Pixar came into existence in 1979 under the name of "The Graphics Group" within the Lucasfilm Entertainment Company. John Lasseter, an animation enthusiast who was working at Walt Disney Feature Animation, found himself dismissed after having made a short film by using new techniques. As his project was not approved of, he took refuge at Lucasfilm, Director George Lucas’s company. He thus put his talent to work in films such as Star Trek II. In 1984 he directed The Adventures of André and Wally B., a 2-minute short. Two years later, February 3rd 1986, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple took over the company which was then renamed Pixar. He became its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Edwin Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith its main heads.


John Lasseter then started directing many other short films such as Luxo Jr., Red’s Dream, Tin Toy, Knick Knack, but also commercials for the brands Tropicana, LifeSavers and Listerine, which were behind their earliest successes.


Longing to make their first feature film, Pixar signed a 26-million dollar contract with Walt Disney Pictures in May 1991. They were then to make three animated features starting with the number 1 Toy Story, directed by John Lasseter and scheduled to be released in cinemas over the 1995 Christmas period.

This first Pixar feature film was then a worldwide success; the company signed another contract with Disney in February 1997. They were to make five animated features over the next ten years, with Disney collecting 5% of the revenue. They immediately went on to make A Bug’s Life in 1998, with John Lasseter once again in the director’s chair.


As their success was increasingly growing, they put together a Toy Story sequel in 1999. This was when trouble with Disney began. As the film was not originally included in the contract, Disney was adamant that Toy Story 2 was only to be released on video without being given a run in cinemas. Pixar was against this, and in exchange signed another contract with Disney which added four more films and did not include possible film sequels. Toy Story 2 met with even greater success than the previous one, and there was no stopping Pixar that went on to make Monsters, Inc. in 2001, Finding Nemo in 2003, The Incredibles in 2004, and Cars in 2006.

With the contract established in 1997 then having come to an end, Pixar went back over it stating it was not equitable, as Disney were the only ones to hold sequel and distribution rights. Disagreements proceeded between the two Pixar and Disney CEOs Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner; Cars could well then have been the last Disney/Pixar feature. Films were no longer to be released at the end of the year from then on, but over the summer months so as to sell DVDs at Christmas time.

In 2000, Pixar moved from Richmond to Emeryville near San Francisco.


Eisner left the Walt Disney Company in autumn 2005, and talks resumed between his successor Robert Iger and Jobs : Disney was then only to receive the revenue generated from the distribution fee.

Then came the releases of Ratatouille in 2007, WALL-E in 2008, Up in 2009...


Within the studios Steve Jobs became Disney’s largest shareholder. Ed Catmull is the current President of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and John Lasseter is Chief Creative Officer.

The company is located in Emeryville, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the offices are spread out over 533000 square feet.




In 2010, Pixar opened another studio in Canada which is in charge among other things of producing short films and television specials based on Pixar characters.


The following photos are by Deborah Coleman / Pixar. (All Rights Reserved).





Editors : Tonks et Ravnek - Translators : Camilla Jones.

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