In 1986, gifted animator John Lasseter, technology guru Ed Catmull, and visionary Steve Jobs founded Pixar Animation Studios. Their goal: create a computer animated feature, despite predictions that it could never be done. An unprecedented catalog of blockbuster films later, the studio is honoring its history in this deluxe volume. From its fledgling days under George Lucas to ten demanding years creating Toy Story to the merger with Disney, each milestone is vibrantly detailed. Interviews with Pixar directors, producers, animators, voice talent, and industry insiders, as well as concept art, storyboards, and snapshots illuminate a history that is both definitive and enthralling.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Karen Paik is the author of The Art of Ratatouille. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ed Catmull is the president of Pixar, and a winner of the Coons Award, the highest achievement in the computer graphics field.
Steve Jobs is the former CEO of Pixar and a current board member of Disney. He is also the CEO of Apple, Inc.
John Lasseter is the chief creative officer at Pixar, and the director of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Cars.
Leslie Iwerks is the author of The Hand Behind the Mouse. She lives in Santa Monica, California.
Ed Catmull is the president of Pixar, and a winner of the Coons Award, the highest achievement in the computer graphics field.
Steve Jobs is the former CEO of Pixar and a current board member of Disney. He is also the CEO of Apple, Inc.
John Lasseter is the chief creative officer at Pixar, and the director of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Cars.
Leslie Iwerks is the author of The Hand Behind the Mouse. She lives in Santa Monica, California.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
You can sense the quality of this massive book before you even open it. The Buzz Lightyear image is a cutout piece of glossy paper, which is set into bright green fabric. The title appears on a translucent paper banner. The back of the book matches the front, except the cutout is of the back side of Buzz. Inside, a black satin ribbon is attached to use as a bookmark.
Fancy treatment indeed, but the text and images live up to it.
The text is thorough and well written, and sprinkled with dozens of interviews with key Pixar people, including Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. It's accompanied by hundreds of examples of concept art, photographs, storyboards and fully rendered film images. Everything Pixar is covered, starting with the ten formative years before "Toy Story" (including Lasseter's firing by the Disney Company), through Pixar's acquisition by Disney in 2006.
I especially liked the photographs of voice talent (Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen) taken during recording sessions, and the many behind-the-scenes stories about making the movies. In one, John Lasseter describes how funny Tom Hanks was recording the "Toy Story" scene in which Woody tries to use Buzz's arm as a stand-in for the depressed Space Ranger: " I was laughing so hard, I almost ruined the take," Lasseter remembered. "I had to leave the room and go into the recording booth with the sound engineer."
Here's the chapter list:
CHAPTER 1: Ed
CHAPTER 2: John
CHAPTER 3: Steve
CHAPTER 4: Pixar's Early Days
Spotlight: Sound
Spotlight: The Early Short Films
CHAPTER 5: Toy Story
Spotlight: Music
CHAPTER 6: Building a Studio
CHAPTER 7: A Bug's Life
Spotlight: "Geri's Game"
CHAPTER 8: Toy Story 2
Spotlight: Pixar University
CHAPTER 9: Pixar at Home
Spotlight: Voices
CHAPTER 10: Monsters, Inc.
Spotlight: "For the Birds"
CHAPTER 11: Finding Nemo
Spotlight: RenderMan
CHAPTER 12: The Incredibles
Spotlight: "Boundin"
CHAPTER 13: Cars
Spotlight: "One Man Band"
CHAPTER 14: Pixar Joins with Disney
Fancy treatment indeed, but the text and images live up to it.
The text is thorough and well written, and sprinkled with dozens of interviews with key Pixar people, including Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. It's accompanied by hundreds of examples of concept art, photographs, storyboards and fully rendered film images. Everything Pixar is covered, starting with the ten formative years before "Toy Story" (including Lasseter's firing by the Disney Company), through Pixar's acquisition by Disney in 2006.
I especially liked the photographs of voice talent (Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen) taken during recording sessions, and the many behind-the-scenes stories about making the movies. In one, John Lasseter describes how funny Tom Hanks was recording the "Toy Story" scene in which Woody tries to use Buzz's arm as a stand-in for the depressed Space Ranger: " I was laughing so hard, I almost ruined the take," Lasseter remembered. "I had to leave the room and go into the recording booth with the sound engineer."
Here's the chapter list:
CHAPTER 1: Ed
CHAPTER 2: John
CHAPTER 3: Steve
CHAPTER 4: Pixar's Early Days
Spotlight: Sound
Spotlight: The Early Short Films
CHAPTER 5: Toy Story
Spotlight: Music
CHAPTER 6: Building a Studio
CHAPTER 7: A Bug's Life
Spotlight: "Geri's Game"
CHAPTER 8: Toy Story 2
Spotlight: Pixar University
CHAPTER 9: Pixar at Home
Spotlight: Voices
CHAPTER 10: Monsters, Inc.
Spotlight: "For the Birds"
CHAPTER 11: Finding Nemo
Spotlight: RenderMan
CHAPTER 12: The Incredibles
Spotlight: "Boundin"
CHAPTER 13: Cars
Spotlight: "One Man Band"
CHAPTER 14: Pixar Joins with Disney
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
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Length:
0:51
Mins
This book is stunning. Simply stunning.
This is the latest collection to my Pixar artbook. Almost immediately, I wrapped the book up to protect the cover from the elements. The bright green cover is made of cloth-like fabric and attracts dust easily. After picking it from my desk from photographing it, some parts of the cover had already became dirty!
Old school photos, high resolution renders, great writing filled the pages made of high quality paper stock.
It tells the history of Pixar animation studios before there was Pixar animation studios, all the way up to the Disney bought-over. It stops just right before Ratatouille or there would probably be more written on Brad Bird. You'll find the true meaning of passion, determination and the love for their art.
If you've owned other Pixar artbooks, you'll be pleased to note that there are quite a lot of new, never-been-printed photos in the book. You're going to see tons of new images.
(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
This is the latest collection to my Pixar artbook. Almost immediately, I wrapped the book up to protect the cover from the elements. The bright green cover is made of cloth-like fabric and attracts dust easily. After picking it from my desk from photographing it, some parts of the cover had already became dirty!
Old school photos, high resolution renders, great writing filled the pages made of high quality paper stock.
It tells the history of Pixar animation studios before there was Pixar animation studios, all the way up to the Disney bought-over. It stops just right before Ratatouille or there would probably be more written on Brad Bird. You'll find the true meaning of passion, determination and the love for their art.
If you've owned other Pixar artbooks, you'll be pleased to note that there are quite a lot of new, never-been-printed photos in the book. You're going to see tons of new images.
(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By E. de Vaal
Format:Hardcover
Dear animation lover. This book will restore your faith in the power of passion. With a never failing belief in the craftmanship of delivering a great story Pixar showed the possibilities of a good marriage between art and technique. Off course, some luck of being in the right place at the right time counts as well.
The book starts with the original background of the pixar machine as a calculating machine to the point where Disney takes over.
I also have almost every Pixar art-of book there is, but the movies described in the book (including all the shorts) are mostly viewed from a Pixar company point of view. This way you get a great overall view.
As it is my dream to come close to the Pixar company, this is probably the closest you can get the heart of Pixar when you are living far away...
The book starts with the original background of the pixar machine as a calculating machine to the point where Disney takes over.
I also have almost every Pixar art-of book there is, but the movies described in the book (including all the shorts) are mostly viewed from a Pixar company point of view. This way you get a great overall view.
As it is my dream to come close to the Pixar company, this is probably the closest you can get the heart of Pixar when you are living far away...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great history and also an inspiring read
I love Pixar, I love their movies and I loved this book. However, I will try not to write a blind review of it... I bought this book with two purposes in mind. Read more
Published 24 days ago by Kamran Khan
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Job Sucks. . . . . .
To Infinity and Beyond is the companion book to the 2007 documentary The Pixar Story, but has tons more information than is presented in the film. Read more
Published 22 months ago by The Silent Gondolier
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Can't Believe That I Have This Book
When I first saw this book, I had already started to read my new book "The Illusion of Life" . A comprehensive, highly detailed, very well structured book about the history of... Read more
Published on May 8, 2011 by Ozan Ünlü
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
This is a great book with a wonderfully written history of Pixar!
The photos are also great quality. Great for any Pixar fan!
The photos are also great quality. Great for any Pixar fan!
Published on May 30, 2010 by Greg
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disney Puff Piece -
"To Infinity and Beyond" tells the story of Pixar and its rise from having no software to a series of blockbuster animated features; most of the detail is taken up with the... Read more
Published on January 2, 2010 by Loyd E. Eskildson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
Amazing, thats the word i would use to describe this book, its fascinating to know how pixar grew up, and get to the top on animation
Published on June 25, 2009 by Manuel A. Caudillo Melgoza
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pixar, a history.
This is a well researched history of the men and tech behind the rise of Pixar. If thats what you are after, this is for you.
Published on April 13, 2009 by C. arthur
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
The book is beautiful and gives an excellent account of Pixar and its creative process.
Published on February 22, 2009 by PJHtech
3.0 out of 5 stars
Geat content but quite some 'bad digitized' pictures
The content of the book is as high quality and colorfull as the company it describes. Also the author did a good job at documenting the history of the company. Read more
Published on February 25, 2008 by S. Bohm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Book!
If you're at all a Pixar fan, or even an animation fan, this book deserves a place on your shelf!
Published on January 29, 2008 by SeanM
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