39. Jonas Rivera - From Toy Story Intern to EVP Production at Pixar, with 4 Oscars along the way

Getting to have these conversations is such a treat for me, and I really enjoyed getting to have this conversation with Jonas Rivera from Pixar.

After starting as an intern on the original Toy Story, rising up to producer on UP, Inside Out, Toy Story 4 and helping to shape Soul, Jonas has 4 Oscars under his belt and is now Executive Vice President of Production at Pixar. 

That would be a great story itself, but there are a lot more ingredients mixed in here, and really, this conversation was so enjoyable because Jonas is a super nice guy, gracious, humble and obviously absolutely loves what he does.  We talk about the early days of Pixar, touch on all the films he produced and his work with Pete Docter, chat about a producers role in the brain trust, and lots more

I know you'll really enjoy this one and Jonas was really generous with his time, which was essential in sharing such a long and interesting career. And Jonas is still a pretty young guy, so there's a lot more career to come.

The book referred to toward the end of the episode is 'You Negotiate Like A Girl' by Amy Trask.

Enjoy!

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Host & Producer: Michael Wakelam

Executive Producer: Eric M. Miller

Music by: Rich Dickerson

Audio Engineering: Mike Rocha

The Creators Society is a professional society for all disciplines of the animation industry. Our mission is to bring the animation community together to build strong relationships, provide education, and form a better understanding of the different roles we all play in creating animated stories. We celebrate and promote the love of animation, and all the talented Creators who breathe life and imagination into their work.

Learn more about the Creators Society, and how to become a member at creatorssociety.net