UConn Magazine: Seeking “Smart with Heart” at Pixar

Eunice Omega says the coolest thing about working at Pixar is the impact

Eunice Omega standing outside of the Pixar HQ

Omega says the coolest thing about working at Pixar is the impact: “The fact that ‘core memory’ from ‘Inside Out’ is part of the lexicon? These movies form people’s experiences.” (Photo courtesy of Debby Coleman, Visual Assets Manager, Pixar)

Eunice Omega ’11 (CLAS) might have more “pinch me” moments than most, working at what many would consider a dream company.

“Getting to sit at my first table read was electrifying,” says Omega, a former assistant housing director at the School of American Ballet who started as a Pixar Animation Studios creative development associate in July 2021.

Omega spends much of her workday playing matchmaker, reading agent-submitted scripts to find the right writers for in-development projects. “I determine if the script is quality writing, if it’s tonally what we look for at Pixar,” she says. “Our motto is, ‘Smart with heart.’”

She also helps facilitate research, cultivates experts to weigh in on experiences being portrayed in upcoming films, and has sat on one of the studio’s “Culture Trusts,” where a group of employees helps ensure authentic cultural representation. Omega is in the room with other creatives batting around ideas, taking down notes — but also giving notes, entertainment speak for feedback, when the opportunity arises.

Read on for more.