Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Dean Movshovitzamazon.com
Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
The first layer of a character is easy to create but fades quickly. The third layer requires more details and originality, as well as more patience from your audience, but is more rewarding and creates a stronger bond with viewers. The second layer lies somewhere in between. You can coast on it for a long time, but without the substantial third lay
... See moreDean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Most good stories revolve around watching a character struggle outside of his or her comfort zone. Pixar continually figures out what a protagonist wants most—and then throws the exact opposite at them.
Dean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Pixar films often feature two main antagonists—one benevolent and one malicious—Buzz/Sid, Princess/Hopper, Jessie/Stinky Pete, Boo/Randall, and so on. Ratatouille has three main antagonists: One evil (Skinner), one benevolent (Linguini) and a third, Anton Ego. Ego isn’t malicious the way Skinner and Muntz are, but I wouldn’t call him benevolent eit... See more
Dean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Pixar’s determination to avoid clichés pushes its stories and characters to more interesting and exciting places than you’d expect.
Dean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Empathy is a powerful phenomenon. Our ability to adopt the point of view of someone who seems completely different from us based on our shared core humanity is one of our distinctly human abilities. Use it wisely; the further you take us into the heart of someone completely different, the more rewarding and transformative our journey will be.
Dean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Coincidences happen in life. Random, statistically unfeasible things happen daily. But they can’t happen to your characters, not when it counts. If you let your character’s fate—good or bad—simply fall in their lap, you’re robbing us of the joy of knowing who these characters really are.
Dean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Empathy is a powerful phenomenon. Our ability to adopt the point of view of someone who seems completely different from us based on our shared core humanity is one of our distinctly human abilities. Use it wisely; the further you take us into the heart of someone completely different, the more rewarding and transformative our journey will be.
Dean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
Naturally, Remy would feel driven to search for a place where he and his gifted talents might fit in better. This is especially important when designing antagonistic characters.
Dean Movshovitz • Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films
opinions are fuel for conflict. Once a character cares deeply about something, you can create powerful, emotional conflict surrounding that emotion.