The Pixar Touch

The Pixar Touch chronicles the rise of Pixar Animation Studios from its origins as a division of Lucasfilm to its emergence as a groundbreaking force in entertainment. Author David A. Price traces the parallel stories of the company's technological innovations in computer animation and its development of storytelling expertise. The book follows key figures including Ed Catmull, John Lasseter, and Steve Jobs through the challenges and breakthroughs that shaped Pixar's culture and creative approach. Price draws from interviews and research to document the studio's early experiments, financial struggles, and eventual successes with films like Toy Story. The narrative encompasses both the technical achievements in computer graphics and the human dynamics that drove Pixar's creative evolution. Through accounts of the studio's production process, leadership decisions, and relationships with Disney and other industry players, Price constructs a multi-layered business and creative history. At its core, The Pixar Touch explores themes of artistic vision, technological innovation, and organizational culture - examining how the intersection of these elements can foster breakthrough creative work. The book stands as a case study of how strong principles and collaborative creativity can overcome institutional challenges.

Readers appreciate the detailed history of Pixar's early technical innovations and business challenges before becoming an animation studio. Many highlight the book's coverage of the complex relationship between Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. Liked: - Clear explanations of complex technical concepts - Behind-the-scenes accounts of film development - Focus on business deals and corporate politics - Coverage of pre-Disney history Disliked: - Lack of depth about actual animation process - Limited information about more recent films - Some found the writing style dry - Several readers wanted more about specific artists and animators "The corporate drama reads like a thriller" notes one Amazon reviewer, while another states "too much focus on business deals rather than creative process." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (4,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (180+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (300+ ratings) The book receives stronger ratings from business and technology readers than from animation enthusiasts.

DisneyWar by James B. Stewart A detailed chronicle of Michael Eisner's tenure at Disney reveals the corporate politics, power struggles, and creative challenges that shaped modern entertainment.

Creativity, Inc. by Edwin Catmull The co-founder of Pixar outlines the company's management principles and creative processes through its journey from technology startup to animation powerhouse.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson This biography connects Jobs' work with Pixar to his larger legacy in technology and entertainment, providing context for the animation studio's development.

The Men Who Would Be King by Nicole LaPorte The story of DreamWorks SKG tracks the founding and evolution of Pixar's primary animation competitor in the 1990s and 2000s.

Animation Development: From Pitch to Production by David B. Levy A technical examination of animation industry practices explains the production pipeline that studios like Pixar pioneered and refined.

🎬 Although Pixar is known for animation, the company started as a hardware manufacturer, selling the Pixar Image Computer for $135,000 per unit 🎨 John Lasseter, who became Pixar's chief creative officer, was fired from Disney in 1983 for pushing too hard to make "The Brave Little Toaster" using computer animation 💰 Steve Jobs bought Pixar from Lucasfilm in 1986 for $5 million and ended up selling it to Disney in 2006 for $7.4 billion 🎥 "Toy Story" was originally envisioned as a musical with songs by Randy Newman, but the music was scaled back after early story reels showed the songs disrupted the narrative flow 🏆 Author David A. Price spent over three years researching the book, conducting more than one hundred interviews with Pixar employees, executives, and industry figures