Details on Pixar panels at D23

The Walt Disney Studios revealed this afternoon details on its panels at the D23 Expo, which runs from August 19-21 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.

Of special interest to Pixar fans are the five panels featuring some of the biggest names from the studio. They're described in the announcement as follows:

• A Conversation with the Pixar Creative Team – Enjoy a rare opportunity to spend some time with the key figures responsible for Pixar’s unprecedented success, including John Lasseter, Jim Morris, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, Lee Unkrich, Mark Andrews, and Dan Scanlon.

• The Characters of Monsters University – Director Dan Scanlon and Production Designer Ricky Nierva discuss how they combine hair, horns and a lot of heart to bring the wonderful Monsters University characters to life.

• Michael Giacchino’s Music of Pixar – In this musical presentation, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino explores his early influences through the creation of modern-day classic scores from Ratatouille, Up and Cars 2.

• The Art of Brave – Production Designer Steve Pilcher and Shading Art Director Tia Kratter show how they and their team put paint to canvas and fingers to computer keys to create the stunning visuals of Scotland for Disney•Pixar’s upcoming film Brave.

• Pixar Shorts – This retrospective screening of the animation studio’s legendary short films will be followed by a panel discussion with several of the filmmakers, including Ralph Eggleston, Andy Jimenez, Angus MacLane, Pete Sohn, Teddy Newton, and Enrico Casarosa.

All of the events sound fabulous, but I'd be most interested to attend "A Conversation with the Pixar Creative Team". With almost the entire "Brain Trust" participating, this is almost certainly where Pixar's future slate of films will be announced.

If you're planning to attend, check the official website for times and locations. Tickets are still available; one-day admission is $47 for adults and $37 for children ages 3-12. Three-day passes are $136 for adults, $106 for children.