Toy Story That Time Forgot, an upcoming 22-minute TV special developed from his iconic film Toy Story. Photo provided to China Daily |
Hollywood master animator John Lasseter says fundamental principles of art are more important than flashy technology. Wang Kaihao interviews the guru.
If Walt Disney was the man who gave a precious gift to children everywhere, perhaps John Lasseter is the one telling the world that animation is not exclusively for children.
Born in Hollywood, growing up with an art-teacher mother, and beginning his career in an era when computer technology was just taking off, the 57-year-old seems to have been predestined to become an animation guru.
Though he holds the position of chief creative officer at two industry juggernauts-Disney and Pixar Animation Studios-Lasseter remains an approachable person. During his four-day visit to China in late October, this smiling man in a Hawaiian shirt never ceased to wave and say "nihao" to people he did not know in Shanghai and Beijing.
"When I was a kid, the teacher always said 'John, you daydream a lot'. Well, my brain was full of pictures," Lasseter tells China Daily. His childlike heart may explain where all his ideas come from. "Start a movie with a lot of heart, because you are what you create."
Chinese audiences were introduced to Lasseter through his big-screen directorial debut Toy Story (1995), one of the world's first computer-animated feature films. His filmography is sparkling-as executive producer or director, he has created a large chunk of the animated world familiar to today's moviegoers, including Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), and Cars (2006). Not to mention the phenomenal Frozen, released last winter.
|
|
|
|
|
|