Timeless Storytelling Lessons from Pixar 

Timeless Storytelling Lessons from Pixar

 

One company that is very underrated is Pixar.

If you’re like me, then Pixar may have made up a lot of your childhood.

 

Toy Story, the Incredibles, and Toy Story 2.

Hey, I’m a big Toy Story fan.

 

Nowadays, Pixar is evolving with the times and creating classics for the new generation.

What makes Pixar so compelling?

 

Is it their culture?

Is it their technology?

Or is it their storytelling philosophy?

 

I’m here to tell you that it’s all 3 of them.

 

Storytelling like Pixar is possible in your own domain.

Allow us to learn some of their timeless principles so we can create riveting content that drives change.

 

Keep the Important Thing the Important Thing

 

For the first 10 years of Pixar’s existence, they were viewed as a technology company.

They weren’t aware at the time…but they were pioneering for what was to come.

 

Setting the foundations allowed them to set the stage for what was important.

‘What was important?’

It was the stories.

 

Imagine this real quick.

You spend 10 years setting up the technology to say something is more important than the technology??

 

A lot of people in Pixar could have revolted against this idea.

‘No, we are a technology company, not a storytelling company!’

However, they didn’t do that.

 

They understood their advanced computers, telecommunications, and graphics processing systems were no more than glorified pencils for the story.

Pixar’s philosophy is that the story is the king and everything else is a royal servant.

 

Touch the Heart to Make an Impact

 

One of the kingpins in early Pixar was John Lasseter.

He had a simple strategy to get freedom. He said:

‘If you can make someone feel, then you will always have the creative authority to do what you want.’

What a stunning insight!

 

That’s why Pixar has been relevant for so many years.

It’s because they create stories that make others feel.

 

Their stories touch the heart because they are believable to a certain extent.

‘Believable to a certain extent, what does that mean?’

I’m glad you asked…

 

Create Alternate Universes

 

 

John talked about creating universes that are believable to a certain extent.

Why?

Because when someone is consuming a story, they want to enter a new world.

A new world where things are not completely foreign but are not completely predictable either.

 

An example is Toy Story.

It’s a world that I could see happening.

Or let me be clear:

  • It’s something that my child side can see happening.

 

We all played with toys growing up.

To us, the toys were real.

They had personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.

 

Who was to say that those toys didn’t talk when we left?

Logically speaking, that was probably not the case.

However, it’s still believable to a certain extent.

 

A compelling story hits our imagination and experiences.

Pixar has done a great job of striking a balance between the 2.

 

Keep Finetuning the Narrative

 

All stories should have a spine.

The spine is what allows all the other scenes to make sense.

 

‘Wasn’t that always the case?’

Not really.

Telling stories in entertainment is rather new in the grand scheme of things.

 

Early on, gag was king.

Gags are when random things happened to a character to incite an emotional response from the audience.

You may know what I’m talking about…

 

A guy gets pied on the face.

The guy who gets pied begins chasing the person who pied him.

As he chases the guy, he steps on a rake and it slams on his face.

^ A bunch of random events that don’t have a plot.

 

To tell a story like Pixar, ask yourself if you are falling for the gag trap, or does your tale really have a spine?

 

Good things take time.

Often, Pixar spends 2+ years on story development alone!

Not saying your story needs to take that long.

Just know that plot development should be made a priority.

 

Compete with Yourself

 

Did you know that Steve Jobs was the CEO of Pixar for a while?

‘He was? I thought he was the CEO of Apple?’

Yes, that’s true. However, there was a stage when he was the CEO of Pixar.

 

Let’s just say there was a learning curve in terms of changing philosophy.

Since he came from the tech world of Apple, he was used to competing with others.

Whether it was Windows, IBM, Compaq, and all of that.

In the tech industry, competition led to innovation.

 

But once he came to Pixar, he had to change his philosophy.

In the field of storytelling, you don’t try to beat others.

Instead, you focus on telling the best story that YOU possibly can.

 

This is a liberating feeling!

Because all the scattered focus can be channeled into ONE vehicle.

 

  • Concentration leads to insights.
  • Insights lead to creativity.
  • And creativity leads to storytelling.

That’s the recipe for storytelling like Pixar.

 

storytelling pixar

 

Cultivate a Long-Term View

 

Since we are on Steve Jobs, let me tell you one more thing he noticed while working in a storytelling business.

It was the art of developing a long-term viewpoint.

 

Because in the tech industry, you’re lucky if a product is relevant for more than 3 years.

The shelf life for a tech product is short.

A product is relevant… then it becomes irrelevant.

Then the next product is built on top of the irrelevant product.

 

But with stories?

It’s eternal.

Content does not follow the rules of physics.

It’s beyond time!

 

Snow White is just as relevant now as it was back then. Especially, if you are consuming Snow White for the first time.

 

When having a long-term view, it’s easier to craft a story that is packed with:

  • Timeless wisdom.
  • Relatable characters.
  • And a captivating plot.

 

Long-term thinking beats trend hopping any day!

 

Book to Learn Storytelling Like Pixar

 

The beauty of storytelling is that it turns the inanimate to animate.

It turns toys into narratives.

Animation into a family bonding experience.

And allows the consumer to enter a new world.

 

If you want to learn how to master storytelling, then be sure to check out my book:

  • Art and Science of Storytelling.

 

This book will teach you how to:

  • Create relatable characters
  • Build compelling plots.
  • Create lessons that lead to perception changes in the consumer.
  • Design vivid settings.

And much more!

GET HERE:

Ebook

Paperback/Kindle

Audiobook

 

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