VANCOUVER - From Wall-E's wide eyes to Dory's relentless cheer, Pixar's animated characters have a way of tugging on heart strings, and a new exhibit is giving a glimpse at the science behind the film studio's most famous creations.

For the next seven months, visitors to Science World in Vancouver will have a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the work of bringing the animation to life.

“Basically, it's going to take you in and show you a little bit about the magic behind how Pixar makes their fabulous films,” said Rob Lunde, a curator with Science World.

Spread out over nearly 1,115 square metres, the exhibit offers hands-on experiences where people can experiment with how light changes emotion, play with a character's expression and learn about different kinds of digital cameras.

Life-size recreations of fan favourites can be spotted throughout the show, including Mike and Sully from “Monsters Inc.” and Buzz Lightyear from “Toy Story.” Another display shows off a human-sized set piece that the creators of “A Bug's Life” used to determine what the world would look like from the perspective of the film's tiny stars.

The exhibit also gives visitors a chance to learn more about the diverse range of people working on Pixar films and how they use science, technology, engineering and math to make movies.

Traditionally, people who went to school for engineering or math didn't expect to work in the entertainment industry, but Pixar shows just how broad job opportunities have become for people with technical backgrounds, Lunde said.

“It's really kind of empowering because you get to see ... that there's this whole potential out there. You can do all sorts of things with a (science, technology, engineering or math) background,” he said.

Sprinkled throughout the exhibit are interviews with physicists, mathematicians and engineers who have all had a hand in creating some of Pixar's biggest hits.

They talk about how they combine the latest technology with traditional story telling to create the worlds and characters that fans around the globe have come to know and love.

The work that goes into the films is “dumbfounding,” Lunde said.

“At the end of the day, Pixar films are made by people. The computers are the tools, but at the end of the day, it's the people,” he said.

Originally created by Pixar and the Museum of Science in Boston, the exhibit has travelled all over North America and Lunde said it's been “very popular” in every locale.

At Science World, people should plan to spend at least 45 minutes exploring the show, he added.

“You're going to have such an engaging experience that you just won't want to leave.”

If you go:

- On from May 19, 2018 to Jan. 6, 2019.

- Admission to Science World ranges from $25 for children to $33 for adults. There's an $8 upgrade to see The Science Behind Pixar.