Tony Kaplan

Movies

Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental
Director
Pixar director Peter Sohn takes viewers on a humorous personal journey through the inspiration behind Disney and Pixar’s feature film “Elemental.” “Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental” traces his parents’ voyage from Korea to New York, explores his dad’s former grocery shop in the heart of the Bronx, and delves into his choice of a career in animation, rather than the family business.
Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear
Director
Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.
So Much Yellow
Camera Operator
Set in Northern California in the late sixties, So Much Yellow is a short, dramatic film about a young girl and the family road trip that changes her life forever. Inspired by true stories, this film depicts the difficult decision one family makes to institutionalize their young son who has Down syndrome.
Fine Food and Film
Director of Photography
Find out how chef Thomas Keller and director Brad Bird inspire their crews and instill passion and creativity into their work.
The Pixar Shorts: A Short History
Director
The story of Pixar's early short films illuminates not only the evolution of the company but also the early days of computer animation, when a small group of artists and scientists shared a single computer in a hallway, and struggled to create emotionally compelling short films.
Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1
Director
Pixar's unprecedented string of hit animated features was built on the short films in this collection. John Lasseter and Ed Catmull used these cartoons the way Walt Disney used the "Silly Symphonies" during the 1930s: as a training ground for artists and a way to explore the potential of a new medium. Although it's only 90 seconds long, "Luxo, Jr." (1986) ranks as the "Steamboat Willie" of computer animation: For the first time, audiences believed CG characters could think and feel. (It was also the first CG film to make audiences laugh.) The long-unseen films for Sesame Street are an unexpected bonus.
Jack-Jack Attack
Thanks
The Parrs' baby Jack-Jack is thought to be normal, not having any super-powers like his parents or siblings. But when an outsider is hired to watch him, Jack-Jack shows his true potential.
From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II'
Camera Operator
For Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), there were to be many more visual effects than in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). This documentary shows many VFX meetings between George Lucas and ILM. Many of these meetings focus around the creation of a completely digital Yoda, used for the first time in the Star Wars films.