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Pixar Shorts:
A Long History Before Feature Films

Pixar Shorts Main

Pixar shorts began long before Toy Story was created. Back in the 1980s, the handful of men who made up Pixar developed and sold hardware systems for imaging and computer graphics. Before that, they were called the Graphics Group in 1979, which was a part of the Computer Division at Lucasfilm. Once Apple co-founder Steve Jobs acquired the group in 1986 did Pixar have its current name.

Pixar was able to support itself for a time by creating commercials using computer animation for clients like Listerine and Life Savers candy. Television broadcast companies also wanted animated logos.

The core members who made up Pixar were passionate about computer animation and its future and they were fortunate enough to have a series of wealthy patrons who also believed in what they were doing. The dreams of the people at Pixar never wavered from their goal to create a full feature computer animated film. But the technology had to catch up and the expense of creating such a film had to come down. The history of the company has many fits and starts and downturns, too, long before the success of Toy Story.

Testing Technology Turns into a Tradition

The Pixar short film began as a testing ground to show off new techniques and software technology at the annual SIGGRAPH (short for Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques)conference. As the animators thought of elements they wished to add to a story, they challeneged the software engineers to come up with a solution. They had to work closely with one another - the story drives the technology forward. For example, in Red's Dream, the challenge to software engineers was to create rain in a nighttime setting and deal with the consequences of reflecting light off a wet street.

The computing power simply didn't exist in the mid to late 80s or even early 90s to render all the pieces into a film. And once the power did become available, it was an issue of cost. So until the costs came down and computing power increased, Pixar was limited to the short film.

Below are all the Pixar shorts. Click on each article to see for yourself the amazing progression, especially the earlier short films.


Presenting the Pixar Short Films

The Adventures of Andre and Wally B.

Andre & Wally B. (1984)

Luxo Jr.

Luxo Jr. (1986)

Red's Dream

Red's Dream (1987)
Tin Toy

Tin Toy (1988)

 Knick Knack

Knick Knack (1989)

 Geri's Game

Geri's Game (1997)


For the Birds

For the Birds (2000)

 

Mike's New Car

Mike's New Car (2002)

Boundin'

Boundin'(2003)

Jack-Jack Attack

Jack-Jack Attack (2005)

One Man Band

One Man Band (2005)

Mater and the Ghostlight

Mater and the Ghostlight (2006)

Lifted

Lifted (2006)

Your Friend the Rat

Your Friend the Rat (2007)

Presto

Presto (2008)

BURN-E

BURN-E (2008)

Partly Cloudy

Partly Cloudy (2009)

Dug's Special Mission

Dug's Special Mission (2009)

Day & Night

Day & Night (2010)

Toy Story Toons Hawaiian Vacation

Hawaiian Vacation (2011)

Air Mater

Air Mater (2011)

La Luna

La Luna (2012)





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