The most personal films always have kernels of truth and wisdom that are universal, and Pete Docter believes that the answer to finding those truths is in how they make the film, as much as what the story is about.
As the year draws to a close, one of the biggest films of 2024 was Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2. During the Toronto International Film Festival, Pete Docter, chief creative officer at Pixar Animation Studios, sat down and talked for an hour about filmmaking, the creative process, and what he’s learned over the last 20 years working on beloved films like Up, Soul, Monsters, Inc., and Inside Out.
It was eye-opening and a truly wonderful peek behind the curtain at what it takes to make a Pixar film.
The Power of Collaboration
When Docter was asked what it takes to make a film work, and get the Pixar team working well together, he pointed out a struggle that a lot of filmmakers face.
“I think often times–especially as a young director–there’s a temptation to feel like, ‘Oh, this is my baby. I’ve got to have the answers. I’ve got to solve the problems.’ And then you realize all around me are these amazing talented people. How can I bring them in so they are the ones solving the problems?”
“If I can identify what the problem is and point a direction generally to go and then unleash them, it’s going to get 20 times better than anything because I have limited skills.”
Through that work together, it would then take “multiple screenings where we show each other [the results] and that’s a very clarifying thing usually because what happens is everything is great until you have to show it to someone else. In your own head it’s brilliant and then you put it up and people go like, ‘Huh,’ and you’re like, ‘Okay, I have to go back and be more clear about this.'”
Leaving room for discoveries
While a lot of filmmakers, and other people in the industry talk a lot about planning and preparation, Docter also believes in leaving room for organic growth.
“The reality is, and this is true both for Disney and for us today, it’s iteration. It’s less about talent at some point and more about stamina,” but added that “making movies is a discovery.”
“If I know exactly what I’m doing at the beginning, I think the movie is going to be dull. I think I have to allow for a process of learning and discovery within myself that the film brings out. So in making the movie, by the end, ideally I am able to say something that I would have never understood at the beginning and I feel like that is integral at least for me in making the film.”
For Docter, research plays a vital role in striking that balance, especially when they are exploring complex themes like those in Inside Out and Inside Out 2.
“The expert who helped us understand anxiety said it’s not a bad emotion; it’s positive. There’s a reason we all have anxiety. It’s what makes us study for tests and pay the rent and do the laundry… because otherwise we would just slough off.”
“So, a little bit of anxiety is very helpful and it went back to our original research and realizing every emotion that we have means well. It’s all there for a reason to benefit us.”
The gift of great cinema
But my favourite lesson from Docter’s conversation was how they handle making stories that connect with people.
“I’m not making these movies for me,” he said. “I’m making them for you, for the audience.”
“I kind of think of it a little bit like I’m handcrafting a present for my friend for Christmas and I want them to know that it’s from me, but I want them to really love it.”
“So what kind of gift will that be? And how do I craft this and tailor it so that it’s well-received, [that’s] kind of the way I look at it. It’s definitely a balanced back and forth. It can’t all be me pontificating, nor can it be all just going for jokes, you know? I think you have got to feel the weight of a person behind the movies. That’s why people like going to see the movies.”
Images courtesy of Disney/Pixar.
