1.プロローグ
For the past two weeks on the show we’ve aired my interviews with director Josh Cooley and producer Mark Nielsen, who were in Japan to promote the new Pixar film Toy Story 4.
2.About Pixar’s Latest Film, Toy Story 4
The Toy Story series is told from the perspective of sentient toys that talk and move about freely when not in front of humans. On the surface, the series is centered on the friendship between Woody, a pullstring cowboy rag doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger action figure—the two favorite toys of a young boy named Andy. It’s the kind of stuff kids dream of.
However, underpinning the colorful visuals are heavy existential questions such as: What happens to broken toys? What happens when a toy’s owner grows up? Transposed into a real-world context, the films tackle issues fundamental to the human condition—the fear of abandonment and what it means to grow up. There are 24 years between the original Toy Story and Toy Story 4, and the fact that the series continues to captivate children and adults alike is a testament to the universal themes the films explore.
Toy Story (1995)
This film is considered the first feature-length film created entirely by CGI. Vintage cowboy ragdoll Woody spends his days as the chief playmate of the young Andy. When Andy receives a bright and shiny new Buzz Lightyear toy for his birthday, Woody begins to feel insecure about his place in his owner’s life.
Toy Story 2 (1999)
When Andy accidentally tears Woody’s right arm while playing with him, Woody has a nightmare of being thrown away. Later, at a yard sale, Woody is stolen by a toy collector who plans to sell him to a toy museum in Tokyo, Japan. Buzz and the other toys race against the clock to save their friend. The film won a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
As he prepares to leave for college, Andy decides to take Woody with him and store Buzz and the others in the attic. When the toys are mistakenly donated to a daycare center, Woody springs into action to save his friends before it’s too late. This film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
In the latest film, Toy Story 4, Woody and the gang have been given to a new owner, a young girl named Bonnie. They are joined by a new character named Forky, a spork that Bonnie has turned into a handmade toy. Woody becomes a father figure and guardian to Forky, and faces the challenges of parenthood while also struggling between his sense of duty and the prospect of being free. 24 years on from the first Toy Story, these toys continue to evolve.
3.Toy Story 4 Director and Producer Profiles
●Director Josh Cooley Profile
Josh Cooley joined Pixar Animation Studios’ story division as in intern. He worked on films like 2006’s Cars and 2007’s Ratatouille as a storyboard artist, and co-wrote the screenplay for 2015’s Inside Out. Toy Story 4 is his directorial debut.
●Producer Mark Nielsen Profile
Mark Nielsen joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1996. He worked as a modeling and shading coordinator on 1999’s Toy Story 2. He served as story manager and crowds manager for 2006’s Cars, and the associate producer of films like 2015’s Inside Out. Toy Story 4 is his first feature length film as producer.
Cars (2006)
Brash rookie racer Lightning McQueen attempts to become the first rookie to win the championship of a race called the Piston Cup in this road-comedy film. The film is set in a world populated by anthropomorphized cars and other vehicles—no humans or animals appear in the film. This film won a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.
Ratatouille (2007)
Remy, an anthropomorphic rat, dreams of becoming a chef. When he is found by garbage boy Alfredo Linguini at a famous French restaurant, the two decide to team up to become the number one chef in Paris. This film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature, and numerous other awards.
Inside Out (2015)
11-year-old Riley must leave her small hometown in Minnesota when her family relocates to San Francisco. As she struggles to acclimate to the big city, five personifications of her basic emotions—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger—are busy at work in her mind’s Headquarters. This film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature, and numerous other awards.
4.Why Pixar is Able to Consistently Innovate
Since Pixar first put itself on the map with Toy Story, it has produced an impressive string of hits. While its story-first approach is what has made those hit films so enduring, the studio is equally recognized for continually pushing the envelope of computer animation. At the center of it all is the Toy Story series.
In my interview with producer Mark Nielsen, he told me that the studio had basically been founded on the success of the characters from Toy Story. And when asked why Pixar is able to consistently produce hits, he said, “It’s all about the people and the spirit that is in the people that work at that studio."
When I was interviewing director Josh Cooley, the subject of his two children came up when I asked him about adulthood and parenthood, the central themes of Toy Story 4. He spoke about how he related to Woody’s struggle as well as the existential crisis experienced by Forky (a handmade toy that believes he is trash). When I asked how he dealt with the pressure of being a first-time director, he told me that he’d learned about “how important it is to delegate decisions to people who are smarter than you."
Incidentally, if you were to ask people who they thought holds main authorship over a film, most Japanese people would say the director. That’s partly due to the fact that audiences have been spoiled by the 20th century visionaries of cinema—directors like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Kurosawa Akira. However, it takes a producer to get a film greenlit, as well as to get that film across the finish line.
A director is responsible for bringing a screenplay to the screen through the lens of their vision. They are at the frontlines of the production, providing direction for filming, editing, and the other specifics of the production. In contrast, a producer handles contract negotiations with cast members, and makes sure that the director stays under budget, on schedule, and does not go rogue. To put it another way, the producer serves as a parental figure, respecting and cultivating the director’s vision, while at the same time constantly providing the reality check that keeps the director grounded. When Cooley said that he thought it was important to delegate decisions to people who were smarter than him, he wasn’t just talking about technical wizardry, he was talking about the producers on the film.
Toy Story 4 is Cooley’s feature-length directorial debut. It is also the first time Nielsen has served as producer on a feature-length film. Although I interviewed the two of them separately, when taken together, my conversations with them showed me just how deep the well of human resources is at Pixar. The relationship between director and producer encapsulates how the studio incubates the next generation of filmmakers. It is able to consistently produce hits because it is a company that flourishes by allowing its employees to thrive; a first-time director such as Cooley is able to throw himself into the production and realize his vision because he has sempai like Nielsen watching his back. The box office success of Toy Story 4 around the world comes as no surprise.
5.My Wardrobe for the Interviews
Navy dotted tie by Ralph Lauren
Navy suit by GlobalStyle
Blue contrast collar shirt by Azabu Tailor
Black socks by Isetan Men’s
Wingtip shoes by Regal
Blue swirl cufflinks by MFYS
M-27 glasses by 999.9
