From sketchpad to screen: The making of Toy Story's 30-year legacy

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- Woody, Buzz and all of Andy's toys became instant fan favorites 30 years ago when "Toy Story first illuminated movie theater screens.

"I remember at the very beginning, we talked a lot about the fact that when we were young, we wished that our toys would come alive and that we could talk to them, " Toy Story editor Lee Unkrich explained, "We all spent time alone in our rooms wanting a friend. And so our toys kind of, you know, we hoped that they could do that."

To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Pixar opened its archives and gave us a closer look at how the studio brought Woody and Buzz to life.

"We collect and preserve the creative heritage of the company, its history. And this is where it is housed," archivist Christine Freeman shared, "there are things that are very unexpected about the collection."

One drawing was very unexpected. Freeman shared an early concept drawing of Woody. The character's face displayed an odd and gloomy expression.

"I must admit, behind the scenes, I refer to him as scary Woody, because I cannot imagine watching a whole movie with a character who resembles that over time," Freeman revealed, "We had a lot of different versions of Woody."

Next, Freeman opened an ordinary, college-ruled notebook that belonged to production designer Ralph Eggleston.

"He was the one who was very invested in how to use color to help viewers understand the mood of the film. This is his notebook," Freeman said.

She flipped to a specific section and pointed to text visible on the page.

"He's establishing the safety of Andy's room; the warmth of a summer day, that's lemony. This is the color script. And this is basically the palette that they followed in individual sequences," Freeman shared.

The next object Freeman pulled from the massive collection was somewhat strange; it was a pair of Nike shoes nailed to a wooden board.

"Imagine that you are an animator who's going to animate the green army when their feet are stuck to a platform. And so you can't move them around the way you yourself would walk," Freeman explained.

She picks up the board and shoes.

"Each of the animators could then lace up and feel it themselves and watch each other. They videotaped each other for reference, and that is how they they made that so faithful," Freeman recalled.

As Unkrich reflected on the impact of the film, he also looked back on his career at the studio.

"When I first got hired at Pixar, it was supposed to be a four-to-six-week job. And then, here I am 30 years later and I've done so much. It was not at all how I thought my career was going to go, but I wouldn't trade it for the world," Unkrich stated.

For more information about Pixar, visit https://www.pixar.com/Woody, Buzz, and all of Andy's toys became instant fan favorites 30 years ago when "Toy Story first illuminated movie theater screens.