Have you had a chance to see Soul yet? If you’re not a subscriber of Disney+ (or maybe Disney+ isn’t available in your region yet), the great news is that Soul is now available on 4K Ultra HDR, Blu-Ray, and DVD (released March 23, 2021).
In celebration of the in-home release of Soul, Pixar invited us to chat with story artist, Michael Yates and learn a little more about how the story team drew Joe Gardner. You can watch the “how-to” video embedded below, or directly on our YouTube channel.
The superb, Michael Yates joined Pixar in 2015 and has worked as a story artist on Cars 3, Toy Story 4, Soul, and is developing the animated series, Win or Lose, with fellow story artist Carrie Hobson. Thanks to Michael for chatting with us again and teaching us how to draw Joe — it was a blast.
T.J.’s version of Joe when following along with Michael is below.
Check out the special features listed below and then watch a special virtual jazz concert (which premiered on Pixar’s YouTube channel) with Jon Batiste and performances by several college marching bands (below the special features). Watching Jon at work playing the piano is such a joy and our spirits are always lifted with that New Orleans jazz sound.
Be sure to note that if you have only seen the film on Disney+ so far, the physical release also contains the 5 Deleted Scenes listed below as well as the Audio Commentary — so, these are the first time fans have been able to see these features.
BONUS FEATURES (may vary by retailer)
Deleted Scenes
- Introduction – Writer Mike Jones and story supervisor Kristen Lester introduce the Soul deleted scenes.
- Mentor Orientation – Joe sneaks into the You Seminar Mentor Program orientation, trying to figure out how on earth he can get back to…Earth.
- Clubhouse Forgery – Joe follows 22 into her “secret lair” as she reluctantly agrees to help him find his way back to Earth.
- Home Lessons – Stuck inside Joe’s body, 22 clumsily attempts to help the downstairs neighbor.
- Living the Dream – Joe has a heart-to-heart with 22 about her fear of living on Earth then tries to make his way back home via a dream portal.
- Press Shot – Joe, stuck in a cat’s body, and 22, stuck in Joe’s body, take the subway to the jazz club for a publicity photography session.
Audio Commentary – View the film with audio commentary by director Pete Docter, co-director/writer Kemp Powers, and producer Dana Murray.
Not Your Average Joe – See the thought and care that went into crafting Joe and his story in Pixar’s first film to feature a Black leading character.
Astral Taffy – Get an in-depth look at the artistry and technical innovation that went into creating the sets and characters of Soul’s world.
Pretty Deep for a Cartoon – The filmmakers tackle big questions, such as: Where does a newborn’s personality come from? What’s the meaning of life? And more!
Into the Zone: The Music and Sound of Soul – Explore the movie’s different sonic worlds and discover how music drives and adds specificity to Joe’s journey.
Soul, Improvised – See how the Pixar Systems team and Soul’s crew managed to finish the film on schedule during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jazz Greats – Giants of the jazz world who consulted on Soul share their passion and hard-won wisdom about what music is and does for us all.
Did you pick up Soul? Leave a comment below and let us know!
