"They're there for the animators to be able to see, so that while the characters don't necessarily look like them, there are a lot of facial gestures and things like that that do find their way into the animation performances. And so this is where the original voice actors really, really, really influence the characters. People think, 'Well actors don't have much to do with animation.' No, they have a lot to do with animation. Their performances are the inspiration for all of us to create the animation of their characters."

As for the end result, "When I saw it [Bolt], I cried five times and I laughed probably a ton more than that," says Travolta. "I just didn't know how clever this movie was really in the doing of it; really only the visionaries have that. It left me as an audience [member] touched and wanting to go home and hug everybody I love, including my pets."

Blending Classic Elements with Modern Innovation

Outside of a variety of new roles within its team, Bolt also took a step forward in the realm of animated technology as Disney's first in-house 3-D animated feature. While the previous Disney features Meet the Robinsons and Chicken Little were released in 3-D versions, Bolt is the first to be conceived and designed in 3-D instead of being converted in post-production. In May 2009, Pixar will release Up, its first in-house 3-D animated feature, and from there on all computer-animated features from both studios will be in 3-D.

"I love 3-D," says Lasseter. "I made a short film at Pixar in 1989 called Knick Knack in 3-D, and there were no theaters to see it in&ellips; zero. In fact—people have a hard time believing this—the year before that in 1988, I got married and I did my wedding photos in 3-D. So, I've always loved 3-D, and so to have theaters all over the world popping up to be able to see 3-D, I think is great. It's very immersive. When you see this film in 3-D, you get kind of sucked into the film that much more."

More than just a flashy gimmick, however, animators emphasize that their goal is not to overwhelm but rather to complement the story.

As result of creating the 3-D animation at the same time as the actual film, "We can actually influence the storytelling through the 3-D process in terms of what's happening emotionally in the film," explains producer Clark Spencer. "Rather than over-using the technique, we're able to do something much more subtle and satisfying to the audience. We really wanted to make sure that the storytelling remained our top priority. During an emotional scene, the actual 3-D is toned down in a way that allows you to relax in the moment. For the big action sequences that completely lend themselves to 3-D, we're able to go all out. It gives us the right balance."

But just because 3-D will be a part of all future Disney/Pixar CG animated films does not mean its animators will forget other aspects of artistry that have long characterized both Disney and Pixar's vivid visual appeal.

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