Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory, the long-awaited sequel to Finding Nemo, will dive into theatres in a couple of months time. The story picks up six months after the events of its predecessor, as Dory recalls her childhood memories in the hope of becoming reunited with her friends and family in the waters of Monterey, California. And while we have already been introduced to the new cast of characters under the sea, it appears that there’s a feathered creature on the shore, keen to make their debut.
Archive for Pixar
‘Finding Dory’ Director Andrew Stanton on Diving Into Pixar’s Big Sequel
Finding Dory director Andrew Stanton wants to make one thing clear: The upcoming sequel to Pixar’s hit 2003 animated adventure Finding Nemo is no profit-driven cash-in.
How To Use Disney•Pixar Movies To Teach Kids About Friendship
Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, which is available today on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere, is a heartwarming adventure about the power of friendship and discovering who you are meant to be.
In this epic journey, a young apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend while traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape. Arlo learns not only the value of friendship, but also how to confront his fears and discover what he is truly capable of.
For some young children, making friends and learning how to be a good friend can be especially challenging. The following are a half a dozen helpful tips many parenting experts agree can help pave the way to developing satisfying social interactions:
1. Set a friendly example for your child.
Kids definitely learn by watching their parents. Model social skills in your own day- to-day interactions — talk about your friendships in positive ways, and greet people with a warm smile. Let your children see you making time for friends, offering to help those in need and being a sympathetic listener to other’s problems. Think about the characteristics you value in good friends and consistently demonstrate them yourself.
2. Help your child identify his or her friendship style
There are almost as many styles of social peer interaction as there are types of children. Observing your child’s personality will help you work with him to identify what kind of social interaction is most comfortable for him. Some kids love being part of large groups, while others can only handle one-on-one interactions. Participating in active outdoor activities may be tons of fun for some, while others prefer quiet indoor diversions like playing games or solving puzzles with a single friend or two. What’s important is to let your child’s temperament be the guiding force, and not what you think he should be doing. Being involved and forcing your child are two different things. You could unknowingly limit your child if you assume he relates to friends the same way you do. Let your child show you what kind of social interactions work best for him, and don’t hesitate to back away.
3. Use stories/movies to help teach how to be a good friend
Films like The Good Dinosaur are wonderful conversation starters for families whose children are shy about communicating. Many kids find it easier to discuss real-life issues through fictional stories. For example, after you’ve watched the film together it’s a perfect time to ask what your child felt about Arlo’s friendship with Spot, about the difference friends could make in his own life and what he might do to make new friends.
4. Teach the Basics
Practice simple phrases that ease the way into conversations, such as “What’s your name?” or “What’s your favorite sport?” Teach your child how to join a group of kids on the playground, and tell them to allow other kids to join in. Just as important is to help your child interpret non-verbal cues. Learning to read body language and facial expressions can prevent hurt and disappointment ahead of time, as they’ll learn to anticipate whether they can expect a positive reception from a peer or not.
5. Arrange social activities
You can lay the groundwork for socialization by setting the stage in several ways. Get to know the parents of your child’s classmates and neighbors and open your home to friends for playdates. Encourage your child to participate in after-school activities as a way of broadening his social circle beyond the classroom.
6. Don’t Add Pressure by making a big deal out of it
Uncertainty about making friends is a common problem for young children so don’t be too heavy handed about it. Be supportive and let your child know you’re always there to support and advise, but tread lightly. You want to help, but don’t make it a big deal. Avoid bombarding them with questions about their social lives and allow some healthy alone time. Most importantly, let children develop their own comfort level. After all, it’s their life and they should be able to live it as authentically as possible.
Disney-Pixar’s ‘The Good Dinosaur’ on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere Feb. 23
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The Perfect Adventure for the Whole Family Stampedes Home On Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere February 23 |
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Extensive Bonus Features Include:
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Pixar Wins Big At 43rd Annie Awards
Pixar Animation Studios was the big winner at the 43rd Annual Annie Awards, Saturday evening at UCLA’s Royce Hall. ‘Inside Out’ won Best Animated Feature along with 11 other categories, including Outstanding Music – Michael Giacchino; Outstanding Editing – Kevin Nolting; Outstanding Production Design – Ralph Eggleston; Outstanding Voice Acting – Phyllis Smith as ‘Sadness’; Outstanding Writing – Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley; and Best Directing – Pete Docter. This year was the first for the new category Best Animated Feature, Independent with Filme de Papel’s ‘Boy and the World’ taking this top honor.
The Best Animated Special Production was awarded to ‘He Named Me Malala’ (Parkes-MacDonald/Little Door); Best Animated Short Subject ‘World of Tomorrow’ (Don Hertzfeldt); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial ‘Man and Dog’ (Psyop); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children ‘Tumble Leaf’ – Mirror (Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Children ‘Wander Over Yonder’ – The Breakfast (Disney Television Animation); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for a General Audience ‘The Simpsons’ – Halloween of Horror (Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television); Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production: ‘The Revenant’ – The Bear (Regency Enterprises, New Regency Pictures, Anonymous Content, M Productions, Appian Way, RatPac-Dune Entertainment; and Best Student Film ‘ed’ (Sheridan College – Taha Neyestani).
“The Annies are drawing more attention from both our industry and the general motion picture industry,” said ASIFA-Hollywood Executive Director, Frank Gladstone. “We wait all year for this event and it never disappoints! It was a fun evening looking back at our history and celebrating what we have accomplished over this past year.”
Presenting the coveted Annie trophies this year were actor, producer & director Edward James Olmos with actress Rita Moreno; actor & writer Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) with actress Laraine Newman (Dawn Of The Croods); actors Alexander Garfin and Hadley Belle Miller (“Linus and Lucy” from The Peanuts Movie) & Snoopy via Video; actress Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers), composerChristophe Beck; Phyllis Smith (voice of ‘Sadness’ from Inside Out) with Bing Bong (Richard Kind) via video; Anomalisa co-directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, John Musker and ASIFA-Hollywood President, Jerry Beckand Executive Director, Frank Gladstone.
This year’s Juried Award recipients included Winsor McCay lifetime achievement award – Joe Ranft (posthumously), Phil Romanand Isao Takahata. The Winsor McCay Award is one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation. Don Hahn was this year’s June Foray award recipient which honors an individual who has given significant and benevolent contributions to the art and industry of animation.
The Annie Awards™ honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 36 categories from best feature, best feature – independent, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting, and have often been a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The ceremony was live-streamed again this year at www.annieawards.org/watch-it-live where animation enthusiasts and those unable to attend the event, could watch the show. A complete list of winners can be viewed at www.annieawards.org and highlights of the ceremony will be uploaded to the Annies website in the next few weeks.
Toy Story 4: Pete Docter on “New Direction” of the Sequel
Pete Docter likes to make me cry. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s made you cry too. As the writer-director of Pixar’s Up and Monsters, Inc. and a contributing writer on other Pixar films like WALL-E, Toy Story, and Toy Story 2, Docter has shown an amazing ability to inject life and feelings into computer generated images.
Disney Pixar’s THE GOOD DINOSAUR on Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD February 23
From the Studio That Brought You “Inside Out” Comes the Hilariously Heartwarming Tale of Unlikely Friendship
The Perfect Adventure for the Whole Family Stampedes Home On Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere February 23
Extensive Bonus Features Include the Academy Award© Nominated Theatrical Short “Sanjay’s Super Team,” Making-of Featurettes, Deleted Scenes and More!
The Good Dinosaur Is Officially Pixar’s First Fossil
While Pixar’s heart is almost always in the right place, it was destined to fail at some point or another. Some thought The Incredibles was the end of the line, before getting a handle on its beauty.
This is what 5 of your favorite Pixar movies looked like in early sketches before they hit the big screen
It takes a lot of work, and a lot of trial and error, to bring an animated world to life.
Pete Docter on ‘Inside Out’s’ Team Tackling Unique Challenges
Pete Docter, director/co-writer of Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out,” says the film presented unique challenges, but the artisans’ demands were often surprisingly similar to live-action work. He spoke with Variety about some of his key team.
