Pixar’s Inside Out universe has expanded with the new series Dream Productions on Disney+, set between the original Inside Out movie and Insider Out 2. Paula Pell returns to voice the character Paula Persimmon, a director at the studio inside Riley’s mind, who’s crafted some of Riley’s most infamous dreams.
But as Riley has gotten older, creating the next hit dream is becoming more difficult for Paula. Riley’s moving on from Rainbow Unicorn to more tween interests, and Paula’s boss Jean, voice by Maya Rudolph, is becoming increasingly less satisfied with Paula’s work.
As Paula tries to stay on top of her game, her assistant Janelle, voiced by Ally Maki, is trying to step out from under Paula’s shadow, and proves to be more in tune with Riley’s interests.
Disney/Pixar
Watch Dream Productions on Disney+ with plans starting at $8.99/month
$9 at Disney+
In addition to the characters at the studio, we get to see how the Core Emotions interact and work with Dream productions, but what’s particularly appealing with this mockumentary style that the series uses. Many of the scene are Paula talking to the camera as the subject, and in her mind star, of this documentary on the work that she’s done at the studio.
“I really thought they were joking with me when they called and said, we’re going to do a show based on your character and her experience as this kind of soon-to-be has-been director at the studio,” Pell told Yahoo Canada. “I really didn’t think it was real the first couple times they talked to me.”
“I’ve been thrilled to do it, and Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler being involved, it’s felt like home.”
In Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new series “Dream Productions,” Paula Pell provides the voice of seasoned dream director Paula, who’s struggling to age up her dreams since Riley’s growing up. Melatonin, Paula’s sweet puppy, is by her side through thick and thin—but be careful: those who pet him fall quickly asleep. Written and directed by Mike Jones and produced by Jaclyn Simon, Pixar Animation Studios’ hilarious, mockumentary-style series streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning Dec. 11, 2024 (Disney/Pixar)
Paula Pell’s ‘Dream Productions’ role reminded her of ‘SNL’
For Pell, working on Dream Productions, playing this veteran director who has worked with the same crew for years to quickly adapt to Riley’s dream needs, reminded the actor of working on Saturday Night Live (SNL).
“I had a moment in the scene where she looks up and sees all her crew, it reminded me of two things, SNL, which I still go back to SNL and some of the same crew that’s been there for 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, … that family of a crew, I love how she has that family that she relies on and feels like she let down, and then they are showing up for her,” Pell shared. “I love that part so much.”
“And also just the chaos, because SNL is this chaos. … In between a commercial you have to change something on the cue cards because they don’t have enough time to do the whole sketch, and you’re sitting there helping them cross out words while a commercial’s on NBC, and you’re filling your diaper, basically.”
Disney/Pixar
Watch Dream Productions on Disney+ with plans starting at $8.99/month
$9 at Disney+
Riley’s Canadian boyfriend
Aside from the absolute delight of Pell’s character, a particular highlight for Canadians to see in Dream Productions is an entire sequence linked to a dream about Riley’s Canadian boyfriend, really leaning into the chaos of making dream happen.
In the hysterical moment, Paula is battling against Xeni (voiced by Richard Ayoade), an avant guard director hoping to move from directing day dreams to working on night dream, to give Riley the best boyfriend dream.
“That whole second half of that episode is one big roller coaster ride that accelerates and accelerates, and to have this beautifully stupid boyfriend in the middle of it is just comedy gold,” Austin Madison, who directed this moment in Episode 3, said. “Our voice actor was just great at keeping him charming. … We needed somebody who was a little bit more vulnerable, and he really brought that.”
“We had a Canadian trust come in so that we could make sure everything was accurate and yes, there’s overt stereotypical nods, because this is a 12-year-old girl who’s never been there. But we also [wanted] the audience to have very specific terminology and stuff.”
‘They’re drawing something that just came out of you’
As both Pell and Maki highlighted, the beauty of working with Pixar isn’t just the detail that they put into the design of each character and the world they inhabit, but how the team works to pull from each voice actor’s performance as well. Something they stress AI could never replicate.
“What I love most about working with Pixar is, both times that I’ve worked with them I was like, ‘What kind of voice do you want?’ And feeling like I have to already change myself. And they’re like, ‘No we just want you to be you,'” Maki said. “So I think already the tone they set of, you’re inherently enough, I think … brings kind of an emotional depth to all of the characters.”
“When I worked on Toy Story 4, it blew me away, because I realized when you go into animation, you’re going to walk in and you’re going to see the animation in front of you, and then you do the voice. You see parts of yourself.”
“I also just love, if you improvise a line and you go off on some ridiculous thing, and then next time when they show you the animatics, or whatever they’re showing you that’s the rough version, they’ve already put that in,” Pell added. “They’re drawing something that just came out of you.”
“AI can’t even touch it. It will never touch it.”
The team behind Dream Productions also emphasized how a strength of their work at Pixar is also linked to being able to use these incredible actors to influence the characters.
“[Paula] is such an incredible improv artist and has so much natural energy that she brings to the character,” director Valerie LaPointe said.
“I remember one animator, Paula’s talking and he just sort of adjusted her glasses. And there’s just these little movements that really define a character, and make them specific. And we just had exceptional animators who brought that level to it.”