Small hands scrolled across a bright animation screen, changing the facial expressions of Jessie from "Toy Story" at a virtual modeling workstation. Children laughingly skipped from one workstation to the next, exclaiming, "This is cool" and "I've seen this movie like a hundred times!"
On Thursday, children from a fifth grade class from Dr. Theodore T. Alexander Jr. Science Center School attended the "Science Behind Pixar" exhibit at the California Science Center, which will open to the public from Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, until Sunday, April 9, 2017.
"This is the perfect example of what happens when art, creativity, science and math come together to make something," said Lindsey Collins, the producer of "Finding Dory."
Collins, who is also the vice president of development and new media at Pixar, said this exhibit will show children and even adults who wonder when they'll use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts outside of school that these concepts can be useful.
The exhibition showcases how STEM concepts are more than abstract ideas and how they can be tactile. It does this by focusing on how they are used to create Pixar's animation and its beloved characters, like Woody from "Toy Story," Edna Mode from "The Incredibles" and WALL•E from his self-titled film.
Take a look at the beginning of the exhibit. Tweet me if you know which Pixar movie this tree is from. pic.twitter.com/nA0iCxrPd4
— Intisar Seraaj (@ismeinty) October 13, 2016
"The best way for them to learn science and math at this age is [a] hands-on approach," said Marcia Castor Lopez, one of the fifth grade teachers at the elementary science school. She said that the most effective method of learning is to get students "talking and using their hands."
The 2,000-square-foot exhibit features more than 40 interactive elements for visitors to learn about the STEM concepts that make Pixar's films possible. This includes a "production pipeline" that shows the steps of the process every Pixar movie goes through to become animated. It also includes the "computer animation workstation" where people can animate characters' bodies from the way they look to the way they move.
The stations feature information next to workstations and play areas about how animation and art deal with STEM concepts.
"It was really neat to see how science and math come together in animation," said Craig Yoshihara, who was at the event as a blogger for "Disney Nerds."
Yoshihara, a father of two, thought the exhibit was a wonderful learning experience for his 12-year-old daughter who loves math and is learning to love science.
"She's really starting to get into the details behind films," Yoshihara said. "She'll be interested to see how both [science and math] are used."
The exhibit was created by the Museum of Science in Boston in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios and will tour next at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minn., from May 27, 2017 until Sept. 4, 2017.
Annenberg Media