There are many ways that Pixarians can inspire us, whether it be through their handwork shown on film or simply voiced in-person on stage during a special presentation. This upcoming May, long-time Pixarians will hit the road, as Ed Catmull is set to address Johns Hopkins University’s graduating class and the comedic duo of Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera will present a sneak peek screening of Inside Out.
UPDATED May 21 – Ed Catmull’s John Hopkins University commencement speech video has been updated at the end of this post.
‘Inside Out’ Sneak Peek Screening
This Spring, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a month-long (April 24 – May 29, 2015) series of animation events/special presentations titled An Animation Showcase: From Celluloid to CGI. Taking place in New York, the showcase will feature five events highlighting topics ranging from animation techniques to behind-the-scenes discussions with filmmakers. While each event is not to be missed, Pixar fans who live in the area will be pleased to learn that the closing event (May 29) features a sneak peek screening of Inside Out. Following the screening, the audience will be treated to an ‘inside’ look at the film – as director, Pete Docter, and producer, Jonas Rivera will be on-hand to discuss details from the production of the film.
This is an incredible opportunity to listen to this engaging duo – each of whom has been with Pixar Animation Studios for over 20 years. To purchase tickets to this incredible event click here.
Ed Catmull To Speak At Johns Hopkins University’s Commencement
On May 21, Ed Catmull, President, and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios will speak at Johns Hopkins University’s commencement. While many of Catmull’s speeches have been posted on various online channels, it is worth noting that each one contains inspirational knowledge and insight into the mind of the technological visionary. Back in 2012, Ed Catmull addressed the graduating class of the University of Utah. During the speech, the audience was treated to a very powerful story where Catmull explained that there are critical moments in life and business – all of which can be measured by two inches.
During a family vacation to Yellowstone the Catmull family (Ed Catmull was 12 years old at the time) narrowly escaped a tragic accident. A minor fender bender on a narrow canyon road almost sent the family and their new 1957 Ford station wagon off the road and down a cliff. The space between life and tragedy for the Catmull family was two inches.
Two more inches, no Pixar. I have no way of conceiving the number of two-inch events in the lives of people at Pixar. When I describe those events to people, they say, ‘You dodged a bullet.’ Whatever instinct you have for controlling the future, you have no way of accounting for all the two-inch events.
Ed Catmull – exceprt from the original “two more inches” post
We have our fingers crossed that the upcoming commencement ceremony at Johns Hopkins University will be streamed online – so that we too, can be inspired once again by the words and wisdom of Ed Catmull.
UPDATED May 21 – Catmull’s commencement speech has been uploaded to the John Hopkins YouTube page (and embedded below).
Failure isn’t a necessary evil. It is a necessary consequence of doing something new – and you should always do something new.
Ed Catmull
Themes from the speech regarding failure are mirrored from Ed’s Creativity, Inc. book and are a great reminder to allow failure to happen as part of the creative process. He sites evolutionary changes from the movie Up, tells a great tale about agility on Disney’s film Bolt and tells a few stories about his old friend and business partner, Steve Jobs. Growth, personal development and finding your personal story arc are the final themes that Ed leaves the graduating class with, but I think we all can learn from these words.
