Make Your Readers Love You: 5 Lessons from Pixar
I love Pixar. Everyone loves Pixar. I remember when Toy Story came out 15 years ago. I heard the buzz. I was prepared not to like it. I loved it. And I’ve loved every movie they’ve come out with sense. And so has just about everyone else.
How does Pixar do it, again and again and again? Follow these five steps and eliminate the limits on what you or your business can achieve.
1. Be consistent and build trust
Toy Story 3 is now in theaters, continuing an impossibly solid 11-film winning streak — throughout its history, each of Pixar’s movies has debuted at the number one position in ticket sales.
From the first film to this newest, Pixar never stepped sideways. Their second film, A Bug’s Life, is probably their least appreciated, but still wonderful. Cars is my own least favorite, but it still entertained me. Plus, I’m pretty sure anytime Mattel needs money, they can just churn out another fleet of Cars characters.
2. Take the time to do things right
Toy Story defined the world of mega-budget digital animation and they did it, and continue to do it, by being perfectionists. I’m not a digital artist, but I am a story teller and know what it takes to create a good story. A lot of hard work, and keeping yourself on the hook until you’re sure it’s right.
According to a June 2010 article in Wired, the average frame of animation of Toy Story 3 took seven hours of computing time. There are 24 frames in a second of movie footage. Pixar would rather be late than shoddy. In a culture where we have timers at the drive-thru, guaranteeing the opportunity to deliver high blood pressure and heart disease in under 60 seconds, that type of care is rare.
And audiences know it.
3. Tell a story that connects
Pixar has always understood something that most studios can’t seem to grasp — if you want to create highly profitable work, you’re in deep trouble without some amazing writers. Memorable, lovable characters are a Pixar standard. From Buzz and Woody to Nemo and Wall-E, our affection for Pixar characters lingers. In comparison, characters in most other animated features seem pretty two-dimensional.
Brilliant writing and the ability to connect leave a genuine, lasting impression on our memories.
4. Know yourself, your product, and your team
Usually, studios assemble a cast of freelance professionals for each project. Pixar houses a staff of writers, directors, animators, and technicians who move from project to project. Steve Jobs, who brought director/screenwriter Brad Bird to Pixar after the studio’s first trio of home runs because he didn’t want the company’s innovation to stagnate, said:
For imagination-based companies to succeed in the long run, making money can’t be the focus.
It’s this sort of healthy creative environment that allows Pixar to correct missteps before they appear on screen, and achieve something close to perfection.
5. Now, make it your own
There is no one else like Pixar, but there is someone exactly like you.
Do what Pixar did. Be consistent, take your time, put out a superb product, build an excellent team, and know exactly who you are. Your own digital magic awaits.
About the Author: Joe Franklin is a copywriter and online marketing strategist that lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.
