It proved to be an invaluable experience for Ranft. After graduating from Monte Vista High School, Whittier, in 1978, Ranft began studying in the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts alongside John Lasseter and Brad Bird. Furthering into his Disney career, he was bumped up into the Feature Animation department, where he received training from Eric Larson. Joe Ranft remembers his training under the Disney Legend as, "[Eric] always reminds me of just the fundamental things that I tend to forget. Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor. "I've never seen anyone try to improve himself as much as Joe did over the years.". Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he . But theyve hit a snag, Passion and obsession intertwine in Fire of Love, With characters wise and reassuring, animated short The Boy, the Mole comforts, The prosecutor, and the actor who plays him, on taking down Argentinas military regime, Why Edward Bergers teen daughter got the last word on All Quiet on the Western Front, Jeremy Renners got big Avengers energy in his recovery update: Whatever it takes. Ranft moved to Pixar to serve as story supervisor on Lasseters Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature. color: '#ffffff', Ranft was traveling in a car with two friends, Eric Frierson and Elegba Earl, when the accident occurred. Visual Development, Layout, Background Artists and Character Designers: Gustaf Tenggren Mary Blair Marjorie Ralston Lillian Bounds Joe Grant Mel Shaw Claude Coats Don DaGradi John Hench Eyvind Earle Ken O'Connor Thor Putnam Albert Hurter John Hubley Herbert Ryman Don Griffith Basil Davidovich Jack Boyd Peter Ellenshaw Ruthie Tompson Earl Duvall Retta Davidson http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JoeRanft. . He also worked on The Brave Little Toaster in 1987 for Hyperion Animation and James and the Giant Peach in 1996 for Allied Filmmakers. version: 2, Before joining Pixar, Ranft worked with Selick as a storyboard supervisor on 1993's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. My kids asked me who JOE RANFT WAS, WELL KNOW WE ALL KNOW. Jerome took over most of Ranft's voice roles following his brothers death. A spokeswoman for the Mendocino County sheriff-coroners office confirmed that Ranft was killed when the car in which he was a passenger veered off the road while traveling north on Highway 1, plunging 130 feet over the side of the road and into the ocean. It is the saddest day at Pixar. "Sometimes he contributed small details, sometimes the whole thing. Ranft and Earl died from injuries sustained in the accident. A prayer from all our community goes to his family. Update (12:21pm): A report on this blog by Tara about the scene at Pixar: Yesterday the main story guy at Pixar, Joe Ranft, passed away in a car accident near Mendocino. He . During his first five years with Disney, Joe worked on a number of television projects[1] that were never produced. The third person in the car, whom the CHP identified as Eric Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, survived by climbing through the sun roof. Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, and magician who worked for Pixar and Disney at Disney Animation and Disney Television Animation. Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor, who worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. Ranft is survived by his wife Sue Barry and their kids Jordy and Sophia, and his brother (and Pixar sculptor) Jerome. After two years, Ranft's student film Good Humor caught the attention of Disney animation executives, who offered him a job. Ranft and Earl were both killed instantly. Update (1:32pm): Pixar story artist Enrico Casarosa writes in his journal: Joe Ranft, the heart of Pixar, was killed yesterday in a car accident. Joe's brother Jerome . Tim cast Joe in his live action short called Luau as I.Qthe big doof in the gang. So terribly sad for all his friends and family. In addition to working on the story of A Bugs Life, Ranft got the role as Heimlichs voice after Lasseter noticed that his wife, Nancy, laughed harder at Ranfts temporary dialogue during production than she did at the actor hired to voice the caterpillar. }, The family requests that donations be made to the Joseph Henry Ranft Memorial Fund, c/o Pixar Animation Studios, 1200 Park Ave., Emeryville, CA 94608. Joesph Henry "Joe" Ranft (born March 13, 1960) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, and magician who had a net worth of $5 million. In 2020, the category was transferred to the, Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, "Eric Larson, Disney Family Album: Part Three", "Pixar's Joe Ranft Falls to a Tragic Death", "With 'Cars,' Pixar Revs Up to Outpace Walt Disney Himself", "Joe Ranft, 45; Artist for Pixar Animated Films, Voice of Heimlich in 'A Bug's Life', "Two Disney/Pixar Animated Classics Come to Life as They've Never Been Seen Before TOY STORY & TOY STORY 2", "John Lasseter Talks 'Cars 2' and the Memory of His Friend and Collaborator, Joe Ranft", "9 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT INSIDE OUT", "Easter Eggs and other hidden tributes in Pixar's 'Inside Out', "Heimlich's Chew-Chew Train attraction will live on with audio tribute in Pixar Pier at Disneyland Resort". John Lasseter stood beside him but could not speakJoe is the very best story man ever and the best human being Ive known in animation. But Ranft spent most of his time drawing storyboards for animated films. He worked on The Lion King, The Brave Little Toaster, Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Cars, Monsters, Inc and Finding Nemo. Most recently, he had completed his assignment as head of story for Pixars latest feature, CARS, directed by John Lasseter, and due for release in summer 2006. He helped to conceive the original story, along with Pixars John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter, for TOY STORY and served as story supervisor on the film. new TWTR.Widget({ If you need to cancel your entry, please use this form to request your cancellation. background: '#000000', A spokeswoman for the Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroner's Office confirmed Wednesday that Ranft was one of two people who died when the 2004 Honda Element they were traveling in veered off the road while heading north on Highway 1. Animators: Bill Tytla Art Babbitt Lee Blair Preston Blair Fred Moore Shamus Culhane Cy Young Don Lusk Norman Ferguson Hal King Jack Hannah Dick Kinney Hal Ambro Ken O'Brien Judge Whitaker Bill Justice Don Bluth Gary Goldman Charles A. Nichols Blaine Gibson John Ewing Walt Stanchfield Fred Hellmich Amby Paliwoda Wilfred Jackson Xavier Atencio Ben Sharpsteen Earl Hurd Dale Oliver Eric Cleworth David Hand Fred Spencer Julius Svendsen Kenneth Muse Rudolf Ising Hugh Harman Friz Freleng Walt Kelly Leo Salkin John Dehner He is also the older . His favorite magicians were John Carney, Daryl, Michael Ammar, Ricky Jay and Jimmy Grippo.[4]. View phone numbers, addresses, public records, background check reports and possible arrest records for Eric Frierson. Share. [1] After two years, Ranft's student film Good Humor caught the attention of Disney animation executives, who offered him a job. Great stories of how to and why. He was a passenger in the front seat of a 2004 Honda Element driven by Elegba Earl, a 32-year-old Los Angeles man who also died. He went on to provide storyboard work for OLIVER & COMPANY and THE LITTLE MERMAID before moving up to head of story on THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER. By The Associated Press. } Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, comedian, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor and magician who worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. In 1990, he moved to Seattle to write a children's book and then settled in the Bay Area to work on Pixar's "Toy Story, " a 1995 blockbuster for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as co- writer. Another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived by escaping through the sun roof and received moderate injuries. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. Joe Ranft died at the age 45 Mendocino County, California, United States of car crash August 16, 2005. After graduating from Monte Vista High School, Whittier, in 1978, Ranft began studying in the character . He is best known as one of the writers of 'Toy Story' and a co-director of the 'Disney' film 'Cars.' . His favorite magicians were John Carney, Daryl, Michael Ammar, Ricky Jay and Jimmy Grippo.[4]. Copyright 2018 Fandango. As one who shied away from acclaim and publicity, Ranfts greatest pride was being able to lift others up and give them hope. On August 16, 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element, which was being driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. In 1992, he reunited with Lasseter at Pixar, where his early work included pitching and storyboarding the first sequence for Toy Story, the Green Army Men sketch. I will miss Joe Ranft and the work hes done for Pixar will live on. And we earmark things we want to improve. He trained under legendary animator Eric Larson and cut his teeth as a story man on THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER, as well as an EPCOT Center TV special and early versions of WHO FRAMER ROGER RABBIT? The secret of Pixar's magic can be found at CalArts Obituary by the former President of the Northern California Disneyana Enthusiasts club, Joe's son, Jordy Ranft voices one of the ant boys in, Joe's daughter, Sophia voices the character of Baby Smitty in, Joe's portrait can be seen engraved on a small carved box in the, According to various Pixar employees, character of, Joe's name can be seen on a wall of mentor nametags in. At age 15, he became a member of the Magic Castle Junior Group. He was 45. You should let it, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. Contact Us | About Us | Terms Of Service | Privacy Policy | Media Kit, AWNtv.com: AWN Television | Videos | Channels | Categories | Playlists | Submit Your Films At age 15, he became a member of the Magic Castle Junior Group. Darrell Van Citters was the first to spot his storytelling and entertainment talent and put him on Roger Rabbit as a story artist. Ive had people say, Oh, youre just going to keep story-boarding, he said with a characteristic laugh, My answer is, Yes, its what Ive always wanted to do, and I want to get better at it. . 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. He received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay . Joe Ranft, an Oscar-nominated writer and a founding member of the Pixar Animation Studios creative team, was killed on Aug. 16 in a car accident. All rights reserved. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Joe was 45 years old at the time of his death. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through the guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. Producers: Walt Disney Ron Miller Ken Anderson Don Duckwall Perce Pearce Margaret J. Winkler, Story Trust Directors: Ron Clements Chris Buck Byron Howard Don Hall Chris Williams Rich Moore Stephen J. Anderson He received an Academy Award for Best . LIST: 2022 New Animated Series For Broadcast, Streaming & Cable, 3 Animation Books I Cant Wait To Read In 2022, Moving Soul To Disney+ Is Economically Totally Unjustified, Say French Theaters, Soul Review: Pixars Meditation On Life, Death, And Jazz Is Its Most Ambitious Film In Years, Disney Cancels The U.S. ", After finding a home at Pixar, he worked as a story editor on titles such as "A Bugs Life" and both "Toy Story" films. Joe Ranft reunited with John Lasseter, whom he had previously met at California Institute of the Arts during the late '70s, when he joined Pixar in 1992. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through the guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. "[6] In honor of Ranft, in Selick's animated film production Coraline, the moving SUV that moves Coraline into her new apartment is emblazoned with a "Ranft Moving, Inc." logo. He was a classic example of a maladjusted child with a dark imagination finding great success in the film industry. Update (12:08pm): Animation legend Floyd Norman remembers Joe Ranft: Amid Amidi is Cartoon Brew's Publisher and Editor-at-large. Also killed was the driver, Elegba Earl, 32, of Los Angeles. In 1990, Ranft moved to Seattle for a year to write a childrens book, and relocated to the San Francisco area the following year to work with Pixar on TOY STORY and with director Henry Selick on THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. And so will Joe. The other passenger, Eric Frierson, 39, was able to escape through the vehicle's moon roof. Nobody appreciated or loved Joe more than John. His first five years at Disney, Joe Ranft worked on a number of television projects that never got made. Joe Ranft, one of the key creators of Pixars hit animated features and the voice of Heimlich the Bavarian caterpillar in A Bugs Life (1998), was killed in an automobile accident Tuesday afternoon. Eventually we all met at the atrium. In 1980, Ranft joined Disney as a writer and storyboard artist. AIDB.com: Animation Industry Database | Production Companies | VFX Houses | Schools, 2017 AWN, Inc. AWN.com - Part of the Animation World Network - 13300 Victory Blvd. Selected filmography (1982 - actor "I.Q.") The Brave Little Toaster (1987 - voice of Elmo St. Peters, Screenplay and Story . Joe Ranft . His last speaking role was . My 2 yr old son, Aaron, loves the movie Cars. Ranft was a passenger in the car. Joe helped to make Pixar what it is today, and he helped us to elevate the craft of storytelling. On August 18, 2005, he and two friends, Elegba Earl and Eric Frierson, were traveling in a 2004 Honda Element north along the tortuous Highway 1, 130 feet above the rocky Southern California coastline. Prayers to your family. The third person in the car, identified by the CHP as Eric Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, survived by climbing through the car's sun roof. Joes contribution to Animation has been immense and far reaching. "Joe was an important and beloved member of the Pixar family, and his loss is of great sorrow to all of us and to the animation industry as a whole . [5][6] Ranft was credited with additional story material for Monsters, Inc. (2001) and oversaw the story on Lasseters Cars, which is slated for release next year. For details, call (510) 752-4455. After graduating from Monte Vista High School, Whittier, in 1978, Ranft began studying in the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts alongside John Lasseter and Brad Bird. Just before his death Joe completed Cars with the story and he lent his voice to two characters Red the fire engine and the Peterbelt who Lightning McQueen mistakens for Mack. Both Ranft and Earl were killed instantly. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Ranft later spoke about Larson's training: "He always reminds me of just the fundamental things that I tend to forget. Joseph Henry Ranft (13 de marzo de 1960 - 16 de agosto de 2005) fue un animador, actor de voz y guionista estadounidense. [5][6] Producers: Peter Del Vecho Clark Spencer Roy Conli Dorothy McKim Don Hahn WE LOVE YOU! He received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination as one of the writers of Toy Story (1995), and was also co-director on Cars (2006), his final work. [7] Ranft is survived by his wife Sue and their two children, Jordan and Sophia, and his brother Jerome.[8]. Active - 1987 - 2022 . A memorial service will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley. You know, it's like, animation is so complex; 'How many drawings are in there?' A second passenger, Eric T. Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, who was riding in the back seat, survived the crash with relatively minor injuries, the California Highway Patrol reported. He was hospitalized . He was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Mendocino Coast Hospital, according to officer Robert Simas of the CHP office in Ukiah. The SUV tumbled down a cliff and plunged 130 feet (40 m) into the mouth . [citation needed], His favorite writers were Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe. i wonder who joe ranft was? At age 15, he became a member of the Magic Castle Junior Group. Why such good people have to be taken away so early Rest In Peace Joe, your work will never be forgotten! His parents were James and Melissa Ranft. Joseph Henry Ranft[1] was born in Pasadena, California, on March 13, 1960,[1] and raised in Whittier. California. Ranft used a German accent to voice Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug's Life and a French accent to voice Jacques the shrimp in Finding Nemo. Rest in peace.. i just watched cars and at the end i saw a dedication to joe rafnt so i checked him out on my net and now i know who is that guy..i feel sory for his family and relatives and also to pixar and pixar fans (me)T_T. Thank you Mr. Ranft for your creativity and your love to this industry. Joe was the undisputed storyboard master at Pixar: His boards were just inspiring, said Monsters, Inc. director Pete Docter. Joseph Henry Ranft (13. bezna 1960 Pasadena, Kalifornie - 16. srpna 2005 Mendocino County, Kalifornie) byl americk scenrista, animtor, tvrce storyboard a dabr, jen pracoval pro Pixar Animation Studios a Disney ve Walt Disney Animation Studios a Disney Television Animation.Jeho mlad bratr Jerome Ranft je socha, kter rovn pracoval na nkolika filmech spolenosti . At age 15, he became a member of the Magic Castle Junior Group. The car rolled down 120 feet before plunging into 14 feet of water. On August 16, 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element, which was being driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. Eric Frierson. [3] Ranft stayed with Disney throughout the 1980s, writing the story on many animated features, including Oliver & Company, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. and stuff, but Eric always comes back to like; 'What does the audience perceive? His favorite writers were Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe. We all knew a giant was among us. The car plunged 130 feet into the mouth of the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. [10] John Lasseter has cited Ranft as being one of the main inspirations for the character of Mater from those films, and described his influence as being "all over Cars 2". Associated Figures: Bob Iger Roy Edward Disney Michael Eisner John Lasseter Ed Catmull Jeffrey Katzenberg Bob Chapek and Eric Frierson, 39, were driving northbound on Highway 1 in Mendocino County, Calif., en route to take part in a retreat for a mentoring program. The . Id never seen an entire company come screeching to a halt the way it did today. Sad real sad As I found out he was a great man and done so much for Pixar! Both Ranft and Earl were killed instantly. Home; Products; About Us; Support. I am a grandma of 7 and my grandson Jio LOVES the movie Cars. The car fell 130 feet over the side of the road, overturning twice before it landed in the water near the mouth of the Navarro River where it meets the Pacific Ocean, the CHP said.". Earl also was killed in the incident. Bill Plympton took me there to meet him and the 3 of us had a lovely lunch together. Finishing high school in fall 1978, Joe Ranft began studying in the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts. Update (1:20am): An obit from Joe Ranfts hometown newspaper, the WHITTIER DAILY NEWS. JOE RANFT Joe Ranft was born in Pasadena, California in March 1960 and never passed away in August 2005. Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 August 16, 2005) was a beloved god of animation, Pixarian, Disney animator and writer, magician, impressionist, actor, and prankster extraordinaire. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Ranft's voice-over work for Pixar included such characters as Heimlich in A Bug's Life and Wheezy the Penguin in Toy Story 2. But fans of the patented Pixar magic will most likely remember Joe Ranft for his superlative character work: he provided the voice for Heimlich (the caterpillar) in "A Bugs Life," Wheezy (the penguin) in "Toy Story 2," and Jacques (the fish) in "Finding Nemo.". The following excerpted obit from Pixar, reveals more about the circumstances of his death and how he was regarded: Ranft, who was 45, was an Academy Award nominee for his contribution to the screenplay for the landmark 1995 Pixar feature, TOY STORY, a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the animated voice behind such beloved characters as Heimlich the ravenous caterpillar from A BUGS LIFE. Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft was an American animator, storyboard artist, director, comedian, voice actor, and magician, who worked for Disney and Pixar. The 2010 Blu-Ray and DVD re-release of Toy Story 2 includes a special feature that focuses on Ranft and his accomplishments titled "Celebrating Our Friend Joe Ranft". Everyone here at Rotten Tomatoes would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Mr. Ranfts family, as well as to his extended family over at Pixar. Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he received moderate injuries. Was First Look at Sebastian Discovered by Eagle-Eyed The Little Mermaid Fans? 1960-2005, i saw (Cars)the movie great. Commenting on Ranfts passing, Lasseter said, This is not only a huge personal loss for all of us at Pixar, but a tremendous loss to moviegoers the world over. It was sad for Pixar to lose a good storyteller and voice actor like Joe Ranft. In 1980, Ranft joined Disney as a writer and storyboard artist. 1960. Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Annie Award for Storyboarding in a Feature Production, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joe_Ranft&oldid=1121854858, Articles with dead YouTube links from February 2022, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Pages using infobox person with multiple employers, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "In Loving Memory of" Dedication, Very Special Thanks, This page was last edited on 14 November 2022, at 14:04. ". We are all hit hard by this sudden news and were all beyond sadness here at the studio. FireflyARBooks. Like John Ratzenberger, Joe Ranft had a role in every Pixar movie until his unexpected death in 2005. Ranft was survived by his wife of 20 years, Sue Barry, and their . On Toy Story, his boards for the army man sequence, which went into film pretty much unchanged, became the model we aspired to on the film., Docter added: On Monsters, he was a great mentor: constructive and supportive and always a pleasure to be around. The car plunged 130 feet and crashed into the ocean. The cars driver, Elegba Earl, was also killed, while another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived the accident. Ranft left CalArts for the Walt Disney Studio in 1980, where he quickly established a reputation as an exceptional story artist. He was posthumously honored in 2006 as a Disney Legend and in 2016 with the Winsor McCay Award, the lifetime achievement award for animators. Joe was in the middle of . I walked into the Atrium to over 700 people standing silently, looking at Ed Catmull and John Lasseter try to speak through their grief. Details regarding the time and location are available by calling (510) 752-4455. Joe Ranft, one of the key . In addition to his story credits on TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, A BUGS LIFE and MONSTERS, INC., Ranft has provided voices for a variety of Pixar characters, including Lenny the Binoculars in TOY STORY, the insatiably ravenous Heimlich the caterpillar in A BUGS LIFE, Wheezy the asthmatic squeeze-toy penguin in TOY STORY 2, Pete Claws Ward in MONSTERS, INC. and Jacques, the over eager cleaner shrimp in FINDING NEMO. Joe was a lovable zombie. [1], Ranft reunited with Lasseter when he was hired by Pixar in 1991 as their head of story. Earl, the driver, mismanaged a hairpin turn and the car spun off of the roadside cliff, crashing onto the banks of the Navarro River. 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.". As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. [1] There he worked on all of their films produced up to 2006; this included Toy Story (for which he received an Academy Award nomination) and A Bug's Life, as the co-story writer and others as story supervisor. [7] His remains were cremated.[8]. Joe Ranft, the heart of Pixar, was killed yesterday in a car . Close Search. I was watching Cars when I found this out way past this death and I actually began to get teary eyed because I am a Pixar film lover! } He was a classic example of a maladjusted child with a dark imagination finding great success in the film industry. loop: false, "Joe was really a major part of Pixar's soul - he was one of the key players who made all the films what they are." Pete Docter Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, and magician, who was the key creative member of Pixar and was one of the original members of the Brain Trust. Ranft was traveling in a car with two friends, Eric Frierson and Elegba Earl, when the accident occurred. He worked on story development for all of Pixar's feature film releases, most recently as Head of Story on Cars. On August 16, 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were . For the last 13 years, he worked in story development and provided the voices of Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bugs Life, Wheezy the asthmatic penguin in Toy Story 2 and Jacques the cleaner fish in Finding Nemo. For co-writing the 1995 film Toy Story, Ranft earned an Academy Award nomination. He also was highly versatile, Selick recalled. The men were on their way to the Mosaic Foundation in Mendocino, where Mr. Ranft attended an annual spiritual retreat, and was sponsoring Earl and Frierson this year. The third friend, Eric Frierson, got away with minor injuries. ^_^. The JH Movie Collection's Official Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. Lenny the Binoculars in Toy Story (1995), Fa Lang in Mulan (1998), Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug's Life (1998), Wheezy the toy penguin in Toy Story 2 (1999), Pete "Claws" Ward in Monsters Inc (2001), Jacques the shrimp in Finding Nemo (2003), Universal Man and One of Syndrome's guards in . Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. In the DVD of Cars, Ranft can be seen in an interview about the movie. On August 16, 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element, which was being driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. Required fields are marked *. His understanding of story structure and his talent for creating emotionally complex characters that audiences cared about won him a place in the core group of artists at Pixar, colleagues said. Doof in the film industry mouth of the CHP office in Ukiah Hyperion and. Animation department, where he received an Academy Award for Best Original.... 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