Directing at Pixar: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Storytelling, Collaboration, and Vision
On May 17, 2025, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco hosted a special event titled Directing at Pixar, offering an insightful and candid discussion about the creative and collaborative process behind the studio’s animated films and series. Moderated by Oscar-winning Pixar producer Jonas Rivera (Up, Inside Out), the panel featured directors Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, the duo behind the Disney+ series Win or Lose, along with screenwriter-turned-director Mike Jones, who helmed Dream Productions.
Rivera opened the panel by asking the question: What does it actually mean to be a director in animation? Referencing Pete Docter’s book Directing at Disney, he shared an anecdote about a moment in Peter Pan—when the characters land on the minute hand of Big Ben. That specific image wasn’t in the original story, and no single person is credited with the idea. What matters is that the directors had many great options, and they chose that one. That’s what directing feels like at Pixar: it’s not about being the one with all the answers—it’s about choosing from many good ones.
Each director shared their own view on what that responsibility entails. For Mike Jones, who studied at NYU’s film school before transitioning into animation, the director’s job is about setting a clear vision, filtering every idea through that lens, and supervising other department leads while staying flexible. “Push, but also be open," he said. Michael Yates described directing as trying to align incredibly talented people toward a shared target, and as an ongoing conversation with the audience. Carrie Hobson offered her own metaphor: directing a film is like building a car. Early on, you’re hands-on with the construction, but as the project matures, your job becomes more about navigation than assembly.
The panelists then reflected on how their projects came to be. Hobson and Yates were office mates during Toy Story 4 and emerged from a production meeting with completely different perspectives on how it went. That moment of divergence inspired the central premise of Win or Lose, a series that explores how a single moment can be experienced in wildly different ways depending on the character. They describe themselves as character-first storytellers. They began crafting the series by writing in-depth bios—many never seen on screen—for each of their characters, using them to guide performance and design choices throughout production. Lori, the coach’s daughter, was the first character they built out in detail.
Mike Jones, who has worked with Pete Docter on Soul, recalled being inspired by Pete’s descriptions of his own dreams and the surreal logic behind them. Since the dream makers in Inside Out exist within Riley’s mind, he realized they’ve never actually met their audience. Their idea of success isn’t applause or critical acclaim—it’s whether Riley remembers and talks about her dreams. From the very beginning, Jones knew how the story should end: Riley wakes up inside her own dream and finally meets the dream makers face-to-face, flipping the viewer's perspective in a way only animation can.
The panel also explored each director’s unique journey to their current roles. Hobson began her career in the art department at Disney Consumer Products before becoming an art intern at Pixar. One formative memory came from a summer spent working on Toy Story of Terror, where she helped develop a minor character named Pocketeer. Even with such a small role, the experience showed her how deeply each artist invests in their work. Yates, on the other hand, entered Pixar through the story internship program, later returning for Cars 3. He described the story department as a great place to train for directing, with the opportunity to “direct in pieces" by managing short scenes. He also emphasized the importance of sitting in on screenings, observing how directors interpret and respond to notes—a crash course in objectivity.
Jones, who transitioned from live-action screenwriting, was brought on during The Good Dinosaur after Pete Docter responded to his sense of structure and character. Watching his scripts turned into storyboards taught him to take creative feedback in stride. It was a fast-track education in how animation prioritizes what plays on screen over what works on the page.
The conversation turned to Pixar’s famed Brain Trust, a group of internal filmmakers who provide rigorous, candid feedback on works in progress. Jones compared the process to “making the same movie over and over for three years," while Hobson highlighted the value of hearing what isn’t working and searching for the “note behind the note." Yates added that receiving notes without ego is essential to keeping the story on course. He also shared a powerful anecdote from Up, where the iconic scene of Carl reading Ellie’s Adventure Book nearly got cut. It was editor Kevin Nolting who wanted to remove it, but a small addition—one extra shot of Carl’s reaction—brought the emotional moment back to life.
On Toy Story 4, Brad Bird’s Brain Trust note—“More Forky"—transformed what was originally a background joke into a major character, ultimately enriching Woody’s journey. Hobson and Yates shared how the Win or Lose team split the Brain Trust into two smaller groups for feedback, which sometimes resulted in contradictory notes. For example, early drafts of the show’s mother-daughter duo, Rochelle and Vanessa, weren’t landing with viewers. By reworking the first episode to provide stronger introductions, they helped shift audience perception by the time those characters received their spotlight episodes.
When asked about artistic influences, the directors gave a range of answers. Hobson mentioned filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve (Dune), along with TV shows with strong voices such as Fleabag, Atlanta, and Dave. Yates agreed and also pointed to Black Panther director Ryan Coogler as a major influence. Jones traced his cinematic roots from childhood favorites like Star Wars and Indiana Jones to the quieter, emotionally driven films of adulthood—Tender Mercies, The Last Picture Show, Midnight Cowboy, and The 400 Blows. He added that when Pixar hired him, they weren’t necessarily looking for animators—just filmmakers with a point of view.
During the Q&A, Jones revealed that in early drafts of Soul, Joe Gardner was originally an actor instead of a jazz teacher. His dream role was playing Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman on Broadway, but the story lacked relatability. Once they changed Joe’s profession to jazz musician—a nod to both Jones’s and Docter’s personal connections to music—the film found its emotional clarity.
The panel closed with a discussion about co-directing. Hobson described her and Yates’ working style as “prove me wrong"—a healthy way to navigate disagreements. Yates mentioned advice from a podcast with Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who recommended saving debates for the edit bay. As for Dream Productions, Jones explained that he shared directing duties with two others and gave them room to experiment within their episodes. His role was to gently steer things back on track when needed to ensure cohesion across the season.
Through personal stories, production insights, and reflections on craft, the Directing at Pixar panel provided a rare and engaging window into how Pixar’s directors shape the films and series that continue to move audiences around the world. Whether it’s pitching a concept, reworking a character, or navigating a round of Brain Trust feedback, the job of directing at Pixar is never about being the sole creative force—it’s about channeling the studio’s collective brilliance toward a vision worth sharing.
For more information about the Walt Disney Family Museum and events like this, visit waltdisney.org.
Pixar’s next animated feature, Elio, hits theaters on June 20th. Win or Lose and Dream Productions are now streaming on Disney+.