Pixar: creator of the legendary ‘Toy Story’
Pixar first became known to the general public in 1995 with the animated film ‘Toy Story’. It was the first project of its kind to be drawn entirely on a computer. Other successful cartoons followed, making the studio famous around the world. But Pixar’s history began much earlier.
The studio began as a division of Lucasfilm, which at the time was introducing computer technology to film production. Even then, studio head George Lucas understood the importance of digital innovation in creating films. He wanted to attract the best specialists in the field, and after several months of searching, he found Ed Catmull, who was considered a computer genius. Ed and a team of colleagues began developing special software, launched in 1986. At the time, the Pixar division had developed advanced technology that allowed them to simulate high-resolution 3D colour images.
In addition to his fascination with computers, Catmell had another passion. He was a fan of Disney cartoons. In 1983, another genius joined the Pixar team – animator John Lasseter. The tandem of Catmell and Lasseter led to the creation of the world’s first computer-generated animated short film in 1984.
Making Pixar an independent company
A key milestone in the development of Pixar was its acquisition by Steve Jobs. The introduction of computer technology into film production had proved costly, and the Lucasfilm division had been on the brink of closure since 1983. The situation worsened when Lucas had to make significant cuts in funding during his divorce proceedings. However, a meeting with Steve Jobs changed the course of events.
At the time, Apple’s eccentric boss was out of the running – he needed new projects. Pixar caught his eye, and in 1986, he bought the division from Lucas. The deal was for USD 10 million, after which Jobs registered Pixar as an independent company. The new boss channelled the studio’s resources into producing animated commercials, and he was successful. However, key specialists Catmell and Lasseter did not give up the idea of creating cartoons and worked on animated shorts in parallel with commercial projects. Their persistence and focus paid off:
– in 1986, Lasseter directed the animated film ‘Luxo Jr.’, which played in Los Angeles cinemas;
– in 1988, Pixar won an Oscar for the animated short film ‘The Tin Toy’;
– at the same time, the studio signed a cooperation agreement with Disney.
The project with Disney dragged on for almost ten years. During this time, the idea changed beyond recognition, and Pixar’s specialised computer graphics software became much more functional. Thanks to this, the legendary “Toy Story” was released in 1995. At the same time, the software began to sell well, and the company signed a licensing agreement with IT giant Microsoft. For the first time in its history, Pixar became profitable.
‘Monsters Inc.’, ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Cars’ followed before Steve Jobs sold the studio to Disney in 2006.
