Film: [Racing Story]
Directors: John Lasseter, Joe Langford
Writers: John Lasseter, Joe Langford, etc
Voiced by: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunter
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Release Date: 2006.8.26(Chinese mainland)
Reason to commemorate: The 11th anniversary of the film's release
[Racing Story] in 2006 commemorates Pixar's twentieth anniversary. It was the last work Pixar had worked together before it acquired Disney.
The film is full of Pixar imagination: a personified tin car that maintains the same level after "toys"; pure and sincere emotional expression, which resonates with people.
The sequel, [Cars 3], released three days later, is the story of the older generation of "McQueen" returning to the road against the backdrop of a new and old replacement. Pixar seems to want to show that we are ready to go.
In contrast to the recent domestic movie [Autobots] plagiarism [Auto Story], this restart is even more valuable.
Cars have to be like people
How to make a "full metal shell" car have a human expression and form?
Pixar came up with the idea of an animated image of the car based on a character archetype.
▲ Protagonist - "Lightning" McQueen, referring to the sports double stars Joe Namas (talent), Muhammad Ali (strength, confidence), singer Rock Boy (crazy drag cool hanging explosion)
As a result, the dick-like McQueen is very likable!
As for Bumblebee Hudson, it is not simple. Pixar directly brought in Paul Newman to voice him
Paul Newman is also an avid racing driver, and Hudson's animated image incorporates Paul's characteristics and is voiced by Paul
When he worked in the studio, no matter what he said, the director recorded it word for word. During the break, Paul often told the staff about interesting car races, "passion in the voice."
The director is often in the audience, leaving only the fan face of "great" and "fantastic".
In 2008, Paul died. [Cars 2] was deliberately designed to honor Paul Newman's death with a voice of Hudson.
By [Cars 3], they let Paul "live" again:
The creators listened to the material of the first film repeatedly, and found a lot of wonderful voiceovers of Paul that were not used at the time, and even the small talk during the break... Then put it in the third part!
The car has to be real
With the personality of the person, the animated image must be real.
In addition to Pixar's technical support (the first film to use ray tracing technology), there is no ambiguity in the design of the car's image.
Animators must use computers to design virtual models of the same scale as actual racing cars;
The director also asked the artists to have real prototypes of the animated car images in each film.
▲ Lightning McQueen - Dodge Viper, a supercar in 1989
▲ Bumblebee Hudson - Hudson manufacturing plant originated in 1951
▲ And the third part of the Black Storm Jackson, is the 2017 Piston Cup custom car "Next-Gen"
In addition to the specific model of each car, the makers drew more than 43,000 car design sketches.
▲At the scene of the Piston Cup car race, there are more than 100,000 cars
It is both the American spirit and a universal value
The "Route 66" highway, mentioned many times in the movie, does exist, and it is the most famous highway in American history.
▲ "Route 66", from Los Angeles to Chicago, a total length of more than 4,000 kilometers, with a history of more than 60 years, known as "Mother Road"
From an important military artery during World War II, to a must-have road for a cross-continent vacation (the famous "country road" sings it), to being replaced by an interstate highway.
Route 66 is both inextricably linked to the lives of ordinary Americans and part of American culture.
In addition, the real theme for the director to determine (from seeing only the winner of the honorary award, to cherishing a friend) comes from a family road trip.
Director John Lasseter's workaholic, despite his family, completely "collapsed" during his travels: from being strange to arguing with children to being intimate, "I realized what is most cherished in life".
- Well, the director is the most important prototype of "Lightning" McQueen!
The theme derived from real-life experience also makes the film have more universal values in addition to the theme of symbolizing American road and automobile culture.