Macaroni Kid Publisher Review:
We had a chance to visit this exhibit last week on a homeschool field trip and I wanted to give you some tips!
First, a personal recap of the exhibit! You'll begin with a quick video about Pixar and the stages that a movie goes through, and it was fascinating. I had no idea how much science, math and computer programming went into the creation of one movie. Once inside the exhibit you'll explore every little process used for movie creation, and you'll understand why there are so many credits at the end of an animated film, it takes an army of incredibly smart people!
The majority of the exhibit is hands on, but it's mostly creation software. My kids loved learning about programming natural variety with grass, stop motion animation, changing color backgrounds, hair animation programming, crowd animation programming, and lots of other things! There are a few tactile hands on exhibits that my kids enjoyed, but there aren't as many as I was expecting.
Macaroni Kid Mom Tips:
- I think this exhibit is best explored with ages 8+, although I did see a toddler guide sheet as we were leaving, so that may make it a lot better for the younger kiddos.
- Unfortunately we had to enter the museum as a group at 10:00am, but our entry into the PIxar exhibit wasn't until 1:00pm. Don't do this! My kids were exhausted and begging to go home by the time we got into the Pixar exhibit, and it was really hard to keep them engaged in anything. Plan for this exhibit to be the first thing you do at the museum that day, and prepare for them to be mentally exhausted (and maybe overstimulated too.)
- I felt a little overwhelmed when we were in the exhibit and didn't know where to start. I wish I had done some pre-visit activities with my kids so I knew their specific interests on this topic, and how to guide them through the exhibit. I did some research for you, and found that the exhibit has an educator's guide, activity sheets, and activity cards here for you to share with your kiddos!
About the Exhibit
Everybody has a favorite Pixar film, but what it takes to make one is a mystery to most fans. Now the ingenuity behind the magic comes to light in the new exhibition The Science Behind Pixar, opening at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Friday, October 11. This immersive experience explores the science, technology, engineering, art, and math concepts used at Pixar Animation Studios every day to bring their beloved films and characters to life.
Movie theater audiences witnessed a filmmaking revolution in late 1995 when Pixar released Toy Story. The movie was the first of its kind—a feature-length computer-animated production—and critics and the general public alike were enthralled to see something so fresh and groundbreaking on the big screen. Nearly 24 years and 21 box office hits later, Pixar continues to impress and delight.
Each section in The Science Behind Pixar focuses on a step in the filmmaking process—modeling, rigging, surfaces, sets and cameras, animation, simulation, lighting, and rendering—delivering an unparalleled view of the production pipeline used by the Pixar artists and computer scientists.
Guests will enjoy more than 50 interactive elements, hear first-hand from the studio’s production teams in video profiles, and come face-to-face with re-creations of popular characters, including Buzz Lightyear, Dory, Mike and Sulley, Edna Mode, and WALL•E.
These are just some of the activities included in the experience:
- Build a robot inspired by the ones in WALL•E.
- Discover how a bug’s-eye view was achieved for A Bug’s Life, through camera angles and large-set design within the computer.
- Create a virtual 3D shape and play it in a 360-degree view.
- See and touch scale models of many of the beloved Pixar characters.
- Explore lighting challenges, similar to what Pixar artists faced in creating animated water in Finding Nemo.
- Try your hand at stop-motion animation of a jumping lamp, like the one in Pixar’s iconic logo, and watch a short film of what you produced.
- Discover how models are given a virtual skeleton so the animators can add movement.
- Become immersed in the techniques used to add color and texture to every surface in a film.
- Take your photo with human-sized re-creations of many of your favorite Pixar characters.
“We are excited about bringing this unique experience from Pixar Animation Studios to the Colorado community,” said George Sparks, President and CEO of the Museum. “Pixar films are one of the most inspiring examples of how science, technology, engineering, art, and math can intersect with creativity and imagination to bring joy and awe to people of all ages.”
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