Geek Out

Hi Everyone. I had a total geeky geek-out evening.

I went to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, where they had a lecture with Brad Bird (Director of Incredibles), Andrew Stanton (Director of Finding Nemo), Ed Catmull (the president of Pixar) and Alvy Ray Smith, who I wasn't as familiar with but somebody who was one of the founding fathers of computer graphics. So first they have all these awesome old computers, which I love. Crays (including the round bench one!), a couple Lisas, Ataris, Coleco hand-helds, HP calculators, vacuum tubes, punch cards, everything! That in it self was a total geek out. I definitely want to go back there again.

Then, of course, there are these guys, Brad and Andrew walking around the place. These are guys that I have listened too so much on DVDs commentaries, documentaries, and interviews because they now so much about the undeniable secret to a good movie, story! I've heard it a thousand times from them, and they are still passionate about story! About how important it is! I was amazed. So I got to meet them and had a total Chris Farely moment (it went kinda like his interviews on SNL, "Do you remember that movie you did? It was great.") Well, I certainly hope I didn't come off that badly! But they signed my DVDs, and I got to chat a wee bit. (Hey Dave, I asked Andrew what an "I want" moment is! He told me it's when the character states straight out what they want at one point in the film, making it obvious, so the rest of the movie you know what his motivation is. Sometimes it's even a song! There ya go!)

So I just got back, and now I need to go to bed.