Josh Imhof | staff writer

Nearly three decades ago today, the animation and cinematic landscape changed forever when Pixar released its first movie, “Toy Story,” in 1995. The film set a new precedent for what an animated film could be with its revolutionary CGI and imaginative storytelling.

Twenty-seven films and seven TV shows later, Pixar shows no signs of slowing down, with more productions slated to arrive in 2025, 2026 and beyond.

Over this period of dominance, the Disney-owned company has refined its craft using innovative technologies and problem solving methods, all of which are now on display at the Carnegie Science Center.

“The Science Behind Pixar” exhibit opened on May 25 just in time for Memorial Day.

“It’s exciting for us when we get to see actual people in the exhibition and the glow on kids’ faces when they come out, and they see Buzz Lightyear standing there before them,” said Associate Museum Director Marcus Harshaw. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Harshaw had been working since 2020 to get Pixar to Pittsburgh. Despite pandemic delays, Harshaw was persistent in fostering a great relationship with the Museum of Science in Boston where the exhibit started to finalize plans to bring it to the Steel City.

“They’re [Museum of Science] a dream to work with. They are really the conduit between the host museums and Disney Pixar,” he said. “Everything that we do from a marketing standpoint, from a programmatic standpoint, we present those to our contact in Boston. They then take it to Disney Pixar for final approval.”

Aside from Pittsburgh, the exhibit has traveled to 25 different locations, including 10 different U.S. cities and five countries since it first opened in 2015.

At the science center, the exhibit spans two floors and 12,000 square feet, featuring over 50 interactive displays. Setup for the installation took two weeks and eight truckloads of Pixar history.

The exhibit is broken down into eight parts, each highlighting a specific aspect of the production process. Within each section, guests can participate in multiple hands-on activities, like creating an original character via digital 3D model, exploring a faux outdoor set from the perspective of a bug and relighting a scene from “Up.”

Many of the activities have pre-programmed settings and functions, allowing younger children to have an introduction to complex concepts while giving older visitors room to enjoy themselves as well.

“I think people surprise themselves with how into it they get,” said science center employee Liz Power. “People will think that kids mess with [the activities], but then adults start doing it, and they get engrossed in it too.”

Power is not much of a Pixar fan herself, however after seeing all of the work and effort that goes into the creative process, she has a lot more respect for it — a sentiment that she hopes guests will share.

“It takes a person to really be able to tell a story. Even if there are computers, you still need the human element,” Power said.

This is highlighted throughout the exhibit, where each computer simulation or technological advancement shown has an accompanying video or description about the people who came up with them.

Ashley Capel, who came with her two sons, Jayce, 8, and Cole, 5, said they were interested in this aspect.

“[Jayce] was totally wild about how it actually worked and then how that translates to on the screen,” she said. “I don’t even think before we went there that they ever really thought about the science, so for them to be able to see step-by-step all it takes to create these characters that they love was very impressionable on them.”

The three of them spent their time building their own robot, styled after the 2008 film “Wall-E,” and immersing themselves with underwater-themed lighting near their finned friend, Dory, from “Finding Nemo.”

In total, Capel and her children spent about an hour in the exhibit, which culminated in a scene from “Luca,” where all aspects of the gallery are brought together and shown side-by-side, from storyboard all the way to the screen.

“I actually probably enjoyed it just as much as they did,” she said. “I had a general knowledge of what goes into creating cartoons, but specifically for Pixar, [it’s a] totally different entity.”

The Science Behind Pixar Exhibit will remain at the Carnegie Science Center until Jan. 5.

Until then, college students can show their ID for $10 discounted admission, which includes the Pixar exhibit and the rest of the Carnegie Science Center.