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| Joe Ranft, a major part of creative team at Pixar, died in an auto accident yesterday (August 16th). Ranft was one of the heads of story on both "Toy Story" films, as well as the voice of Heimlich the Caterpillar in "A Bug's Life" and Wheezy in "Toy Story 2". He also worked on "The Nightmare Before Christmas", "Beauty & the Beast", "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", and many other films. |
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| Mr. Ranft, 45, was head of story writing at Pixar and was one of the young artists who helped revitalize the animated film industry in the 1980s and '90s. Tuesday's crash happened when the car Mr. Ranft was riding in went out of control on Highway 1 and plunged into the ocean near the mouth of the Navarro River around 3 p.m. 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. "This is not only a huge personal loss for all of us at Pixar, but a tremendous loss to moviegoers the world over,'' said John Lasseter, Pixar's creative head and a close friend of Mr. Ranft's since their student days at Los Angeles' CalArts in the late 1970s. "Joe had a great passion for telling stories, and he told them better than anyone,'' Lasseter said in a statement. "He was funny, poignant, original, and he had an infallible sense for how to structure a story. Joe helped to make Pixar what it is today, and he helped us to elevate the craft of storytelling. He was a big part of our lives, and we loved him and loved w**king with him. It's hard to imagine a world without Joe Ranft and the joy and fun he brought to all of us on a daily basis.'' Mr. Ranft was born in Pasadena and raised in the Southern California town of Whittier. He studied for two years at CalArts, a breeding ground for gifted filmmakers who were using 3-D computer technology, art and storytelling in fresh ways that re-energized the moribund world of animated movies and made them hugely profitable. 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.'' In 1990, he moved to Seattle to write a children's book and then settled in the Bay Area to w**k on Pixar's "Toy Story, '' a 1995 blockbuster for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as co- writer. 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. 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.'' Mr. Ranft is survived by his wife of 20 years, Su, a son, Jordan, a daughter, Sophia, two brothers, Jerome and James, and a sister, Ruth. |