How ‘Inside Out’ Was Inspired by Real Life Experiences Between the Director and His Daughter

Filmmaker Michael Tucker of Lessons from the Screenplay created another thought provoking video essay about not only using one’s real life experiences to tell a story, but to ask a question about these experiences and then find the answer. Tucker cited the Disney/Pixar film Inside Out as a fitting example.

For example, the question that led to “Inside Out” came when the film’s director, Pete Docter, noticed something about his daughter. According to Meg LeFauve, who wrote “Inside Out” with Pete Docter: “The director, he had a daughter.And she was so happy all the time, and was so joyful.” And then she turned eleven. And suddenly she was quiet and she wasn’t smiling… And he sat at breakfast and he wondered, ‘What happened to joy?’ And then he thought: I’m going to make a move about that”.