D23 Expo 2013: Pete Docter Gives Inside Look Into “Inside Out”

Today’s D23 Panel covered the animation portion of the acclaimed studio. John Lasseter was on hand to emcee the event. One of the first Pixar films that the animation studio head announced was the Pete Docter project, Inside Out. We learned a little more about the project that takes audiences into the world on a girl’s mind, which Lasseter called, “one of the most unique films I’ve ever been associated with – a magical, wonderful, original film.” Hit the jump for more.

Docter offered a few more details about the film this morning. First he said that it would involve an 11-year old girl named Riley who moves from Minneosta to San Francisco. This move causes a shift in her emotions. These emotions will represent the main characters of the film. There is Anger, a short red uptight being voiced by Lewis Black; Disgust, a teenage green being voiced by Mindy Kaling; Sadness, a short and sad blue looking character voiced by Phyllis Smith; Fear, a tall and gawky looking critter voiced by Bill Hader; and Joy, a spritely young fairy looking character as voiced by Amy Poehler.

While the film is set in the human world, a majority of it will take place in the mind of the human characters. It is established that these emotions are like the caretakers of the character’s memories. Whatever they deem as a necessary memory, they will record and store on memory racks.

In one clip, the scene takes place in four separate spaces. Three of these take place in the mind of the characters (the mom, the dad, and Riley) and the fourth takes place in the human world. When Joy and Sadness are missing, it’s up to the Anger, Disgust, and Fear to control Riley’s emotions, which ends up disastrously. As the emotions try to cope, mom’s emotions tries to comprehend Riley’s responses, but to no avail. We learn that these characters’ emotions are unable to interact with each other. Instead these emotions have to interpret what the characters are saying.

It’s an interesting aspect of the movie, and one that should be a lot of fun to watch on screen.