Monsters University has dominated the box office since its release two weeks ago and part of its success may be due to the extraordinary effort the Pixar animation team put in to make the movie as realistic as possible, even down the titular college campus setting.
In preparation for the film, the California-based Pixar team took trips to local schools UC Berkeley and Stanford, and went across the country to check out Harvard, Princeton, and MIT.
These campus visits helped the animators create a collegiate environment that while not based on any one school, had a mix of California and East Coast university traditions, Robert Kondo, Monster University's Art Director for Set Design & Shading, told us.
Kondo told Business Insider that because a lot of the animators went to art school, they traveled to these campuses to get an understanding of a more all around university experience. More than looking at specific buildings, though, Kondo said — as only an art school grad could — that the team went to "absorb the feeling" of their element.
The movie has sparked some online debate over the buildings at Monsters University, as various students across the country try and claim specific landmarks as their own. This fits in pretty nicely with Pixar's goal of creating a unique yet relatable campus laden with "ritual" and "tradition."
Based on this online discussion and the campuses Pixar chose, we went through and picked out some buildings that might have been inspiration points for the Monsters University creators.
One of the most visible structures on any campus is the clock tower, such as this one found at Monsters University.
Although a different color, Berkeley's Sather Tower seems to be a close cousin.
The scenic campus of Monsters University also features the Troll Bridge, which is much more pleasant than its name would suggest.
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