Pixar Animation Studios Essay Example

“I didn’t come all this way just to see you quit,” this quote by the character Doc Hudson from Pixar’s animated movie, Cars, expresses the feeling Pixar based its company upon for the past twenty years. Pixar has grown, and now, families around the world recognize the company’s name. Over the years, Pixar Animation Studios evolved from a small, amateur business into a large, thriving, world-renowned company. Twenty years ago, George Lucas started a new division under Lucasfilm. The Computer Research and Development Division at Lucasfilm was set up to create new technologies. Digital imaging, electronic editing, and interactivity all required the technologies being created under the new division. Under the leadership of Alvy Ray Smith and Ed Catmull the technologies quickly emerged. This group of talented individuals which also included Ralph Guggenheim developed new technologies in four divisions: computer graphics, digital audio, computer editing, and video games. As the technologies formed and the division grew, computer graphics captured the attention of others besides George Lucas. Companies such as EDS and General Motors gained interest. Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc., became increasingly interested in the process of the Lucasfilm, Ltd. Computer division. A few signatures and 10 million dollars later Steve Jobs obtained ownership of the computer graphics division at Lucasfilm, Ltd. The division then became an independent company which became known as “Pixar”. (www.Pixar.com, 1986) After working for Lucas since 1979 at Lucasfilm as vice-president of the division, Ed Catmull became co-founder and chief technical officer of Pixar (www.Pixar.com, 1986). Forty-four other individuals were also employed under the company at the time. The small staff of Pixar worked hard to expand the reaches of the company. Using computer graphics and animation technologies advanced by the staff itself, Pixar premiered an animation short, Luxo Jr.,