Pixar Collaboration

Are there opportunities for the artists in collaborative projects to voice their opinion? Communication seems to be at the foundation of collaboration, and all artists should feel able to talk freely. Yet, this is one of the obstacles I'm struggling to pass.

"Dailies at Pixar are very collaborative, and animators are encouraged to voice their opinions and solutions alongside the director and supervisors. Still, being the rookie, I didn't want to presume or suggest that I was smarter than anyone else in the room, much less make a fool of myself by suggesting something that might be obviously wrong to all the others." [Navone, 2010]

This picture book project came up through my BA dissertation, based on the Berlin Wall and perceptions. The story, about two bears living in Berlin exploring the new city and their differences in values, was developed in my discussions with Albert Lamb, an author and a play write, Andrew Sturman. So it can be hard for the collaborating artists to discuss or to change the story, if they feel that it's my story...

Another issue I feel we need to solve is communication of the group. I might be at the hub of this group, due to the way this group formed, and that other artists don't feel comfortable communicating to each other. It's either that, or I'm unaware of what the group is discussing/developing the project. 

Navone, V. [2010] Inside Dailies at Pixar: Expressing Your Opinion About Changes in Animation. [online]
http://www.animationmentor.com/newsletter/0909/feature_geek.html#tipTrick
[24/02/2010]

The Pixar Touch (2009) Collaboration in Production. [online]
http://thepixartouch.typepad.com/main/2009/09/collaboration-at-pixar.html
[24/02/2010]