The Story of PIXAR
Just Keep Swimming
The Pixar Image Computer
The cutting edge computer graphics were costly, and Catmull recognized that the Graphics Group's time at LucasFilm was dwidnling. While looking for willing investors to embrace them, Catmull and compnay named their group 'Pixar' after the Pixar Image Computer, which could create 3D computer animations and was their most marketable assest at the time.
The word 'Pixar' was invented by a Spanish speaking member of the Graphics Group and means 'to make pictures.'
Pixar was purchased by former CEO of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, in 1986.
"The Computer That Changed Everything- Macintosh." I2fly. 24 Jan.
2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://blog.i2fly.com/>.
Luckily for Catmull and company, Steve Jobs acknowledged the uniqueness they had to offer and bought the computer division
from Geroge Lucas for five million dollars and established them as an independent company and kept the name Pixar.
Steve Jobs supported catmull and Lasseter's dream of creating an animation studio, but becuase Pixar desperately needed revanue, he conditioned the pursuit of computer animation on the sale of the Pixar Image Computer. Ultimately sales of the computer plunged, and in order to keep Pixar afloat, he poured ten times the amount he paid for the company, showing great patience, which eventually was richly rewarded.
"Steve Jobs Founded Pixar." Current Blogs. Current
Blogs.com, 31 July 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://currentblogs.com/steve-jobs-founded-pixar-steve-jobs-part-1/>.
In order to spark interest in the Pixar Image Computer and associated software, the group created short films that highlighted their abilities. Arguably, the most famous of these short films was Luxo, Jr., which was nominated for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar in 1985.
The film's ability to give every day inanimate objects the illusion of having human emotions is its greatest achievement and became a famous paragon of Pixar's work.
"Pixar-Luxo-Jr.jpg." The Disney Wikia. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://disney.wikia.com
/wiki/File:Pixar-Luxo-Jr.jpg>.
Luxo, Jr. was a perfect exapmle of what Pixar, the company and hardware system, could do, enabling John Lasseter to convince Steve Jobs to keep the company up and running. But because Pixar was still losing money, Steve Jobs sold the hardware division, including the Pixar Image Computer, making John Lasseter snd his animation division all that was left of Pixar.
"John Lasseter." Cqfd.bbfr.net. PhpBB. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
<http://cqfd.bbfr.net/t1377-john-lasseter>.
Admin. "Tribute to Steve Jobs." 121 Clicks. 121 Clicks. Web. 21
Nov.2014 <http%3%2F%2F121clicks.com%2Farticlesreviews%2Ftribute-to-steve-jobs-thank-you-for-what-you-did>.
They turned their focus to producing TV commercials and animated shorts for other companies, like Tropicana, LifeSavers, Listerine, and Sesame, establishing Pixar's future animation.
Before Disney gambled on Pixar, several, other studios overlokked the opportunity of making a film with Pixar. Steve Jobs still considered selling PIxar in 1994, but decided to give Pixar another chance after making a 26 million dollar deal with Disney to produce three computer-animated feature films, starting with Toy Story, which was the first animated film to be entirely generated by computers, becoming the new standard in animation.
"The Great Movie Post (5/6) For the Family."
Brainsnorts. 14 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://brainsnorts.com/2012/11/14/the-great-movie-post-56-for-the-family/>.
"Pixar Image Computer." Pixar Wiki. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. <http://pixar.wikia.com
/Pixar_Image_Computer>.
"Luxo Jr." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Nov.
2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxo_Jr.>.
"Commercials." Pixar Talk. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. <http://www.pixartalk.com
/commercials/>.
Sheriff Woody Pride's Facebook
Abidor, Jen. "5 Things That Inspired Ariana Grande's Newest Hairstyle." Beamly. Beamly, 15 Sept. 2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <https://us.beamly.com/exclusives/2014/09/15/5-things-
inspired-ariana-grandes-newest-hairstyle/>.
"Andy Andrew Davis." PixarPlanetFr. 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://pixar-planet.fr/en/andy-andrew-davis-character-thttp://theanimatorscorner.weebly.com
/news097.html>.
"Hamm." Quackin Over Disney. Quackin Over Disney. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://www.quackinoverdisney.com/tag/toy-story-2/>.
"Introducing New Article Chain: Celebrating Pixar Couples." The Dream of Pixar. 08 Mar. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://thedreamofpixar.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/introducing-
new-article-chain-celebrating-pixar-couples/>.
"Jessie." Disney. Toy Story. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://toystory.disney.com/jessie-the-yodeling-cowgirl>.
"John Lasseter." The Walt Disney Studios. Disney. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. <http://waltdisneystudios.com/corp/unit/6/bio/245>.
"Latest News." The Animator´s Corner. The Animator's Corner, 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://theanimatorscorner.weebly.com/news097.html>.
"Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head Then and Now - Toys 2 Remember." 'Toys 2 Remember'. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://www.toys2remember.com/2010/09/mr-potato-head-then-
and-now.html>.
"Pizza Planet." Pixar Wiki. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://pixar.wikia.com/Pizza_Planet>.
"Professional Work." GlennzArt. Disney/Pixar. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://glennzart.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_26.html>.oy-story/>.
"Rex." Disney. Toy Story. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://toystory.disney.com/rex>.
"Sheriff Woody." Disney. Toy Story. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://toystory.disney.com/sheriff-woody>.
"Toy Story." Facebook. Disney. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://logodatabases.com/pixar-logo.html/pixar-logo>.
"Which of My Top Prettiest CG Heroines Is Prettiest? Poll Results - Childhood Animated Movie Heroines." Fanpop. Fanpop, Inc. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://www.fanpop.com/clubs
/childhood-animated-movie-heroines/picks/results/1416101/which-top-prettiest-cg-heroines-prettiest>.