Why Pixar Employees Wear Kilts on Fridays

[Caultron]

In Business Week, no less;

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... on-fridays

[crfriend]

That sounds like an environment in which I could thrive. I hope that Disney Enterprises doesn't screw it up.

If the stuff they do is all themed to go with whatever project they're working on I wonder if "Kilt Friday" will continue to be observed. It'd be nice if what started as a morale thing stays on afterwards and the kilts just become accepted as everyday wear.

[couyalair]

They can't have been wearing their kilts very well, judging from the appearance of the characters they created for the film. I have yet to see an attractive picture of "Brave" -- and the ones I have seen put me right off going to see the film.
Why could they not film real humans in real kilts?
Martin

[crfriend]

Why could they not film real humans in real kilts?

Perhaps because Pixar is an animation studio?

They still have a ways to go before they top Luxo Jr., although I will admit that Cars was pretty good.

It's not Pixar (it's Symbolics), but Breaking the Ice was a groundbreaker from around the same time.

Finally, for a mix of live-action and very early CGI, it's hard to beat The Last Starfighter (link to the trailer).

[skirted_in_SF]

That sounds like an environment in which I could thrive. I hope that Disney Enterprises doesn't screw it up.

Disney has owned Pixar for a few years now, so there is hope.

[Caultron]

Even straight-laced corporate types seem to understand that people paid to be creative need the freedom to let their mind wander.

[kingfish]

Even straight-laced corporate types seem to understand that people paid to be creative need the freedom to let their mind wander.

Not always. Disney especially.
I've heard that they have rather onerous restrictions placed on male employees at the parks regarding earrings and hair length (etc), even if they are never seen by the patrons.
When I visited Orlando back in 2000, I noticed that not even the "cast members" in their Indonesian section didn't go with the traditional sarong, but had on trousers that had a sarong wrap.

[Caultron]

Well, the people working in the theme parks aren't supposed to be creative. They're expected to stay in their character, costume, and script at all times.

But the people in never-never-land who actually dream stuff up seem to have more flexibility.

[thesmithie]

Nice find - hopefully it might give others some confidence to give it a go!

[Caultron]

Thanks, but I cheat.

I have an iPad app called SkyGrid that searches a mass of news sources for keywords you specify. Searching for just a single keyword like "kilt" produces a lot of stray hits, but some good ones as well.

I also have a lot of kilt-and skirt-related Facebook friends, and people post links to related articles there, too.

As to Pixar, there's probably the premise for a short story or two there. Like, the boss decides that the department is in a rut, and that it needs to get out of its box, and so he institutes mandatory Skirted Fridays. Then what? Hmm...

Some years ago one of the big fashion houses ordered all their male designers to wear male-adapted skirts or dresses to work one day a week, and gave them free reign to have anything they wanted sewn up. I don't think any successful designs came out of that (else we'd be seeing them around today) but it must've been an interesting project.