[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". On August 16, 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft's 2004 Honda Element, which was being driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. A giant heart, a giant talent, a giant smile-maker. theme: {
For the last 13 years, he worked in story development and provided the voices of Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bugs Life, Wheezy the asthmatic penguin in Toy Story 2 and Jacques the cleaner fish in Finding Nemo. For co-writing the 1995 film Toy Story, Ranft earned an Academy Award nomination. Lenny the Binoculars in Toy Story (1995), Fa Lang in Mulan (1998), Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug's Life (1998), Wheezy the toy penguin in Toy Story 2 (1999), Pete "Claws" Ward in Monsters Inc (2001), Jacques the shrimp in Finding Nemo (2003), Universal Man and One of Syndrome's guards in . 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. Joe Ranft remembers his training under the Disney Legend as, "[Eric] always reminds me of just the fundamental things that I tend to forget. 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. RIP JOE RANFT. Both Ranft and Earl were killed instantly. His brother, Jerome Ranft is a sculptor and voice actor who also worked on several Pixar movies. Browse shows and movies that include Joe Ranft, such as Cars, Toy Story and more. After two years, Joe Ranft's student film, Good Humor caught the attention of Disney animation executives who offered him a job. Update (3:54pm): Here is the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER obit with scary details of how the auto accident happened. Ranft moved to Pixar to serve as story supervisor on Lasseters Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature. Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, and magician, who worked for Pixar and Disney. All Rights Reserved. Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, and magician who worked for Pixar and Disney at Disney Animation and Disney Television Animation. Joseph Henry Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, director, voice actor and magician, who worked for Pixar Animation Studios and Disney at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation. REST IN PEACE. I am a grandma of 7 and my grandson Jio LOVES the movie Cars. 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. 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. He was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was 45. For details, call (510) 752-4455. "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 . Im 38 years old and just saw Cars for the first time. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. Bill was quite upset by this tragic event as Im sure all of us who knew him are. "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. 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. After graduating from Monte Vista High . Interesting case though, in light of the recent hand-wringing about rear-seat . Ranft reunited with Lasseter when he was hired by Pixar in 1991 as their head of story. Ranft worked for Pixar Animation Studios and for Disney at Disney Television Animation and Disney Animation. 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. Like John Ratzenberger, Joe Ranft had a role in every Pixar movie until his unexpected death in 2005. Another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived by escaping through the sun roof and received moderate injuries. Earl, the driver, mismanaged a hairpin turn and the car spun off of the roadside cliff, crashing onto the banks of the Navarro River. [13] The end credits of the Pixar film Coco showcase a digital ofrenda with pictures of many Pixar employees and their loved ones who had previously died, including Ranft. His favorite magicians were John Carney, Daryl, Michael Ammar, Ricky Jay and Jimmy Grippo.[4]. 1960. The secret of Pixar's magic can be found at CalArts Obituary by the former President of the Northern California Disneyana Enthusiasts club, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Articles with invalid date parameter in template, also screenwriter story artist and directing animator, Animation screenplay and story supervisor, Story Supervisor, Co-director, screenwritter, dedication & Writter. 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. He was the co-director and writer of Cars, and performed the voice of Red in the film. He was a classic example of a maladjusted child with a dark imagination finding great success in the film industry. "Every film Joe's name was on was successful artistically and financially," Selick said. Ranft was widely respected as one of the top story artists in the animation industry. Earl suddenly lost control and . Both Ranft and Earl were killed instantly while Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he received moderate injuries. . Discover Detailed Biography Of Joe Ranft Wiki, Net Worth, Age, Family . live: true,
Joe Ranft, an Oscar-nominated writer and a founding member of the Pixar Animation Studios creative team, was killed on Aug. 16 in a car accident. The Pixar fixture had just completed story work on the studios latest feature, CARS. He will be deeply missed. It was a car accident. I actually cried at the end. JOE RANFT OBITUARY. Ranft's first film was The Brave Little Toaster in 1987. 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. MAN he was a great guy. OTOH the car went into the ocean, so the impact per se might not have caused the deaths. As always with Joe it was about accentuating the positive and finding what works with people. My heart goes out to him today and for nothing to do with animation. Both Ranft and Earl were killed. Joe Ranft, a major part of Pixars creative team, died in an auto accident yesterday, according to this post on Animation Nation. Joe Ranft. At age 15, he became a member of the Magic Castle Junior Group. Both Ranft and Earl were killed. I will miss Joe Ranft and the work hes done for Pixar will live on. Another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived by escaping through the sun roof and received moderate injuries. Frierson, who was riding in the back seat, survived by climbing through the cars sun roof. His last speaking role was . }
Thank you Mr. Ranft for your creativity and your love to this industry. Update (1:00pm): ASIFA-San Francisco president Karl Cohen emailed me with the following: Bill Plympton called me and said Joe was one of the nicest guys in the world and that he had helped Bill a great deal with his career. and stuff, but Eric always comes back to like; 'What does the audience perceive? V3.1. En 1985 se cas con Sue Barry, con quien tuvo dos hijos, los actores de voz Jordan (1991) y Sophia (1995). '"[2], Around this time, he studied under and began performing with the improvisational group, The Groundlings. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The car plunged 130 feet and crashed into the ocean. Ranft was survived by his wife of 20 years, Sue Barry, and their . Update (12:08pm): Animation legend Floyd Norman remembers Joe Ranft: Amid Amidi is Cartoon Brew's Publisher and Editor-at-large. Joe Ranft Dies in a Car Crash. Will the luck of the Irish affect the Oscars? Cornerstone of Pixar's creative team is killed when the car he was driving in went into the ocean. ", After finding a home at Pixar, he worked as a story editor on titles such as "A Bugs Life" and both "Toy Story" films. Ranft later spoke about Larson's training: "He always reminds me of just the fundamental things that I tend to forget. Joe Ranft, an Oscar-nominated writer and a founding member of the Pixar Animation Studios creative team, was killed on Aug. 16 in a car accident. Ranft and Earl were both killed instantly. It is the saddest day at Pixar. In the movie Monsters, Inc., Ranft had a monster named after him (J.J. Ranft) as most of the scarers in the film were named for Pixar staff. Tim cast Joe in his live action short called Luau as I.Qthe big doof in the gang. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Mendocino Coast Hospital, according to officer Robert Simas of the CHP office in Ukiah. . Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he received moderate injuries. The car rolled down 120 feet before plunging into 14 feet of water. Frierson survived by escaping through the sun roof, though he received moderate injuries. His favorite magicians were John Carney, Daryl, Michael Ammar, Ricky Jay and Jimmy Grippo.[4]. The cars driver, Elegba Earl, was also killed, while another passenger, Eric Frierson, survived the accident. . He also was highly versatile, Selick recalled. His younger brother Jerome Ranft is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar films. He was a passenger in the front seat of a 2004 Honda Element driven by Elegba Earl, a 32-year-old Los Angeles man who also died. Cars was dedicated to his memory. Joseph Henry Ranft [1] byl americk scenrista, animtor, tvrce storyboard a dabr, jen pracoval pro Pixar Animation Studios a Disney ve Walt Disney Animation Studios a Disney Television Animation. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, voice actor and magician who worked for Pixar and Disney. Im sorry for the family left behind. 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.". 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. In addition to his work as a writer, Ranft performed the voices for numerous characters in Pixar features. Just before his death Joe completed Cars with the story and he lent his voice to two characters Red the fire engine and the Peterbelt who Lightning McQueen mistakens for Mack. Joesph Henry "Joe" Ranft (born March 13, 1960 - August 16th, 2005) was an American Screenwriter, Animator, Storyboard Artist . Darrell Van Citters was the first to spot his storytelling and entertainment talent and put him on Roger Rabbit as a story artist. Joe was the undisputed storyboard master at Pixar: His boards were just inspiring, said Monsters, Inc. director Pete Docter. As a child, Ranft developed a love for magic, storytelling, film and comedy. The JH Movie Collection's Official Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. "Sometimes he contributed small details, sometimes the whole thing. Joe Ranft (March 13, 1960 - August 16, 2005) was a key creative member of Pixar. He was posthumously honored in 2006 as a Disney Legend and in 2016 with the Winsor McCay Award, the lifetime achievement award for animators. FireflyARBooks. He is also the older . His younger brother Jerome Ranft is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar films. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guard rail while northbound on Highway 1. He . Joseph Ranft was an American writer, voice actor, animator, storyboard artist and magician. 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. 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. [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. 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. Home; Products; About Us; Support. "[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. Joe was in the middle of . 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. Joe was always sought after by every top director at the studioincluding John Lasseter. His brother, Jerome Ranft, is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar films. color: '#ffffff',
Joe Ranft was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor, . Henry Selick called him "the story giant of our generation. He was big, funny and had the most joy and life in him that I have seen in anybody before or since. In addition to his story credits on TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, A BUGS LIFE and MONSTERS, INC., Ranft has provided voices for a variety of Pixar characters, including Lenny the Binoculars in TOY STORY, the insatiably ravenous Heimlich the caterpillar in A BUGS LIFE, Wheezy the asthmatic squeeze-toy penguin in TOY STORY 2, Pete Claws Ward in MONSTERS, INC. and Jacques, the over eager cleaner shrimp in FINDING NEMO. Born in Pasadena, California and raised in Whittier, California, Ranft spent much of his youth practicing magic tricks and playing the accordion. Close Search. The third person in the car, whom the CHP identified as Eric Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, survived by climbing through the sun roof. He received an Academy Award for Best . :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. Update (4:45pm): Pixar story artist Ronnie del Carmen writes in his BLOG: People cannot say much but just gave each other embraces to quell the sadness. He voiced in the many films he worked on, notably as Heimlich the Caterpillar from A Bug's Life and the outtakes of Toy Story 2. Theatrical Release Of Soul, Storytelling Through Clothes: How Marvelous Designer 12 Is Used To Create Richer And More Complex Characters, How Vector Art Makes Your Cartoon Animator 5 Characters Look Better, Animate The City: Animation, Cartoons, And Comics Return For Kilkenny Animated, St. Louis Gets New Animation Studio As Hair Love Producer Carl Reed Launches Composition Media, Burny Mattinson, Disney Legend And The Companys Longest-Employed Worker, Dies At 87, U.S. FireflyARBooks. A memorial service has been set for Joe Ranft, one of the animation industrys most respected and talented story specialists, who died in a car accident near Mendocino, California, on Aug. 16, 2005 (see AWN report). 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. 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. }).render().setUser('blogofdeath').start(); Your email address will not be published. Born in Pasadena, California, and raised in Whittier, Ranft studied animation at CalArts for two years before joining the Disney animation team in 1980. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Ranft's first film was The Brave Little Toaster in 1987. Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft was an American animator, storyboard artist, director, comedian, voice actor, and magician, who worked for Pixar and Disney. Earl also was killed in the incident. Selected filmography (1982 - actor "I.Q.") The Brave Little Toaster (1987 - voice of Elmo St. Peters, Screenplay and Story . Lived In Van Nuys CA, Panorama City CA, Decatur GA, Lithonia GA. Related To Sandra Frieson, Kevin Frieson, Sarah Frieson. His parents were James and Melissa Ranft. Resides in Covington, GA. Eric Frierson. Ranft was also given lead story credit on The Brave Little Toaster (1987) and voiced Elmo St. Peters, the appliance salesman. His brother, Jerome Ranft, is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar films. 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 After being promoted to the Feature Animation department, he was mentored by Eric Larson. Includes Address (14) Phone (5) Email (3) See Results. Ranft is survived by his wife of 20 years, Su, their son, Jordan, 13, their daughter, Sophia, 9, his brothers, Jerome and James, and his sister, Ruth. The SUV tumbled down a cliff and plunged 130 feet (40 m) into the mouth . [5][6] Public records show that the phone number (360) 825-1891 is linked to L Ranft, Jill M Ranft, Jill Ranft. 1960-2005, i saw (Cars)the movie great. Elegba Earl. A famous example of . At 15, he became a . Joe Ranft was riding as a passenger with his friend Eric Frierson in his Honda Element which was being driven by . He was a classmate of Pixar's John Lasseter at the California Institute of the Arts in the 1970s. 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 reunited with Lasseter in 1992 to help transform Pixar into a powerhouse animation studio. 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. All rights reserved. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through . Sad real sad As I found out he was a great man and done so much for Pixar! Ive had people say, Oh, youre just going to keep story-boarding, he said with a characteristic laugh, My answer is, Yes, its what Ive always wanted to do, and I want to get better at it. . April 2023 List - as of 2/17/2023. He also served as story supervisor on TOY STORY 2, and A BUGS LIFE, and was a story artist on MONSTERS, INC. 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