4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 1/13

DISRUPT NYShyp CEO Kevin Gibbon to speak at Disrupt NY Get Your Tickets Today

I ts easy to forget that Pixar is a technology company. Mostly becausethe invention that they do is in service of a narrative.When done successfully, your attention is held by that narrative, not by the technicalachievements that made it possible.With Inside Out, its newest feature due later thisyear, Pixar had its own unique set of technical challenges to overcome. A bigger visionled to scaling problems, the duality of the films narrative meant creating not one, buttwo worlds and visual languages not to mention a main character made entirely oflight.

Inside Out is the story of a young girl named Riley who moves to San Francisco from themidwest with her parents. To some extent, the story is about how she adjusts and howher relationship to her family changes along with their locale.

2,952SHARES

How Pixar Solves Problems From The Inside OutPosted Apr 12, 2015 by Matthew Panzarino (@panzer)

News Video Events Crunchbase

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 2/13

But, in parallel, there is an internal story being told about her emotions Joy, Sadness,Fear, Anger and Disgust. Emotions which influence how Riley feels, acts and reacts toevents in her life as reflected by some very clever construct building that I wont spoilhere. This dual story led to some sticky issues when it came to representing anddifferentiating them in ways that contributed to the story.

I spent some time at Pixar recently, watching just under an hour of Inside Out andtalking to some of the creative people behind the movie. Though there were dozens ofanecdotes, a couple of them stood out to me as unique examples of Pixars ability tosolve technical and creative problems through tool building.

A More Human Camera

One of the major technical hurdles to overcome was how to shoot the movie in a waythat communicates the tumultuous, expressive world of emotions yet can alsotransmit the subtleties and nuance of our outside human world.

Typically, when you want to direct a camera in a virtual world for an animated film, youdo it point-by-point. If the desired effect is a mechanical, tracking, dolly or evenhandheld shot, each of those is programmed in by a camera operator to mimic the real-world equivalent.

For Inside Out, there were a couple of unique issues because the worlds inside andoutside Rileys head had to be significantly different. They looked and felt different fromart direction and design viewpoints, of course. But they also had to feel different to theviewer. So different virtual camera techniques were used to film the two worlds.

In addition, as the story progresses, the camera techniques move from a swooping,30s-style mechanical camera into a much more modern hand operated camera style.

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 3/13

Were just like a live action camera crew, Director of Photography Patrick Lin said. Ourbig tool, our main tool is a camera only, our camera is virtual. But although its virtual,its mathematically true. It has lenses, focal length, focus, F-stop, distortion, depth ofview and everything. We mimic real camera movement as if its on track, dolly, crane,steadicam or handheld.

The more mechanical, on-track mimics of standard filming techniques were used infilming the world insideof Rileys head. This lent it a more fluidfeel. Outsidethe head,however, the world of Rileys realitydeserved a more handheld, stedicam-type vibe.Looser and free form techniques, in general, were used to highlight its much morerealistic landscape.

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 4/13

In order to do this, they created rough physical cameras and attached sensors to them.They projected those cameras into the virtual world and had human operators walkaround a physical space, allowing all of the subtle details of a camera operatorsperformance to inform the scene.

Things like an ever-so-slightly missed focus that makes a scene feel more energetic as acharacter moves quickly. Or the very human flex of a knee stepping down off of a curbto follow the action.

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 5/13

A beeb box similar to the one used on Inside Out courtesy Adam Habib

Some of the designs look like black boxes with mechanical camera wheels attached tothem in a similar configuration to actual camera cranes. Others look like shoulder-mounted blocks of wood with wands attached one rig was even a cobbled-togetheraffair with a cheap plastic tripod dangling from the bottom that gave it mass like asteadicam.

Lin had previously used the technique while making The Blue Umbrella, a short that ranbefore Pixars Monsters University. The version they used then was significantlyimproved for use on Inside Out.

On Blue Umbrella it was really in its infancy. The gearbox that we have, that is actuallybuilt by one of our lead layoutartists Adam [Habib]. He also built a focus ring, too, thatcan actually do live focusing, so that we can get that perfect focus more naturally.Everything we do has to be deliberate, and nothing is accidental.

TheBlueUmbrellaCameraCapturePolishSessionfromsaschka PLUS

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 6/13

For Inside Out, Lin and the photography department used extensive camera capturetechniques. The scenes are set up virtually, blocked in by a process called Layout alsoin their wheelhouse and then animated. The cameras movements through the sceneare then shot just like a live action film, following the actors as they move through thescene.

Both handheld and gear box rigs were used to get the camera movements just right,depending on the act of the movie and whether we are inside or outside Rileys head.Its a solution thats both technology heavy and very aware of the value of a humantouch.

RenderMan Saves The Day

One of the main characters in the movie is Joy, as voiced by Amy Poehler and featuredprominently in the trailers and other marketing. As you can see here, Joy glows. Not onlydoes she glow, but shes actually a full on light source.

Having a light bulb walking around in your scenes presented some difficulties to Pixarslighting staff.

Character lighting lead Angelique Reisch says that Joys glowing nature was one of thetougher technical challenges to overcome.

00:43

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 7/13

We needed really believable light cast from her, so when she was animated, we wantedto feel that light moving around on the set, she said. Additionally, we wanted it to bepretty detailed. If she picked up, for example, a frog, we want to see the light betweenher fingers. We dont want to just put a spotlight on there and make the whole thingbright.

Joy is a main character, not a single-scene issue to be dealt with, so she was going to bein a lot of the shots of the movie. In addition to the other lights (some scenes have asmuch as 175) in the shot, they had this mobile light source walking through, causinghavoc.

Pixar CEO Ed Catmull started work on what would become RenderMan with his researchat the University of Utah in the 1970s. RenderMan became an internal tool used by ILMand Lucasarts to create photorealistic imagery for their use in movies its been usedin Titanic, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, among many others. In 1989, it was offeredto the public for the first time. Now over 25 years old, RenderMan is a legendary Pixarproduct, and one of the things that initiated its purchase by Steve Jobs in 1986. Recently,RenderMan was even made free for budding filmmakers with a non commercial license.

When Reischs lighting department needed a way to represent the light coming off of Joyin a way that would be accurate to her bodys exact structure, and not just a big light

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 8/13

that glowed around her, they were stumped. Until they saw what RenderMan wasworking on.

RenderMan was working on what they call geometric area lights, or a geometry light,says Reisch. What this light does is it allows you to select a model and thenturn thatmodel into a light source. This was music to our ears.

RenderMans geolight wasnt scheduled to be ready for Inside Outs production in time,but after some internal red flags being raised, Pixars global technology and lightingpeople got together with RenderMan and were able to run it out in time.

Around December 2013, I was telling everybody, All I want for Christmas is Joysgeometry light working,'says Reisch. We deployed it with very little testing in March of2014 into production, but thankfully, it ended up working out and we used it in almosteveryactually, as far as I know, every shot in the film.

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethit 9/13

Of course, audiences wont notice. Thats how Pixar knows it has done its job correctly.When problems are solved or tools are built there, theyre in service of the only thingthat matters: the story. The temptation to flaunt a technical filmmaking feat on screen isset aside, and the lighting effects on Joy or the camera work inside Rileys head arein the end incredibly subtle. Most people will never know the work that went into themor even notice her innate glow. But they will feel it, and thats what matters.

Ill have more on the movie from my time with it and interviews with creative staff likedirector Pete Docter, producer Jonas Rivera and supervising animators Shawn Krauseand Victor Navone in the weeks to come.

Post updated with name of lead layout artist, and to clarify when camera techniques were

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethi 10/13

2,952SHARES Share Tweet Share

used

RecommendedForYou

1. StationaryBikeStartupPelotonExpandsProductionAndDistributionWith$30MInNewFunding5daysagotechcrunch.comTechCrunch.com(AOL)SarahBuhrSarahBuhrSlack

2. Coin,TheOneCreditCardToRuleThemAll,IsFinallyShipping3daysagotechcrunch.comGravity.comJordanCrookJordanCrookTC

3. Facebook,eBay,VICEAndOthersFirstToSupportChromesNewPushNotifications16hoursagotechcrunch.comGravity.comSarahPerez

1,783 842 193 134 0 0 0

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethi 11/13

+

UP NEXT

Sign Up To Volunteer At DisruptNYPosted Apr 12, 2015

CrunchBoard

Facebooksocialplugin

AlsopostonFacebook PostingasShivendraKumar Comment

Addacomment...

LanceTrimingtonHongKongThanksMatthew.Thiswasinterestingwithoutbeingdumbeddownorfawning.ReplyLike FollowPostApril14at6:09am3

DarrenSmith TopCommenterPixarareremakingHerman'sHead?ReplyLike FollowPostApril13at4:23am2

MartinBlase TopCommenterWatchthetrailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HFv47QHWJUReplyLikeEditedApril13at6:45pm

MerrillNuttallRyersonUniversityAsusual...youciteSteveJobs....EnoughofthisBADtechjournalism.3DrenderingisnotaninventionofAmericans,GeteducateddumbassReplyLikeFollowPostYesterdayat6:14am

AlexanderGregoryMoranoWell,bittermuch?LastIchecked,WilliamFetterandIvanSutherlandwerebothamericans.AlongwithEvans,Wylie,Romney,andErdahl,andHenryGouraud.Thefirst"non"americantomakeamajorcontributiontothefieldwasPhongBuiTuong.Educateyourself.ReplyLike11hoursago

AntonGroszDoyouknowwhothecharacterwhoisalllightissupposedtobe?ReplyLikeFollowPostYesterdayat11:53am

GaryL.Friedman HuntingtonBeach,CaliforniaIrecallSony's"Surf'sup"usedthesamehandheldcameratechniquethathisarticleinferswasinventedbyPixar.Isthereadifference?ReplyLikeFollowPostApril13at9:59am

Follow

MartinLutteral TopCommenterMontreal,QuebecIndeed,itwassony'ssurf'sthatusedthistechniqueforthefirsttime.ButI'mprettysurethatpixardeveloppedsomenewtricksaboutit.ReplyLike12hoursago

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethi 12/13

News

TCTV

Events

CrunchBase

AboutStaff

Contact Us

Advertise With Us

Send Us A Tip

InternationalChina

Europe

Japan

Follow TechCrunch

TechCrunch Apps

4/21/2015 HowPixarSolvesProblemsFromTheInsideOut|TechCrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/12/howpixarsolvesproblemsfromtheinsideout/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethi 13/13

TechCrunch DailyLatest headlines delivered to you daily

2013-2015 AOL Inc. All rights reserved.Aol Tech Privacy Policy About Our Ads Anti Harassment Policy Terms of Service

Powered by WordPress.com VIPFonts by

Enter Email Address SUBSCRIBE