Pixar vet Brad Lewis, who co-directed Cars 2 with John Lasseter, is changing gears and is joining Digital Domain's Tradition Studios, where he will direct animated features.
During his 10-year run at Pixar, Lewis also produced the Academy Award-winning Ratatouille, which made $624 million worldwide. Last weekend, Cars 2 opened number one at the domestic box office and has since grossed more than $115 million worldwide.
Lewis is a significant addition to Digital Domain Media Group's Florida-based Tradition Studios, a young entity that opened in 2009 to develop and co-produce original, family-oriented CG features. No titles have yet been announced. The studio is constructing a 115,000-square-foot facility, which is scheduled to open in Port St. Lucie in December.
Digital Domain--partly owned by director Michael Bay--also includes Digital Domain flagship VFX facility in Venice, which has handled VFX for movies such as Tron and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Lewis said in a statement: “I am excited to join a company with Digital Domain's talent and expertise and to have an opportunity to be a part of its team in creating family-friendly stories and adventures.”
Prior to Pixar, Lewis spent more than 11 years at PDI/Dreamworks, where he was a producer on Antz and executive-produced TV movies. He also served as executive producer/vp of production for Pacific Data Images.
Lewis received an Emmy for graphic design for ABC's Monday Night Football, as well as an Emmy nomination for the first 3D computer animated episode of The Simpsons.
You'd have to be pretty successful to not want to list cars 2 on your resume.
Now if youve directed other pixar movies, sure I'd put it before that, but if cars 2 was the only movie you directed at pixar, your either kidding yourself or you've worked on something that defied everyone's expectations of what a movie can be.
I'd put down janitorial work if it meant being able to list pixar as an employer.
Kyle wrote:I'd put down janitorial work if it meant being able to list pixar as an employer.
Amen.
I've been to the Digital Domain facility in LA and know a person or two who has worked there. I'm sure his addition will be huge. He actually is a big deal as he was anyway part of the Senior Creative Team at Pixar. You know, the group that includes guys like John Lassiter, Pete Doctor, Andrew Stanton, and Brad Bird? He had as much decision making power over the films as any of those guys had, save for maybe Lassiter.
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All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
Victurtle wrote:Dang! He was my favourite Pixar director (because I love his name, the fact he was also a mayor, and I'm certain he saved Cars 2 from Lasetter lol).
Interesting, saving a movie from the guy who made some of Pixar's best films. If anything, the new guy could've ruined it.
I thought John came in afterwords? That he considered Brad's version to not be working. Its hard to know who's version was better, weather or not it would have been better or worse than the final product.
Yeah, I was surprised to see John was credited as director, since I thought otherwise. So he probably did his usual thing and de-throne Brad which may have left a sour aftertaste.
ajmrowland wrote:
Victurtle wrote:Dang! He was my favourite Pixar director (because I love his name, the fact he was also a mayor, and I'm certain he saved Cars 2 from Lasetter lol).
Interesting, saving a movie from the guy who made some of Pixar's best films. If anything, the new guy could've ruined it.
That's subjective. One's perception of "best" could easily be another's "worst". For me, John had the worst record (I love TS, feel really meh about TS2, AB'sL and Cars).
Victurtle wrote:Yeah, I was surprised to see John was credited as director, since I thought otherwise. So he probably did his usual thing and de-throne Brad which may have left a sour aftertaste.
I heard someone suggest that John Lasseter put himself on the film to actually save Brad the embarassment of being the sole director of a critically failed film.
However, it is still possible Lasseter is a big de-throner like some power hungry...oh, well, we don't know now.
DisneyDuster wrote:I heard someone suggest that John Lasseter put himself on the film to actually save Brad the embarassment of being the sole director of a critically failed film
I haven't heard that, where did you hear it?
How much time would Lasseter have had to devote to Cars 2 considering his other jobs at Disney and Pixar? Perhaps Brad Lewis took care of the day-to-day production while Lasseter weighed in when he could. I don't know, I'm just speculating.
Semaj wrote:So both Cars movies lost their co-directors.
I was thinking the same and how the film might have turned out had Joe Ranft been around to work on it. I would have loved to have seen Joe write and direct his own original film like Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter have.
But hey, there were plenty of people who worked with ranft and knew him and if they had done things properly after he died, the movie could've had "the Ranft Essence".
DisneyDuster wrote:I heard someone suggest that John Lasseter put himself on the film to actually save Brad the embarassment of being the sole director of a critically failed film
I haven't heard that, where did you hear it?
Someone suggested it on another forum I go to. Someone was speculating just as you were.
I just asked a question, I wasn't challenging what you said.
Anyway, hopefully Pixar will give another new director an opportunity soon. Gary Rydstrom was going to direct Newt before it was cancelled and directed the TSHV short so maybe he might get another chance at a feature. Hopefully Andrew Stanton will also return to animation once his work is done on John Carter.
ajmrowland wrote:"the Ranft Essence"
I like that. Pixar is in need of some essence after all
John probably robbed pixar whatever Ranft essence was left when he fired Brenda Chapman. It was because of Joe she was even working there if Im remembering right.
I just watched the mini-documentary about Joe Ranft on the "Toy Story 2" Blu Ray. I kind of already knew this, but I think in many ways, he was a bigger part of what made those early Pixar films especially good more so then Lassiter. Maybe even more realistic, I think Joe gave the rest of the "Pixar Brain Trust" much needed balance and boost that was lost when he died.
It makes you wonder what kind of films would be made if he was still alive?
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All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
I like that. Pixar is in need of some essence after all