The technological advances you must face with every Pixar project seem to us quite dramatic.

How does that manifest itself with every new film?

you might still affect things in many ways.

I dont think it changed that much as we went through the film.

So that was established pretty early on.

Because you really need to lock it to one piece of software.

Maybe therell be an update here and there, and theyll be individual sub-programs developed.

But thats about as automated as we get.

Everything else is pretty much hand animated.

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Pixar has a reputation for pathfinding in many ways.

With every film, people say dont the computers get faster?

So I think that we are always interested in telling good stories.

What happens is that youll make a movie, finish it and say whats next.

Oh, were gonna make a film with fish!

What do we need for fish?

Its certainly this film is much different fromRat[atouille], andRatwas much different fromCars.

You get into a situation where the storys going to give you plenty of challenges.

No, it wasnt quite likeAI, where the technology didnt exist yet to make this brilliant film.

Its not like there was somebody in a room waiting!

It wasnt in constant flux.

You imagine this separate office just devoted to it!

It wasnt like that at all.

It was afterNemo, and it was something that Andrew just couldnt get out of his mind.

The look of the film, and the sheer visual scale ofWall Eis remarkable, and again breaks boundaries.

I said yes, of course Im interested!

And he said its going to be a love story.

And I think thats really kind of exciting going into it.

A lot of it is that a robot only moves as much as it has to.

It has one motor that does one thing.

Theres something really charming about that.

Is R2-D2 as close as youd get to a template for a robot with charm?

The film opened to huge numbers in the States.

Yet this was perhaps the project viewed by outsiders as the riskier Pixar project.

How would you encapsulate the secret of the success?

Its kind of like Radiohead, right?

Radiohead is able to do that.

We make movies that we think would be good, and were the harshest critics on ourselves.

Im happy that people are seeing the movie, and Im very proud of this film.

When I watch it I have to admit I guess it is pretty risky.

Its totally weird in the best possible way.

And thats why Im proud to have worked on it.

So its just a matter of the economics of the change.

And so the strength of the studio has always been to stand behind making the best film possible.

Like I said earlier, even when its not financially convenient.

So to be able to make that movie or rework that movie is the value of Pixar.

This film is no exception.

We did that on this film, and to huge advantage.

And that was a very astute question.

I think that the reason why is that everyone can be good at some character.

You dont want to just relegate them to one character they may not be into that much.

It also helps keep egos in check, and you do the best work with what youre given.

Every shot can be great, I firmly believe that.

What do you think is the best thing youve ever made out of Lego.

[Laughs] I dont know!

There are apparently people who have limitless time and money to make the most amazing creations.

I dont know if I have a favourite.

Im very proud of theWall EI made!

I dont think Ive built the best thing yet!

Would you ever consider a Lego and Pixar computer game?

Oh I hope so!

I would be over the moon if they sorted that out!

I would hopefully be very much involved with that process!

But at this point I have no knowledge of anything.

What would be the non-Pixar movies that inspired you, that youd recommend to our readers?

I would say that if youve never seenLe Cirque Rouge,thats a great movie.

My favourite movie of all time isAliens.

Recent favourites includeChildren of Men, that was just amazing.

Its calledPlanet B-Boy, its a documentary about a breakdancing competition.

A fabulous character study, totally amazing.

Trying to thing of other oddball films to recommend!

I think the films that were most inspired by are live action films.

If you havent seenMon Oncle,thats pretty sweet.

I would say be persistent, and keep trying.

I think that theres something profound about that.

Its the old saying, it doesnt happen by mistake: its opportunity met with preparation.

So when you get the opportunity, confirm youre prepared.

Because nobody draws anymore.

Its such an amazing thing.

Angus MacLane, thank you very much!

Check out our reviews of WALL-E bySebandRon.