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‘I’ve met some of the world’s biggest stars. This experience was something else entirely’
To say I was obsessed with Toy Story as a little kid would be an understatement.
I had the Woody doll, the Buzz Lightyear action figure and of course the costumes too. There are pictures to prove it!
Kids that grew up with Toy Story are getting to experience the franchise in a whole different light with the release of Toy Story 5. Reid Butler
Like millions of other children (and adults), the magic of Toy Story lit up my imagination when it first came out in 1995, more than 30 years ago now.
Since then, the toys have been gathering dust in the garage of my family home back in Port Stephens, Australia. But now, it feels like they’ve come back to life - and it’s not only because there’s a brand-new adventure out in cinemas in Toy Story 5.
As part of the movie’s press tour, I got the chance to go to where the magic happens, the Pixar Headquarters just outside of San Francisco, California.
It sounds corny, but this was a dream come true for me and the impressive campus did not disappoint.
I’ve covered a lot of entertainment news since becoming the U.S. Correspondent for Channel Nine Australia, from interviewing Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in Beverly Hills for the new Wuthering Heights movie to sitting down with Cher in New York and Shania Twain in Toronto for separate Uber campaigns.
But the tour of Pixar felt different.
It was an incredible immersive experience. I arrived at Pixar HQ in a bus with a handful of other journalists from around the world. Driving through the archways on a clear blue Californian day was something else.
Pixar has such an incredible history, and the release of the original Toy Story was what started it all.
On the campus lawns, near the entrance to the Steve Jobs Building – Jobs was the chairman of Pixar for 20 years – we were greeted by life-size statues of the franchise’s beloved stars, and there was also a larger-than-life replica of that famous Pixar lamp.
Of course, the studio honours the characters that started it all. Reid Butler
We had a full day of activities planned, but thankfully for us hungry journos, the first was a sit-down breakfast in Pixar’s expansive restaurant area.
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I’d heard their bacon was famous – as crispy as you can get – and it was delicious.
Next was a viewing in the preview theatre of the new movie itself, well at least the first 45 minutes.
This was a few months before the movie’s release (we didn’t even know Tay Tay was putting out a song for the film at this point) and the filmmakers didn’t want us to see right until the end because some things had to remain a secret!
From what I saw, the movie was excellent. Even more vibrant and colourful than the old ones, but with an extra level of detail that’s only possible now with new technology.
As a Buzz Lightyear fan from way back, the next stop on this tour had to be my favourite: sitting down with Buzz’s original creator, Bob Pauley, for a drawing lesson.
This certainly classifies as a once in a lifetime experience. Reid Butler
Bob was showing us the tricks to nail an on-paper creation of Buzz.
I had a crack but safe to say I’ll leave the drawing to the experts! Being able to explore the grounds of the campus was a highlight too – I knew these big tech companies were famous for having luxurious workplaces but Pixar took it to another level.
On lunch break, I saw some of Pixar’s 1100 staff enjoying the on-site soccer pitch, the volleyball court, and the swimming pool.
I also glimpsed a Pixar fitness centre, complete with a yoga and meditation room.
Turns out the perks for Pixar employees are plentiful but the work they put out deserves it.
The Pixar campus is the kind of workplace most only ever dream of. Reid Butler
Apparently, it can take a week just to create two seconds of animation for a movie like Toy Story and it can be a painstaking process.
Reminders of Pixar’s best creations are everywhere, characters from The Incredibles and A Bug’s Life hiding around every corner.
The experience was wonderful and incredibly nostalgic, and that’s how you’ll feel sitting down to watch the latest Toy Story. More than 30 years on, and that magic is still burning bright.
