All Pixar Movies Are Bad, but that's Okay.
Visual notes for the bestseller "Creativity Inc." -Part 5
With the success of their early animated films, Pixar had established a solid position both in terms of their internal culture and external recognition. Yet, Ed Catmull, drawing from what he had seen in successful companies, knew that a downturn could be just around the corner.
Note: If you missed the previous part, you can find it here:
Or start from the beginning here:
In this chapter, Ed Catmull reflects on one of the keys to sustainably producing excellent work: Candor.
Chapter 5 - Honesty and Candor
Unfiltered opinions are crucial for trust, which in turn is essential for good collaboration. However, Catmull believes that the term "Honesty" has a problem:
”Nobody would admit to being dishonest.”
The word "honest" implies a moral judgment, preventing us from acknowledging the challenges we may face expressing our thoughts at work.
Ed Catmull suggests using the word "Candor" instead. Less judgmental, it can help us tackle the initial obstacle to true collaboration:
"You cannot address the obstacles to candor until people feel free to say they exist.".
We have probably all thought something like:
What will happen to me if I say what I think?
Who am I to tell that experienced person that they are wrong?
…
The Braintrust
One way that Pixar brings candor into their creative process is through the "Braintrust." This is a trusted group of storytellers with a core belief:
“Early on, all our movies suck.”
The Braintrust meets every few months and aim to give candid feedback to the directors. Ed calls it "Excavating the Truth", and to do this successfully he carefully check on the group's dynamics:
- No hierarchy
- No “Executive notes” by non-creative like it is common in the movie industry, the feedback needs to come from people that the directors trust.
- No solutions, it only points out the problems, but let the director in charge to fix them.
The Pivot
As a Director at Pixar, you start with your own world and ideas. You begin to bring them to life in storyboards and short demos. But then there's a need for a "Pivot":
- Your personal ideas need to become a product for others.
The Braintrust helps directors make that pivot and face reality. Ideas are dissected with comments like "It doesn't ring true" or "The storytelling doesn't work." The diagnosis can feel brutal, but it works!
Some examples of the Braintrust's led changes:
WALL-E (2008): In the original ending, WALL-E was meant to save EVE. The Braintrust challenged the ending as “cliché”. The result? The director changed it so that EVE overcomes her programming to save WALL-E instead. This shift made the ending much more emotionally powerful.
Inside Out (2015): The Braintrust pushed the director to reconsider the rules of the mind-world they had created. This led to the introduction of "core memories" and the concept of regular memories fading over time. These additions gave an extra layer of meaning to the entire film.
As these example show, the Braintrust advices may be uncomfortable for directors, but it ultimately results in stronger, more compelling stories that resonate with audiences.
The many great movies Pixar continues to produce are proof that a system of nurtured candor and collaboration works!
Do you have something similar in your life or work?
That is it for today, cheers!
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