CM 363 - The Pixar Story

I watched "The Pixar Story" documentary on Netflix yesterday and it was surprising in contrast to what had been discussed and shown with "Nanook of the North" and "The Plow That Broke The Plains." What we had discussed with those was the extensive use of prepping shots and dynamic shot choices. Switching scenery many times and adding jumps between wide and close, taking time with shots, developing silhouettes before showing faces, etc. "The Pixar Story" did not follow these conventions at all. Rather almost all the documentary was stock footage from movies discussed, still photography, and medium-close-up interviews. However, the interviewer was never pictured and the director never mentioned however. Also, the documentary was narrated by Stacy Keach who has a very deep manly voice. So while the stylistic camera choices did not follow this dynamic convention, the structure and "voice of God" was still very much in tone with early documentary.

What I appreciated about "The Pixar Story" was that due to its focus on stock footage and interviews, I did not feel there was a bias coming through or an agenda. I did not feel as if the filmmakers were pushing themselves onto the audience. Rather, it felt like a strong non-fiction piece with unpaid actors that was meant to tell a story in a very objective manner. Compared to almost all documentaries nowadays (as we discussed with Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock) it was quite refreshing to have a very focused and poignant story where I could fill in the gaps myself with my own spin. I found the film quite enjoyable and it was a nice history lesson of all the events that lead to the creation and success of Pixar. I did not know how involved certain people were in it and I feel it gave a very fair and balanced perspective on each side of the story.

So as shown, some aspects were altered, some stayed conventional, but regardless the movie was still successful as a documentary. I did not feel swayed or pushed, nor did I feel a devolvement into fiction. I would definitely recommend "The Pixar Story" as a strong example of objective filmmaking.