7 Creative Pixar Principles by John Lasseter
This text was prepared and translated by Eugene aka jeje . If you like the text, then thank Eugene, he himself cannot publish the translation due to the limitations of karma.
If you want to write a book, design furniture or a cartoon - Never start with one idea, there should be three of them.
“The reason is simple. If the producer comes to me with a proposal for a new project, he has been carrying this particular idea for a long time. It limits it. My answer is always: “Come to me when you have three ideas, and this does not mean that one is good and the other two are bad. I want three really great ideas from which you can't decide which one is better. Be ready to justify all three ideas. Then we will decide which idea you will develop further. ”
“The problem of creative people is always the same - they often focus all their attention on one idea. And it turns out that they limit their choice from the very beginning of the project. Every creative person should try this. You will be surprised how this demand will suddenly make you think about other things that you have not even considered before. Because of this detachment, you suddenly find new perspectives. And believe me, there are always at least three good ideas. ”
“The big problem in the creative process is the connection with the increase of your ideas” warns Lasseter. “Revision, change, purification is very important, but it is dangerous. If you have a story, a joke, an idea that you wrote down - it loses its charm with time. She wears herself. When you hear a joke the second time - you really laugh sincerely, for the third, for the fourth time - not so, and when you start to hear her hundreds of times - you hate her "
')
“I tell my authors -“ Remember the moment of the first laugh, write it down if necessary. ”This may be annoying at times, but it is very important. Many times, good ideas were lost, because people could not remember how they felt when the idea sounded for the first time. ”
“There is a critical rule - no compromise. No compromise on quality, despite production constraints, costs or deadlines. If you have a better idea, and this means that you have to start from scratch, it means you need to do it. ”
“In any creative industry, quality is the only business plan that ultimately prevails. Many executives do not understand this, unlike the audience. This process is completed only when creative professionalism says that it is finished. This does not mean that there is no pressure - pressure is present all the time, but the creator’s personality has the final word ”
“One of the most popular questions is - are more creative groups than individuals? My answer is - In most cases, these are commands that allow you to follow certain rules. My task as a manager is to cancel the hierarchy. It doesn't matter whose idea is the most important rule for us. The group must be honest, straightforward and diligent in order to sincerely help the creative person. But in the end, nothing that the group says is optional. ”
“There is an opinion that if you put two people who cannot tolerate each other in one room, then all the negative energy will be transformed into a creative result. I disagree. Cooperation, trust and a joke are the right way, ”says Lasseter. He emphasizes a complex management challenge to successfully motivate creative workers and create a climate conducive to creativity. “Creative people must believe that they will all be supported in making a great movie. They must believe that all people have a hard time understanding what they are talking about. Creative people are easily bored, despondent and difficult to control. You have to create a fun atmosphere, take care of them. Creative people really do a good job if you challenge them creatively. They should enjoy their work. They should be proud of the fact that they are part of a special project. This, again, is the task of the leader. Every time you have to challenge them. This is difficult, but no one said it would be easy to manage creative people. ”
“Poor executives harm the creative process” knows from his own experience Lasseter. After fulfilling his dream of working as an animator at Disney Animation Studio in the late seventies, his frank personality and creative extravagance quickly made him an enemy among ordinary middle managers in Disney. For several years. Lasseter became a victim of domestic politics and was fired. Sticking to his own path, Lasseter co-founded Pixar in 1986. Twenty years later, after Disney acquired Pixar as a studio, Lasseter regained its triumph as head of the creative board of both animation studios.
“Laughing like a madman, going crazy, acting ridiculously is hard work. A leader who spreads his bad mood and forbids his employees to have fun weakens their creativity, and this harms production. I'll fire him. Cartoons are not such a simple business. I cannot risk such money just because the manager is in a bad mood and it hurts my business.
Being a perfect creative leader, Lasseter gave direct advice to future creative leaders. “Take in the team only those people who are not less talented than you. If they are just as pleasant and with good character, this is even better. Many managers do not adhere to this rule, as they doubt it. Doubt and creativity do not get along with each other. Many executives surround themselves with yes-men as a result, the audience sees bad films, ”explains Lasseter.
1. Never start with one idea.
If you want to write a book, design furniture or a cartoon - Never start with one idea, there should be three of them.
“The reason is simple. If the producer comes to me with a proposal for a new project, he has been carrying this particular idea for a long time. It limits it. My answer is always: “Come to me when you have three ideas, and this does not mean that one is good and the other two are bad. I want three really great ideas from which you can't decide which one is better. Be ready to justify all three ideas. Then we will decide which idea you will develop further. ”
“The problem of creative people is always the same - they often focus all their attention on one idea. And it turns out that they limit their choice from the very beginning of the project. Every creative person should try this. You will be surprised how this demand will suddenly make you think about other things that you have not even considered before. Because of this detachment, you suddenly find new perspectives. And believe me, there are always at least three good ideas. ”
2. Remember the moment of the first laugh
“The big problem in the creative process is the connection with the increase of your ideas” warns Lasseter. “Revision, change, purification is very important, but it is dangerous. If you have a story, a joke, an idea that you wrote down - it loses its charm with time. She wears herself. When you hear a joke the second time - you really laugh sincerely, for the third, for the fourth time - not so, and when you start to hear her hundreds of times - you hate her "
')
“I tell my authors -“ Remember the moment of the first laugh, write it down if necessary. ”This may be annoying at times, but it is very important. Many times, good ideas were lost, because people could not remember how they felt when the idea sounded for the first time. ”
3. Quality is a great business plan.
“There is a critical rule - no compromise. No compromise on quality, despite production constraints, costs or deadlines. If you have a better idea, and this means that you have to start from scratch, it means you need to do it. ”
“In any creative industry, quality is the only business plan that ultimately prevails. Many executives do not understand this, unlike the audience. This process is completed only when creative professionalism says that it is finished. This does not mean that there is no pressure - pressure is present all the time, but the creator’s personality has the final word ”
4.This team, fool
“One of the most popular questions is - are more creative groups than individuals? My answer is - In most cases, these are commands that allow you to follow certain rules. My task as a manager is to cancel the hierarchy. It doesn't matter whose idea is the most important rule for us. The group must be honest, straightforward and diligent in order to sincerely help the creative person. But in the end, nothing that the group says is optional. ”
5. Entertainment calls for creativity, not competition
“There is an opinion that if you put two people who cannot tolerate each other in one room, then all the negative energy will be transformed into a creative result. I disagree. Cooperation, trust and a joke are the right way, ”says Lasseter. He emphasizes a complex management challenge to successfully motivate creative workers and create a climate conducive to creativity. “Creative people must believe that they will all be supported in making a great movie. They must believe that all people have a hard time understanding what they are talking about. Creative people are easily bored, despondent and difficult to control. You have to create a fun atmosphere, take care of them. Creative people really do a good job if you challenge them creatively. They should enjoy their work. They should be proud of the fact that they are part of a special project. This, again, is the task of the leader. Every time you have to challenge them. This is difficult, but no one said it would be easy to manage creative people. ”
6. The creative result always reflects the person above.
“Poor executives harm the creative process” knows from his own experience Lasseter. After fulfilling his dream of working as an animator at Disney Animation Studio in the late seventies, his frank personality and creative extravagance quickly made him an enemy among ordinary middle managers in Disney. For several years. Lasseter became a victim of domestic politics and was fired. Sticking to his own path, Lasseter co-founded Pixar in 1986. Twenty years later, after Disney acquired Pixar as a studio, Lasseter regained its triumph as head of the creative board of both animation studios.
“Laughing like a madman, going crazy, acting ridiculously is hard work. A leader who spreads his bad mood and forbids his employees to have fun weakens their creativity, and this harms production. I'll fire him. Cartoons are not such a simple business. I cannot risk such money just because the manager is in a bad mood and it hurts my business.
7. Surround yourself with creative people you trust.
Being a perfect creative leader, Lasseter gave direct advice to future creative leaders. “Take in the team only those people who are not less talented than you. If they are just as pleasant and with good character, this is even better. Many managers do not adhere to this rule, as they doubt it. Doubt and creativity do not get along with each other. Many executives surround themselves with yes-men as a result, the audience sees bad films, ”explains Lasseter.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/59016/
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