Anyone up for working on a Pixar storyform together? (Wall-E)

analysis
#1

I’m not great at analyzing films yet, but I’ve had a couple of breakthroughs in the last week or two and I’d like to see if it might not be a bit easier for me now. I was thinking of trying to work on a storyform on my own, but thought it might be more fun (and provide me with more guidance) to do it on here. If anyone’s interested, let me know and suggest a title.

I suggested Pixar in the thread title because we’re huge Disney fans at my house and I particularly enjoy Pixar (and the kids and I have been on a kick lately-since Friday afternoon I’ve watched Cars, Cars 2, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, and Ratatouille. And in the last week before that we watched the Incredibles, Finding Dory, and Inside Out, seems like Brave was worked in there somewhere too, and it appears we’re about to start TS3), but I’m open to suggestions. The only thing is I want it to be something I’ve seen both recently and several times. That way it’s both fresh in my mind and something I’m very familiar with. Of course if someone suggests something i haven’t seen recently, i’m willing to rewatch or even rent something for it.

If no one’s interested, I’ll probably pick a Pixar and post the results on here some other time to see what everyone thinks.

thanks,

PS -I’m looking to go as detailed as anyone wants. Only thing is I’ll probably be fairly slow, one of the reasons i’m not just joining the online users group.

PPS - I’d also be interested in looking at Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It’s still Disney, but not Pixar.

The Domains of a Guy Stuck in a Well
#2

My favorite Pixar movie is WALL-E; I’ve been meaning to do a storyform for it for some time. Inside Out would also be worth a look-see, though it has some interesting caveats that we hashed out back when it came out. (For example, what is the significance of Riley’s actions in connection with Joy’s odyssey?) Cars would certainly be interesting, too. As to the others, I know Toy Story and The Incredibles have already been done, and I know @jhull has done at least a little bit with Ratatouille and Brave. Other than that, I’d be up for whatever you’ve got in mind.

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#3

I’m up for Wall-E or Cars. Love 'em both. If you want to go with Wall-E as your fave we can, or if you want to save Wall-E for a personal project we’ll do Cars. Despite the flak that Cars gets for being bad, I still think it’s great.

Somehow on our weekend Pixar marathon binge, we never made it to Wall-E. I’ll be off tomorrow, though, so I’ll use the opportunity to give it another watch in case we go with that one.

You can pick, or we can wait and see if anyone else wants to jump in.

#4

WALL-E is fine. I haven’t put in a whole lot about it, so I’m curious to see what we can shake out. Here’s what I can identify off-hand.

Resolve: From what I can tell, WALL-E stays Steadfast, while EVE changes. WALL-E consistently demonstrates his desire to protect life and pursue happiness. EVE, meanwhile, has to learn to overcome her base programming and accept the happiness WALL-E brings her.

Growth: Stop. (Not certain of this, but it’s what comes up based on later choices.)

Approach: Do-er. (Again, not certain.)

Driver: I would guess Actions drive decisions. The inciting driver is when EVE’s spaceship lands on Earth, throwing WALL-E’s life out of whack. Other Actions include grabbing the spaceship, delivering the plant, and forcing it into the scanning device while AUTO plays interference.

Limit: Probably Optionlock. The Axiom has been in space for a very long time, and there’s no time limit separating them from home. Instead, WALL-E’s ability to deliver the plant to the captain and turn the Axiom around continually decreases as the story progresses. (This part of the story is somewhat weak.)

Outcome/Judgment: Seems unwaveringly Triumphant to me. The captain successfully returns to Earth, and WALL-E returns home happily. EVE returns his affections, and the humans value the Earth as much as he does.

OS Throughline: Situation/Progress/Fantasy/Unending? WALL-E and the humans are trapped in their respective unending situations: WALL-E’s endless trash-stacking, and the humans’ corpulent wireheading utopia. WALL-E strives to End their bliss and bring them back to recolonize Earth, while AUTO’s only desire is to maintain the status quo, under the secret order to abandon Earth entirely.

MC Throughline: Activity/Doing/Skill/Cause?

IC Throughline: WoT/Being/Thought/Unending?

RS Throughline: Mind/Preconscious/Confidence/Hunch? Ooh, I didn’t plan this, but it works really well! WALL-E is really confident about his spotty understanding of love. With EVE’s help, their relationship blossoms into a beautiful duet. EVE overcomes her programming, and WALL-E discovers what love really is about.

…Wow. This really reminds me that I need to watch this movie again. :blush:

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#5

This put me in the mood of watching WALL-E too! Just enough time has passed for it to be quite fresh again.

#6

As I recall there is something weird about the Resolve story point in this film. I know too that Stanton talks about switching the Resolve during the making of. I’m not sure if this screwed things up or if it corrected things. Been awhile since I’ve seen it.

#7

Prior to rewatching it, I had some similar ideas on storyform. After rewatching, I’m coming up with something a little different.

Resolve-Steadfast
I like steadfast. I was looking at the handholding thing. In the beginning Wall-E really wants to hold Eve’s hand. In the end, after Eve fixing him, it’s like he’s been reset to factory settings and he’s only concerned with doing his job. Then Eve holds his hand (her Change) and puts her forehead against his. There’s a little spark and that bring Wall-E back to himself and he holds her hand.
(EDIT: I’d like to connect this more directly to the problem level elements, particularly after reading @jhull’s comment above. When looking at what I have, it doesn’t seem as clear to me)

Growth-Stop
I also came up with stop because of other choices. But I think I’d say that Wall-E was holding out for Eve to stop being so focused on her directive.

Approach-Do-er
Again, I agree here. Wall-E has a directive to clean up the earth. He collects things from the trash he likes. When he doesn’t know what to do he starts pushing random buttons (when he’s in the escape pod and Eve is about to send him to earth while she stays on the ship, when he fires Eve’s arm blaster backwards), he cannibalizes parts from other Wall-E models so he can keep crushing trash, he climbs aboard the ship that takes him back to the Axiom and roams around freely rather than letting the other robots scan him and clean him, he doesn’t make any attempt to fit in with the other robots,

I can’t think of any examples of him being a be-er. Maybe when Eve has to save him from the airlock disposal or when he’s broken and she has to fix him?

PS Style-Logical
I’m going with logical. I’m trying to come up with an obvious example, but I keep questioning them all.

Driver-Action
The story seems to begin with the action of Eve appearing. Wall-E decides to look into what’s going on there rather than go back to cleaning. I think you’ve got this one covered.

Limit-Optionlock
The humans leave a filthy planet to live in the Axiom. The president or whoever tells them coming back is not an option, but it is kept on the table anyway. They send out multiple Eve’s looking for plant life. They try to take the plant to the holodetector, but Auto tries to stop them. So the captain has to trick Auto into thinking he has the plant, then he has to fight with Auto, and finally switch Auto’s auto off.

Outcome-Success
They find plant life and return to the Axiom to Earth.

Judgment-Good
Wall-E finds the companionship in Eve that he was looking for.

I came up with something else regarding the Throughline info. I don’t know if it’s right or not, but I’ll have to come back again to continue with that part.

#8

You have the OS as Situation, which is where I started, too. What’s your thinking? I’m assuming you’re going with everyone being stuck on the Axiom away from earth?

Before rewatching, that’s what I was thinking. After rewatching, it seems like everyone on the Axiom is relying on robots to the point that they don’t do anything at all (lack of Activity) while Doing the same thing they’ve done for 700 years, which is nothing but wait for the earth to be ready for them to start recolonizing while the robots clean and search for plants. And Wall-E and Eve are both following directives where they find troubles, which could fall in Activity. In fact, Wall-E and Eve seem to be engaged in many activities.

To give you an idea of where I was putting the rest of the throughline, I saw Wall-E as being stuck (Situation) as a dirty rundown lonely robot, and an outsider to the other robots once he gets on the Axiom. Seems like I had a better phrasing in my mind earlier today, but something along those lines anyway.

Eve seemed to have a fixed attitude. She was focused on finding plant life and getting it back to the Axiom. She also seemed to have an Impulsive Response of shooting things as a first response, even though there could conceivably be plant life in one of those giant areas she blows up before thoroughly searching.

The Relationship between Wall-E and Eve didn’t seem like a battle of Fixed Attitudes, but a change in thinking (Manipulation). This goes again to, I think, how Wall-E wants Eve to stop focusing on her directive while Eve wants Wall-E to stay out of her way and let her do what she’s supposed to do.

Thoughts?

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#9

Stanton changed the trash-compactor sequence - he decided late in the game that he wanted WALL-E to be the one who gets his chip fried instead of EVE. And then she offers her hand (which she’s never done), but he pushes it away to focus on the plant mission (which he’s never done)…so they’ve both changed? Yeah, I don’t know.

By the end it seems clear that Wall-e is same old Wall-e and Eve’s come around to him, but the fourth act is pretty muddy up to that point.

#10

Sounds like I need to rent/buy the movie first. :stuck_out_tongue: But yeah, I can see your point. I guess I saw the stasis in the characters more clearly than their action or lack of action. Taken purely Objectively, the story is about the declining state of the humans aboard the Axiom and the not-so-inevitable death of the Earth. WALL-E’s discovery of the plant really demonstrates that sense of Progress: WALL-E’s labor to maintain the Earth has been working; the Earth is improving. It’s time to turn around and go home.

Or I can do it this way. If, say, the Axiom went dark and humans had to fend for themselves without their chairs or robots, would there still be an inequity in the story? In my opinion, yes; the humans need to return home. But if the humans were magically plucked out of the Axiom and returned to Earth, no inequity would remain.

But as I said, this is all speculation until I can watch the movie again this evening. :sweat_smile:

#11

If this happened in the first three acts, I think there would be a problem. None of them would know how to do anything without the robots. One guy falls out of his chair and can’t get back into it without a robot to help him. i can see them being in a situation, I just don’t see them being STUCK in it. Wall-E bumps into one of them and she notices a pool. Next time you see her she’s splashing her feet in it with another passenger.

And it seems theyre waiting for earth to be ready, but could conceivably go back early. They just aren’t going to until they Learn that the earth is ready when they Obtain plant life.

And it’s the small moments that really sale it for me. They talk about what they want to do, the captain gets excited about gathering info about earth, he says they’re doing the same thing they’ve done for 700 years. None of those are conclusive alone, but build a cumulative case.

And finally I see WallE active in Manipulation, Situation, and Activity, but not Fixed Attitude, and conversely I see Eve in FIxed Att, but not Situation.

#12

Hmm. It really is a stumper. Activity/Situation does seem like the most likely, considering it’s the most conventional arrangement. What was your idea for the OS Concern? What do you see as the Goal–that once the characters reach it, the story is over? When they land on Earth? When EVE puts the plant in the device at the end? When EVE repairs WALL-E?

#13

Here’s what I’m thinking, but I’m starting to question it more.

Throughline-Activity
People ruined the earth and set off in the Axiom where they live in luxry (rely on the robots to provide them everything) while they wait for the robots to clean the earth up so that they can go back. The Captain at one point says something about the only thing he gets to do is the morning announcements.

Concern-Obtaining, or maybe Doing
The robots are looking for plant life to bring back to the Axiom and following directives. When they don’t do what they’re supposed to, it causes problems for the other robots. The passengers don’t have to do or obtain anything which keeps them from experiencing life.

I don’t think the passengers start out with a clear goal, but once the Captain learns about earth, he gets excited to return to earth and starts working toward that goal. So getting back to earth and away from full reliance on the robots seems like a goal. Reaching the earth seems like success and the end credits showing the people farming and catching fish and doing the work of repopulating seems like it’s a good thing.

#14

Silly question. Could it be that the OS is about a problematic way of thinking? Like, the humans are lazy, which leads to them creating the robots and relying on them so that they don’t have to do anything? And maybe it’s a problematic way of thinking that causes the president to say not to come back to earth which leads to Auto trying to sabatoge the Axioms return to earth?

That would put the relationship in activity. Eve is focused on her directive. When she puts the plant inside and shuts down, Wall-e tries to protect her from the weather and has troubles. When she sees what he did on her security footage, they grow closer.

#15

It’s not a silly question; I have been seriously considering that as an option. I notice that there is a lot of Being in the story: the role of robots in this futuristic society, the Captain’s position as figurehead, AUTO’s appearance belying his true nature, The question, then, is whether that’s the Goal (to reclaim their Role as protectors of Earth), the Cost (something they must push through and come to grips with), the Consequence (if the humans never return to Earth, everyone will remain stuck in their roles), or some other OS Structural Appreciation. If the OS Goal is Doing, then Being is the Consequence; if the OS Goal is Obtaining, Being might be the Prerequisite. (I’d have to check the formula.)

#16

If you have OS in Manipulation with a Concern of Playing a Role, and MC in Situation, then you get a goal of Playing a Role (getting off the ship and returning to normal human lives), consequence of Doing (they have to start doing things for themselves, if they fail, they can’t recolonize), dividend of How Things Are Changing (they begin to notice their surroundings and interact with others again, they start walking on their own, and finally are able to fend for themselves again), requirements of Changing Nature(stop being reliant on the robots, stop being lazy and filthy), prerequisite of Obtaining (finding plant life on earth), precondition of Innermost Desire (they want more than to float around on their chairs being given everything by the robots), forewarning of the future (auto is trying to prevent a return to earth?)

#17

I’m looking at Playing a Role (temporarily adopting a lifestyle) as the humans boarding the Axiom for what was supposed to be a five year trip. While on board they adopt the lifestyle of luxury, I guess, where the robots are constantly waiting on them. I guess the Axiom and the robots would be playing the role of caretakers? Doesn’t seem quite right.

Wall-e is concerned with the progress of cleaning the earth until eve shows up and he’s no longer the only robot left. Eve has a concern of impulsive response as she’s quick to shoot and impulsively tells Wall-E her directive is classified(does that work?), and the relationship is in Doing with Wall-e looking over Eve while she’s powered down and chasing her onto the ship, her trying to send him back to earth etc.

I’m liking it, but let me know what you think.

#18

Is anyone keeping a story form of this as it progresses? I didn’t comment so I guess I’m not receiving notices. I want to get on board with this also.

#19

Absolutely, Prish. The more the better!

I think what @actingpower and I agree on so far is:
Resolve: Steadfast
Approach: Do-er
Driver: Action
Limit: Optionlock
Outcome: Success
Judgment: Good

I think we might be in agreement on the OS being in Manipulation and the OS Concern as Being.

Please jump in with your thoughts.

(I’m looking at an OS Issue of Ability and Problem of Accurate, but need more time to go through it for examples)

#20

I also agree that WALL-E’s PSS is almost certainly Linear. WALL-E is almost bullheaded in his straightforward thinking. I’m not confident EVE is Holistic in return, but I don’t believe she has to be.