What to Expect at D23- Pixar Panels and Presentations

With the D23 Expo 2015 starting tomorrow, Friday,  August 14th, I wanted to give some insight into what to expect from the main Pixar panels and presentations that will be given. For my first time, I will be in attendance, so expect Twitter updates with the latest breaking news by following the hashtag #EPD23! I also want to add very quickly that I was lucky enough to be in attendance to the RenderMan Art and Science Fair at Siggraph 2015 in Los Angeles yesterday afternoon, so I have some exciting intel that can give an additional perspective on what we may be getting at tomorrow main Animation Presentation! The rundown of everything Pixar related for the D23 Expo 2015 after the break:

Calendar of the Main Pixar Presentations at D23 Expo 2015: 

In Conversation with the Filmmakers and the Emotions Behind Inside Out (Friday, August 14, 2015, 11:30 am,  Stage 28)
Get the inside story on the making of Pixar’s latest summer release Inside Out. Hear from Academy Award-winning director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera as they reminisce and share their personal stories of creating a world that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen.


Every Story Is a Journey: The Upcoming Films of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios (Friday, August 14, 3:00 pm, Hall D23)
After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to ‘let it go,’ come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 Expo must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents ‘Every Story is a Journey.’ Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent. Cell phones, cameras and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.


Pixar Secrets Revealed! Hear the Stories They Didn’t Want You to Know! (Saturday, August 15, 2015, 3:00 pm, Stage 28)
Ever wonder where your favorite Pixar stories began? Hear the stories you don’t know about the classic films that you love. Pixar senior development executive Mary Coleman hosts this experience, welcoming the storytellers behind some of Pixar’s most successful films, including Darla K. Anderson, Mark Andrews, Ronnie del Carmen and Dan Scanlon, as they talk about the twists and turns of crafting a narrative and share some of the crazy story ideas that didn’t make the final cut.

Toy Story: 20 Years Later, the Original Crew Looks Back (Saturday, August 15, 2015, 4:30 pm, Stage 23)
From flipbooks to feature films, animation has taken audiences to fantastical new worlds, far beyond the limits of any real-world setting. Pixar Animation Studios has been at the forefront of this evolution, blurring the line between art and technology and bringing beloved characters to life with heart and humor. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of 1995’s Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature film, join members of the original crew, including filmmakers John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Galyn Susman, Ralph Eggleston, Sharon Calahan, Eben Ostby, Bob Pauley and Bill Reeves as they share their stories and the challenges they faced along the way.

But Wait, There's More:
Not actually, but this is where I will start speculating what details we may be getting during the presentations. To begin, I'm obviously very excited about all of the presentations, from the conversation with Inside Out Director Pete Docter and Producer Jonas Rivera, to the Pixar Secrets Revealed with many of Pixar's directors and producers, and of course the Toy Story 20th Anniversary Panel with the original team back together talking about the production. But by far the most exciting presentation is the biggest one of them all, hosted by Pixar's very own John Lasseter, on the upcoming projects the studio is working on.

The Animation Presentation details tell us that we will be seeing exclusive footage from Pixar's The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory, which in of itself is very exciting. However, I think it's safe to assume that we will be getting more details on Finding Dory at the presentation than one might expect- concept art, character design reveals, and possibly even more story details. However, when I was at the RenderMan Art and Science Fair yesterday, Pixar CTO Steve May gave the audience some clue as to what more we can expect, in the form of special announcements. Steve May told us that we can expect some very exciting news regarding Toy Story 4 and an unannounced Pixar project. for Toy Story 4, I think we will be given very basic plot points, with an introduction to what characters will be taking center stage as well as our first look at concept art, but we will not be given any footage. As for the unannounced Pixar project, I think it's safe to assume that this will be the Untitled Lee Unkrich film (the one that centers around the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos) that we have been hearing about for years now. I believe that we will be given an official title (with title art), release date, concept art, and first look at characters and basic plot points. As for the rest of the known Pixar slate, we may possibly be given release dates for The Incredibles 2 and Cars 3, if nothing else, although both projects may not be talked about at all.

Regardless of what is given, the Animation Presentation along with all of the other Pixar Presentations should be very exciting! Remember to follow Everything Pixar on Twitter for the latest Pixar related news, and especially during this weekend by following the hashtag #EPD23!