A day at the Pixar studios in San Francisco: A giant gooseneck and mid-morning stretches

On the occasion of the upcoming premiere of ‘Elemental’, Disney/Pixar offered us the chance to travel to San Francisco to see first-hand the ins and outs of the production of the company’s new film and speak face to face with those responsible for it, led by director Peter Sohn. And there we went, ready to walk through the offices where the best characters from Pixar movies have been created.

To get to Pixar Animation Studios, if you leave from San Francisco, you have to cross the Bay Bridge (no, it’s not the Golden Gate) that connects the city with Oakland and, once on the other side, go to 1200 Park Ave, in Emeryville. It doesn’t take long, half an hour or so depending on traffic. Upon arrival, you will meet its imposing entrance door, in the purest style of the most classic Hollywood studios.

After crossing the access, we discovered that Pixar studios are a miniature city. Outdoor amphitheatre, saltwater pool, basketball court, turf soccer field (real, not football), gym, dining room, movie theater, convenience store souvenirstables set in the sun in the key of a terrace… And the first question we ask ourselves is: When do you work here?

We spoke with Néstor Benito Fernández, light effects and composition supervisor, and Jordi Onate Carolina, animatortwo Pixar workers of Spanish origin (“Hometown Heroes”, they are called there) who act as hosts:

“Actually, they have to force us to rest“, says Jordi. “That is, you work at Pixar and you want to give everything. It’s a place where they make some amazing movies and you want to get to that level, so you don’t stop. But, From the first day you come here, they try to instill in you the idea of ​​leaving the office, using the gym… They are more interested in you being healthy and rested to work better than in being burned out. I think if it were up to them, we would work a lot less than we do. We even have a stretch area that we all use once a day.”

“The best is the coffee“, adds Néstor. “There is a lot of care, compared to any other company in which I have worked before. That’s the Pixar culture, quality of life, inclusiveness, enjoying mealtimes, enjoying activities… But the problem is that there are too many, it’s impossible to do them all. In addition, what unites all of us who are here is the passion for cinema and for telling stories, and Many times they bring us films and show them here with the presence of their directors, their actors… So on those occasions everyone wants to sneak out to go.”

He steve jobs building, named after the founder of the company, is the nerve center of the studios, as it is where the cafeteria, the movie theater and the meeting tables are located. It is an open space with two floors, the first full of tables that are filled at lunch with the different options offered by the menu of the day (with many vegan dishes) and the second with the offices and an exhibition of the concept art of the film that is currently in development. On this occasion, the walls are full of drawings and concept arts of ‘Elemental’, the film that Pixar will release in the summer of 2023.

After touring the various illustrations and a small master classes to learn to draw (in that way) the protagonists of ‘Elemental’Wade and Ember, it’s time to visit the gift shop located next to the exit door and say goodbye to the Pixar studios together with Luxo, the company’s image since it starred in its first short in 1986. The giant gooseneck, about 5 meters high, is accompanied by a scale ball and… Yes, it also lights up at night.