He was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Mendocino Coast Hospital, according to officer Robert Simas of the CHP office in Ukiah. . features: { 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. 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. In the DVD of Cars, Ranft can be seen in an interview about the movie. Before joining Pixar, Ranft worked with Selick as a storyboard supervisor on 1993's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Even though they were just still drawings, they screamed to be animated, Ranft recalled. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. shell: { He worked for Disney and Pixar. . For details, call (510) 752-4455. Mr. Ranft is survived by his wife of 20 years, Su, a son, Jordan, a daughter, Sophia, two brothers, Jerome and James, and a sister, Ruth. Joe helped to make Pixar what it is today, and he helped us to elevate the craft of storytelling. [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. Investigators said the car appeared to have been traveling at about 30 mph. Ranft, 45, and his friend Eric Frierson, 39, were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Navarro River where it meets the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino County, killing both Ranft and Earl instantly. Eric Frierson, 48. Joe was a lovable zombie. Joe Ranft was born in Pasadena, California in March 1960 and never passed away in August 2005. He had also worked on story for THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, among other films. 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.". Copyright Fandango. My 2 yr old son, Aaron, loves the movie Cars. and Wheezy the toy Penguin his soal. The movers themselves are modeled after Ranft and his brother Jerome; Jerome Ranft voiced one of the movers. Joe Ranft . Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he . Ranft died during the production of Cars, which he co-directed and voice acted in. When I say that I do story for animation, they say, Oh, youre a writer! If I tell them Im kind of a writer, but I draw, they get this puzzled look. Bill was quite upset by this tragic event as Im sure all of us who knew him are. 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". Ranft and Earl died from injuries sustained in the accident. Ranft was widely respected as one of the top story artists in the animation industry. 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. After two years at CalArts, Ranft joined Disney in 1980. Like John Ratzenberger, Joe Ranft had a role in every Pixar movie until his unexpected death in 2005. The California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred at about 3 p.m. Tuesday as the driver tried to regain control of the car after swerving when he headed into a tight left curve. Joes contribution to Animation has been immense and far reaching. He received an Academy Award for Best . . 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 and stuff, but Eric always comes back to like; 'What does the audience perceive? Storyboard Artists and Writers: Bill Peet Ralph Wright Dick Huemer Floyd Norman Yale Gracey Ted Sears Erdman Penner Joe Rinaldi Winston Hibler Otto Englander William Cottrell Bill Berg Al Bertino T. Hee Homer Brightman Ted Osbourne Larry Clemmons Harry Reeves Jesse Marsh Eventually we all met at the atrium. 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. 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. Selick met Ranft at Disney in the early 1980s, and his first impression of Ranft was that he was "a huge guy" who was well over 6 feet tall. "A spokeswoman for the Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroners 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. Joesph Henry "Joe" Ranft (born March 13, 1960 - August 16th, 2005) was an American Screenwriter, Animator, Storyboard Artist . Ranft moved to Pixar to serve as story supervisor on Lasseters Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature. He and Tim Burton hit it off immediately too. Death and legacy. 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. 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. As a student, he was inspired by Bill Peets storyboards from the 1946 Disney feature Song of the South., His pastel drawings were so alive, they just knocked me over. When i saw i the movie cars. His brother, Jerome Ranft, is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar movies. 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. . Your email address will not be published. He was also given lead story credit on The Brave Little Toaster (1987) and voiced Elmo St. Peters, the appliance salesman. Joe Ranft Dies in a Car Crash. height: 350, "[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. But the two stayed in touch. More than anything in his life, his quiet and committed work with those less fortunate was his true passion. Writer: Cars. Unlike many story artists, Ranft never expressed an interest in directing. Ranft reunited with Lasseter in 1992 to help transform Pixar into a powerhouse animation studio. Home; Products; About Us; Support. In 1980, Ranft joined Disney as a writer and storyboard artist. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. For the past 14 years, Ranft worked on animated feature films at Pixar Animation Studios, where he played a major role in writing and shaping many of that innovative Studios blockbuster hits. By Amid Amidi | 08/17/2005 10:58 am | Be the First to Comment! Joe Ranft Biography Joe Ranft was a screenwriter, comedian, animator, voice actor, director and magician nominated for the American ' Academy Award.' He. WE LOVE YOU! The car plunged 130 feet into the mouth of the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. He received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination as one of the writers of Toy Story (1995), and was also the co-director on Cars (2006), his final work before his death. version: 2, Chris Pine finally sets the record straight, Oscars diversity improved after #OscarsSoWhite, study shows. Chief Creative Officer: Jennifer Lee . 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. 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. Earl suddenly lost control and . He was taken to Mendocino Coast Hospital and treated for moderate injuries. He was a big part of our lives, and we loved him and loved working with him. If you need to cancel your entry, please use this form to request your cancellation. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, 10 Movies That Were Rated R for Basically No Reason, YA Dystopian Movie Adaptations, Ranked from Worst to Best, Jung So-mins Best Movies and TV Shows, Ranked. 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.". But Ranft spent most of his time drawing storyboards for animated films. Ranft's first film was The Brave Little Toaster in 1987. at least a tear in his memory its good from all hoo watch his great movies Joe was always sought after by every top director at the studioincluding John Lasseter. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. He was funny, poignant, original, and he had an infallible sense for how to structure a story. [5][6] Update (2:32pm): . [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". Hed been at the studio since 92, and been a lead person on just about every movie made here, so _everybody_ knew him. His brother, Jerome Ranft, is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar movies. Producers: Peter Del Vecho Clark Spencer Roy Conli Dorothy McKim Don Hahn 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 Ranft (13 de marzo de 1960 - 16 de agosto de 2005) fue un animador, actor de voz y guionista estadounidense. 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". 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