Pixar
and Computer Animation
Pixar Animation Studios
“combines creative and
technical artistry to create
original stories in the
medium of computer
animation.”
Basic Organization
• Steve Jobs – CEO
• John Lasseter – Executive
Vice Pres. of Creative
Department
• Creative Team – animators,
story & art departments
- create, write & animate
A Brief History
• 1984- John Lesseter leaves
animation job at Disney to
join filmmaker George Lucas’
special effects group
•1986- Steve Jobs
purchases computer
graphics division of
Lucafilm, Ltd. for
$10 mill
History, con’t
• 1987- won Golden
Gate Award: First
Prize, Computer
Generated Imagery
• 1990- Pixar creates
5 new commercials
History, con’t
• 1991- Pixar and Walt
Disney’s Studios team up to
develop,
produce, and
distribute up to
3 featurelength animated
films
History, con’t
1995- A Big Year!!
• Toy Story is released as first
fully computer animated
feature film
•Pixar goes public
•First full-length, computer
animated film
•Nominated for 4 Academy
Awards®, 2 Golden Globes
History, con’t
• 1997- Pixar and Disney
make new agreement
to jointly produce 5 movies;
- releases first
animated short film,
Geri’s Game;
-Pixar expands to
375 employees
History, con’t
• 1998•1999-
$163m Dom.
$358m WW
$245m Dom.
$352m WW
History, con’t
• 2001- John Lesseter signs
10-yr contract with Pixar,
employees reach over 600
-Monsters, Inc.
released
Coming attractions
• Summer 2003- Finding Nemo
• Holiday 2004-
The Incredibles
• Holiday 2005-
Cars
The Pixar Process
“You can’t rush art”
~ Woody in Toy Story 2
A story idea is pitched
• A member of the
development team
“pitches” a story
idea to the other
members.
• Similar to a sales
pitch
The text treatment is
written
• Short
document
that summarizes of
the main story
•Many treatments of
same idea are
developed
Storyboards are drawn
•Like hand-drawn
comic book slides
•Serve as blueprint
for action and
dialogue
Voice talent begins
recording
•Temporary
“scratch” voices
recorded by Pixar
artists
•Later professional
actors will record
character voices
Editorial begins making
reels
•Video tapes that
allows a cleaned-up
storyboard to stand
alone
•Allows timing of
sequence to be
understood
The art department
creates the look and feel
•Creates the art
illustrating the world
and characters
•Designs sets, props,
visual looks for
surfaces, colors,
lighting
Models are sculpted and
articulated
•Characters, sets, and
props are sculpted by
hand and scanned in
3-dimensionally
-or•Modeled in 3-D
directly into the
computer
The sets are dressed
•Once sets are built,
they are dressed
with prop models
•Chairs, toys,
curtains, etc.
The shots are laid out
•Story is translated into
3-D scenes
•layout crew
choreographs the
characters in the set
• use
a virtual camera to
capture emotion and
story point of each
scene.
The shot is animated
•Character models,
layout, dialogue, and
sounds are already
set up
•Use Pixar’s
animation software
to choreograph
movements and facial
expressions
Sets and characters are
shaded
•Use “shaders”software programs
that allow for
complex variations in
color
Lighting completes the
look
•Use digital light to
light every scene
•Same manner as
stage lighting
The computer data is
“rendered”
•Translates all info in
files that make up a
shot into single
frame of film
•Use Renderfarm
system- huge
computer system
that interprets data
Finishing touches
•Completion and
addition of musical
score
•Sound effects and
special effects
Questions?