behind the scenes

dudes....today was a best day ever kind of thing. they really shouln't tell you that being in a band is a waste of time because it's totally not. if you are in a band then people write you and they say things like: "hey, i work on the simpsons and i love your band. do you guys want to come by for a script reading with the full cast?" or "hey, we work at pixar and we love your band. do you want to come by when you are in sf for a tour of the studio?" of course you answer "unequivocally, yes." to any question like that. and if you are slightly less lucky you are still lucky enough to work with people that get invited to those things and then ask you to come with them. (and you are straight up bummed if you work with people that get invited and don't ask you to go with. those are people that i call dicks.)
today i went to the pixar animation studios with mick and sarah. a couple of fans of theirs showed us around. they are married and work together. one actually animates the movies and one designs the software that pixar animators use.
this is the place you have always wanted to work at but never knew existed. i don't think anyone there has a boss.

i had to remove a photo here. sorry. i didn't want to get anyone in trouble though.

behind them are the drawings for the new pixar film "cars". they represent the whole two hour film in like 100 drawings. it's the first step to creating an animated film. don't worry i am not going to take you on some bullshit step by step how to here.
and here are some dudes from monsters inc.

the thing about the place was, as i mentioned earlier, bosses don't seem to exist. everyone seemed so happy. people would build facades on the front of their offices to make them look like cabins or castles. they had secret doors behind bookcases to get to a room that felt straight out of a private vegas poker room. it had a full bar and blackjack table and was cozy and dark and decadent. then there was the full band set up (drums, piano, guitar and amps) where their friends would come in and play on friday. and a bar. it felt like someones house. and that was just the area where the animators worked. they could watch movies all the time while lounging on couches. i feel like a jealous kid writing about this. "mom, why can't i have the antique animatronic chuck e cheese band in my room???!"

here is angus' ofice, interior and exterior.

he even had the french dude from "the holy grail" in the turrets!

i just realized that i can't put all my photos up here or it's gonna be ridiculous. so i'll have to talk about the other secret room later. it truly deserves it's own post anyway.
however there would be signs of actual work every once in awhile. like this insane mathematical equation. i asked what it did but i couldn't really explain it to you. something about getting different characters to move the same way or something...that's totally wrong. but it doesn't matter for the point i am going to make in a second. here is the photo.

i was sitting here thinking about how behind the scenes always seems the polar opposite of what is going on in front. i mean i am sitting here typing on my computer and kicking back on a couch while 4,000 people are going nuts for the new pornographers. i can see bob text messaging his girlfriend. sez just walked back in with her food. basically, it's like super boring back here and we are relaxing. but just feet away people are experiencing a night that they have been gearing up for for weeks. and they have been at work all day counting down the hours until the show. i always remember that feeling, i mean pretty much everyday...right before the doors open and i see the band's gear on stage i can get goosebumps if i let myself. i loved that feeling of walking into a place to see a concert and you see the gear up there and the t-shirts for sale and you KNOW! you know that that band that you love is here. they are IN your hometown. shit, they are IN the SAME building as you, somewhere. and soon you are going to be so happy when they start playing. that's a good feeling. but i don't really get it anymore when i am not working. anyway, so behind all the fun at pixar are crazy math and super long days and weeks of making a mouth move a certain way. but luckily for angus and his wife and luckily for me those harsh parts are totally tempered by the great perks around us.

Comments

[kime]

Oh wow, this post has made me feel the same way Parenthood makes me feel, slightly woozy and nostalgic and warm. I imagine you in the movie BIG saying "I wish I were a kid again" If this post is too gay feel free to delete.

[me]

The math isn't that bad. It looks like a lot of partial differatives and summations. Of course I don't really know what it means either, but if they can do it, anyone can.

[ha]

*cough* Partial Derivatives.

Not differatives. lol.