Cleveland, OH
Hinckley native’s dream comes true working on new Pixar film ‘Elemental’
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A creative spirit who believes in herself, learns to love and isn’t afraid to make her dreams come true.
Not only is that the theme behind Disney and Pixar’s new animated film “Elemental,” which opens Friday in theaters, but it also mirrors the story of Hinckley native Anna Wolfe who worked as a resident technical director on the film.
Two decades after discovering the magic of Pixar watching “Toy Story” and “A Bug’s Life” on VHS, the 2015 Highland High School and 2019 Ohio State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering finds it surreal to be a part of the dream factory.
“It’s like engrained in my brain seeing the (Pixar) Luxo lamp jump on the ‘I’ five times,” said Wolfe, during a recent chat.
“You knew you were about to be taken to another universe, another realm of just beautiful storytelling. That was a huge part of my childhood growing up.”
Naturally the quintessential story about someone growing up to work in animated film stemmed from a love of the art.
That’s the case for Wolfe, whose love of the arts was based around dance. In fact, that was something she even considered pursuing in college.
However, it was during her junior year in high school that the advanced math student on the advice of a teacher decided to study computer science, specializing in computer graphics and gaming.
“I grew up a dancer who was always taken by storytelling,” she said. “My dancing was all about the stories that you tell with your movement. I felt there were a lot of parallels between animated film and how the characters move and exude different emotions on screen.
“That’s where my interests really connected. I always knew that I wanted to be a part of the stories that go on screen but never really knew how I could fit into that. Now I’m able to fulfill that creative side and also that technical side of my brain so it’s really like a perfect blend of the two working at Pixar.”
After interning as a Pixar software engineer in 2018, Wolfe moved to Los Angeles straight out of college, working more than three years at Walt Disney Studios before relocating north in 2021 to the San Francisco-area-based Lucasfilm.
She joined Pixar last year with her first full-length feature project being “Elemental.”
Technically, Wolfe as a resident technical director is part of a global technology team whose responsibilities are to support different departments (lighting, effects, etc.) by building tools for use with Pixar’s in-house software.
Now, if you ask Wolfe what she does, she’ll say, it’s problem-solving.
“Yes, all of the time,” she laughed. “There’s always a new problem we have to solve.”
Disney and Pixar’s new animated film “Elemental,” which opens Friday in theaters. (Courtesy of Disney/Pixar)PIXAR
Directed by Peter Sohn, “Elemental” is set in Element City where fire, water, earth and air residents live together.
The story introduces Ember (Leah Lewis), a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade (Mamoudou Athie) challenges her beliefs about the world they live in and the person she wants to be.
“I love the film,” she said. “I connect with the story a lot. My partner and I, we come from different cultures.
“My partner’s family is from Mexico. My parents are from the States and my grandparents are from Poland. So there’s definitely that beautiful blend of cultures that I experience in my own life.”
Disney and Pixar’s new animated film “Elemental,” which opens Friday in theaters. (Courtesy of Disney/Pixar)PIXAR
While “Elemental” is unique for speaking to the immigrant experience using groundbreaking animation depicting fire and water as characters, there’s a rom-com element where opposites not only attract but love helps change their chemistry.
“This story is well executed in the fact that it shows how well opposites complement each other,” she said. “It also celebrates the differences. I really connected with the film because my partner and I are very different but we’re also very similar.
“I think our differences are what makes us work. Like Ember, it took me some time to accept that so the film is close to my heart. Me and my partner, we’re out here living our dreams and the first Pixar film I get to work on resonates with us. It’s pretty special.”
Up next for Wolfe is working on “Inside Out 2,” which is due out next year, and furthering a career she hopes brings her more leadership roles.
What’s apparent in both Wolfe’s life and the film is the power of STEAM — science, technology, English, art and math — curriculum.
“It’s important that people know there’s a career in STEM in the entertainment industry because if you’re not told that when you’re young, you don’t realize there are opportunities,” she said.
“It seems so like a pipedream to be an animator or artist but there are other avenues in the technical world that it’s important to be exposed to at a young age. For kids who really love math or physics, those things apply when making stories. Every voice is heard.”
As for what an elementary school-age Wolfe would think about a future career taking her to infinity and beyond, the emotions of such a journey were obvious.
“Oh, man, she would not believe that I would be here,” she said. “Just thinking about it makes me tear up a little bit.
“Hopefully a little girl will read this article and be like, ‘Wow, I can do this too.’ I hope to inspire other kids.”
Cleveland, OH
Matt and Jeff Hardy reportedly meet with WWE officials in Cleveland, OH – NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage
Matt and Jeff Hardy are in Cleveland, OH for today’s Wrestlecon Destination event. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, it was confirmed that the team met with WWE officials while in the area. Matt and Jeff are currently advertised for tomorrow night’s TNA Wrestling event in Tampa, FL.
Johnson stated the following…
“We are told that The Hardys met with WWE very early this morning. No word on what was discussed, but we have also heard some content was filmed to be rolled out via WWE digital as well.”
Matt and Jeff recently teased the idea of challenging for the WWE NXT tag team titles. Jeff has also commented on potentially being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame with his brother.
The Hardys are coming to @wrestlecon on August 2nd *FRIDAY ONLY* to MEET, GREET & DELETE! #matthardy #jeffhardy #hardyboyz #hardys #wrestlecon pic.twitter.com/t25GI8vScr
— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) July 28, 2024
Cleveland, OH
City launches ‘Cleveland Moves’ initiative, seeks public input on 5-year transportation plan
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The city of Cleveland is seeking public input and engagement on its ambitious five-year transportation initiative that aims to enhance the safety, comfort and convenience of walking, biking and using public transit across the city.
In a news release Friday, the city said it hopes to harness the feedback and build upon the multimodal transportation plan, dubbed “Cleveland Moves,” which includes five key components:
Two powerhouse contenders are squaring off this weekend in Cleveland, part of a massive four-game series that is going to help answer some questions about what we may see come October. The Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians are well in contention for a championship and it takes center stage all weekend long.
The Orioles continue a titanic battle in the American League East with the Yankees at 65-45, while the Guardians continue to shine with a current league-best 66-42 record. Both teams have surprisingly impressed this season, especially the young but mighty Guardians. Here’s how to play this Friday matchup.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Run Line:
Moneyline:
Total:
Colton Cowser: Part of the rich youth pool of talent, the Orioles may have found a true gem with Colton Cowser. The 24-year-old left fielder has extended his active hitting streak to 14 games, recording one in each game since the all-star break. His average has increased from .219 to .247 in that span, along with 4 home runs and 13 RBI. His hitting streak is tied for the 2nd most active one in all of the MLB, behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (14) and Ezequial Tovar (17). Cowser is making 2024 a memorable inaugural full season.
Jose Ramirez: There may not be anyone hitting the ball better right now across all of the MLB like Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez. He opened this series on Thursday with a 2-run blast, marking his 3rd consecutive game with a home run. Ramirez has a ridiculous ledger of 3 home runs and 8 RBI in his previous three games. His 28 home runs and 90 RBI this season place him in the top 10 across all players. He continues to provide the power on this feisty, young team. Ramirez is the offensive spark the Guardians must turn to in their run to the postseason.
This is an exciting change of pace to the normal juggernauts that we have seen through the years in baseball. While we don’t quite know if these two will be near the top of the standings in October, all that matters is that both are positioning themselves for it. A pair of unlikely division leaders are battling for a little summer glory in Cleveland.
Dean Kremer takes the hill for the Orioles on Friday. A lot of uncertainty surrounds this start as he’s amassed mixed results for much of 2024. Currently at 4-7 with a 4.20 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 14 home runs allowed, it hasn’t been pretty but at least is passable. Kremer anchors the No. 4 spot in this rotation and has yet to find much consistency. Last time out on Saturday against San Diego, he tossed 6 innings, allowing 4 runs (1 earned), 7 hits, a walk and 7 strikeouts. The Orioles have not provided him the best run support lately, with the team being 2-5 in his last seven outings.
Carlos Carrasco holds the fort down for the Guardians in this one. It’s been a lackluster season with a 3-9 record, a 5.68 ERA and 79 strikeouts. The month of July was very unkind to him, allowing 19 earned runs and 6 home runs across a total of five starts. Carrasco additionally has allowed 6 runs in each of his prior two outings. He is currently 20th in all of the MLB in home runs allowed (17), but a lower walk rate with just 27 free passes allowed. The 37-year-old is clearly beginning to hit a decline, and likely will finish his career here where he has so many great memories.
Both teams certainly check a lot of marks offensively and Thursday’s 10-3 Guardians win backed that up. We have another pitching matchup that is not pretty, so it’s absolutely fair to expect a lot of offensive fireworks. The Orioles are superior on paper, ranking 1st in home runs per game, 4th in hits and 3rd in runs.
That’s the way I lean with this prediction. I get the feeling both teams will feed off each other’s energy all weekend long, especially with a lot on the line in this series. I’ll happily back the total to go over 9 runs in Friday’s contest at -115 (FanDuel), especially with a pair of starters that have been less than ideal for most of the year.
Pick: Orioles-Guardians OVER 9 Runs (-115)
Note: Game odds are subject to change.
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