Jay Shuster, Wielder of a Pixar Pencil -- Page 1 of 3


		Jay Shuster, Wielder of a Pixar Pencil An Animation sketch artist shares his points, by Jake Friedman. *Originally published May, 2006 on AnimatorsUnite.com
		With the June 9th release of Cars, Pixar takes a step back towards its roots of animating anthropomorphic objects. However, this time the trap is sprung with a cultivated talent for art direction and design that has taken decades to perfect. As we’ve seen in making-of books, DVD extras and museum exhibits, the Pixar design team works as hard on the pre-production process as it does on the actual animation. Though maybe not as technologically innovative, the approach of these artists using clay, wire, pencil, paints and paper is to inspire the final product just as the classic artists have done since the golden age of animation.	(c) Pixar
		Jay Shuster, as a Pixar sketch artist, is one such person. Though his art cannot be seen directly on the screen, he is one of the talented few who shapes the look of the movie. I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about what work is like for a sketch artist at the world’s most popular CG studio. JF: How much does pre-production art influence the final Pixar film? JS: I’ll start with this bonus statement just because I like the imagery: Story is the fuel, Art is the engine and Technology is the transmission. Story and Art power the project, Technology finds the best way to get the power to the road, and management makes sure the project doesn’t get sideways or burn up the clutch. The projects I’ve contributed to naturally commence with pre-production art, however there’s not real perceived boundary between pre- and production art. It seems to me pre feed into the serious, committed production realm fairly seamlessly. The art continues to evolve as story evolves. And this continues, in some cases, right to the end when the film releases. So yes, pre-production art is very influential on the final film.
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