Notes from Pete Docter

Pete Docter (director of Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Inside Out, and a generally adorable human) gave a talk in a nearby church yesterday. He was one of the more pleasant and charismatic speakers I've seen, and he was very humble. Here's some very short notes, typed-up because my handwriting is a cipher understood by only a select few (namely, me, and maybe my mom):

• Strive to create things that everyone knows but no one talks about.
• Every single part of the story is known before the animation.
• Idea -> story development -> writing, script -> character design, visual development
• Characters are compelling when they are relatable.
• For inspiration: make lists, take walks.