Joe Ranft

I've neglected to update this with anything lately. Life got busy, my wife and I are having another baby, we're renovating the house, the job is coming to an end soon.... but hearing the news of Joe Ranft's passing hit me really hard.

We all love to be told a good story.

Joe Ranft told great stories.

Stories are told for so many different reasons, but lately most of the seemingly important stories we are told are to create fear in us to forward a cause, like in politics.

I used to be a pretty negative person, but since the birth of my daughter I've done everything possible to be more positive and set a good example for her, and listen to stories with a positive heart and life, and they've been difficult to find. The stories that Joe Ranft told were all included in that goal. It's not about putting blinders on, it's about looking at the postive side of things.

As an animator I try in some small way to be a story teller as well, and... when somebody who has told so many great stories and had so many more to tell is taken away at such a young age it is just heartbreaking. I had never met him, but as stupid as it sounds, when I saw him in all the DVD's and interviews, it almost felt like I did know him. I wish I could have known him. He told stories to make people happy, and unfortunately that seems to be a rarity these days. What a terrible, terrible loss. But the stories will live on.

And they are a treasure.