Woody and Buzz Lightyear in Jesse Perrotta and Jonason Pauley’s shot-for-shot remake of “Toy Story”
Well, this one puts the elaborate Hot Wheels/Matchbox races I’d set up as a four-year-old and the amateur short films I made with my brother to shame in one fell swoop. Earlier this month, a pair of college-aged kids from California completed their shot-for-shot live-action remake of 1995 Disney/Pixar classic Toy Story, a Hall of Fame-worthy home movie that’s enjoyed over 8 million views since being posted on YouTube two weeks ago.
Jesse Perrotta and Jonason Pauley made their movie, intended to gain them an invitation to tour the Central California Pixar studios, on under $1,000 and had help from 150 friends and family members. The remake uses toys based on Pixar’s creation and took two years to complete (the real Toy Story took four).
Wouldn’t it have been easier for Jesse and Jonason to camp out on the Pixar campus’ front lawn until they let them inside?
The filmmaking duo got inspired after seeing Toy Story 3 in 2010 started a Facebook page where they tracked their progress with fans, posting trailers, photos and behind-the-scenes clips from the most anticipated home movie ever made.
After Pixar caught wind of Jesse and Jonason’s accomplishment, the two got their wish. The world-famous animation studio invited them to tour its Emeryville home and let them give out DVD copies of their remake to company employees.
Looks like it’s “To Pixar and beyond!” for these budding filmmakers.
