BILL ZAHN
One Artist's Journey to Pixar Animation Studios
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.
About
Bill Zahn was a kid obsessed with movies.
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 Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Cars 2, Toy Story 3, The Good Dinosaur and Coco. He just completed work 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.”
Testimonials
“Bill was a huge hit!”
— Frances (Fran) Boshell, Assistant Director of Student Life and Leadership Development – Northampton Community College, Monroe Campus
“Bill was amazing last night.
We had a great turn out for the event and the follow-up discussion directly after. He even stayed late to answer everyone’s questions, which was awesome. We really enjoyed working with him!”
— Taylor Funari, Vice President of Programming, Entertainment Unlimited – Ferris State University
“… the experience we had working with Wolfman Productions & Bill Zahn last year was nothing short of amazing. Bill’s keynote was inspiring, informative, and really spoke to the university’s Common Dialogue Theme of Creativity & Innovation. His keynote is still receiving rave reviews from our faculty, staff & students. Bill is without a doubt a talented, engaging, and focused presenter. I look forward to working with him again and hope that he gets the opportunity to spread his message to other campuses.”
– Dexter L. Overall, Director of Student Engagement – Siena Heights University
“Our program with Bill Zahn today exceeded expectations. His message was so relevant for college students and underlined that it’s not only important to learn your craft or skill, but you must also be willing to work hard, try again when you fail, and be a great teammate…He was really inspiring to our students. Bill was also just a pleasure to work with, and I enjoyed hosting him on our campus. I would highly recommend him as a speaker to other colleges. His program was great, but he was also super nice and a joy to be around. It was a wonderful program.”
– Natasha Lee, Coordinator of Student Activities, Virginia Western Community College