Pixar’s original series, Win or Lose, follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they prepare for their big championship softball game. We were able to watch the first four episodes, and the storytelling is quite different from anything Pixar has done before. Each episode reveals that particular character’s perspective, whether it is a mom just trying to do her best, a lovesick umpire, or insecure kids—to name a few.
This new storytelling perspective came from the minds of Directors Michael Yates and Carrie Hobson, “Carrie and I were officemates on ‘Toy Story 4,’” he says. “We were both story artists on the film, and we would talk about a lot of things going on in the film, as well as things going on in the world-current events, news. We would always have different reactions or different interpretations of the same meeting. One of us would say, ‘That went great!’ and the other would say, ‘No! It was terrible. What are you talking about?’ We realized that our own experiences that we bring to the table change our perception of an event. We wanted to tell a story that illustrated all of that.”
THE LOOK OF THE SERIES
The eight-episode series of Win or Lose showcases several different lighting, camera and character techniques that is new for Pixar to explore.
According to VFX supervisor Bob Moyer, “To create eight 20-minute episodes for streaming, we had to reconsider how we do everything-from the size of the crew to the look of the show-the entire structure had to be reimagined.” Moyer adds that since Hobson and Yates came out of the gate with a desire to push the character expressions in a whole new way, his team developed a couple of approaches. “The first was something we call ‘detached facial features,’ DFF,” he says. “The mouth, nose, and ears are not attached to the rest of the face, so they can slide around and do really fun poses.” The second would involve a lot of 2D imagery that could integrate well into the 3D world, creating fantastical moments for the series.
Production designer Noah Klocek noted that the world of Win or Lose takes place in Everytown, U.S.A. “Our default world is caricatured, fun and warm-almost squishy and cute,” notes Klocek. “That’s consistent across all episodes, while the characters’ perspective views switch in and out. We wanted that to feel very different for each episode,” he says. “Most of our early conversations revolved around how to visually tell what it’s like to feel something. Each character has what we call perspective views that show the way they see the world around them-it’s unique to them.”
Patrick Lin, director of photography, shares his team was able to amplify the unique approach to storytelling with layout and camera. “When we looked at the characters and what they’re going through, we felt their challenges were super relatable with a serious undercurrent,” says Lin. “We wanted the cinematography to be sophisticated and realistic to draw the audience in.”
The team took a creative approach to the lighting aspect of the series. “We weren’t beholden to realism,” says Brian Boyd, director of photography. “It allowed us a lot of freedom. I didn’t have to worry about every light in the scene coming from something realistic. We could just use color to show the characters’ state of emotion for that moment, do a theatrical setup that emphasized it, and then move on. It was really liberating being able to play and try things out.”
According to Boyd, the lighting provided contrast to the character style of the series. “Using filmic motifs in juxtaposition with how simple the characters were, along with how theatrical we went with the lighting, resulted in a unique overall look.”
WIN OR LOSE – OUR THOUGHTS
After watching the first four episodes, we can most certainly say that we were left wanting more when each episode ended. The cliffhangers leave you, as the audience, rooting for the character of the episode you just watched. It is such a unique perspective for a series. It also stood out to us how much Win or Lose will appeal to many age groups – tackling topics of real-life adulthood or the triumphs and struggles of youth.
The music in the series was a big standout for us. We really enjoyed the score by Ramin Djawadi and original songs by CAMPFIRE and Djawadi. Most notably, we thoroughly enjoyed the musical shift when each episode fades to black and cuts to the credits scene. The show drops away, and a pop or hip/hop style song takes over. This is very reminiscent of the HBO show Silicon Valley, and we love that the team included this type of element into the series. Each episode ends with a powerful punch.
The realistic topics and tones of the series are incredible. So far, my (Julie) favorite episode is episode 4, titled ‘Pickle.’ WOW! The theme of this episode is such a realistic topic that truly anyone can relate to. Whether you’re a parent or even just thinking of what your parents went through, this episode really hits an emotional home run.
Our one question about the series is — while we know the backstory follows intertwined character stories heading into the championship game, is it obvious to someone who doesn’t know the backstory? We wonder if each episode would have ended at the same scene (the same moment), would it help an audience unfamiliar with the synopsis? Then, the final episode could start right where each episode ended. Again, we’re not saying it is a problem; it’s just something we thought about when watching.
WIN OR LOSE – YOUR THOUGHTS
One thing is for sure: We cannot wait to watch the rest of the Win or Lose episodes. We will discuss and share our thoughts with you as the episodes launch. Be sure to share your thoughts with other Pixar fans about Win or Lose in the Pixar Post Forum. Let us know what you think – what you think of the characters, the story, the music, and anything else that catches your eye!
Win or Lose will stream exclusively to Disney+ starting February 19, 2025 (2-episode premiere), following a new character each week.