Bill Zahn
At the age of nineteen, he packed his bags, and with sixty bucks to his name,
moved to Los Angeles to chase his dream. Even though he was completely
self-taught and only had a modest portfolio, he quickly made his way into
the world of live action creature and make-up effects, working as a lead
artist on projects like Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Men in Black, Godzilla and
the creation of the Budweiser Frogs.
Then two films came along that changed everything: Jurassic Park and Toy
Story. Bill quickly realized the digital revolution was beginning, and the film
industry was changing. After successfully working 10 years in LA on the
practical end of the industry, he bought a modest computer, got his hands on
some rudimentary 3D software, and taught himself computer animation.
Within a few years, he was recruited by George Lucas’ Industrial Light and
Magic. There he worked on the Star Wars prequels and Pirates of the
Caribbean. While Jurassic Park was pure visual magic, Toy Story was pure
emotional magic, and Bill knew the animation studio that created Woody
and Buzz was his ultimate goal.
Only a couple of years later, he got the call he had been waiting for – from
Pixar Animation Studios, and that’s where he’s been working as a character
artist and designer for the past 15 years. Bill has contributed as a character
artist and designer on Ratatouille, Cars, Cars 2, Wall-E, Toy Story 3, The Good
Dinosaur and Coco. He is currently working on Toy Story 4.
Bill’s lively, fun and fascinating talks share the process of creating some of
the big screen’s most memorable characters, as well as the painstaking
details and hard work required by dozens of artists to bring them to life; a
process that can bring heartbreak as well as sheer joy, over an often
grueling, several-year-long production.
Bill is a passionate crusader and educator in the belief that we should do for
a living whatever makes us smile. Bill says, “stepping out into the unknown
and tackling the biggest challenges are what life is all about, and while our
inner voice may tremble in terror at what lies ahead, we move forward,
because even the smallest chance to bring a smile to someone else’s face, is
worth the all the risk.”
At the age of nineteen, he packed his bags, and with sixty bucks to his name,
moved to Los Angeles to chase his dream. Even though he was completely
self-taught and only had a modest portfolio, he quickly made his way into
the world of live action creature and make-up effects, working as a lead
artist on projects like Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Men in Black, Godzilla and
the creation of the Budweiser Frogs.
Then two films came along that changed everything: Jurassic Park and Toy
Story. Bill quickly realized the digital revolution was beginning, and the film
industry was changing. After successfully working 10 years in LA on the
practical end of the industry, he bought a modest computer, got his hands on
some rudimentary 3D software, and taught himself computer animation.
Within a few years, he was recruited by George Lucas’ Industrial Light and
Magic. There he worked on the Star Wars prequels and Pirates of the
Caribbean. While Jurassic Park was pure visual magic, Toy Story was pure
emotional magic, and Bill knew the animation studio that created Woody
and Buzz was his ultimate goal.
Only a couple of years later, he got the call he had been waiting for – from
Pixar Animation Studios, and that’s where he’s been working as a character
artist and designer for the past 15 years. Bill has contributed as a character
artist and designer on Ratatouille, Cars, Cars 2, Wall-E, Toy Story 3, The Good
Dinosaur and Coco. He is currently working on Toy Story 4.
Bill’s lively, fun and fascinating talks share the process of creating some of
the big screen’s most memorable characters, as well as the painstaking
details and hard work required by dozens of artists to bring them to life; a
process that can bring heartbreak as well as sheer joy, over an often
grueling, several-year-long production.
Bill is a passionate crusader and educator in the belief that we should do for
a living whatever makes us smile. Bill says, “stepping out into the unknown
and tackling the biggest challenges are what life is all about, and while our
inner voice may tremble in terror at what lies ahead, we move forward,
because even the smallest chance to bring a smile to someone else’s face, is
worth the all the risk.”