Khan Academy launches Pixar in a Box, a behind-the-scenes look at
Pixar Animation Studios’ creative process
Free online curriculum shows how Pixar filmmakers use science, technology, engineering, art and math to create movie magic
Have you ever wondered how the creative process works at Pixar? Khan Academy has launched Pixar in a Box – a new online resource that explores the academic concepts behind Pixar Animation Studios’ creative process.
This free resource is available to students of all ages, and through a series of video lessons, interactive exercises, and hands-on activities, students will discover how the academic concepts they learn in school enable Pixar filmmakers to create new worlds, animate unique characters and tell stories through animation.
“Our mission at Khan Academy is a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere,” said Sal Khan, Founder and CEO of the not-for-profit Khan Academy. “Sparking student interest in math and other academic fields is a key part of that, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Pixar to achieve this goal. Pixar in a Box gives students a new way to engage with key academic concepts and see how creative these concepts can be.”
Students can access Pixar in a Box and learn:
· How combinatorics are used to create crowds, like the swarm of robots in WALLE.
· How parabolas are used to model environments, like the forest in Brave.
· How weighted averages are used to create characters, like Buzz Lightyear and Woody.
· How linear and cubic interpolation are used to animate characters.
· How trigonometry is used to create the worlds in which Pixar stories take place.
· How simultaneous equations are used to paint all of Pixar’s images.
“Learning makes us beginners again,” said Ed Catmull, President of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. “In my experience, creativity involves missteps and imperfections, which is one more reason it is important for every one of us to keep learning – in order to remain flexible and keep our brains nimble. By working with Khan Academy on Pixar in a Box, we hope to encourage the excitement of learning and creative thinking for middle and high school students and to provide the tools to do it.”
“For years, we’ve heard from teachers at every grade level interested in creating animation-based curricula,” said Elyse Klaidman, Director, Pixar University and Archives. “We’ve wanted to provide free online resources for them, and Pixar in a Box makes that dream a reality. We hope that it not only gives students a behind-the-scenes look at how our movies are made but also gets them excited about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) concepts.”
I can’t wait to show Zoe Khan Academy’s Pixar in a Box program! I think that she is going to absolutely flip her lid!!!
All Pixar in a Box resources are available free of charge at PixarInABox.org. The site will be updated as additional lessons become available.
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