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I am very excited to announce that I will be heading to San Francisco in just a few short days to attend the Disney Pixar Coco movie event! I have only been in San Francisco one time before and that was after driving all night from San Diego, so I never really got to enjoy it’s beauty. I am so excited to be able to soak in the charm and surround myself with all the things you can only find in San Francisco like the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and Fisherman’s Wharf.

(image from Hilton website)

Hilton Garden Inn Hotel

We will be staying at the beautiful Hilton Garden Inn Hotel where there are breathtaking views of San Francisco Bay, skyline and Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself magically transported to the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”)

Disney•Pixar’s Coco opens in U.S. theaters on November 22nd!

COCO Filmmaker Presentations

A UNIVERSAL STORY OF FAMILY

Hear how the COCO production team was inspired by research and specific cultural traditions, and how they infused them into their fantastical story set on Día de los Muertos. Participants include Adrian Molina (Writer and Co-Director), Dean Kelly (Story Artist)

THE LAND OF THE LIVING AND THE LAND OF THE DEAD

See how the expansive worlds of both the living and the dead were created through both research and imagination. Participants include Harley Jessup(Production Designer), Danielle Feinberg (DP-Lighting), Chris Bernardi (Sets Supervisor)

BRINGING SKELETONS TO LIFE

Learn how the skeletons in the Land of the Dead were imagined, designed, animated and clothed. Participants include Daniel Arriaga (Character Art Director), Gini Santos (Supervising Animator), Byron Bashforth (Character Shading Lead), Emron Grover (Simulation Technical Director)

PEPITA AND DANTE: A CLOSER LOOK

In the Land of the Dead, Miguel and his faithful companion Dante encounter not only his ancestors, but also their loyal guardian Pepita, a magical creature based on Mexican folk art. Hear about how they were designed and brought to life. Participants include Alonso Martinez (Character/Rigging Artist), Nick Rosario(Directing Animator), Christian Hoffman (Characters Supervisor)

( image provided by Disney)

I am very thrilled to meet and interview these two talented guys!! COCO Director Lee Unkrich is the Director of TOY STORY 3 which won the Oscar for Best Animated Film and COCO Composer Michael Giacchino (who has created the music for all of your favorite movies and TV shows over the past 13+ years) won the Best Original Score Oscar for UP.

Make sure you follow also follow along on Thursday 8/3 between 2pm and 4pm EST #PixarCocoEvent, as I will be attending the ALEBRIJES WORKSHOPS. Here, I will learn about the folk art behind Alebrijes and see how the Alebrijes in COCO were brought to life as well as a mini tour of the Pixar campus!

( image provided by Disney)

Walt Disney Family Museum

On Friday 8/4, I have the honor of touring the Walt Disney Family Museum. This has been on my bucket list and I am thrilled to finally be able to check it out. Walt Disney has a way of just pouring pure magic

We will go on a guided walk-through of the “Deja View: The Art of Andreas Deja” exhibit. Andreas Deja was the Supervising Animator for “Scar” in THE LION KING and we are touring this exhibit in honor of the film being released on Digital and Disney Movies Anywhere, 8/15 & Blu-ray, 8/29.
We are also going on a guided walk-through of the “Awaking Beauty: The Art of Eyvind Earle” exhibit.
A guided tour to of the entire Walt Disney Family Museum
Then of course… lots of shopping!

WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM

http://www.facebook.com/TheWaltDisneyFamilyMuseum

https://twitter.com/WDFMuseum (#Waltagram)

https://www.instagram.com/wdfmuseum/

http://www.waltdisney.org/