‘Inside Out’ Director Pete Docter Explains Why They Kept Bing Bong Under Wraps

With Inside Out coming to Blu-ray next week, I went to San Francisco last month for the home release press junket. For those who somehow missed the worldwide hit, the film takes place inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl, Riley Anderson (Kaitlyn Dias), where the personifications of her emotions run the show. When Riley is uprooted from her home in the Midwest so her father can take a new job in San Francisco, Fear (Bill Hader), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Joy (Amy Poehler) try to help her cope with the sudden change.
I got the chance to sit down with director Pete Docter, and during our conversation, we talked about the decision to keep Bing Bong (Richard Kind) a secret, why they settled on this particular group of emotions, not making villains out of emotions typically associated with negativity, the emotional makeup of Riley’s parents, and how what he learned from Monsters, Inc. and Up carried over to this movie.
Watch the full interview below. Inside Out is available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 3rd. It’s now available on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere.
Pete Docter
0:45 - Keeping Bing Bong a secret
1:53 - Why they chose Joy, Fear, Sadness, Anger, and Disgust as the main emotions.
3:13 - Why they didn’t make villains out of the emotions that typically associated with negativity.
4:44 - Determining the emotional makeup of Riley’s parents and their lead emotions.
5:48 - What he learned in the making of Monsters, Inc. and Up that helped the making of Inside Out.
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[@Jordan-zk2wd]

I'd love to interview this guy. Letting people, and particularly kids, know that Sadness is important and that complex emotions are healthy is really important, and I'm so glad a studio as influential as influential as Pixar tackled this subject. Probably my favorite Pixar movie now.

[@jasonderebel7864]

It was a stroke of genius to keep Bing Bong away from audiences until they actually see the film. The emotional punch of knowing him briefly and then letting him go pays off beautifully.

[@juxe411]

Pete Doctor: Monsters Inc, Up, Inside Out
Andrew Stanton: Finding Nemo, Wall•E
Brad Bird: The Incredibles, Ratatouille
Lee Unkrich: Toy Story 3, Coco
Note to Pixar, when you got a film coming up let one of these direct it...

[@paperchasindude6578]

Fax

[@navylaks2]

He's Pixars best director so far nothing he's done has been a miss

[@cubo121]

+Bob Lamper inside out

[@dangurney1042]

He was one of the original story writers on Toy Story along with Lasseter, Finding Nemo and Wall E director Andrew Stanton, and the late Joe Ranft. Also Supervising Animator.

[@SuperMovieLvr933]

Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, John Lasster are all so great.

[@bananian]

Dan Gurney
they should get together with miyazaki and hideki to make an uber animated film.

[@paperchasindude6578]

Yeah pixar is the greatest film studio of the 21st century and has the best directors

[@mervinedward6985]

like the transparency of the director

[@trashpandame4236]

That Mr. Howell impression is on point!

[@creezhan]

great questions!

[@swapnilgophane8694]

i like the concept of pride & hope then why it was'n applied

[@m.syauqiabdurahman2798]

I Think They Have Too Much Emotion So They Think Like
"Let's Reduced It To 5" .

[@konradmatoszko4821]

I Love Monsters inc.

[@mohammedpatel347]

awesome

[@Turtledoeslife]

What emotion does Bing bongs orange pedal represent

[@leemorrell]

Shyness, and I know shyness is not the film, but what if he/she was in it!

[@pepsitate8019]

(Goldberg)

[@connorfernandes2]

It amazes me he didn’t ask why tf Riley had two different fucking gender emotions

[@tobiboi94]

So that's what Goldberg looks like.