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Tiki Central / Locating Tiki / Mark Walsh's office @ Pixar, Emeryville, CA (home-bar)

Post #344904 by tikiwinebear on Mon, Nov 19, 2007 12:25 PM

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Bamboo Ben ROCKS!!! and thanks Mark Walsh for allowing us to check it out!

I was very fortunate to be one of the few who got to visit Mark Walsh and Ben at the Pixar studios. THANKS TIKITASTIC and BEN for arranging it. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me, but I am hoping those that did will post a couple pics here. It certainly was a crowning touch to the SF Crawl Weekend.

Let me say here, Mark Walsh is one fantastic guy and tour guide! He led our small group all over the studios showing us storyboards, mock-up 3-D versions of characters, and told us all kinds of background quips about the animators and happenings at Pixar. Since Ratatouille had just been released, most of the artwork and models were of those characters, but Monster Inc, Nemo, Bug's Life, and the Incredibles were all over the place too. What a life he has!

When we checked out Mark's office, Rev Bamboo Ben had pretty much completed the inside and was working on the A-frame roof over Mark's entry door (see the completed picture above). The ceiling was completely covered in straw matting and outlined in bamboo. Then there was bamboo framing dropped from the ceiling like you would find in the Enchanted Tiki Room, giving the ceiling depth and presence. The walls were covered in all kinds of natural materials, with inset windows that simulated a rainstorm complete with rain (clear mylar strips), plants, and lighting effects. (Mark told us they had to build the wall "out" in order to set the windows into the existing office wall. Cool idea!!) Mark had some recasts of Tikis from Disney and various authentic masks, poles, and artifacts from all over. What a collection!! His desk looked like an actual bar... I bet you could store lots of Orgeat and rum behind it! The entire office was dark and warm and comfy, and I would find it very difficult in getting any REAL work done in it. It's a place to hang and forget about the outside world. But this must be where the creativity of the Pixar staff is generated, as many other of the offices near Mark's were decorated in different themes - castles, log cabins, waterscapes, etc.

Bamboo Ben created another masterpiece!! I was amazed at the textures, colors, lighting effects, and feel of his work. All this in a normal sized office (10' x 10' ?). Congrats, Ben, on another beautiful transformation!

Aloha and mahalo again,
Myke