CON: Disney / Pixar

Determined not to be shown up, Pixar sent director, Pete Docter to the Con with a couple clips of his own. UP is Pixar’s tenth feature but the first film released in Disney Digital 3-D. The plot goes a little like this: Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. “Up” takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures.

The first clip takes us to the moment Carl is to be escorted from his home to the old age center. As the men wait for him on the sidewalk, Carl releases approximately 10,000 balloons from within his fireplace and the house is pulled from it’s foundation and starts floating away. Carl uses curtains as sails to get on course and sits down for a nap as he floats hundreds of feet in the air. The clip ends when there is a knock at the door. Clip two has Carl and Russel walking through the jungle while strapped to the house so it won’t fly away. Russel complains the whole time and ends up leaving his harness. Carl starts to float away as the clip ends.

• Docter talked of and showed some footage of the mountains in Venezuela they used as inspiration for the film’s setting. The location includes some of the oldest rock on Earth and has areas never that have never been walked on by humans before.

• Russel came off as a pretty funny character. His pestering of Carl is due to the fact that he needs one more badge for assisting the elderly to be promoted to Senior Wilderness Explorer.

• Carl is voiced by Ed Asner. Christopher Plummer and John Ratzenberger also lend their throat.

• One character from UP appeared in RATATOUILLE and someone from a future Pixar film will appear in UP.

• When asked about what kind of degree you need to work for Pixar, Docter said you don’t need any. Just a good movie.

• When asked, Docter admitted to being heavily influenced by Hayao Miyazaki’s film, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE when it came to the look and feel of UP.

• When asked about a sequel to MONSTERS INC, Docter said they approach sequels on story alone. If there’s a great story to be told they’ll consider another film. They don’t just want to cash in on the name alone. Which is probably why I think TOY STORY 2 is the greatest animated film ever made.