Silicon Valley Kids' Club Goes Behind the Scenes at Pixar Studios

On February 29, 2008, the AGBU Silicon Valley Kids' Club had the unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the popular Pixar animation studio. Well known for its hi-tech computer animation, Pixar is famous for such hit movies as Ratatouille, Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monster, Inc. and The Incredibles.

Longtime Pixar producer Katherine Sarafian led the tour and shared her insight into the workings of one of the world's leading animation studios. Sarafian's latest professional work includes the Academy Award-nominated short film, Lifted. She also serves on the boards of Lunafest, honoring women in film, and the San Francisco Armenian Film Festival. A native of Oakland, California, Sarafian is closely tied to the Armenian-American community and was an active member of AGBU Young Professionals of Northern California for years.

While touring Pixar studios, the members of the Kids Club learned about the sophistication of clay animation, the jargon associated with working in the field, and the amount of time required to produce sophisticated features.

"Katherine explained that during an animation movie you have to create every detail, every shadow, every character," said 10-year-old Kids' Club member Christina Cherekdjian. "It's as if you have a blank sheet of paper to draw on when you start."

After learning about the various roles of script writers, directors, producers, set designers and artists, the visitors were treated to the screening of several Pixar movie clips.

Other recent activities of the Silicon Valley Kids' Club, which was established in May 2006, have included a tour of Stanford University organized by the college's Armenian Students Association (ASA), interactive science experiments taught by scientist Anahit Yeramian, a trip to the Marine Reserve and a visit to San Francisco's Exploratorium Museum of Science and Art. In October, the club also had a sleepover at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Participants highlighted feeding the sting rays and sleeping next to the shark tanks as their best memories from this unique "underwater" visit. Last December, the Silicon Valley Kids' Club also had the unique opportunity to host their peers from Armenia's AGBU Nork Children's Center, who came to perform in Northern California.

"The greatest thing about the AGBU Kids' Club is that every time we visit a new place, there is always someone Armenian working there and helping us learn," Cherekdjian says.

"Our focus all along has been to connect Armenian kids with each other and with key Armenian-American professionals," said Yervant Zorian, AGBU Silicon Valley chairman. "Under the AGBU Kids' Club umbrella, children will flourish and form lifelong relationships, become knowledgeable Armenians, and turn into good Armenian parents active in their communities and valuable contributors to our nation."

AGBU Silicon Valley Kids' Club is dedicated to programs for Armenian-American children between the ages of six and twelve. Its mission is to connect youth to their heritage and culture through enjoyable educational activities. Monthly gatherings include learning games, field trips, and pen pal communication with children in Armenia. The Kids Club's next monthly meeting will be held on April 26 at St. Andrew's Church in Cupertino, California for a "Walk Through 20th-Century Armenian History." For more information, email agbukidsclub@gmail.com.