Valerie LaPointe

Last updated
Valerie LaPointe
Born (1981-08-04) August 4, 1981 (age 43)
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater Virginia Commonwealth University (BFA)
University of Southern California (MFA)
Occupations
  • Storyboard artist
  • director
  • animator
  • voice actor
Years active2006–present
Spouse Matthew Luhn
Children2

Valerie LaPointe (born August 4, 1981) is an American director and storyboard artist for Pixar Animation Studios.

Contents

Early life

LaPointe was born in Norfolk, Virginia. When she was in the third grade, she watched The Little Mermaid (1989), and began drawing the character Ariel. "It really struck a chord and inspired me," LaPointe said, "I kind of became fixated on everything about it." [1] At eight years old, she decided being an animator was her career goal. [2] [3] Her family moved to Kempsville. When she was 12, she wrote a letter addressed to Walt Disney Pictures with a pitch idea for a film. The studio mailed back, stating that they don't accept outside pitches, but they sent her an information packet detailing where to go to art school and what to study. [1]

In 1999, LaPointe enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). There, she produced a student film titled Night Life, which used watercolor paintings. She graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree, majoring in communication arts and design. [2] Subsequently, she received a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship from the United States Department of Education. A VCU professor encouraged her to pursue a Master's degree, [2] in which she later enrolled in the School of Cinematic Studies at the University of Southern California (USC). During her graduate studies, she created a stop motion student film titled Lolly's Box, which was screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. [4] It became one of the top eight finalists for the 2006 Student Academy Awards. [5]

Career

In 2006, LaPointe became an apprentice story artist for Pixar's inaugural story internship program; she was in a class with eight other interns, including Adrian Molina. [6] She graduated from USC in 2007 with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and was hired as a full-time employee for Pixar. [1] Her first official project as a storyboard artist was the 2008 short film Presto . She later worked on the Mater's Tall Tales and Toy Story Toons series, such as Small Fry (2011) and Partysaurus Rex (2012). She moved up to feature-length films, which included Brave (2012), Inside Out (2015), and The Good Dinosaur (2015). [2] [6]

In 2016, LaPointe joined the production team for Toy Story 4 (2019). Admittedly, she felt Toy Story 3 (2010) provided the essential closure to the series. However, she listened to director Josh Cooley's pitch for the film, in which Bo Peep was to be the focal character. She stated, "...then I perked up and thought, 'Okay. Yeah. I could see this being a really good reason to make this.'" [3] She was made the story supervisor, in which she supervised a team of storyboard artists to retool Bo Peep, a minor love interest in the first two Toy Story installments, into a confident feminist heroine. [1] Additionally, LaPointe came up with the idea of the film's antagonist Gabby Gabby. She explained, "I really wanted to have a girl baby doll character in the Toy Story universe [to have] more female toy characters in general. But also, why was there never a baby doll? It's so signature of every little girl." [7] For her work on Toy Story 4, she was credited as one of the eight story writers. [8]

By the end of 2018, the Toy Story 4 story team was approached to produce an animated spin-off short film. LaPointe pitched a short film based on Bo Peep, adapting story ideas that were cut from Toy Story 4. [6] She remembered: "I think the biggest looming question was what happened in that space and time because in Toy Story 4 we see Bo being given away and then we pick back up with her, she is a lost toy ... We'd come up with a lot of ideas in the meantime: For me, it was a big mystery that we didn't have the screen time for in the feature, so it was just perfect for a short film." [6] LaPointe was made the director of the film, later titled Lamp Life (2020), in which she did most of the writing and storyboarding. [6] It was released on Disney+ on January 31, 2020. [9]

In 2019, Variety named LaPointe as one of the top ten American animators to watch for. [7] By 2023, an Inside Out television series was announced to be in development by Pixar for Disney+; the series was officially titled Dream Productions . It was announced to begin streaming on December 11, 2024, [10] with LaPointe directing several episodes alongside Mike Jones and Austin Madison. [11]

Personal life

LaPointe is married to Matthew Luhn, and she has two daughters. [1] [2] [12] She lives in Oakland, California. [13]

Filmography

Films

YearTitle Writer Story
Supervisor		 Story
Artist 		Producer Voice
Role 		Notes
2009 Up NoNoNoNoAdditional
Voices
2012 Brave NoNoAdditionalNo
2015 Inside Out NoNoYesNo
The Good Dinosaur NoNoYesNo
2019 Toy Story 4 Original
Story		YesNoNo
2020 Soul NoNoNoAssociate
executive

Shorts

YearTitle Director Writer Story
Artist 		Editor Producer Voice Role Notes
2003Night LifeYesYesNoYesYes
2005Upside DownedYesYesNoYesYesMelina
Lolly's BoxYesYesNoYesYes
2007 Your Friend the Rat NoNoNoNoNo2D ink and paint
artist
2008 Presto NoNoYesNoNo
2008–2010 Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales NoNoYesNoNoEpisodes 1–3
2009 George and A.J. NoNoNoNoNoCat Lady
2011 Toy Story Toons: Small Fry NoNoYesNoNo
2012 Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex NoNoAdditionalNoNo
2020 Lamp Life YesYesYesNoNo
2021 Sprite Fright NoNoNoNoNoEllie

Television series

YearTitle Director Writer Notes
2024 Dream Productions YesAdditional screenplay material2 episodes

Related Research Articles

<i>Toy Story</i> 1995 Pixar film

Toy Story is a 1995 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the first installment in the Toy Story franchise, the first entirely computer-animated feature film, as well as the first feature film from Pixar. The film was directed by John Lasseter, written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow based on a story by Lasseter, Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft, produced by Bonnie Arnold and Ralph Guggenheim, and features the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, and Jim Varney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixar</span> American computer animation studio (founded 1986)

Pixar Animation Studios, known simply as Pixar, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, a segment of The Walt Disney Company.

<i>Toy Story 2</i> 1999 Pixar film

Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to Toy Story (1995) and the second installment in the Toy Story franchise. The film was directed by John Lasseter, co-directed by Ash Brannon and Lee Unkrich, and produced by Helene Plotkin and Karen Robert Jackson, from a screenplay written by Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin, and Chris Webb, and a story conceived by Lasseter, Stanton, Brannon, and Pete Docter. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, R. Lee Ermey, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Pidgeon reprise their roles from the first Toy Story film. In the film, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector, prompting Buzz Lightyear and his friends to save him, but Woody is then tempted by the idea of immortality in a museum.

<i>Tin Toy</i> 1988 short film by John Lasseter

Tin Toy is a 1988 American animated short film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter. The short film, which runs for five minutes, stars Tinny, a tin one-man band toy, trying to escape from Billy, a human baby. The third short film produced by the company's small animation division, it was a risky investment: due to the low revenue produced by Pixar's main product, the Pixar Image Computer, the company was under financial constraints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lasseter</span> American filmmaker (born 1957)

John Alan Lasseter is an American film director, producer, and animator. He has served as the head of animation at Skydance Animation since 2019. Previously, he acted as the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, as well as the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Peterson (filmmaker)</span> American animator, director and writer (born 1961)

Robert Peterson is an American animator, director, screenwriter, storyboard supervisor and voice actor who works at Pixar. He was hired at Pixar by Roger Gould in 1994 as an animator for commercials, before subsequently becoming an animator on Toy Story (1995). He was the co-director and co-writer for Up (2009), in which he also voiced the characters Dug and Alpha. He helped work on part of The Good Dinosaur, before being cut from it. His work as a writer for the films Up and Finding Nemo (2003) earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He was also a co-writer on Cars 3 (2017) and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program for his work on Forky Asks A Question (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda Chapman</span> American filmmaker

Brenda Chapman is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and director. In 1998, she became the first woman to direct an animated feature from a major studio, DreamWorks Animation's The Prince of Egypt. In 2012, she directed the Disney/Pixar film Brave with Mark Andrews, becoming the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Bo Peep (<i>Toy Story</i>) Fictional character from Toy Story

Bo Peep is a fictional character appearing in the Disney–Pixar Toy Story franchise. The character is primarily voiced by Annie Potts. She appears in the first two films as a supporting character, portrayed as a love interest to the protagonist, Woody. After being given away prior to the events of Toy Story 3, Bo returns in Toy Story 4 as a major character.

Jessie (<i>Toy Story</i>) Toy Story character

Jessie is a fictional cowgirl rag doll and one of the three central characters in the Disney–Pixar Toy Story franchise. She first appeared in Toy Story 2, and returned in the sequels, Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4. The idea for introducing a female character was suggested by Nancy Lasseter, while John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Ash Brannon, and Andrew Stanton developed and created the character. She is voiced by Joan Cusack in the Toy Story filmography, while Sarah McLachlan is her singing voice in Toy Story 2. Kat Cressida voices the character in the video games, including the Disney Infinity series.

<i>Toy Story</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise created by Pixar

Toy Story is an American media franchise created by Pixar Animation Studios and owned by The Walt Disney Company. It centers on toys that, unknown to humans, are secretly living, sentient creatures. It began in 1995 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, which focuses on a diverse group of toys featuring a classic cowboy doll named Sheriff Woody and a modern spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear.

Woody (<i>Toy Story</i>) Fictional character in the Toy Story franchise

Sheriff Woody Pride is a fictional pull-string cowboy doll who appears in the Disney–Pixar Toy Story franchise. In the films, Woody is one of the main protagonists, alongside Buzz Lightyear and Jessie. He is primarily voiced by Tom Hanks, who voices him in the Toy Story films, short films, and TV specials. Hanks's brother, Jim Hanks, voices him in video games, attractions, and other merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnie Arnold</span> American film producer

Bonnie Arnold is an American film producer and executive who has worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. Arnold was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and rose to prominence in Hollywood during the initial wave of computer animation.

<i>Toy Story</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise created by Pixar

Toy Story is an American media franchise created by Pixar Animation Studios and owned by The Walt Disney Company. It centers on toys that, unknown to humans, are secretly living, sentient creatures. It began in 1995 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, which focuses on a diverse group of toys featuring a classic cowboy doll named Sheriff Woody and a modern spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear.

<i>Cars</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise

Cars is an American animated film series and media franchise set in a world populated by anthropomorphic vehicles created by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft and Jorgen Klubien. The franchise began with the 2006 film, Cars, produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was followed by the sequels Cars 2 (2011) and Cars 3 (2017). The now-defunct Disneytoon Studios produced the two spin-off films Planes (2013) and Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Cooley</span> American filmmaker (born 1979)

Joshua Cooley is an American filmmaker and storyboard artist. He is best known for directing the animated films Toy Story 4 (2019) and Transformers One (2024), with the former winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film Inside Out (2015), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Luhn</span> American author and filmmaker

Matthew Luhn is an American storyboard artist, animator, and writer for Pixar and The Simpsons. He is also known for serving as a creative writing instructor and keynote speaker.

<i>Toy Story 4</i> 2019 Pixar film

Toy Story 4 is a 2019 American animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the fourth installment in Pixar's Toy Story series and the sequel to Toy Story 3 (2010). It was directed by Josh Cooley from a screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom; the three also conceived the story alongside John Lasseter, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Valerie LaPointe, and Martin Hynes. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Jeff Pidgeon, Laurie Metcalf, John Morris, Joan Cusack, and Estelle Harris are among the actors who reprise their character roles from the first three films, and are joined by Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, and Ally Maki, who voice new characters. Set after the third film, Toy Story 4 follows Woody (Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen) as the pair and the other toys go on a road trip with Bonnie (McGraw), who creates Forky (Hale), a spork made with recycled materials from her school. Meanwhile, Woody is reunited with Bo Peep (Potts), and must decide where his loyalties lie.

<i>Toy Story 5</i> Upcoming Pixar film

Toy Story 5 is an upcoming American animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by McKenna Harris, and produced by Jessica Choi, it is the fifth installment in Pixar's Toy Story series and the sequel to Toy Story 4 (2019). Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise their respective character roles from the first four films.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sidersky, Robyn (August 4, 2019). "She used to doodle sketches of Disney's Ariel. Now this Virginia Beach native is working for Pixar". The Virginian-Pilot . Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Weinstein, Dina (March 29, 2021). "Art & Animation: A conversation with VCU grad, Pixar director Valerie LaPointe". Virginia Commonwealth University. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Murphy, Jackson (June 18, 2019). "Q&A with Toy Story 4 Head of Story Valerie LaPointe". Animation Scoop (Interview). Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Lolly's Box". Annecy Festival. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  5. ↑ Baisley, Sarah (May 5, 2006). "Academy Announces Finalists for 2006 Student Academy Awards". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Zahed, Ramin (January 30, 2020). "Valerie LaPointe Reveals Bo Peep's Secret Past in New Pixar Short 'Lamp Life'". Animation Magazine (Interview). Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Nissen, Dano (July 9, 2019). "10 Animators to Watch 2019". Variety. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  8. ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (May 13, 2019). "'Toy Story 4': Rashida Jones, John Lasseter Among 8 Who Will Share "Story By" Credits". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ Prudom, Laura (January 29, 2020). "Disney Plus' Lamp Life Sneak Peek: What Happened to Bo Peep Between Toy Story 2 and 4?". IGN . Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  10. ↑ Stanfeld, Ethan (September 24, 2024). "'Inside Out' Spinoff Series 'Dream Productions' and Pixar's 'Win or Lose' Set Disney+ Release Dates and Unveil New Footage". Variety. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  11. ↑ LaPointe, Valerie (August 10, 2024). "This is it!! So excited that Dream Productions has been officially announced! I directed episodes for this amazing show, along with Austin Madison and Mike Jones. The past couple years have been devoted to working with the 'Dream team', and they were a dream! #dreamproductions #pixarinsideout #pixar". Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024– via Instagram.
  12. ↑ LaPointe, Valerie (October 3, 2023). "Very proud to post about my husband @matthewluhnstory new book! Written by Matthew, illustrated by Luke Flowers @lfcreative !! Its in @barnesandnoble now! Santa Yeti #santayeti". Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024– via Instagram.
  13. ↑ "Her-Story: The Women of Pixar's Story Department". Walt Disney Family Museum . 2020. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.