Charles Solomon - The Art of Toy Story 3

Color script, Dice Tsutsumi , Digital, 2008

A t the beginning of 2006, as the ink was drying on Disneys agreement to purchase Pixar Animation Studios, John Lasseter took me aside and asked me to direct Toy Story 3. I was in turn excited, honored, thrilled, and flattered. And then I wanted to throw up. John wasnt asking me to direct just any sequelhe was asking me to direct a sequel to two of the most beloved films of all time. No pressure.

Our films are the result of the work of hundreds of people, but at the beginning, there were just a handful of us nurturing our fledgling idea. I wont say that developing Toy Story 3 was easy; it never is. But we knew we were on to something special when Woody and Buzz and the rest of the gang seemed to take off on their ownhappy to be back, they led the way, begging us to follow.

Day by day, as development progressed, I noticed something happeningsilently, without fanfare, a team was assembling behind me. Talented artists, technicians, and filmmakers were stepping up to be a part of the movie. Not because they were being assigned to it, but because they passionately wanted to be a part of it. At a studio that has prided itself on originality, there was a groundswell of support for the continuation of the Toy Story saga.

The world of Toy Story has rich meaning for all of us at Pixar. For some, it represents the beginning of their professional careers. For others, it marks the seminal moment that inspired them to become filmmakers. And, although it makes me feel old to say this, for many at the studio, Toy Story was simply their favorite childhood movie.

In the years since we made the first Toy Story, weve all gotten a little older, and hopefully a little wiser. Weve experienced many life-cycle events: graduations, weddings, births, and funerals. But one thing we have all retained is a childlike sense of wonderas well as the firm belief that when were not around our toys really do come to life.

Im profoundly honored to work with a world-class group of talented artists at Pixar, and Im proud to share with you a sampling of their work in this book. I thank producer Darla K. Anderson and everyone on my crew for making this the fantastic, rewarding experience that it has been. And a special thanks to John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, and Steve Jobs for creating the studio that has allowed all this awesomeness to happen.

Lee Unkrich, director