This film, which allows viewers to enjoy the growth of Riley, the main character of the series, and her emotions, and to empathize with the “storm of emotions” that unfolds as new feelings come over her as she reaches her adolescence, has become Pixar’s biggest hit ever.
Animate Times conducted an interview with director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Nielsen!
We were able to talk to them about the production of this hugely successful film, the appeal of this series that incorporates human emotions into fantasy, and how they both deal with their own emotions.
We also asked about the future of Pixar Studios, a company that depicts universal themes that anyone can relate to!
-How did you feel when Pete Docter, the director of the previous film, entrusted you with this project?
Kelsey Mann (hereinafter referred to as Kelsey): It was truly filled with joy!
I was really happy because I never thought I would be able to direct at Pixar. I also never expected that I would be in charge of the sequel to the movie “Inside Out,” which was loved all over the world.
–The “red adolescence button” appeared at the end of the previous film “Inside Out.” In “Inside Out 2,” the story begins with pressing that button. I thought it was a great idea as an introduction, but was that the director’s idea?
Kelsey: As I said earlier, the first film was directed by Pete Docter, who is our current Chief Creative Officer, and the original idea was his.
However, at the time we weren’t even thinking about a sequel, so it was just an idea that it would be interesting if a button like this appeared.
When I was asked to direct Inside Out 2, I made a list of things I wanted to happen as an audience member, and one of the things I wanted to see was that button actually ringing.
Since it’s there, we have to use the alarm (laughs). I also thought it would be interesting if the command center in Riley’s head was destroyed and then rebuilt, so I added that to my list.
What goes on in Riley’s head in the series is “science.” When creating the story, we interviewed and listened to experts. There are so many things going on in the minds of teenagers.
Apparently, the brain is in a state of chaos, with nerves being destroyed and new ones being born, connecting and disconnecting. When I heard that, I thought it sounded like a busy construction site.
- The director expanded Pete’s ideas. In this film, there was a lot of interaction with characters in the real world, not just in one’s head. Could you tell us about the balance between the story in one’s head and the story in the real world?
Kelsey: It took about four years to get that balance. Among us, the staff said, “It’s like playing three-dimensional chess.” Writing the script for this film was a huge challenge, and I think the staff in charge of editing it was also very difficult.
In the previous film, Joy was the protagonist, but in this one Riley’s life also enters a critical phase and she is torn between new and old friends.
Along with that, new emotions appeared in my head, and I had to portray those emotions as well. Looking back now, I think it was a really challenging task.
–In this work, new emotions appear in addition to joy. It was impressive to see how the joys are pushed aside by these emotions. When complex emotions arise, does this actually happen in our bodies, where simple emotions like joy are suppressed?
Producer Mark Nielsen (hereinafter referred to as Mark): We consulted with clinical psychologist Lisa DeMora and she helped us a lot with the science behind emotions.
Kelsey: Yes. What I learned while making this film is that there are many different emotions, but each one exists for a reason, and each emotion exists to help humans. Lisa says, “There are no bad emotions.”
There are some emotions that are difficult to deal with, such as sympathy and anger. These emotions themselves are not bad, and it is important for humans to experience the right emotions at the right time.
何かを不安に思ったり、心配する気持ちは誰でも持っていますが、その感情が私たちの命を守ることだってあるじゃないですか。如何に、感情をコントロールしていくのか、ですよね。
マーク：どうやってそれを手なづけていくかというのは、人間が一生をかけて行っていく仕事だと思います。ライリーの中でヨロコビたちの役割が減っているようにも思えますが、それは違います。
彼女は、これまでと違う種類の喜びを感じているわけです。成長した彼女は物語後半により成熟した喜びを感じている。それは小さい子どもがチョコレートを食べて「やったー！」というものとは違う種類の喜びになっていると思います。
ケルシー：確かにね。若い時は喜びは、すぐに味わえる思うんです。でも、大人になると自ら意図しないと喜びは来ません。喜びを感じることを意識的にやらないといけないですね。
例えば、私が今このインタビューを受けて緊張したり、心配していると感じることもできますが、「自分が誇りに思っている映画について話せる機会なのだから嬉しい！」とか、「日本は素晴らしい国だから訪れることが嬉しいな！」というふうに意図的に喜びを感じるようにしています。自分の人生において、意識的に喜びを感じるのは不可欠だなと思います。
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