Joe Ranft, a major part of Pixars creative team, died in an auto accident yesterday, according to this post on Animation Nation. Share Joe's life story with friends and family. He was 45. His favorite magicians were John Carney, Daryl, Michael Ammar, Ricky Jay and Jimmy Grippo.[4]. His brother, Jerome Ranft is a sculptor and voice actor who also worked on several Pixar movies. Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element on August 16, 2005, driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. After graduating from Monte Vista High School, Whittier, in 1978, Ranft began studying in the character . John and I had a pact that when he directed his first feature, I was going to work on it, Ranft told The Times. Associated Figures: Bob Iger Roy Edward Disney Michael Eisner John Lasseter Ed Catmull Jeffrey Katzenberg Bob Chapek Animation is the ultimate illusion, the illusion of life: These characters dont really exist; we create the illusion of a character., Ranft entered the character animation program at California Institute of the Arts in the fall of 1978. We used to play volleyball at break and Tim would act like he had a remote control in his mad scientist hand and shout orders to TORthe Plan Nine actor. and stuff, but Eric always comes back to like; 'What does the audience perceive? Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor. Ranft, who was 45, died during the production of Cars, which he co-directed and voice acted in. April 2023 List - as of 2/17/2023. All rights reserved. Before joining Pixar, Ranft worked with Selick as a storyboard supervisor on 1993's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Joe Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was a key creative member of Pixar. Resides in Atlanta, GA. } On August 16, 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were . The family requests that donations be made to the Joseph Henry Ranft Memorial Fund, c/o Pixar Animation Studios, 1200 Park Ave., Emeryville, CA 94608. Joe Ranft was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor, . A famous example of "a genius that died long before their time," he is the subject of many a tribute and dedication, even a non-fiction book. " " Pete Docter Joe Ranft (13 1960 - 16 . Another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived by escaping through the sun roof and received moderate injuries. Earl suddenly lost . Joe had a great passion for telling stories, and he told them better than anyone, Lasseter said Wednesday. peace all In 1990, he moved to Seattle to write a children's book and then settled in the Bay Area to work on Pixar's "Toy Story, " a 1995 blockbuster for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as co- writer. [1] Around this time, he studied under and began performing with the improvisational group, The Groundlings. Close Search. Joe was in the middle of . I walked into the Atrium to over 700 people standing silently, looking at Ed Catmull and John Lasseter try to speak through their grief. He received an Academy Award for Best . Golden Globes Best Picture Winners by Tomatometer, 100 Best Computer-Animated Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer, 49 Best Stop-Motion Animated Movies of All Time, The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere Features Sad Bo-Katan, a Bad Baby, and a Pirate Problem, The 5 Most Anticipated Movies of March 2023, The Mandalorian Creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni on Grogus Force Training and the Darksabers Significance, Copyright Fandango. Frierson, who was riding in the back seat, survived by climbing through the cars sun roof. In the DVD of Cars, Ranft can be seen in an interview about the movie. The third person in the car, identified by the CHP as Eric Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, survived by climbing through the car's sun roof. [13] The end credits of the Pixar film Coco showcase a digital ofrenda with pictures of many Pixar employees and their loved ones who had previously died, including Ranft. When I saw this I was in shock I cant believe it I am so sorry for the loss and there are so many people out there that feel the same way. During his first five years with Disney, Joe worked on a number of television projects that were never produced. The car fell 130 feet over the side of the road, overturning twice before it landed in the water near the mouth of the Navarro River where it meets the Pacific Ocean, the CHP said.". Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. In 1980, Ranft joined Disney as a writer and storyboard artist. I loved it. [1] There he worked on all of their films produced up to 2006; this included Toy Story (for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay) and A Bug's Life, as the co-story writer and others as story supervisor. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. Mr. Ranft was also the storyboard supervisor for two animated movies directed by Henry Selick, 1993's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and 1996's "James and the Giant Peach," and earned story credits for the Pixar hits "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters, Inc.", In addition to his gifts as a story artist, Mr. Ranft was a talented voice actor. Animators: Bill Tytla Art Babbitt Lee Blair Preston Blair Fred Moore Shamus Culhane Cy Young Don Lusk Norman Ferguson Hal King Jack Hannah Dick Kinney Hal Ambro Ken O'Brien Judge Whitaker Bill Justice Don Bluth Gary Goldman Charles A. Nichols Blaine Gibson John Ewing Walt Stanchfield Fred Hellmich Amby Paliwoda Wilfred Jackson Xavier Atencio Ben Sharpsteen Earl Hurd Dale Oliver Eric Cleworth David Hand Fred Spencer Julius Svendsen Kenneth Muse Rudolf Ising Hugh Harman Friz Freleng Walt Kelly Leo Salkin John Dehner But fans of the patented Pixar magic will most likely remember Joe Ranft for his superlative character work: he provided the voice for Heimlich (the caterpillar) in "A Bugs Life," Wheezy (the penguin) in "Toy Story 2," and Jacques (the fish) in "Finding Nemo.". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. color: '#ffffff', Earl also was killed in the incident. links: '#ffffff' After two years, Ranft's student film Good Humor caught the attention of Disney animation executives, who offered him a job. Mr. Ranft joined the Disney animation team in 1980 and polished his craft as a "story man" on films such as "The Brave Little Toaster," "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King." He was a classmate of Pixar's John Lasseter at the California Institute of the Arts in the 1970s. His favorite writers were Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe. After graduating from Monte Vista High . Joe was 45 years old at the time of his death. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. 1960. In 1990, Ranft moved to Seattle for a year to write a childrens book, and relocated to the San Francisco area the following year to work with Pixar on TOY STORY and with director Henry Selick on THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. The car plunged 130 feet and crashed into the ocean. California. Will the luck of the Irish affect the Oscars? I liked evoking a response from an audience through the illusion of magic, he said. Telling stories in one form or another was Ranfts lifelong passion. Ive seen this film several times before I wondered, who is Mr. Ranft from the credits. Darrell Van Citters was the first to spot his storytelling and entertainment talent and put him on Roger Rabbit as a story artist. Sorry for him. Earl, the driver, mismanaged a hairpin turn and the car spun off of the roadside cliff, crashing onto the banks of the Navarro River. Ranft, who was 45, died during the production of Cars, which he co-directed and voice acted in. A gentle soul with a heart of gold who magically knew how to make us interested in any stories he wanted to tell us. Also killed was the driver, Elegba Earl, 32, of Los Angeles. The 2010 DVD re-release of Toy Story 2 includes a special feature that focuses on Ranft and his accomplishments. On Wednesday, the staff at Pixar, where Mr. Ranft worked for 14 years, was called into the atrium of the firm's Emeryville headquarters and told of his death. By The Associated Press. But theyve hit a snag, Passion and obsession intertwine in Fire of Love, With characters wise and reassuring, animated short The Boy, the Mole comforts, The prosecutor, and the actor who plays him, on taking down Argentinas military regime, Why Edward Bergers teen daughter got the last word on All Quiet on the Western Front, Jeremy Renners got big Avengers energy in his recovery update: Whatever it takes. California. Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he received moderate injuries. Both Ranft and Earl were killed. i watch the movie about 10 times a day. Nobody appreciated or loved Joe more than John. On August 18, 2005, he and two friends, Elegba Earl and Eric Frierson, were traveling in a 2004 Honda Element north along the tortuous Highway 1, 130 feet above the rocky Southern California coastline. . Sad day :( Both Ranft and Earl were killed. The California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred at about 3 p.m. Tuesday as the driver tried to regain control of the car after swerving when he headed into a tight left curve. More than anything in his life, his quiet and committed work with those less fortunate was his true passion. . . Rest in peace.. i just watched cars and at the end i saw a dedication to joe rafnt so i checked him out on my net and now i know who is that guy..i feel sory for his family and relatives and also to pixar and pixar fans (me)T_T. "His drawing at the time was really crude, but he was the sweetest, funniest guy," Selick said. My kids asked me who JOE RANFT WAS, WELL KNOW WE ALL KNOW. Film animation artist Joe Ranft, a key member of the creative team at Pixar Animation Studios who helped conceive and shape "A Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life" and did voices for many of the Emeryville firm's hit movies, died Tuesday in a car crash in Mendocino County. Longtime Movieweb contributor that was uploading 1-minute movie reviews to the world wide web via AOL before Youtube or social media existed. type: 'profile', After graduating from Monte Vista High School, Whittier, in 1978, Ranft began studying in the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts alongside John Lasseter and Brad Bird. He had also worked on story for THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, among other films. [5][6] He is also the older . Born in Pasadena and raised in Whittier, Calif., Ranft attended the California Institute of Arts with director John Lasseter. Earl suddenly lost control and . The car rolled down 120 feet before plunging into 14 feet of water. He and Tim Burton hit it off immediately too. He went on to provide storyboard work for OLIVER & COMPANY and THE LITTLE MERMAID before moving up to head of story on THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER. Joe helped to make Pixar what it is today, and he helped us to elevate the craft of storytelling. Even though they were just still drawings, they screamed to be animated, Ranft recalled. Browse shows and movies that include Joe Ranft, such as Cars, Toy Story and more. Hed been at the studio since 92, and been a lead person on just about every movie made here, so _everybody_ knew him. [3] Ranft stayed with Disney throughout the 1980s, writing the story on many animated features, including Oliver & Company, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. He taught and mentored a whole generation of creators, I cant even begin to describe how dearly he will be missed. He was 45. . :sad: He wrote parts of The Brave Little Toaster, Toy Story and A Bug's Life, and was active at Pixar all the way through Cars, which will probably be dedicated to his memory now. Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft (born March 13, 1960) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and actor. Ranft's first film was The Brave Little Toaster in 1987. Joe was really a major part of Pixars soul. Joe Ranft was an American 'Academy Award'-nominated screenwriter, comedian, animator, voice actor, director, and magician. [11] In the film Inside Out, the character of Jangles the clown is based on a character created by Ranft outside of Pixar named "Buttocks the Clown",[12] according to co-director Ronnie del Carmen and story artist Domee Shi. Visit AWN on Twitter Visit AWN on Instagram Visit AWN on Google Plus Visit AWN on FlipBoard Subscribe to AWN. Last week, Ranft and his friends, Elegba Earl, 32, and Eric Frierson, 39, were driving northbound on Highway 1 in Mendocino County, Calif., en route to take part in a retreat for a mentoring program. A second passenger, Eric T. Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, who was riding in the back seat, survived the crash with relatively minor injuries, the California Highway Patrol reported. Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he received moderate injuries. Update (1:00pm): ASIFA-San Francisco president Karl Cohen emailed me with the following: Bill Plympton called me and said Joe was one of the nicest guys in the world and that he had helped Bill a great deal with his career. at least a tear in his memory its good from all hoo watch his great movies Pixar Studios veteran Joe Ranft died on Tuesday after the car he was riding in broke through a guardrail and plummeted over 100 feet into the ocean, says The Hollywood Reporter. [1], Ranft reunited with Lasseter when he was hired by Pixar in 1991 as their head of story. }, Pixar's Ranft dies in crash Aug. 18, 2005 Source: Holywood Reporter By Sheigh Crabtree Joe Ranft, Pixar Animation Studios' head of story for more than a decade and a cornerstone of the company's creative team, died Tuesday when the car he was riding in plunged into the ocean after. Tim cast Joe in his live action short called Luau as I.Qthe big doof in the gang. He was one of seven writers nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay for 1995s Toy Story.. Ranft left CalArts for the Walt Disney Studio in 1980, where he quickly established a reputation as an exceptional story artist. Joe Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, and magician, who was the key creative member of Pixar and was one of the original members of the Brain Trust. Ranft's first film was The Brave Little Toaster in 1987. Also known as Erick J Frieson, Eric Jary Frieson. To the late great Joe Ranft By Amid Amidi | 08/17/2005 10:58 am | Be the First to Comment! After two years, Joe Ranft's student film, Good Humor caught the attention of Disney animation executives who offered him a job. Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, comedian, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor and magician who worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. DVDs are back and I like it! And we earmark things we want to improve. Includes Address (14) Phone (5) Email (3) See Results. Storyboard Artists and Writers: Bill Peet Ralph Wright Dick Huemer Floyd Norman Yale Gracey Ted Sears Erdman Penner Joe Rinaldi Winston Hibler Otto Englander William Cottrell Bill Berg Al Bertino T. Hee Homer Brightman Ted Osbourne Larry Clemmons Harry Reeves Jesse Marsh Im sure Joe would have been pleased to know how loved he was. Update (1:32pm): Pixar story artist Enrico Casarosa writes in his journal: Joe Ranft, the heart of Pixar, was killed yesterday in a car accident. Finishing high school in fall 1978, Joe Ranft began studying in the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts. [1] There he worked on all of their films produced up to 2006; this included Toy Story (for which he received an Academy Award nomination) and A Bug's Life, as the co-story writer and others as story supervisor. Just before his death Joe completed Cars with the story and he lent his voice to two characters Red the fire engine and the Peterbelt who Lightning McQueen mistakens for Mack. new TWTR.Widget({ His spirit and legacy will live on through the hundreds of stories that are being told and will be told by all the artists and directors he mentored and inspired. He was one of the key players who made all the films what they are.. Ed Catmull, visibly shaken walked out to deliver the sad news. On August 16, 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element, which was being driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. Sad real sad As I found out he was a great man and done so much for Pixar! Ranft was also given lead story credit on The Brave Little Toaster (1987) and voiced Elmo St. Peters, the appliance salesman. He also was highly versatile, Selick recalled. Ranft reunited with Lasseter when he was hired by Pixar in 1991 as their head of story. The . And so will Joe. He was the voice of Heimlich the ravenous caterpillar in "A Bug's Life," Jacques the cleaner shrimp in "Finding Nemo," and Wheezy the Penguin in 1999's "Toy Story 2," and he provided voices for "Monster's, Inc." (2001) and last year's "The Incredibles.". [10] John Lasseter has cited Ranft as being one of the main inspirations for the character of Mater from those films, and described his influence as being "all over Cars 2". While at Disney, Ranft became friends with John Lasseter, who later became a top executive at Pixar Animation Studios. The other passenger, Eric Frierson, 39, was able to escape through the vehicle's moon roof. I make tons of straight-to-video movies you can find at Amazon & Vimeo. He stayed with Disney throughout the 1980s, doing story work on animated features including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. Ranft was one of the heads of story on both TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2, as well as the voice of Heimlich the Caterpillar in A BUGS LIFE. He also worked on The Brave Little Toaster in 1987 for Hyperion Animation and James and the Giant Peach in 1996 for Allied Filmmakers. He trained under legendary animator Eric Larson and cut his teeth as a story man on THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER, as well as an EPCOT Center TV special and early versions of WHO FRAMER ROGER RABBIT? Another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived by escaping through the sun roof; he received moderate injuries. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. JOE RANFT Joe Ranft, Pixar Animation Studios' head of story and a founding member of the animation company's creative team, died Tuesday afternoon in a car accident in Mendocino County, Calif. . Joe Ranft died at the age 45 Mendocino County, California, United States of car crash August 16, 2005. Disney Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. In lieu of flowers, the Ranft family respectfully requests that donations be made to the Joseph Henry Ranft Memorial Fund, and sent care of Pixar Animation Studios, 1200 Park Avenue, Emeryville, California, 94608. Another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived by escaping through the sun roof and received moderate injuries. Who gave Hemlich a funney and sweet personallity Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through the guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. }, Ranft's voice-over work for Pixar included such characters as Heimlich in A Bug's Life and Wheezy the Penguin in Toy Story 2. Ranft, who was 45, died during the production of Cars, which he co-directed and voice acted in. (206) 999-5097 (Cellco Partnership), (360) 825-1891 (Qwest Corp.Cellco Partnership) are the phone numbers associated with Eric. Earl suddenly lost control and . The car plunged 130 feet into the mouth of the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. The third person in the car, whom the CHP identified as Eric Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, survived by climbing through the sun roof. Resides in Covington, GA. Joseph Henry Ranft was born in Pasadena, California, on March 13, 1960, and raised in Whittier. Ranft was survived by his wife of 20 years, Sue Barry, and their . He received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination as one of the writers of Toy Story (1995), and was also the co-director on Cars (2006), his final work before his death. Ranft used a German accent to voice Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug's Life and a French accent to voice Jacques the shrimp in Finding Nemo. Prior to joining the Pixar team, Mr. Ranft cut his teeth as a storyboard artist on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas. Ranft was credited with additional story material for Monsters, Inc. (2001) and oversaw the story on Lasseters Cars, which is slated for release next year. The car plunged 130 feet into the mouth of the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. He is best known as one of the writers of 'Toy Story' and a co-director of the 'Disney' film 'Cars.' . A second passenger, Eric T. Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, who was riding in the back seat, survived the crash with relatively minor injuries, the California Highway Patrol reported. He worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JoeRanft. Furthering into his Disney career, he was bumped up into the Feature Animation department, where he received training from Eric Larson. Copyright 2018 Fandango. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Born in Pasadena in 1960, Ranft was raised in Whittier, Calif., where as a child he developed a fondness for performing magic tricks. Contact Us | About Us | Terms Of Service | Privacy Policy | Media Kit, AWNtv.com: AWN Television | Videos | Channels | Categories | Playlists | Submit Your Films Ranft worked for Pixar Animation Studios and for Disney at Disney Television Animation and Disney Animation. Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, "Eric Larson, Disney Family Album: Part Three", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EMZrbS7N_k, "John Lasseter Talks Cars 2 and the Memory of His Friend and Collaborator, Joe Ranft", https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/553767-pixar-head-john-lasseter-remembers-good-pal-late-great-joe-ranft, https://web.archive.org/web/20021211090732/http://www.pixar.com/artistscorner/joe/index.html, Pixar's Joe Ranft Falls to a Tragic Death, With 'Cars,' Pixar Revs Up to Outpace Walt Disney Himself, Joe Ranft, 45; Artist for Pixar Animated Films, Voice of Heimlich in 'A Bug's Life', http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Joe+Ranft, https://catalog.afi.com/Person/192980-Joe-Ranft, https://www.salon.com/1999/11/23/story_2/, https://variety.com/2005/film/news/pixar-exec-dies-in-car-accident-1117927706/, https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba99d2cad, https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/cars-3-1200515758/. 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