Pixar is a Northern California-based computer animation film studio that revolutionized the animation industry with the release of Toy Story in 1995. Originally owned by Lucasfilm, it was bought by Steve Jobs in 1986. The studio is known for its original storylines and cutting-edge technology, and has produced successful films such as Finding Nemo, Cars, and Ratatouille. Pixar was bought by The Walt Disney Company in 2006 for $7.4 billion, but remains a separate entity with its headquarters in Emeryville, California.
Pixar is a computer animation film studio based in Northern California. Although the company was initially geared towards computer-generated imagery (CGI) hardware, it eventually began producing fully CGI shorts and features. With the release of Toy Story in 1995, the company revolutionized the faltering animation industry.
The company was originally owned by Lucasfilm and was created to develop advanced animation technology for use in live-action films. In 1986, the company was bought by Steve Jobs, the head of Apple, Inc. The company developed the Pixar Imaging Computer, which met a limited market although it attracted the interest of Walt Disney Studios, particularly through its demonstrations of short films made by an employee named John Lasseter. In 1991, despite the low sales of their computer, Walt Disney struck a deal to produce three films with the studio, the first of which would be Toy Story.
California Institute of the Arts graduate John Lasseter directed and co-wrote Toy Story, the story of a struggle for their owner’s affection between an old-fashioned cowboy doll and a new astronaut doll. The film featured what would become the studio’s most repeated motif: self-improvement. It also featured an incredible amount of technological innovation and would go on to win awards for animation, writing, production, music composition, direction, technical achievements, and a special American Academy Award for special achievements. The film became a box office hit, opening to near universal critical acclaim and grossing over US$354 million (USD) worldwide.
With each successive film, the studio continued to refine and advance the CGI technique. In Finding Nemo, the story of a father and son separated clownfish, the animators spent years perfecting the technology to make the underwater world believable. In the 2006 film Cars, it took considerable technical skill to make the reflections and surfaces of the main metal characters realistic. The 2007 version, Ratatouille amazed many critics with the individual detail now possible in CGI-rendered hair and fur.
Along with cutting-edge technology, the studio is known for hugely popular original storylines. Unlike traditional Disney films, none of the Pixar films have been based on legends or fairy tales. The writing team is usually made up of senior studio members and has received numerous awards and award nominations for their films.
Pixar spawned a variety of character franchises that are now an integral part of Disney theme parks. Parks in Anaheim, Disneyland and California Adventure feature several Pixar attractions, including Monster’s Inc: Mike and Sully to the Rescue and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters. In 2007, plans were announced to build an entire grounds at California Adventure themed after the Cars movie, as well as a Toy Story-themed attraction called Toy Story Midway Mania.
In 2006, The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar for $7.4 billion. As part of the deal, Steve Jobs became a Disney board member, while Executive Vice President John Lasseter became Chief Creative Officer of both Pixar and Disney films and Principal Creative Advisor of the Imagineering department, which designs and oversees the Disney theme parks. The studios essentially remain separate entities, however, with deals ensuring that Pixar’s name and headquarters are kept in Emeryville, California.
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