Fun Facts About the Making of the Finding Dory Story #FindingDoryEvent

I was invited by Disney•Pixar to attend an all expenses paid trip to cover the #FindingDoryEvent in Monterey CA.  All opinions are my own.

Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory Swims into theaters on June 17th! 

When I was in beautiful Monterey California for the #FindingDoryEvent I had the opportunity to sit down for a presentation by Co-Director Angus MacLane and Story Supervisor Max Brace.  Their presentation was called “Dory’s Story-Discover how Dory’s story came to be, how it was developed and taken from script to storyboards to screen.”

It was really cool to watch Max draw up a scene template and “pitch” it to Angus. It really gave me such a respect for all the work that goes into making a movie like this.  During my time with them I learned a lot and I wanted to share fun facts I learned!

• The story process starts out with brainstorming in a room together. Co-Director Andrew Stanton said he wanted part of the movie to be set in the Marine Life Institute.  That is when they started thinking about what sets would be a part of the parts of the movie taking place at the Marine Life Institute, what props would be there, etc…

  

• Max took his son to the aquarium and when they were at the Touch Pool he sat and watched all the kids poking and prodding the creatures in the touch pool and he thought ‘What would it be like for Dory to be stuck in the touch pool?’.  That idea gained traction and of course became a part of the film.

  

• Research, Research, Research.  It plays a huge part in the making of a movie for Disney/Pixar.  The creators and crew for this movie went to many aquariums in order to research how the creatures from the movie behave, interact, as well as their surroundings.  Down to the smallest details of the signs on the walls, etc…
• At the Monterey Bay Aquarium they learned about the quarantine area where they keep sick fish (which is incorporated into the film).  But while they were back in that area they saw a bunch of star fish so they asked the workers about them.  The Aquarium employee said that they were from the touch pool, and sometimes they just need a break from all the touching.

• First a scene is written up by a writer.  Then an artist gets assigned a scene and they meet with the directors to talk through the scene. Then they will draw up the scene talking all the words of a scene and making them into a visual storytelling with lighting, composition, acting, editing, etc…then the artist will take it back to the directors and the directors will give their thoughts and improvements.  Then the artist will go back and create a full story board for the scene.  After that, the rest of the studio will see the storyboard and give notes on it.

  

• In creating the movie, it was important that Dory was driving the movie as well as each scene.  Since it is her story, they want it to be all about Dory with the additional characters only helping to drive her story.

It was so cool to be able to learn so much from them both about Finding Dory and how it comes to life on screen.

Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory Swims into theaters on June 17th! 

Watch the trailer…

Grab Finding Dory Printable Coloring & Activity Sheets

Like FINDING DORY on Facebook

Follow FINDING DORY on Twitter, #FindingDory #HaveYouSeenHer

Follow Disney/Pixar on Instagram

Follow Disney Studios on Pinterest

Visit Disney/Pixar on Tumblr

Visit the official FINDING DORY website

“Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory” reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale? Directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”), the film features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton.  “Finding Dory” swims into theaters June 17, 2016.“-Disney