Biography Pixar

Next, “Monster Corporation”, “In Search of Nemo” and “Ratatui” were waiting for no less success and recognition. But the history of Pixar as a business project is much more ambiguous. Most of the company's chronicle is a collection of relevant “Prove” about the eternal struggle of the creative principle and commercial benefits, about compromises and that recognition does not always go hand with income, and talented artists often starve if they do not take gifted financiers in time.

Much later, Lucasfilm will become known as one of the largest cinematographic companies in the world until Disney will absorb it in the year, but in E it specialized in new computer technologies for the world of cinema. Ed Catmell and John Lasseter in Lucasfilm studio. Photo Pixar. At that time, computers created only backgrounds, and the characters were still animated manually.

But Ed chased me, ”said John Lasseter in an interview with The Daily Telegraph already at that time Lucas understood that the future was the figure: computer graphics and digital editing systems. To give life to a new unit, he spent many months in search of a suitable specialist. The search was crowned with success-the department was headed by a talented developer, specialist in the field of computer graphics by Edmell, whom Lucas lured from the New York Institute.

In addition to the fact that Katmell was a real nugget and computer genius, he was also a devoted Disney fan and literally dreamed of animation. Although until the moment when it will come in handy, many years will pass. In the meantime, the Katmella department with a nominth enthusiasm seriously took up the development of a powerful computer and software that allows you to engage in high -tech modeling and animation.

The release of the results of many years of work of the Pixar Image Computer team took place only in the year. Unlike other computers, Pixar software created three -dimensional color images with high resolution of almost everything: from buildings and cars to tornado and aliens. The development has also found its application outside the world of cinema: according to Katmell, it helped doctors diagnose diseases according to 3D images of CAT scan and X-ray pictures and was useful to meteorologists to obtain images from satellites.

Working on the technical component of Lucasfilm, Ed Catmell did not part with his creative ideas: in the year he invites the young artist animator, a graduate of the California University of Arts, who was founded by Walt Disney John Lassetera as a designer of the interface. Based on the development of Katmella Lasseter, actually creates the world's first cartoon, made using computer graphics, a short tape “Adventures of Andre and Bee Wally”.

Pixar Image Computer at the Pixar Museum. They led me to work on the very first three -dimensional computer animation of the character. Then I was engaged in the development of things in Disney, but at that time computers created only backgrounds, and the characters were still an abminated manually. The date of the cartoon presentation, a year, entered all the textbooks on animation and graphic design, the technology was a breakthrough for the entire film industry, although the chronometure of the “Adventures of Andre and the Bee Wally” was only 1.5 minutes.

The film is considered the first Pixar film, although in reality such a studio did not exist yet. In reality, everything was somewhat more complicated, because at that time both “parties to the transaction” were, to put it mildly, not in the best position. The Katmella department begins to experience financial difficulties in the year, Lucas cuts funding for a year after year, not seeing the rapid success of investments, and soon experiences the divorce and division of property with the ex -wife.

Photo Lawrencelevy. Having gathered forces, he founds the new Next Computer company, seriously carried away by the future computer graphics. At one of the many industry exhibitions, Jobs meets Lucas, and their plans coincide. Immediately after the acquisition, February 3, the independent company Pixar was registered in California. The key problem was that for many years the cost of computers necessary to create animation that we could sell was extremely high.

This nullified all our efforts, ”Jobs explained much later Fortune magazine. The whole Pixar team, led by Katmell and Lasseter, had to work hard to transfer Pixar from the status of an illiquid asset to the status of a promising project, especially in the eyes of the new chef. Jobs instructed Pixar to put aside the dreams of animation and films, instead, focusing on the technical schedule for advertising and a short meter that they could sell.

Jobs was going to use Pixar to demonstrate the capabilities of NEXT computers - animated advertising, the first time happened, but things were not very successful. The company could not even recoup its own content, and Jobs had to write out checks for employees from his pocket.Perhaps the company would now Latala holes in the budget due to commercial videos, if not for the persistence and perseverance of Katmell and Lasseter: they continued to develop and produce short -term cartoons with an original plot.

In the year, the director's debut of John Lassetera took place: in the cinemas of Los Angeles, an animated film called Luxo Jr. was shown, only a couple of months later he was nominated for an Oscar, but still did not receive a reward. Ed Catmell, year. Exactly a year later, the studio received its first but far from the last Oscar statuette - the light saw the short film “Tin toy”.

Although Jobs still put the technological essence of the company at the forefront, he still had to reconsider his opinion and give great freedom to the wards. In parallel with this, the Pixar team develops a revolutionary graphic program that allows graphic artists to create color textures for screen 3D objects, Renderman. The studio patents development in the year and up to GO releases extensions for it.

While the other company Jobs, Next, flourished, Pixar in the year tried to make ends meet. In February, 30 employees were dismissed from Pixar. Robitic contracts are signed only by bankrupt after Pixar took the first Oscar, Ed Catmell went to Disney with a proposal. By that time, the titan of the world of animation has already tried many times to lure his fugitive artist John Lasseter back, but each time he refused, in return, offering joint work with Pixar.

After the Pixar finally received a recognition, Disney decided to agree to the partner project - they should have been a minute animated film based on the short film “Tin toy”. Under the terms of the contract, for 10 years, Pixar was supposed to create five films. In return, Disney took on all the costs and obligations on the advertising campaign, licensing films and their characters, as well as to ensure the release.

The Pixar logo - Luxo Luxo table lamp “We knew what computer animation was capable of - everything was like plastic. So why not make the main characters of plastic? In the year, the animation studio of Steve Jobs signed an agreement and began work on the first film. True, over the three years of its creation, the original idea has changed beyond recognition, and Katmell and Lasseter have repeatedly encountered almost insoluble dilemmas.

We are talking about the world's first full -length animation film, which was released in wide rental, “The History of toys”. Having rejected a couple of dozen “working ideas” after several brainstorms, Pixar decided to tell the story of plastic dolls. According to the official legend, the software of the early X simply did not allow quite naturally and organically draw the human body, so it was decided to go the other way.

What are her strengths. And we knew what she could not do. Everything was like plastic. People were the most difficult to create on the software at that time, so we told a story from the point of view of toys, ”said Lasseter The Daily Telegraph. The screenshot of the film "History of toys 2" After nine years, Pixar announced the first profit began the most difficult years for the entire team.

In March, the former financial director of Pixar Lawrence Levy published a biographical book about the period of work in the studio - “Pixar. Reloading ”, in it he describes in detail how Katmell and Lasseter left the office almost daily, and in the early morning again sat down at work. For each character of the “History of toys”, his own storyline, backing and possible development schemes were thought out, many ideas remained buried in the tables of creative workers.

So, for example, it turned out with the space ranger Bazz Luter, who in the first edition turned out to be too arrogant and irritable. Several times Pixar's solutions “wrapped” Disney, forcing the team to make up for the lost time in a short time. By the end of the third quarter of the year, Jobs finally voiced good news. In the same M, Pixar completed work on the "History of toys." The main characters were voiced by famous actors and comedians Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Annie Potts, and the famous American singer Randy Newman composed the musical score of the film.

The Lasseter film will receive three Oscar nominations in the year and take all three figurines. John Lasseter in his office of Pixar studio. The market closed at $ 22 per share, while the initial price was $ 12-14 apiece. By November 30, shares rose to 45.5 dollars. Then the studio announces the termination of work with advertising: Katmell and Lasseter have ensured that Pixar shift the focus towards animated cinema.

It was a success, although with a spoon of tar - a contract with Disney, taking into account the overwhelming success of the “History of toys”, began to seem more and more predatory. In addition, in the first credits of the cartoon glorifying the studio there was no name Pixar at all, all the glory nearly went to the brainchild of Walt Disney. The question was personally settled by Steve Jobs: having met with the president of The Walt Disney Company Robert Aiger, Jobs agreed to redistribute profit from future films in equal shares.

In the year, the studio publicly announce their agreement. Each next work of Pixar beat the previous records, a studio under the patronage of Lassetera and Katmell became more and more popular, animation was significantly improved. In addition to its megapopular work in full meter, Pixar continues to release author's thin and smart shortages, collecting all possible awards in the world of animation and gaining the recognition of the most reputable critics.

The stele at the entrance to the Pixar studio complex. For a businessman, this was not a simple decision, the deal was preceded by difficult events in his life. In the year, Apple acquires Next, the company is going through the best of times, and Jobs returns to the post of general director, helping the apple business to find new growth points. In parallel, he departs from the Pixar operating leadership.

In the year, it becomes known about the worsening state of Jobs’s health, and he finally decides to relieve himself of the load. John Lasseter was appointed to the post of chief creative director of Pixar and Disney Animation units, and Ed Catmell fully stood up at the helm of the studio. One of Jobs's main compensations, at the insistence of partners, was Disney's complete non -interference in the Pixar creative processes and the preservation of the entire team.

Disney, apparently, keeps a promise now: the tandem continues to release animated full -lengths and collect decent cash desks around the world. The Walt Disney Company does not disclose the information separately for each of its assets, including Pixar, but it can indirectly judge that the studio brings a good percentage of profit of the parent company.

One of the most profitable segments for the company has traditionally became rental, six full -length paintings were especially noted here, one of which, the “Super Jilid 2”, was created precisely on the Pixar basis. Ed Catmell at the age of 73 is still in the ranks of the Pixar top management. John Lasseter on June 8 was forced to leave Disney due to a loud scandal.

According to The Washington Post, the director was accused of sexual harassment and obscene behavior in relation to subordinates. In January, it became known that Lasseter headed the American production company Skydance Media, which works on the production of films with Paramount Pictures Corporation. Previous issues:.