How 2 Animators Recreated Pixar Magic — Without Pixar

Pixar filmmakers Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi know a thing or two about using technology to tell stories with animation. The duo worked together to bring to life the characters in Monsters University and Toy Story 3 and did so with some of the most sophisticated animation tools on the planet.

When Kondo and Tsutnami took a three-month leave to work on a short film called The Dam Keeper, they had to leave all that behind. The film falls under Pixar's Co-op Program, which exists so employees can challenge themselves with hands-on learning of production techniques — but without the help of studio dollars, guidance or even office space. Read more...