Do you want to know the secret to Pixar’s success?
They care about what plumbers think.
That’s right, plumbers. Pixar, a company who makes amazing films for children, cares about the men and women who fix your toilet.
They may never brainstorm a plot whose hero saves the day with just the use a of plunger and some Drano, but you better believe they have those folks in mind when making a movie.
Let me explain…
When creating Carl Fredricksen’s house in Up, the Pixar team designed a Victorian-style home with cracks in the paint and copper at the base of the chimney. They went to great detail to create a home that was as worn down and weathered, yet still as beloved and spunky as it’s main character.
They even spent time designing the house’s pipes and plumbing.
Why would they go to such lengths to care about the plumbing? Who is even going to notice something like that?
Plumbers.
“When the house floats up and you’re looking at the infrastructure, it was really important that pipes connect in the right way, so if a plumber was watching the film they wouldn’t go, ‘oh, they took a lot of license,’ ” says Cara McCarty, curatorial director at Cooper Hewitt, the Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City that is currently showcasing the in-depth research that goes into Pixar’s films.
These microscopic details are what sets Pixar apart. They care so much about their product that they are not willing to forget about anything or anyone.
Even plumbers.
Is your work that detailed?
I know mine isn’t. Maybe it is time to start thinking about plumbers.
Photo credit: Flickr
