A place of dreams called Pixar!

The name Pixar has crept closer to my heart as the years have rolled on and the majestic animation studio has dished out one superlative movie after another. For a group that started out in the Computer Division of Lucasfilm (of Star Wars creator George Lucas of course) way back in 1979 and bought later on by a disheveled Steve Jobs in 1986 who had resigned from Apple, Pixar has come a long long way indeed. Now creator of thirteen feature films, innumerable short films, pioneer in the field of animation, and a name known in each household, Pixar is no longer seen only as an animation studio, but as a creator of something bright and beautiful, something moving and touching, something warm and fuzzy. And while all this stems from the highly creative and bold set of people working behind the scenes, what must also drive them is the beautiful setting they work in. The grand headquarters of Pixar at Emeryville, California, USA.

This the grand entrance of Pixar headquarters. Before you sweep down any further, be warned that these photos may make you struggle to reach your own office premises the next day. Self-pity could also envelop you quickly! Getting back to the magic of Pixar, the headquarters at Emeryville was opened in November 2000. Overseen by Steve Jobs himself and driven by his obsession over details, the building along with the campus has been designed in such a way to encourage maximum interaction between employees, especially from different departments. So to encourage such unplanned encounters, there is a vast atrium that invites you once you step in through the doors. 

The main doors are right in front, and an inviting canteen stands to the right side in the photo. No better way to start the day than with a healthy breakfast, right? Oh, did I forget to mention that you would be greeted by smiling cheerful monsters once you enter the gates of the building?

Walk inside, and it is said you are free to decorate your space as you like. As an interview with Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles and Ratatouille, reads, "If you walk around downstairs in the animation area, you’ll see that it is unhinged. People are allowed to create whatever front to their office they want. One guy might build a front that’s like a Western town. Someone else might do something that looks like Hawaii. John [Lasseter] believes that if you have a loose, free kind of atmosphere, it helps creativity." No wonder then that the cabin of John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and one of the key personnel behind Pixar's unequivocal success, at some time looked like this. 

Step away from other offices and take the bridge that reaches your own cubicle, feeling like you are walking above the world all the time.

Or get away from work for a while and try your skill set on the video games or the foosball table; maybe the theme for the next Pixar movie will creep into your mind right then. 

Got tired of being inside? Step out into the lush lawns, take a breather on those stairs, stretch out and feel closer to nature. Or just stare with wonderment. Time after all has slowed! 600-seat outdoor amphitheater, a soccer field and an organic vegetable garden for Pixar's chefs, is what constitutes the exterior campus. 

And then of course you meet the the world's most famous lamp and the star of Luxo Jr, Pixar's first ever short film, playing with his ball. 

And once the sun sets, take a step back, gaze and admire.

I salute the makers of this great animation studio, the vision that they had and the ability to bring it to light. I have scavenged the internet to find pictures of this place, a place which would hold well guarded secrets too, and so I thank the ones who have posted some of these wonderful pictures. I implore people who ever come across this article and aspire to build a company of such repute, that irrespective of the scale of your company, understand the fundamental thinking that has gone behind building a workplace as this, where creativity and joy along with toil are mashed up. And I sleep now with beautiful dreams. I am probably not going to my office tomorrow.

Minions are back in Despicable Me 2

They are cute. 

She is always cute.

They can never stop being cute.

It was a combination of extreme cuteness, an interesting plot where the protagonist was an anti-hero, and more cuteness, and also talented actors like of course Steve Carell lending their voices , that made Despicable Me one of the surprise hits of 2010. When you get it right once, you always gonna try it again, right? In the movie business, you most certainly do! So work on Despicable Me 2 was underway and is now releasing in July 2013. But I ain't complaining at all! The teaser trailer kicked things off in a lively fashion by turning it into a '1-minute minions show'. And now the full length trailer has been launched. 

It is funny. It has its own touch of adventure. Gru is now a proper hero. And oh of course, it got cuteness amplified. It got the minions, flying like Superman or laughing at their own jokes. It got the three girls, adding to the fun and drama. It seems like a perfect family trip to be taken. And with Steve Carell, this one got Al Pacino throwing in his classy voice too. It sounds oh so perfect that I'm afraid I'm gonna jinx it! 'It's so fluffy that I'm gonna die!' Sigh. Watch for yourself. 

Cameron the multiplier!

I just read a small part of an interview that James Cameron gave recently, which made me recollect that there is something massive being constructed inside this guy's head about to hit us soon. Avatar 2 and Avatar 3, that is what he's been working on for quite some time. Well, I wasn't a big fan of Avatar and am still trying to figure out what was so remarkable about it to justify the mind-boggling money it earned in probably every continent on this world (even the penguins in the Arctic would have paid to see this one!). But even then I am most likely to end up watching the early shows for the sequels, considering the extent of hype and pressure that one is going to feel when these movies surface. Not to worry, as they are still in early stages and this is what Cameron had to say in the interview I read.

I'm working on Avatar 2 and Avatar 3. I was talking the other day with Peter Jackson and said, 'You had it easy dude. You had the books when you did the second and third Lord of the Rings.' I have to create my own books in my head and extract a script from it. I'm deep into it and I'm living in Pandora right now.

The full interview here -- http://play.lifegoesstrong.com/article/james-cameron-interview-3d-films-cirque-du-soleil-movie-avatar-sequels-and-what-he-knows-now

There are no official release dates yet but December '14 was the date initially planned for Avatar 2. Might get pushed a bit possibly. Come whenever it does, this one is gonna be huge. I'm not talking of the script or the latest technologies in 3D that would emerge with it, nor the further discovery of Pandora through Cameron's eyes. I am simply talking of the thing that many say matters eventually. Money! Remember, Cameron has never failed to deliver. He's some kind of a genius when it comes to ensuring that his movies make money. Yeah, his works are impressive. But I still cannot fathom if one was to say that Avatar and Titanic are the two greatest movies of all time, even though only these two movies have ever crossed $2 billion in worldwide earnings, and I mean ever! James Cameron somehow gets everything right, from the initial buzz, to the movie itself and then to the marketing and publicity, along with gathering a few awards for his movies here and there. 

The best way to look at it is from the viewpoint of the 'Mulitplier' -- that is asking this simple question, how many times of the production costs are the movie earnings (worldwide)? Of course, we are ignoring the marketing costs but this still gives a good idea on how well the movie has done. Check out this graph for James Cameron's full-length feature films.

It is simply staggering, a kind of ratio that hardly anyone in the industry could match and that too on such a consistent basis. It has never dipped below 1x, and of his seven movies, this multiplier has been five times above 5x! The producers do make a lot of dough when Cameron takes on the Director's chair. And with the bars raised so high for the sequels of Avatar, Cameron would really have to go deep into Pandora to continue delivering such staggering box-office performances. 

Pictures of Interest

Movie publicity in the current age does not begin and end with trailers and posters and an interview here and there, as you would be well aware. You as an audience are fed in with regular doses of happenings during the movie production itself, at times even the casting is a frenzied activity. With the advent of social networking sites, the movie creators have further found a new tool to use. So with loads of such activity on-going, these two pictures have specifically caught my attention.  

Who's in, who's out, has been highly discussed online ever since Bryan Singer came back to the X-Men series with his plans to create a time portal to connect the original and older X-Men with the latest younger versions of them. This picture, tweeted by Bryan Singer, largely concludes the casting discussions, though there are six empty slots which are expected to be for lesser known mutants. It's quite a cool way of showcasing the ensemble that will glorify the movie X-Men: Days of Future Past scheduled for a July 2014 release. I don't expect Singer to botch this up as he did with his latest Jack the Giant Slayer. Can't wait for this one! But a whole year to go...

Releasing not so far away is Gulliermo Del Toro's sci-fi action flick Pacific Rim. The buzz around this movie had tamed down post the release of the first trailer quite a while back. Maybe this picture released by the production house could be the start of things to come. Dwarfing even Godzilla, this picture seems to be of a news broadcaster announcing the discovery of a footprint of the monstrous creatures, called Kaiju, that step out from the oceans and engage mankind into one of its most important battles to protect itself. Pacific Rim has a July 2013 release and hopefully the publicity and the buzz around the movie would also reach the gigantic levels of the footprint! 

Hitchcock: A chapter worth knowing!

Alfred Hitchcock is a name no one could be unfamiliar with. A British director who then went on to take Hollywood by storm, 5-time Oscar nominee who worked on more than fifty decades in a career that spanned half a century, Hitchcock is nothing short of a legend. Be it Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Rebecca, Rear Window, Birds, and so many more, each of his works could be separately talked about and discussed. But a conversation on Alfred Hitchcock cannot start without uttering the word Psycho. One of the great movies of the last century, and considered Hitchcock's best work, Psycho (1960) was a story filled with suspense, intrigue, horror, to an extent unknown in that era. And as is with any great movie, there is always an equally intriguing plot behind the making of the film as much as there is in it. 

Hitchcock is based on Alfred Hitchcock's time during the making of Psycho and concentrates more on his relationship with his wife Alma Reville during this period. Having a tad bit of obsession about the actresses that he eventually turns into superstars, Hitchcock deals with the strains that erupt in the relationship between the great director and his wife and how the two manage this phase in their lives. But don't get me wrong, for it is hardly melodramatic. While Hitchcock has its 'drama' moments, it is still light-hearted in its approach showcasing the legend handling the stress of his work and life issues. Hitchcock also brings forth the gamble that Alfred Hitchcock took with Psycho by financing it on his own, his obsession about the ending remaining a secret (to such levels that he had his secretary buy all the copies which she could find of the book Psycho, on which the movie was to be based), and his disputes with Paramount for the distribution of the movie. 

Anthony Hopkins is as good as it gets when one talks of quality acting. His acting prowess is something one dare not even question, for the man is impeccable. Be it regularly fashioning the Hitchcock poise with the arms on the side and the stomach jutting out, or the drooping eyes, or the drooling manner of speech, Hopkins was perfect (helped by of course great makeup work which was Oscar-nominated). But matching him every step of the way is Hellen Mirren as Alma Reville. She is graceful as Hitchcock's wife, being the toughie that is required to handle such a great artist who may tend to lose his way, and being the delicate wife who at times just needs a hug. Her laughs, her frowns, her annoyance, her need for love, all is portrayed so effortlessly, something only an actor of Helen Mirren's calibre can pull off. Scarlett Johansson is charming in her portrayal as the famous actress Janet Leigh, who starred in Psycho. Despite the presence of other stalwarts, Johansson makes most of her screen time so as not to be overshadowed. The supporting cast manage their bits neatly, though sadly James D'Arcy who portrays Anthony Perkins (aka Norman Bates of Psycho) has limited footage and Norman Bates will always be missed, even if it be in a movie just dealing with an aspect of the making of Psycho.

While the film more or less guarantees an astute performance by its actors, what it lacks is in terms of being neater and crisper, something that Hitchcock himself was so brilliant at. There are certain scenes that seem overly stretched and others that could have been longer. The plot at times loses its way between showcasing the making of Psycho or the relationship between Hitchcock and Reville and thus does not do justice entirely to both the elements. Maybe with a stronger writing team and a more experienced director (for this was Sacha Gervasi's first full length feature film as director), Hitchcock after all had a plot that could have been converted into a classic film. But having said this, it is still a lovely peek into one of the most influential movie directors of all time. And if you are a lover of Psycho, or any Hitchcock work, this is a chapter of his life worth knowing. Do not miss! 

PS: This is one of the original posters released by Alfred Hitchcock for Psycho. He extended the buzz about the movie by declaring a 'no late admission' rule which eventually led to long lines outside the theatres before the screening of Psycho. Great men do things their own way! 

The dinos need more buzz...

Any news connected to this should probably be a news flash. I mean literally flashing boldly as a news item of extreme importance. But I still do not feel the buzz. Maybe it is the trepidation that crept in with the third movie of the franchise. Oh my apologies for I forgot to mention... I am talking of the Jurassic Park series and its latest venture, Jurassic Park IV. The first movie helmed by God's angel, Steven Spielberg, truly introduced dinosaurs to the modern civilization. It was an encyclopedia of sorts, maybe an abridged version. The sequel again directed by Spielberg continued educating the audience but it was the third movie, which did not have Spielberg in the director's seat, that really got panned by many. That was slightly more than a decade back but people do have strong memories. So while Jurassic Park IV has been talked about for a a couple of years or maybe more now, with a strong sense that the angel would take on his directing duties again and take off from where he left the franchise in 1997, that is not to be.  

In those boots steps Colin Trevorrow. Not heard of him? Well, J.J. Abrams cannot be everywhere rebooting all the forgotten classic sci-fi movies, can he? So Colin Trevorrow has been given this task with Spielberg continuing in the Executive Producer role. This name would be googled quite a lot in coming days and what you are largely going to find is that Trevorrow has a limited body of work as of now. In fact when it comes to directing full-length feature films, his work includes just one movie! This is the 2012 flick Safety Not Guaranteed which has a touch of sci-fi to it. The movie has a 7.1 rating on Imdb and had received largely positive reviews from critics. So is this resume good enough? Only time will tell. Trevorrow would be tested now, for when it comes to Jurassic Park IV, the challenge would be to revitalize the movie series, bring back the old magic and mix science with action so smoothly without any troughs and crests, that one is transported back to the Spielberg days. I hope they make this a huge budget film, not holding back on the CGI. And I hope Trevorrow remembers the importance of building human characters instead of staying focused on the CGI-generated dinosaurs. 

June 13, 2014. Mark your calendars! Maybe soon the buzz too would start building up. Eventually turning into one loud growl... Rawwwwrrr.... 

Ahh... the memories from Star Wars!

As a friend digs into the magic of Star Wars, I cannot but enter into a reminiscent mood, reflecting on my younger days and my first viewing of the classic trilogy. Star Wars is many things to many people. Calling it a movie series would be like calling Roger Federer simply a tennis player or Bob Dylan a songwriter. So I would not even venture into explaining the phenomenon that Star Wars is, for after all it's the personal bonds that you develop with the movie, the varying level of connections you create with its characters, the tide of emotions you feel through the amazing storyline, which has made this movie series something special for each one of us. It is like one of those crazy rides in a theme park where everyone goes on the same ride but each one comes out different with a different story to tell. Sigh... Star Wars! Here's looking back to probably the most memorable moments from each movie of the original trilogy that I still distinctly remember. 

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Oh, there are so many from this episode. After all, it was the beginning of things to come! Each scene that showcased a new character was worth remembering. Each dialogue between the central characters laid grounds for bigger things to come. The one where Obi-Wan Kenobi sort of poofs away in his fight with Darth Vader was totally unexpected and of mammoth importance. Each scene of Darth Vader was spell-binding. But the moment that stood out for me was the final battle that took place with the Rebels attacking the Death Star in the backdrop of the massive darkness of space as a determined Luke Skywalker makes the difference. A historic space battle scene, a huge step in cinematic history. 

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Ominous, as the name sounds, so did quite a few moments in the movie. The slashing of Luke's right hand being one of them. But what followed is undoubtedly one of the most memorable scenes in cinema itself - 'the revelation' by Darth Vader to Luke right towards the end. A scene that still resonates deeply within any Star Wars fan. But it was the training that Luke could gather under the guidance of Master Yoda, that I have fond memories of. A character who had reached the echelons in mastering the Force, the mystery behind Yoda's exile was only truly revealed in the prequel trilogy, but the little green fellow simply awed everyone with his wisdom and sensibilities, in his first appearance in Episode V. And the above picture is quite a special one!

Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

Star Wars series is filled with lightsaber duels that delight the heart. And while the prequel trilogy might hold some more skilled and fluid fight scenes such as the one between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode III, it is still the final battle scene between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the grand climax of this epic series that remains closest to the heart. While introducing shades of grey in a hero is becoming common in this century, Star Wars truly introduced a villain who was never completely evil after all, a shade of grey that develops over the three films and culminates in the final scene. And that is why this fight scene holds something deeper, for with the change being seen in Vader, it does not remain a fight between purely good and evil after all. It is a bit more personal, something you can feel now after having been through the entire journey with these characters. A truly classic ending to a series that deserves the greatest of salutations!