Toy Story 3
DALLAS — Pixar animation’s power team, Toy Story 3 Producer, Darla K. Anderson and Director, Lee Unkrich answered some really great questions on Monday, about the journey of making Toy Story 3.
There was no big secret in particular for the franchise’s success, but it began with the industry. Toy Story 3 introduced the world to a new age of computer animation. The team consisted of talented artists, animators and a whole lot of other creative folks.
According to Anderson, “Goodbye Andy” proved to be one of the more emotional centerpieces of the last film in the series. This scene was a touchstone for the movie, due to the emotional depth. The audience can relate well to saying goodbye to a loved one.
Unkrich, however, really enjoyed putting together the incinerator scene toward the end of the film. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as they see the characters thrust into a life or death situation. This moment was, “handled truthfully and respectfully” Unkrich said.
Toy Story 3’s characters are known all over the World. The expectations that Darla and Lee had to uphold were of a high standard. Even children in Mexico awaited anxiously for the premier, each having their favorite character.
Blast got a chance to ask about any set-backs while filming, and it turns out, there was.Jim Varney, the voice of Slinky the dog, passed away during filming. There was a debate on whether Slinky, a character known and loved, should be taken out of the movie. Luckily, Unkrich and Anderson decided Slinky had transgressed beyond the voice, into a character of his own. So Slinky the dog is here to stay forever in our hearts.
The storyboard alone took two and a half years, while another two were spent on production. Unkrich’s job was “giving guidance and direction.” His job was to step back and make sure the film meshed as a whole, so the audience would be able to get the full entertainment experience. Anderson said she was very fortunate and grateful to initiate the process of the film.
Toy Story 3 is rumored to be the last in this movie trilogy. Blast asked if Lee and Darla were sad to say goodbye, and both felt sad for the story-lines ending, but “each scene is an opportunity for all of us to say goodbye.”
The interview wrapped with a question of were there any new exciting films in the making. “Yes!” both replied. Unkrich and Anderson are back together working on a new film, but the details are top secret so they couldn’t give out any information. Cars 2 is also already in production, expected to be out by next Summer.
The Toy Story movies are and will forever be in the hearts of children, adults and families all over the world, for years to come.
Outstanding interview, Alicia. I never knew that Jim Varney, the Slinky Dog voice actor, had passed away during production. Also I didn’t know that the storyboarding alone took 2 1/2 years! WOW! Shows you how careful Unkrich is to paying attention to detail. It has certainly paid off. Our beloved Toy Story characters will always remain in our hearts with three outstanding films. Thank you Pixar!