Elegba Earl and Eric Frierson, were traveling in a 2004 Honda Element north along the tortuous Highway 1, 130 feet above the rocky Southern California coastline. At Disney, Ranft worked on Oliver & Company (1988), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Lion King (1994) and Fantasia/2000. He oversaw the story on The Rescuers Down Under (1990) and was co-writer and supervising animator on The Brave Little Toaster (1987). Signature Voice Actors: Jim Cummings Alan Tudyk Katie Lowes John DiMaggio Maurice LaMarche Jodi Benson David Ogden Stiers Jesse Corti Paul Briggs Raymond S. Persi Phil Johnston Frank Welker Bill Farmer Brian Cummings He was a big part of our lives, and we loved him and loved working with him. He worked on some of the most beloved animated films of the past thirty years including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Brave Little Toaster, The Lion King, Toy Story and Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and Cars. Script error: No such module "WikidataCheck". "His drawing at the time was really crude, but he was the sweetest, funniest guy," Selick said. Ranft was traveling in a car with two friends, Eric Frierson and Elegba Earl, when the accident occurred. Resides in Atlanta, GA. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through the guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. Joe Ranft -- Pixar animation artist, voice of characters, Restaurant chain slated to close site at Bay Area mall, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to heavy snow and ice, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, Graupel falls on Disneyland, shocks guests, Plan to bring bullet train from LA to Vegas is underway, What it looks like inside Coit Towers former apartment, Avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building amid blizzard, Hundreds of thousands of workers have abandoned downtown SF, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, Tahoe's snowfall totals are on track to break records, Popular yet divisive fast food chain coming to this Bay Area town, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, HOKA dropped a brand new version of their most popular shoe, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase, 6 Cabo hotels for your spring break vacation, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). and Eric Frierson, 39, were driving northbound on Highway 1 in Mendocino County, Calif., en route to take part in a retreat for a mentoring program. He is best known as one of the writers of 'Toy Story' and a co-director of the 'Disney' film 'Cars.' . He worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. Ranft was on his way to his annual retreat with the Mosaic Foundation with two friends from the Watts, CA, area, Frierson and Earl, whom he had sponsored for the spiritual retreat in Mendocino. Ranft worked for Pixar Animation Studios and for Disney at Disney Television Animation and Disney Animation. Joe Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, and magician, who was the key creative member of Pixar and was one of the original members of the Brain Trust. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. During the 1980s, he was writing stories for Disney . 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. Sad day :( Perhaps best remembered by those who knew him for his kindness, generosity, positivity, sense of humor, and his fatherly mentoring ability. Whitepages people search is the most trusted directory. Joe Ranft { "" } Share. Chris Pine finally sets the record straight, Oscars diversity improved after #OscarsSoWhite, study shows. In the DVD of Cars, Ranft can be seen in an interview about the movie. I walked into the Atrium to over 700 people standing silently, looking at Ed Catmull and John Lasseter try to speak through their grief. Joe Ranft Biography Joe Ranft was a screenwriter, comedian, animator, voice actor, director and magician nominated for the American ' Academy Award.' He. John and I had a pact that when he directed his first feature, I was going to work on it, Ranft told The Times. 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.". How many great ideas he had taken with himself? Joe Ranft reunited with John Lasseter, whom he had previously met at California Institute of the Arts during the late '70s, when he joined Pixar in 1992. Joe had a great passion for telling stories, and he told them better than anyone, Lasseter said Wednesday. He was funny, poignant, original, and he had an infallible sense for how to structure a story.. and Wheezy the toy Penguin his soal. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. background: '#333333', Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor. After graduating from Monte Vista High School, Whittier, in 1978, Ranft began studying in the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts alongside John Lasseter and Brad Bird. Ranft reunited with Lasseter in 1992 to help transform Pixar into a powerhouse animation studio. Ranft died during the production of Cars, which he co-directed and voice acted in. Im 38 years old and just saw Cars for the first time. Thank you Mr. Ranft for your creativity and your love to this industry. he made all that movie. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. But when I say, Im the voice of Heimlich, the lightbulb goes on and they say, Oh, great! . RIP JOE RANFT. In 1990, he moved to Seattle to write a children's book and then settled in the Bay Area to work on Pixar's "Toy Story, " a 1995 blockbuster for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as co- writer. Majorhythm: On August 16, 2005, Ranft, 45, and his friend Eric Frierson, 39, were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element, which was being driven by another friend, Elegba Earl, 32. His younger brother Jerome Ranft is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar films. If you mean Eric Frierson, who escaped through the skylight, it's not very probative case because two front-seat occupants died (driver Elegba Earl and passenger Joe Ranft). behavior: 'all' Furthering into his Disney career, he was bumped up into the Feature Animation department, where he received training from Eric Larson. CHP investigators said Earl apparently had driven slightly off the roadway on the right, overcompensated when he turned the wheel to the left to straighten out, and veered over the cliff. He was the co-director and writer of Cars, and performed the voice of Red in the film. [7] Ranft is survived by his wife Sue and their two children, Jordan and Sophia, and his brother Jerome.[8]. He taught and mentored a whole generation of creators, I cant even begin to describe how dearly he will be missed. 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. Get our L.A. When i saw i the movie cars. 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. Mr. Ranft was also the storyboard supervisor for two animated movies directed by Henry Selick, 1993's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and 1996's "James and the Giant Peach," and earned story credits for the Pixar hits "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters, Inc.", In addition to his gifts as a story artist, Mr. Ranft was a talented voice actor. He was loved and respected by all who knew him. shell: { 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. Frierson, who was riding in the back seat, survived by climbing through the cars sun roof. The car's driver, Elegba Earl, was also killed, while another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived the accident. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Mendocino Coast Hospital, according to officer Robert Simas of the CHP office in Ukiah. Joe was always sought after by every top director at the studioincluding John Lasseter. "This is not only a huge personal loss for all of us at Pixar, but a tremendous loss to moviegoers the world over," said John Lasseter, Pixar's creative head and a close friend of Mr. Ranft's since their student days at Los Angeles' CalArts in the late 1970s. The SUV tumbled down a cliff and plunged 130 feet (40m) into the mouth of the Navarro River where it meets the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino County, killing both Ranft and Earl instantly. 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. His younger brother Jerome Ranft is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar films. His parents were James and Melissa Ranft. The car rolled down 120 feet before plunging into 14 feet of water. scrollbar: true, Born in Pasadena in 1960, Ranft was raised in Whittier, Calif., where as a child he developed a fondness for performing magic tricks. '"[2], Around this time, he studied under and began performing with the improvisational group, The Groundlings. He . 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Mr. Ranft joined the Disney animation team in 1980 and polished his craft as a "story man" on films such as "The Brave Little Toaster," "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King." I knew thats what I wanted to try to accomplish.. 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. "Every film Joe's name was on was successful artistically and financially," Selick said. Another passenger, Eric Frierson, 39, also of Los Angeles, was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Mendocino Coast District Hospital in Fort Bragg, according to the sheriff-coroners office. Commenting on Ranfts passing, Lasseter said, This is not only a huge personal loss for all of us at Pixar, but a tremendous loss to moviegoers the world over. During his first five years with Disney, he worked on a number of television projects[1] that were never produced. The last meeting I had with Joe was a Story Lead meeting where we share the collective known knowlege of those of us whove done Head of story jobs. John Lasseter stood beside him but could not speakJoe is the very best story man ever and the best human being Ive known in animation. UKIAH, Calif., Aug. 18 - Joe Ranft, who was nominated in 1996 for an Oscar as co-writer of "Toy Story" for Pixar Animation Studios, died on Tuesday when the . Born in Pasadena, California, and raised in Whittier, Ranft studied animation at CalArts for two years before joining the Disney animation team in 1980. OTOH the car went into the ocean, so the impact per se might not have caused the deaths. Joe Ranft. Joe Ranft died at the age 45 Mendocino County, California, United States of car crash August 16, 2005. Elegba Earl. Great stories of how to and why. Like John Ratzenberger, Joe Ranft had a role in every Pixar movie until his unexpected death in 2005. Joseph Henry Ranft was born in Pasadena, California, on March 13, 1960, and raised in Whittier. ", After finding a home at Pixar, he worked as a story editor on titles such as "A Bugs Life" and both "Toy Story" films. A spokeswoman for the Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroner's 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. Copyright 2018 Fandango. Born in Pasadena, he grew up in Whittier, where his early interests included movies, drawing, performing in school plays and doing sleight-of-hand magic. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. Ranft was survived by his wife of 20 years, Sue Barry, and their . Earl suddenly lost . April 2023 List - as of 2/17/2023. He was 45. at least a tear in his memory its good from all hoo watch his great movies A second passenger, Eric T. Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, who was riding in the back seat, survived the crash with relatively minor injuries, the California Highway Patrol reported. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through the guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. Update (3:54pm): Here is the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER obit with scary details of how the auto accident happened. [1] After two years, Ranft's student film Good Humor caught the attention of Disney animation executives, who offered him a job. He was posthumously honored in 2006 as a Disney Legend and in 2016 with the Winsor McCay Award, the lifetime achievement award for animators. Learn about Joe Ranft on Apple TV. Joe Ranft was an American 'Academy Award'-nominated screenwriter, comedian, animator, voice actor, director, and magician. [1] There he worked on all of their films produced up to 2006; this included Toy Story (for which he received an Academy Award nomination) and A Bug's Life, as the co-story writer and others as story supervisor. 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. [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. I did not know who this gentleman was. DVDs are back and I like it! Pixar Studios veteran Joe Ranft died on Tuesday after the car he was riding in broke through a guardrail and plummeted over 100 feet into the ocean, says The Hollywood Reporter. Ranft also supervised the story for Cars, a Pixar film scheduled for release next summer, and served as an executive producer on Tim Burtons Corpse Bride, which comes out in September. On August 18, 2005, he and two friends, Elegba Earl and Eric Frierson, were traveling in a 2004 Honda Element north along the tortuous Highway 1, 130 feet above the rocky Southern California coastline. In addition to his work as a writer, Ranft performed the voices for numerous characters in Pixar features. You know, it's like, animation is so complex; 'How many drawings are in there?' 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He was one of seven writers nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay for 1995s Toy Story.. But fans of the patented Pixar magic will most likely remember Joe Ranft for his superlative character work: he provided the voice for Heimlich (the caterpillar) in "A Bugs Life," Wheezy (the penguin) in "Toy Story 2," and Jacques (the fish) in "Finding Nemo.". I loved it. My heart goes out to him today and for nothing to do with animation. He had already worked for Disney and I believe I saw him on TV win an Oscar for his work at Pixar, but the few times I saw him over the years he was just Joe. 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. He was 45. On August 16, 2005, Ranft, 45, and his friend Eric Frierson, 39, were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element, which was being driven by another friend, Elegba Earl, 32. He died in a car accident on August 16, 2005. It proved to be an invaluable experience for Ranft. He also served as story supervisor on TOY STORY 2, and A BUGS LIFE, and was a story artist on MONSTERS, INC. Update (1:32pm): Pixar story artist Enrico Casarosa writes in his journal: Joe Ranft, the heart of Pixar, was killed yesterday in a car accident. 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. Yes, at 47. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries. MAN he was a great guy. and stuff, but Eric always comes back to like; 'What does the audience perceive? Last week, Ranft and his friends, Elegba Earl, 32, and Eric Frierson, 39, were driving northbound on Highway 1 in Mendocino County, Calif., en route to take part in a retreat for a mentoring program. A "Friends and Colleagues" memorial service for Mr. Ranft will be held Sept. 17. . FireflyARBooks. "Sometimes he contributed small details, sometimes the whole thing. Both Ranft and Earl were killed instantly. Joe Ranft, the heart of Pixar, was killed yesterday in a car . Support Us; FAQs Actor, Director. Ed Catmull, visibly shaken walked out to deliver the sad news. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. Disney Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. At 15, he became a . We used to play volleyball at break and Tim would act like he had a remote control in his mad scientist hand and shout orders to TORthe Plan Nine actor. but when it got to the end. . The SUV plunged 130 feet into the mouth of the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. No wonder he made a fantastic voice actor later. '"[2], Around this time, he studied under and began performing with the improvisational group, The Groundlings. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. "Joe was an important and beloved member of the Pixar family, and his loss is of great sorrow to all of us and to the animation industry as a whole," the Emeryville, Calif.-based company said Wednesday. A famous example of "a genius that died long before their time," he is the subject of many a tribute and dedication, even a non-fiction book. :sad: He wrote parts of The Brave Little Toaster, Toy Story and A Bug's Life, and was active at Pixar all the way through Cars, which will probably be dedicated to his memory now. 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". color: '#ffffff' Tuesday's crash happened when the car Mr. Ranft was riding in went out of control on Highway 1 and plunged into the ocean near the mouth of the Navarro River around 3 p.m. More details to come. 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