The Pixar Touch – The Making of a Company
by David A. Price
Published by Vintage
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Reviewed by Kim Bagato
The Pixar Touch by David A. Price tells a compelling story of the birth, inner workings, trials, and blockbuster success of the Pixar movie-making machine. Determination, sweat equity and a little magic sparked a legacy of high-quality family-friendly films.
John Lasseter, Ed Catmull and their buddies had an idea to create a computer-animated full-length film. Key participants fulfilled their respective roles of expertise: graphics, computer technology, engineering, writing, creativity, negotiation and finance.
Scenes in this book play out with a cast of characters including George Lucas, Steve Jobs, the Nine Old Men (original Disney animators) and others. The vision of John Lasseter, the tenacity of Steve Jobs, and the sweat equity of countless individuals created the animated film giant we know as Pixar. The Pixar people knew computer animation would be the wave of the future, so who better to pursue than Disney? After years of negotiations Disney agreed to market and finance the “Toy Story” movie with Pixar. Eventually, it seemed that Disney needed Pixar more than Pixar had initially needed Disney.
Price tells of the evolution of each movie, from character development and voicing to time-consuming creation of thousands of animated frames. It is a well-told account of men who dared to dream big about something that had never been seen before. In order to realize their dream, software programs were created and they formulated engaging story lines with unforgettable characters.
Buzz Lightyear and Woody, stars of Pixar’s first successful movie, “Toy Story” captured the hearts of audiences all over the world. They lead a parade of bugs, monsters and cars with more who will march after them. This is a must-read for Pixar aficionados, budding businesses, and enthusiastic entrepreneurs. It is an inspiring story about folks who were willing to do whatever it takes to achieve a goal, despite the detours lined with orange cones along the way.
Armchair Interviews says: A story about people with vision that built a marvelous company.