Pixar Rules

Pixar Rules

This information is found on numerous sites on the internet. I just wanted to reinforce its significance. One of the most important reasons Pixar’s work touches so many people is their belief in the importance of good storytelling. Pixar knows that visual beauty means nothing without:

  • A captivating story with
  • Compelling characters who have
  • Clear and interesting (A) motives, (B) goals, and (C) conflicts.

     22 Rules of Storytelling
     Here are Pixar’s rules. They apply to pretty much any type of fiction writing.

#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
#2: You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.
#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.
#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
#8: Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
#9: When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
#10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.


#11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.
#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
#13: Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
#14: Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.
#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
#16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
#17: No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.
#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
#19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How would you rearrange them into what you DO like?


#21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?
#22: What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

Pixar Spine Template

And the moral of the story is: ___________________________________

Examples

Midnight in Paris

ACT I

  1. Once upon a time there was a man named Gil, who loved literature and writers of the 1920’s more than anything
  2. And every day he tried to write his novel about a Nostalgia Shop, which his wife thought was a waste of time.
  3. Until one day at midnight Gil was taken by an old car with people in old clothes back to the 1920’s

ACT II

  • And because of this Gil met Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso and Pablo’s girlfriend, Adriana
  • Because of that, Gil asked Hemingway to read his novel and tell him if he was on the right track
  • Because of that Hemingway introduced Gil to Gertrude Stein to have her read it and she liked it
  • Because of that Gil met and started falling for Adriana and trusted that his writing was good
  • Because of that, Gil kept going back to the past and learning more about love and writing but Adriana wanted to go even further back–to Belle Époque–which Gil decided wasn’t good–it was better to live in your present

ACT III

  • Until finally, Gil learned to let go of his fear of the present and love of the past and trust that he had what it takes to love and write his novel in the present
  • Ever since that day, Gil left Inez, decided to live in Paris and finish his novel, he also started falling in love with Gabrielle

The Moral of the Story is: Live in the present, not the past

The Incredibles 

Once upon a time there was a superhero named Mr. Incredible who was forced to live as an ordinary man in a society where superheroes were outlawed.

Every day, he grew more and more frustrated with his stifling, boring life.

But one day, he accepted a secret superhero job from a mysterious stranger.

Because of that, he fell into the diabolical trap of this mysterious stranger who turned out to be Syndrome, a super villain with a long-time grudge against Mr. Incredible.

Because of that, Syndrome was able to capture and imprison Mr. Incredible.

Because of that, Syndrome could now put his master plan into motion by setting a giant, killer-robot  loose on civilization.

Until finally, Mr. Incredible escaped from his prison and foiled the villain by destroying the giant, killer-robot.

And ever since then, he was loved by all and able to be a Superhero again.

And the moral of the story is:_________________________