Boxoffice November 2016

ally tough” in animation
because of the density,
physics, motion, lighting,
and other elements
crucial to providing
realism. The footage they
screened looked spectacular,
though. Reisch
went on to note that The
Good Dinosaur crushed
the studio’s previous
record for storage of
effects data, taking up a
whopping 300 terabytes
(over 300,000 gigabytes),
or about 10 times the
amount used on Monsters
University. “Just the rivers
themselves are bigger
than the entirety of Cars
2 with all the characters,
environments, and
effects.”
Pushing new technical
boundaries allowed
the creators to build
a massive set to play in. Virtual location scouting
provided a wealth of settings ranging from breathtaking
and beautiful to mysterious and dangerous. The
result appears to be the widest visual scope yet for
Pixar, with the team repeatedly mentioning that only
Brave has come anywhere close.
The expansion of the team’s digital playground
turned out to be a boon to the storytelling too. “In
the past, we would only linger on shots every so often.
Here, Peter wanted the scenery to be a character itself,”
says Story Supervisor Kelsey Mann. Because the plot
revolves around Arlo’s emotional and physical struggles
against nature, the marriage of his journey with Pixar’s
biggest canvas to date is a match made in heaven.
Mann and screenwriter Meg LaFauve, both of
whom have previous experience on Pixar films, joined
the project shortly after Sohn was named director.
“We were both fresh eyes coming in,” says LaFauve.
Although there was need for an expedited production
schedule at that point, both view it as a benefit to the
movie’s development. “The fast pace created a lot of
camaraderie,” she says.
Reflecting on some of the broader enhancements
they brought to the story, Mann adds, “We were
building a mood; a quiet and poetic way to tell the
story was a big change.”
LaFauve adds, “The immersive feeling is probably
the biggest change. It used to be a quest movie, and
now it’s a ‘get home’ movie. It became more able to
focus on the relationship of these two boys.”
“There were a lot of discussions about Arlo and
who he is,” LaFauve continues. “We had to layer
him up because you can’t just say ‘he’s afraid’ or ‘he’s
incapable.’ That only goes so far. It has to also become
about ‘what does he want?’ Yes, he wants to get
home, but what does he want as a boy? Part of why
he’s going on this journey is to grow up and become
that man he wants to become, but it’s also because
he’s been wounded, and at this age he can’t find the
psychological or emotional way to come to terms
with it. So this ‘dog’ comes into his life to help him
open his heart again.”
The team’s respect for Peter Sohn was another
recurring theme in our conversations. Discussing the
process of storyboarding with a roomful of writers,
editors, and animators, Mann stresses that “when you
really love something, you give it your all. It’s a vulnerable
state to be in, especially when you’re working
in an environment like this, because you’re reworking
it over and over. It’s hard not to have your heart
broken, but you have to put yourself in it to make a
great film. Pete allowed that kind of safe environment
to bring yourself—every fiber of your being—into
what you do. It was a fantastic way to work.”
Pixar has never shied away from heart, humor, or
ambition—the recipe of their undeniably winning
formula—and the time and effort it took to achieve
those things come across in early footage. With its
depth of visual scope and genre twisting, both driven
first and foremost by the story, The Good Dinosaur
looks to hold up the studio’s revered cinematic
reputation while simultaneously introducing us to
yet another talented young feature director with the
ability to harness a creative vision.
Indeed, the long wait for Pixar’s 16th film in 20
years looks to be well worth it.
The Good Dinosaur is in theaters November 25,
2015. n
Pixar’s Sanjay’s Super
Team is about a firstgeneration
Indian-
American boy whose love
of western pop culture
comes into conflict with
his father’s traditions. He
embarks on a journey he
never imagined, returning
with a new perspective
they can both embrace.
Directed by Sanjay Patel,
the new short opens
in front of The Good
Dinosaur on Nov. 25.
NOVEMBER 2015 BoxOffice ® Pro 39