easy to do when the schedule of a feature is at least two or three years. I’m very proud of how Up turned out…it’s a lovely, funny film.

Q: WALL-E has a long history with the studio, tell us how you got involved and your contribution to the finished story?

Jeff: I came in early in Wall-E’s development - I love coming on board right away, when everything is up for grabs and the possibilities are wide open!  I did a bunch of drawings and attended a lot of story discussions.  Again, these movies are so big that it’s hard to point to anything specific at the end.

Q: I learned at D23 that you went to a cabin on the coast to figure (out) Toy Story 3. Tell me about your experience breaking the story with Unkrich, Lasseter, Stanton, Docter and Anderson?

Jeff: It was great!  I got to hang out with good friends who just happen to be some of the most creative minds in filmmaking.

Q: What has your greatest professional challenge been so far?

Jeff: Working in story, period.  Story is really tough every single time!

Q: Besides Toy Story 3, are you currently involved in any of the studio’s future films?

Jeff: Yes - I’ve worked a little (to varying degrees) on almost everything that’ll be coming from Pixar in the next few years.  Most of them haven’t even been announced yet!

Q: If given the chance, would you direct a short or feature film at Pixar?

Jeff: I’d love to direct a short film at Pixar! I love the short form and I think it’d be a blast!  And who would turn down the chance to direct a Pixar feature film?

Q: What do you and your co workers at Pixar do when you are stuck on a project? Do you do anything fun to bring back any creative ideas to put into your films?

Jeff: We do a lot of different things at Pixar to inspire ideas.  We go on research trips that help ground our films with realistic details.  We watch tons of movies to see how other filmmakers approach similar subject matter.  Not to mention just fun events together to help us bond even more as a team!

Q: Do you have a favorite Pixar film and if so, why?

Jeff: I love all of the Pixar films for different reasons.  Each of them feel very much like the people who directed them, so the films are all my friends, too.  Of course, Toy Story will always be a little more special because it was my first movie.

Q: What are some of your all time favorite (non animated films)?

Jeff: Like most folks my age, I grew up loving Star Wars - it was the movie that made me want to work on movies.  I also love An American Werewolf in London, Rio Bravo, Ninotchka, West Side Story, Election, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Wolf Man, The Apartment … there’s so many great movies!

Q: I know you are a huge toy collector. Tell me how this passion got started and what your favorites toys are to collect.

Jeff: When I was growing up in Vermont, our family would go to the local flea market and buy cool stuff.  Plus, my grandparents would buy things at garage sales, fix them up and sell them out of *their* garage.  I think it’s partially exposure to the collector element at the flea markets, and partially built-in to my personality.  I’ve always loved toys, so it was inevitable that as I got more money to spend, that I would become a toy collector.

I think my favorite things to collect are ’60s toys based on Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters.  They’re so messed-up and off-model - you know, like Barney dolls with green hair - but still really appealing!

Q: How did your Happy Beaver character and line of toys come about?

Jeff: Happy Beaver started out as a Sharpie doodle quite a while ago, where it sat in a drawer with a bunch of my other artwork.  About four or five years ago, I was making T-shirts to sell at conventions.  I got to a point where I was looking for another one to print up.  My wife Anita spotted the doodle and suggested I use it.  I did, and the beaver tee sold WAY better than any of the others.  So, when I decided to make my own vinyl toy, it just made sense to pick the beaver as the design - I feel like the people had kind of already spoken.  I feel toy-making is a natural extension of toy collecting.  You buy rarer and rarer toys until ultimately you have to make your own.  Once you do that, it’s only the money that holds you back.  It’s a lot of fun to get those cases of your own toy in the mail!

Special Thanks to Jeff Pidgeon for his time and generosity. Don’t forget to check out Jeff’s Toy Blog and follow him on Twitter!

P.S. Let me know what you think by commenting on this interview. I need to know what you think and if you want to see more of them! Thanks

Tags: A Bug's Life, Exclusive, Interview, Jeff Pidgeon, Lifted, Mike's New Car, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Wall-E, Your Friend the Rat