7. Getting The Voices

While the characters were being designed, Docter and co. began to seek out a voice cast, settling on the 79-year-old Ed Asner for Carl. Asner impressed them immediately, and ended up closer to Carl’s personality that he’d probably like to admit.

"When we first met Ed and showed him a small sculpture we'd made of Carl, he said, growling, 'I don't look anything like that!' And we thought, 'OK, this is gonna be perfect!'” Docter told Time Magazine.

For Russell, Pixar followed its usual route and picked a non-professional actor for the role - young Jordan Nagai. "When he had to be excited, he would get maybe 50%,” Docter told Time.

“So I'd tell him, 'Run around the room, then run back here and say the line — ready, set, go!' We'd do it one line at a time like that."

The physical aspect of the process even helped when avian pal Kevin tickles Russell.

“I actually lifted him upside down and tickled him," Docter says, "which you probably couldn't do with Ed."

With the movie now solidly in production, it was time to take it into another dimension…

Next: 3D Or Not 3D?