Always wanted to do film animation; gravitated towards Disney animation, especially the film Cinderella.

One of his favorite toys was a hand-crank projector-he'd look at films frame by frame to better understand the process.

Heard about CalArts' animation major when he was in sixth grade and says "that was it," locked in on that goal.

Worked for a variety of studios before being hired by Pixar; one of his first Pixar projects was art directing Toy Story.

Views each different film as its own "graduate course," he puts about four years worth of research and work into one subject.

Some of his "research" is unconventional-hung out in trash dumps, on cruise ships for Wall-E.

Says that the reward for all of the weird work he puts into a movie is seeing an audience's reaction, hearing what people think.

Urges students to find an interest, then find out as much as they can about it; simultaneously try to experience as much of the world as possible.