Making the Cut at Pixar: The Art of Editing Animation

Making the Cut at Pixar by Bill Kinder and Bobbie O’Steen takes you inside the editing room at one of the most celebrated animation studios in the world.

This book explores how film editing works specifically in animation, where the editor plays a crucial role in shaping the story from the earliest storyboard reels right through to the final cut Bill Kinder brings his experience as a Pixar insider, while Bobbie O’Steen contributes deep expertise in the craft of editing Together they cover pacing, rhythm, emotional beats, how to cut for comedy and drama, and the unique challenges of editing animated films where every frame is deliberately created If you are interested in storytelling, filmmaking, or understanding why Pixar films feel the way they do, this gives you a perspective you rarely get to see.

This is a physical book published by CRC Press / Routledge. When you click the link below, you will be taken to the Routledge store where you can purchase your copy.

Book Description:

Making the Cut at Pixar is an interactive book written by industry insiders Bill Kinder and Bobbie O’Steen about the central role the Pixar editor plays in some of the most critically acclaimed and successful movies of all time. The 90 minutes of Video Material in the companion website show every stage of production on Pixar’s animated films, from storyboards to virtual cameras and final animation, accompanied by exclusive interviews with Pixar editors.

In addition to exploring method and craft, this book provides important context for the editor in film history, the evolution of technology, and Pixar’s uniquely collaborative studio culture. A must-read for students of digital filmmaking methods, filmmakers in all aspects of production, and fans of Pixar movies, this uniquely educational, historical, and entertaining book sheds light on how beloved stories are crafted from the perspective of crucial members of the filmmaking team.

Table of Contents:

1. The Hub of the Wheel: The Setup

2. “Story, Story, Story…”: Edi-Storial

3. Conducting a Concerto: Sound

4. Edit First, Shoot Later: Layout

5. Cutting Jell-O: Workplace Challenges

6. Out of the Galápagos: Editors and Technology Adapt

7. Afterword––Why Does It Matter?

About the Authors:

Co-authors Bill Kinder and Bobbie O’Steen are experts in the field. Kinder was the founding Director of Editorial and Post Production at Pixar from 1996–2014. O’Steen is a teacher and film historian, specializing in editing, and author of The Invisible Cut and Cut to the Chase.

Buy Making the Cut at Pixar: The Art of Editing Animation on Routledge (US Store)

Author: Bill Kinder and Bobbie O’Steen
Publisher: CRC Press / Routledge
ISBN: 9780367766146