Bill was quite upset by this tragic event as Im sure all of us who knew him are. Joe Ranft { "" } Share. 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. He will be deeply missed. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JoeRanft. I LOVED IT. Joe Ranft was born in Pasadena, California in March 1960 and never passed away in August 2005. In 1980, Ranft joined Disney as a writer and storyboard artist. He was a classic example of a maladjusted child with a dark imagination finding great success in the film industry. Update (2:32pm): Heres a nice SALON article/interview with Joe Ranft that offers some insight into his personal background and his approach to storytelling, as well as explains how he became involved with voice acting at Pixar. Details regarding the time and location are available by calling (510) 752-4455. "We'd do hundreds of drawings, and Joe was always the guy who was able to go back in and say, 'This is about the process; let's try it again.' Besides a good story man Joe was also the voice in many Pixar films such as Hemlich the Caterpillar in A BUGS LIFE and Wheezy the toy penguin in TOY STORY 2. More details to come. 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. Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, director, voice actor and magician, who worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. 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. 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". 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 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. Ranft was a passenger in the car. Copyright 2018 Fandango. }, 100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (March 2023), 270 Best Movies Directed By Women of the 21st Century, 100 Best Movies Written by Women of All Time. I make tons of straight-to-video movies you can find at Amazon & Vimeo. 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. "His drawing at the time was really crude, but he was the sweetest, funniest guy," Selick said. It was sad for Pixar to lose a good storyteller and voice actor like Joe Ranft. Sorry for us he was a great man and we lost him. His brother, Jerome Ranft, is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar movies. Resides in Covington, GA. The third person in the car, whom the CHP identified as Eric Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, survived by climbing through the sun roof. [9] Ranft did early drawings for the character of Finn McMissile in an unused scene from the film Cars, and his drawings were later used in creating the character for Cars 2. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joe Ranft, Pixar Animation Studios' head of story for more than a decade and a cornerstone of the company's creative team, died Tuesday when the car he was riding in plunged into the ocean after running off the road in Mendocino County, Calif. Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element on August 16, 2005, driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. 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. 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. UKIAH, Calif., Aug. 18 - Joe Ranft, who was nominated in 1996 for an Oscar as co-writer of "Toy Story" for Pixar Animation Studios, died on Tuesday when the . 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. His younger brother Jerome Ranft is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar films. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. All rights reserved. He is also the older . 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. He received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay . Why such good people have to be taken away so early Rest In Peace Joe, your work will never be forgotten! 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. The car's driver, Elegba Earl, was also killed, while another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived the accident. Frierson, who was riding in the back seat, survived by climbing through the cars sun roof. The SUV plunged 130 feet into the mouth of the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. Before Pixar, he was a leading member of the story department at Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he was a writer on 1991's Beauty and the Beast and 1994's The Lion King. 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 Prayers to your family. He was also given lead story credit on The Brave Little Toaster (1987) and voiced Elmo St. Peters, the appliance salesman. He worked on some of the most beloved animated films of the past thirty years including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Brave Little Toaster, The Lion King, Toy Story and Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and Cars. Copyright Fandango. Joe Ranft was an American 'Academy Award'-nominated screenwriter, comedian, animator, voice actor, director, and magician. Directors: Clyde Geronimi Hamilton Luske Jack Kinney Ted Berman Richard Rich Nathan Greno George Scribner Riley Thomson Dick Lundy Jack King Burt Gillett Perhaps best remembered by those who knew him for his kindness, generosity, positivity, sense of humor, and his fatherly mentoring ability. Ranft later spoke about training under the Disney legend: "He 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, who worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. If you didn't make the list remember we have a waitlist and will get you moved up as soon as we can. Joseph Henry Ranft[1] was born in Pasadena, California, on March 13, 1960,[1] and raised in Whittier. Update (1:20am): An obit from Joe Ranfts hometown newspaper, the WHITTIER DAILY NEWS. We are all hit hard by this sudden news and were all beyond sadness here at the studio. . 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 . Writer: Cars. Thank you Mr. Ranft for your creativity and your love to this industry. In 1980, Ranft joined Disney as a writer and storyboard artist. 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. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. After two years, Joe Ranft's student film, Good Humor caught the attention of Disney animation executives who offered him a job. At age 15, he became a member of the Magic Castle Junior Group. at the end i was curious aboub Joe Ranft i got some details about him great man The population at work had never been this silent except for the sound of grief. Joe Ranft, one of the key . But Ranft spent most of his time drawing storyboards for animated films. 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