The New York Times has posted an interesting behind-the-scenes story and video of Pixar Studios. The story talks about some of the things that Pixar did to prepare for Toy Story 3, such as visiting day care centers. Of course, you might expect that to be normal research for the film. But would you think that they would dump trash in their lobby and have people run through it? It makes for a fascinating read.

Computers are a necessity, but the acting — the voice-over work — comes before the animation. The animators themselves are cast like performers, with some specializing in comedy and others in emotional moments, Mr. Podesta said. And animated moviemaking uses many of the same tools as live action, including costuming, production design and cinematography. As part of their substantial awards push this year, the marketers at Pixar (another category the company excels at) decided to pull back the curtain on the magic factory a bit.

via : Carpetbagger: A Rare Look Inside Pixar Studios @ NYT
via : Animation Advocacy, Pixar Style