Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Rosana Sullivan

THE ART OF

FOREWORD BY JOHN LASSETER • INTRODUCTION BY PETER SOHN

3
Concept Art Paul Topolos

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 FOREWORD
JOHN LASSETER
O
  ne of the things we love to do at Pixar is take something familiar
and show it in a way people have never seen before.
What got us interested in the world of dinosaurs was a simple question: what
would have happened if the asteroid that brought an end to the dinosaur era
had missed Earth, and dinosaurs had gone on living?
This question led to many more—How would they have evolved? What
would that world look like?—and we soon found ourselves thinking about
plant-eating dinosaurs working farms (and, eventually, meat-eating dinosaurs
running ranches). The more we dug into the story, about the coming of age of
a young dinosaur who befriends a feral human boy, the more excited we got
about the incredible richness of this idea.
Peter Sohn is one of the most engaging storytellers at Pixar. He wears his
emotions on his sleeve, but combines that sincerity with a disarmingly sharp
sense of humor. A talented actor who has done voices in several of the studio’s
movies, he is also extremely perceptive about behavior and personality. All
those skills went into shaping and giving truth to the characters in this film.
I always say you are what you direct, and you can feel Peter’s openness and
warmth in the characters of both Arlo and Spot.
There is a wonderful simplicity to The Good Dinosaur, a purity of
storytelling that took a long time and a lot of hard work to achieve. The
deliberate choice to have very little dialogue in the film meant that there
would be that much more attention on the visual storytelling, and, as you’ll
see, the film’s artists have absolutely risen to the occasion. Their spectacular,
ingenious, and appealing work masterfully supports Arlo and Spot’s story—
one of the most emotional we’ve ever told.
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1 2
INTRODUCTION
PETER SOHN
This movie started with a single drawing—a dinosaur with a little boy. The moment we saw
it, we knew that was the heart of the film, the place where all the electricity was. However,
everything else about the story was a mystery. Trying to figure out where those characters
came from, what they were going through, and where they would end up has taken many years.
From early on, we were drawn to the idea that these two characters had a classic
“boy and his dog” relationship—but with the dinosaur as the “boy,” and the human as the
“dog.” We loved the idea of them navigating the world together, learning about themselves
and each other, and helping one another grow up. This time of life is intimidating, thrilling,
and often scary, and we wanted to set their story in a place that would visually evoke the
challenges they were facing.
We found the perfect inspiration in the wide-open landscapes of Wyoming and Idaho.
The massive plains and plateaus, thundering rivers, and dramatic mountain ranges would make
even the largest dinosaur feel small. But you’re also always drawn in by the gorgeous light and
fantastic details of the changing terrain. The artists on this film have done an incredible job
translating the spirit of what we saw there into the world of our story.
6
They also worked similar magic designing the characters. We always knew we wanted
our characters to both appeal to what people love about dinosaurs, and hopefully, surprise
them with something they were not expecting. Sometimes finding that perfect combination
was the most effortless process in the world, with characters immediately jumping into three-
dimensional life. Other characters only slowly came into focus after layers and layers of
conversation and countless drawings.
Each discovery, though, was only made possible by all the hours and experiences that
went into the project from its very earliest days. Thank you to all the filmmakers who gave their
talents to this project at every stage of its existence. This journey could not have been made
without you.
Photographs Harley Jessup 1, 3, 5, 7
Lighting Study Sharon Calahan 2
Concept Art Noah Klocek 4, 8
Storyboard Rosana Sullivan & Louise Smythe 6
3 4

5 6

7 8

7
 consistency paradox values wants

family compassion for small/weak not be cowardly stand up and overcome fears
– weak
– gullible
– afraid
farmer optimistic?
– coward
Raptors Poppa's death needs
Arlo Quirks
tail biter
storm Act 1 setup
+
bookworm equivalent
– compassion for small – indoors
– See's the details Dreamer not a Doer – orgainzed
(heroic) – calculative
– makes up stories F - "you wrestled a snake?"
A - "Yep, giant one." – introvert
– "this one time ..." – imaginative
– "You didn't do that," F - "Dont move. There's a chicken right behind you."
A - (curls into ball) GET IT A WAY! GET IT A WAY!
– "no, but I couldve." - no chicken
F - "You didnt wrestle a snake".
A- "no but I couldve"

(above and opposite) Character Explorations Erik Benson

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 wants From
– guarded food what tribe?
– loyal spot a friend – musical
– rough – native american
– wolf
– hungry
– swedish immigrant
The
– gypsy
Dog
– farmer
simple – medicine man
don't need arc
mentor
– though love Questions??
– survial – does spot want a father (There?)
– Arlo gives spot what he can't have? doesn't need?
Spot fills
Arlos void

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Arlo Color Study Bryn Imagire

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Spot Color Study Bryn Imagire

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(above and opposite) Arlo Character Studies Matt Nolte

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13
 1 2
Arlo as spot Fashion makeovers

spot as Arlo

Touching Arlo's face

3

4 5

Head butting

Arlo and Spot Character Studies

Erik Benson 1, 4
Rosana Sullivan 2, 5 BOUNCE HOUSE
Valerie LaPointe 3
Belly BAl
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Concept Art
Daniel López Muñoz

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 (above) Concept Art Bob Peterson

(opposite) Arlo Character Studies

Matt Nolte 1, 5, 7
Daniela Strijleva 2, 6
Peter Sohn 3, 4

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1 2

5 7

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Spot Character Studies
Peter Sohn 1, 2, 6
2
Enrico Casarosa 3, 4
Erik Benson 5
Daniela Strijleva 7, 8

4 5

6 7 8

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Spot Character Studies Matt Nolte

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 Spot Character Study Peter Sohn

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Spot Sculpt Greg Dykstra

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

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23
(above and opposite) Concept Art Noah Klocek

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25
26
 The Homestead

(above) Set Exploration Erik Benson

(opposite) Concept Art Armand Baltazar

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(above) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Erik Benson

(opposite) Concept Art Huy Nguyen, Matt Nolte, Harley Jessup

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Family Color Study Bryn Imagire
31
Momma & Poppa Character Studies 1 2

Daniela Strijleva 1, 2
Tom Gately 3

3
 1 2

3 4

Young Siblings Character Studies Ricky Nierva (1, 3), Tom Gately (2), Matt Nolte (4)
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 Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Erik Benson

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Babies Character Studies Matt Nolte

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Baby Arlo, Libby & Buck Color Study Jennifer Chang

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Baby Dinosaur Color Studies (bottom left) Rona Liu, (remaining artwork) Saera Hwang

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38
Concept Art Daniel López Muñoz

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40
Storyboard Bill Presing

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Set Design Kristian Norelius
Layout Andy Grisdale

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Storyboard Edgar Karapetyan & Domee Shi

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Austin Madison

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Edgar Karapetyan

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(above) Storyboard Adam Campbell

(right) Graphic Bryn Imagire

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 PROFILE

TRAP DESIGN

TOP

FRONT SCALE
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(above) Storyboard Erik Benson

(opposite) Concept Art Kyle Macnaughton

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50
Concept Art Noah Klocek

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 (top) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Erik Benson; (bottom) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout J.P. Vine

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Erik Benson

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 Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

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Set Design Huy Nguyen

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Storyboard Alex Woo

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

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Set Design Huy Nguyen
58
59
Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

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Color Studies (left) Saera Hwang, (center and right) Rona Liu

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Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Rosana Sullivan

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Color Script Sharon Calahan
 Storyboards Gleb Sanchez-Lobashov

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Prehistoric Insect Color Study Bryn Imagire

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 (above) Gopher Character Study Matt Nolte

(opposite) Storyboards J.P. Vine

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74
Set Design Kyle Macnaughton
Layout Matt Aspbury

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Matt Aspbury
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(right) Prehistoric Snake Character Study Matt Nolte

(below) Storyboard J.P. Vine

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 Storyboards J.P. Vine

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Storyboards J.P. Vine, (bottom) J.P. Vine & Adam Campbell

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 Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout J.P. Vine

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Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

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(above) Storyboard Kelsey Mann & Edgar Karapetyan

(opposite) Pet Collector Character Study Matt Nolte

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83
Forest Critters Character Studies Matt Nolte

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85
Storyboard Edgar Karapetyan

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

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 (top) Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

(bottom) Storyboard Rosana Sullivan & Adam Campbell

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Concept Art Tim Evatt

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90
(above) Concept Art Kyle Macnaughton

(opposite) Storyboards Erik Benson

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92
Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Louise Smythe

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 Concept Art Noah Klocek

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Set Design Noah Klocek, Layout Philip Metschan

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 Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout J.P. Vine

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Storyboard J.P. Vine

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(top) Storyboard Domee Shi

(center) Storyboard J.P. Vine

(bottom) Storyboard Edgar Karapetyan

(opposite) Concept Art Kyle Macnaughton

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Concept Art Tim Evatt
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101
102
(above) Pterodactyls Character Exploration Austin Madison

(opposite) Pterodactyls Character Studies Matt Nolte

103
Pterodactyls Color Study Bryn Imagire
Design Matt Nolte
3D Model Lou Hamou-Lhadj
106
Set Design Kristian Norelius, Layout Matt Aspbury
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Storyboards Dean Kelly & Bill Presing

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T-Rex Character Study Matt Nolte
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 (above) Butch Sculpt Greg Dykstra

(opposite) Butch Color Study Jennifer Chang

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111
 Bisodon Character Studies 1
Peter Sohn 2, 5
Matt Nolte 1, 3, 4, 6, 7

IDiot 1 with TUSKS

IDiot 2 with horns

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Bisodon Color Study Laura Phillips
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114
Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

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 Storyboard Austin Madison

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Butch & Velociraptors Character Study Matt Nolte

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Velociraptor Color Study Bryn Imagire
Design Matt Nolte
3D Model Lou Hamou-Lhadj
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119
T-Rex Character Study Matt Nolte

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 Velociraptor Character Studies
1 2
Matt Nolte 1, 2, 4, 5
Ricky Nierva 3

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Set Design Kristian Norelius, Layout Matt Aspbury

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123
Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Ricky Nierva

Butch Character Studies Matt Nolte

Storyboard Gleb Sanchez-Lobashov

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Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

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Storyboard Valerie LaPointe

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Concept Art Huy Nguyen, Layout Valerie LaPointe

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(top) Storyboard Kelsey Mann

(bottom) Storyboard Louise Smythe

(opposite) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan

130
Concept Art Daniel López Muñoz

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133
 Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Erik Benson

Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Rosana Sullivan

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Rosana Sullivan & Kelsey Mann

Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Erik Benson

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136
Concept Art Huy Nguyen
Layout Rosana Sullivan & Edgar Karapetyan

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Set Design Kristian Norelius, Layout Matt Aspbury

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Storyboard Domee Shi

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Matt Aspbury

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(top) Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

(bottom) Storyboard Bill Presing & Rosana Sullivan

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Set Design Garrett Taylor
Layout Matt Aspbury

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144
Concept Art Huy Nguyen
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Storyboard Thumbnails Bill Presing

660 Find spot - ML 2 -10/16/14

spot
(howl)

Arlo runs in that direction.

He finds four Pterodactyls at the river, around a dead tree

Spot in inside the tree.

Spot is clearly hurt, trying to protuct himself but

vulnerable.

He looks over to Arlo-- HELP ME.

6 vururos(l bumed)
SMASH Spot dodges down as a Ptero smashes at the tree trunk
to get him.

PTEROADACTYLS
(walla)

knocksoutafew" hod youthinkyouaremis ngat ra going"

HE'S MINE!/ Back off! / No I got
'im!/ Quit hogging! / I got 'im
first!

PTEROADACTYLS (CONT'D)
(growls, hissing)

Arlo charges at them, head butting one of the pteroadctyls

INTO THE RIVER!

start beating him up touch ar Birds Hichcock

PTEROADACTYLS (CONT'D)
(scream)

ARLO
(shiver, nervous)

All but the burned Ptero fly at Arlo. She stays at the tree,

Boards in Face.
smashing to get to spot-- her intensity palpable. She WILL
get Spot.

The Pteros attack Arlo -- using their beaks and wings to beat
the crap out of him.

PTEROADACTYLS
You think you're somethin'? / You
aren't anything. /Piece of
Worthless -- / Get up! I dare you!

Back ftermu lockatBulyokVichngthanselt

ARLO
(impact, pained)

Arlo tries to fight them but he is failing.

WATER RISES in the river near ARLO. THE GROUND STARTS

SHAKE.

©2014 DISNEY. PIXAR - PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

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Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

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 Color Study Laura Phillips, Set Design Kristian Norelius

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Set Design Kristian Norelius, Layout Matt Aspbury

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Set Design Kristian Norelius, Layout Matt Aspbury

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(top) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Erik Benson & Rosana Sullivan

(bottom) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Rosana Sullivan

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(above and opposite) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Andy Grisdale

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153
Human Family Character Study Matt Nolte

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Human Family Color Study Bryn Imagire

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(above) Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

(opposite) Concept Art Kyle Macnaughton

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157
158
Set Design Huy Nguyen &
Kristian Norelius
Layout Andy Grisdale

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(top) Storyboard Dean Kelly

(bottom) Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Dean Kelly

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Set Design Huy Nguyen, Layout Andy Grisdale

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Lighting Study Sharon Calahan, Layout Andy Grisdale

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 Jump opening-ride+ simple Coming back new nal so much nostalgia
sheet1

sheet 2

52 hts met alking care f jung plast never joinendg? strug ling don't an face tight an moumer
Storyboard Thumbnails Rosana Sullivan

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(above) Storyboard Rosana Sullivan

(opposite) Storyboard Rosana Sullivan & Peter Sohn

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165
166
Set Design Huy Nguyen, Layout Philip Metschan

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 Acknowledgments
Thank you to the many brilliant artists whose hard work took this project from its
very first moments to its final frame, and to the friends inside and outside the studio
whose efforts made this book possible: Megan Bartel, Kelly Bonbright, Lia Brown,
Ali  Charlesworth, Deborah Cichocki, Michelle Clair, Courtney Drew, Neil Egan,
Susan Eggett, Sarah Farber, Sally Garbarini, Emily Haynes, Harley Jessup, Molly Jones,
Jessica Kelly, Jennifer MacVittie, Kelsey Mann, Jeanette Marker, Karen Paik, Lee Rasé,
Jessi Rymill, Shiho Tilley, and Margo Zimmerman.

—— DENISE REAM

Copyright © 2015
Disney Enterprises, Inc. and
Pixar Animation Studios.
All rights reserved. No part of
this book may be reproduced
in any form without written
permission from the publisher.
Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication
Data is available.
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2220-5 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-4521-4756-7 (epub,
mobi)
Designed by Jessi Rymill
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
ARTIST CREDITS
Cover: Follow the River Concept Huy Nguyen, Layout Robert Kinkhead
Half-Title Page: Graphic on 3D Model Bryn Imagire
Color Script Layouts: Erik Benson, Adam Campbell, Edgar Karapetyan,
Dean Kelly, Austin Madison, Kelsey Mann, J.P. Vine, Bill Presing, Gleb
Sanchez-Lobashov, Louise Smythe, Rosana Sullivan
This Page: Spot Character Study Peter Sohn
Next Page: Baby Arlo Character Study Matt Nolte
Back Cover: Concept Art Kyle Macnaughton, Layout Rosana Sullivan
About the Authors
J O H N L A S S E T E R is a two-time Academy Award®–winning director, chief

creative officer at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, and principal creative
officer at Walt Disney Imagineering.

P E T E R S O H N is the director of The Good Dinosaur. He directed the short Partly

Cloudy, and was a story artist on the Academy Award®–winning features Finding
Nemo, The  Incredibles, and WALL•E.

169
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