animation - Pixar 20 years of animation (ENG)

You have some more time to go and see this exhibition at the London Science Museum (ends June 10).
It is not so much for kids but for adult fans - serious, expensive (£10), few dramatic exhibits. This is basically an educational exhibition that makes a simple point, for those who would still need to grasp it: Pixar is not about computers. Hundreds of exploratory sketches, sculptures, storyboards of characters, artworks are there to show that this is animation and storytelling. Pixar is creating stories first, then characters. Then virtual 3D puppets are created for each character and animators spend months manipulating each of them with computer programmes that play the exact same role as strings for physical puppets.
The term CGI (Computer Generated Imaging) led to misunderstandings for long. The computer is NOT generating the images of course. It must be seen as the equivalent to puppet strings or, with regard to the traditional 2D, animation computer software are only replacing the labour-intensive animation phase (shooting celluloid artwork) and gives the animators fantastic new options.

One great funny thing though: for this exhibition, Pixar have re-created a modern-day version of the XIXth century zoetrope or 'Magic Lantern' based on retinal persistence. This is beautiful and funny and epitomizes their vision: technology comes second, entertainment first.