Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Pixar's Halloween 2006

Note to the reader: below is a very long and complicated (and legendary) story. But don't worry, it's worth your time I promise. It culminates in me acting out a little kid character on stage with John Lasseter, the director of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life and Cars. This is on stage, in front of every Pixar employee, for like 5 minutes. Yes, insane. I still can't believe it.

Still interested? Read on... but first some photos.


Kurt as the guy who carries around Oscar the Grouch

Nick as Waldo from "Where's Waldo?"

Curt and Edgar

Me in my onesie and twirly hat with a pacifier, yellow blanket and a shark

Jake dressed up as me!!!!!!!

Jake dressed up as me, and Me!!

Haha Jake with the Monsters Inc hat, Pixar jacket with the words "#1 Intern" on the back, Hawaiian shorts and an Alias shoulder bag!!

Haha Jake in his fine "Mike Jutan" costume and Bill getting his costume on

OH MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today is going up and up on the list of best days ever. Today was Pixar's Halloween Party. Since I have recently purchased a onesie one-piece pyjama suit, I figured I needed to make a ridiculous costume out of it. Over the weekend I got together a coloured baseball hat with a propeller on top, a squeaky pacifier, a yellow "blankie" blanket and a big plush shark toy. Now the story just gets better and better and better.

Today I showed up at work and one of my best friends out here Jake Brooks was dressed up as ME for Halloween!! Haha it was fantastic. He had my shirt on that said "I'm really excited to be here" and a Pixar jacket and a Mike Wazowski hat angled slightly to the side with the brim not really curved enough, he had the word "#1 Intern" on the back on his jacket and was wearing hilariously loud Hawaiian shorts. He was also wearing the same Sketchers fancy shoes that I have, but with this whole t-shirt/Hawaiian short getup!! Haha that is especially funny because Jake always makes fun of me for wearing my fancy shoes with my Hawaiian surf shorts. :) AWESOME!!!!!!!!

So the excitement was only beginning then. We had a free breakfast this morning and all talked about our costumes and the ladies from HR thought Jake's costume (dressed us as Me) was hilarious. Everyone had really amazing costumes and put a lot of work into it all.

Then we had free lunch!!!!!!!!! Man it keeps getting better. Then we had the costume contest... wait for it... wait for it... John Lasseter was the MC and Ed Catmull was one of the judges!!!!! So after a little bit of encouragement from my other intern friends going up on stage, I took one deep breath and joined the line. I walked up with my yellow blanket in tow, wearing my onesie and sucking my thumb and looking out at the crowd and looking a bit scared and nervous. "Come on... come on up... don't be scared!" said John Lasseter as the crowd laughed. I slowly walked onto stage and John said, "What's your name?" "Mikey" I said still acting a bit nervous and looking out upon the big crowd in the Pixar atrium, "There are a lot of people here." John laughed and then I pretended to get more comfortable and I rattled off a big run-on sentence into the microphone, "You wanna know something that's cool? Last night, my Mom put on a DVD and it was my favourite movie, maybe you've heard of it, it's called Toy Story" (John Lasseter is the director of Toy Story by the way), "And it's my favourite movie and then you were on my TV and you said 'I like toys' and I like toys too, so I figured we should be friends!" Hehe to this John laughed and said, "Do you like it here? Do you want a job here when you're older?!" I said, "Yeeeah! This place is really cool!" Haha all the while I had been speaking in a sort of young kid voice, haha this was just awesome. We carried on the act a bit longer on stage and then everyone cheered and I walked off the stage and the next few people and their costume entries went up onto the stage.

At the end of the costume contest, the judges deliberated for a few minutes and then they came out and were giving out prizes for the pumpkin carving contest and also the costume contest. They were giving out cool prizes for most original costume, best group costume etc. Then it came time for the "Most Bizarre" costume, and Ed Catmull was reading out the winners... "The third place winner is... Mikey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Haha I couldn't believe it and it took me a few seconds to realize it was me and I ran up onto stage and people cheered and John Lasseter gave me my prize and then shook my hand and everyone said congratulations and then I shook Ed Catmull's hand and he laughed and said Congratulations too and I was like.... whaaaaaaaa?!?! Someone pinch me, this must be a dream!!!!!!!! :) Amazing. So that was just like the most exciting thing ever. THEN John Lasseter came up to all of the interns afterwards and comes at me, I am ready to shake his hand and he comes up and gives me a big hug and says, "Well done, that was great!" It was amazing. As I was walking back to my desk, there was a professional photographer here taking photos of everyone and John Lasster was taking photos with the HR ladies. After this his assistant told me to wait there and I should get a photo with John!!! Oh man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So yes after all these awesome things that already happened, I then got a hilarious photo of me and John Lasseter with me wearing my crazy Halloween costume. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yeah, this day is pretty awesome.

Following this, I met legendary directory Darren Aronofsky!! He directed Pi and Requiem for a Dream and he came to screen a film for us and hang out and chat. It was AWESOME. After the movie he came up to us, and I was smiling and he shook my hand and said, "Hi! What's your name?!" I said Mike and he said "So what do you do here, Mike?!" I told him I am a TD and I do modeling and shading for the 2008 Movie. He was super cool and I told him his movies are awesome.

Hangin' out with friends, free food, acting out something silly on stage with John Lasseter, a professional photo with John Lasseter, shaking Ed Catmull's hand, and talking with Darren Aronofsky. Insane. I'd like to make a joke here and say, "Ahh yeah, just another day at the office" but I don't think anyone would believe me. It was exceptionally cool and what an amazing day. Rock ON!!!!!!!!!! :)

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