'Toy Story' fan film gets Pixar's blessing

Fans can do amazing things when they're left to their own devices. But when you bring them together, the results are often awe-inspiring, taking their ideas even further into the realm of the fantastic.

In this case, the result is a reenacted, live-action version of the beloved Pixar film "Toy Story."

From the first screens of the opening credits, it’s obvious that this film was made by people who love “Toy Story” enough to include even the smallest details. That’s why it's struck such a chord with fans, who have fallen in love with project, urging its creators to take it to the next level.

Dreamed up in August 2010 by high school friends 17-year-old Jonason Pauley and 18-year-old Jesse Perrotta, live-action videos were originally just a way to have fun with the source material. 

“After seeing ‘Toy Story,’ I started playing with my toys differently,” Perrotta told the East Valley Tribune. “I really made them alive.”

But when the fans of their YouTube channel continued to pile up, asking for more, the duo realized that they could do even more and decided to run with it.

In case you’re already thinking what a legal nightmare remaking a Pixar film could be, you’ll be happy to hear that Pauley and Perrotta went straight to them to ask permission to share their creation with the world. Pixar kindly gave the duo their blessing, and even invited them to hand out DVDs of the remake in front of their studios.

The film itself took years to put together. The boys, of course, didn’t have the boost of a Hollywood budget, so they borrowed toys from family and friends and even raided the local Goodwill to flesh out their supporting cast. They also transformed two rooms in Pauley’s parents’ home into Andy and Sid’s rooms, which is where the majority of the magic happened.

The guys also attracted attention by filming a live-action remake of the ending of “Toy Story 3,” which has racked up millions of page views on YouTube.