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34th out of 103 books
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33 voters
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The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company
The roller-coaster rags-to-riches story behind the phenomenal success of Pixar Animation Studios: the first in-depth look at the company that forever changed the film industry and the “fraternity of geeks” who shaped it.
The Pixar Touch is a story of technical innovation that revolutionized animation, transforming hand-drawn cel animation to computer-generated 3-D graphics...more
The Pixar Touch is a story of technical innovation that revolutionized animation, transforming hand-drawn cel animation to computer-generated 3-D graphics...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
May 13th 2008
by Knopf
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This was a fascinating story. The company called Pixar made it big by being the pioneer in computer animation, replacing the "old-style" hand-drawn animation techniques of the Disney tradition. But it was a long, painful process to get to "fame and fortune." The book includes some early history of computer development, the gradual evolution of graphics hardware and rendering software, and the persistent and painstaking efforts that led to sophisticated computer animation. We ...more
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and was especially intrigued by the role the University of Utah (my alma mater) played in the earliest developments in computer animation. However, I have to confess I got a bit bored during the descriptions of one technological development after another, and then by the in-depth description of all the politics and feuds in the Disney and Pixar worlds. That was followed by details of the plot development of eight or nine Pixar films. Yawn. Still, th...more
The Pixar Touch tells the story of the establishment of Pixar as the leading 3D computer animation company. Sure enough, Price gives us a vivid account of the grinding and growth of what essentially is the success of a garage company (albeit an academic garage). We are told how Pixar started as an imaging branch of Lucasfilm, went on as a hardware company, awed at SIGGRAPH for years, and only later could focus on making feature animated movies. We get to learn about the process that led to the f...more
A hard journalism "biography" of Pixar upto 2007. This is as up to minute as you can get for this book. The story tracks the company from its origins at the University of Utah, to the NY Institute of Technology, to LucasFilm, to Jobs, and ultimately Disney. We are lead through the creative struggles and business fights over Toy Story, and then subsequent dramas with Eisner and Katzenberg. This is a riveting and informative walk through the history of the most storied movie studio o...more
I think anyone who's a fan of Pixar's films and computer graphics in general will enjoy this well-researched, readable book. Price begins in the 1970s with the backstories of the company's key members, and proceeds forward, providing an engaging condensed history of computer graphics and animation along the way (which might bore non-technical readers). We learn about Pixar's early days trying to find its way as a subsidiary of Lucasfilm, and its struggles to stay afloat after being purchased by ...more
Interesting history of Pixar's turbulent beginnings. The Pixar founders just wanted to make computer animated entertainment. But to keep the financing going, they had to masquarade as a hardware/software company for Lucasfilm and then later for Steve Jobs, who purchased Pixar for a mere $5 million from Lucasfilm. It's amazing how none of the financial backers (George Lucas & Steven Jobs) or potential buyer (Disney/Eisner/Jeffery Katzenberg) never saw the creative potential of Pixar. It's safe to...more
At first I thought this book would be as entertaining and humorous as "The Accidental Billionaires", I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. The book became long and boring and I thought it would take forever. I wanted to just stop reading and give up on the book all together several times, but I kept with my personal self and read the whole thing. i did it, and I'm proud of myself for it.
The book wasn't easy, but it did get better. After the boring stuff about compu...more
The book wasn't easy, but it did get better. After the boring stuff about compu...more
I was looking for a book about the history of PIxar, and the first half of this book totally delivers it. It's kind of amazing. I never had a firm handle on Ed Catmull, everyone else involved, Lucas, Jobs, etc., and I knew NOTHING about Utah or NYIT. And Jim Clark? And Pixar's IPO being the second big IPO ever of a non-revenue-generating company? And john Lasseter seems so awesome.
BUT, then, the second half of the book is just a film-by-film runthrough. Which is kind of interesting, a...more
BUT, then, the second half of the book is just a film-by-film runthrough. Which is kind of interesting, a...more
Few would be able to tell you a 20 years of struggle story for the passion and dream they have, until they made it a reality. Know the detailed history of this company that kept moving from one home to another, one owner to the next, refused to give in and take prosperous career jobs in places like Disney, for they saw a good future with full length 3D animated movies. Something that no movie publisher was welling to believe in.
NOTE: I strongly advise you read Disney War first. The boo...more
NOTE: I strongly advise you read Disney War first. The boo...more
The Pixar Touch is a fascinating story of Pixar, from its humble beginnings in a garage to the animation powerhouse. The author deftly weaves together strands from business and corporate intrigue (Roy Disney vs. Michael Eisner! Disney vs. DreamWorks!), the history of computer animation and technology, and the personal stories of the major players in the history of Pixar. The book deepened my appreciation of the technical wizardry of the Pixar films and my admiration for the company. It's a q...more
I have always enjoyed watching Pixar films, so when this book was recommended by one of the major financial newspapers (Wall Street or Financial Times...sorry, I forgot which one), I definitely wanted to read it. Overall, it was a very interesting rag-to-riches story about Pixar, Inc. The beginning was a little difficult to read because the author mentioned a lot of terminology used in the computer animation industry. However, once you get past that, it becomes much easier to read. I also liked ...more
This is a fun book; it is of special interest to me, as my brother works for another major computer animation studio. I did not realize how large a role that Steve Jobs played in the development and financing of Pixar. The company is wildly successful, and has contributed enormously to the state-of-the-art in computer animation. Just as important as the animation technology, the creativity, story-lines and dialogues developed by Pixar are wonderful. This book does a good job of helping one to un...more
David Price tells a compelling story about my favorite movie studio. It's a book about humans, and it is laid out in a very readable and fascinating manner. I got a chance to speak with Mr. Price on an episode of my podcast, and we talked about his book and other stories from the history of Pixar. My positive reaction to this book occurred years before I had a chance to interview him, though, or ever thought that I would. I have been recommending this book to everyone ever since finishing it...more
Interesting and inspiring, The Pixar Touch tells the story of the founders of Pixar and their struggle to break technological barriers while building and maintaining an artistic image.
It is not the story I had expected when starting this book. Sure, I knew the company had struggled and I know that they now have an unheard of amount of artistic control over their productions. This is what makes them so successful and so critically acclaimed: they don't make compromises when it comes t...more
It is not the story I had expected when starting this book. Sure, I knew the company had struggled and I know that they now have an unheard of amount of artistic control over their productions. This is what makes them so successful and so critically acclaimed: they don't make compromises when it comes t...more
Very interesting history of the Pixar Company - going back all the way to the formation of the original group of folks who wanted to create computer animation. The book ends in 2007, so we don't get any commentary on WALL*E or UP - but otherwise the level of detail and pacing are excellent.
This is an independent book, written with extensive access. The coffee table book, "To Infinity & Beyond", covers roughly the same time period but is written by Pixar. It has better pict...more
This is an independent book, written with extensive access. The coffee table book, "To Infinity & Beyond", covers roughly the same time period but is written by Pixar. It has better pict...more
Although I've always loved Pixar movies, animation has been a spectator sport, I've never created or worked on animated pieces. However, this book was fascinating, especially the first half, as it details the rise of the Pixar company and brand. It's obviously very well researched and features lots of behind the scenes details and insights on the key players at Pixar: Steve Jobs, John Lasseter, George Lucas, Michael Eisner,and more.
This is more of a "business" book than a cre...more
This is more of a "business" book than a cre...more
The Pixar Touch, by David Price
I basically picked this one up because I believe that Pixar can do no wrong. How many large, ultra-profitable production studios are out there that consistently churn out beautiful stories of amazing depth and, to the joy of hollywood bigwigs, insane marketability? Very few. I can name a few that have one or the other, but a perfect track record for both?
So it was in pursuit of the answer to that question that I decided to read this book,...more
I basically picked this one up because I believe that Pixar can do no wrong. How many large, ultra-profitable production studios are out there that consistently churn out beautiful stories of amazing depth and, to the joy of hollywood bigwigs, insane marketability? Very few. I can name a few that have one or the other, but a perfect track record for both?
So it was in pursuit of the answer to that question that I decided to read this book,...more
Having read a reasonable number of Apple and Disney corporate histories over the years, I found myself largely familiar with author David A. Price's documentation of Pixar's story-so-far, given the digital animation studio's longstanding residence at the intersection of the aforementioned companies' millennial trajectories. This familiarity lends a warmed-over air to Price's account, an impression exacerbated by the obvious fact that the author didn't have direct access to most of the story's ma...more
Astonishing history of an extraordinary company
This copiously researched, vivid account covers the rise of one of the world’s most successful entertainment companies. Experienced journalist David A. Price fills Pixar’s history with implied lessons about patience in management and running a creative company, but he doesn’t seem much interested in writing a how-to business book, so he sticks to the historic narrative and draws few conclusions. Notably, Price, whose education is in comp...more
This copiously researched, vivid account covers the rise of one of the world’s most successful entertainment companies. Experienced journalist David A. Price fills Pixar’s history with implied lessons about patience in management and running a creative company, but he doesn’t seem much interested in writing a how-to business book, so he sticks to the historic narrative and draws few conclusions. Notably, Price, whose education is in comp...more
Would you like to know how Pixar got started? Companies totally disagreed with CGI and didn't think it was going to be as successful as it is now. It tells you how they revolutionized the way we see movies and pretty much dominated old fashion animation. They even used the earlier program of Pixar in the Lion King. It talks briefly about Steve Jobs and how he gave them an opportunity to show what Pixar was all about but even he thought the idea wasn't going to go anywhere. Overall it's a great g...more
Shirley Freeman
added it
I normally wouldn't have picked this up but it was one of 12 books recommended by the WSJ at the end of 2008 so I gave it a try. It's highly readable and very interesting. The complications of getting a new idea such as computer-animation from idea to market are incredible. The book covers a nice balance of both the people issues and the technical issues. And boy, you have to have somebody with really deep pockets (i.e. Steve Jobs) to get anything going.
I read the whole book voraciously in just a few days, which I haven't done since my teenage years. I am a computer graphics specialist who just started a new job at Pixar, so naturally I'm a bit biased. I like how Price does more than present facts; he reveals the motivations and psychology behind the Pixar founders. Jobs, Catmull, Lasseter, Alvy Ray Smith... Price gives you a glimpse into their ids and egos. It's fascinating!
The good: Internal info on plot development for eight of Pixar's films. The boring: Computer animation history/mumbo jumbo. The bad: Feeling the same way I did when I found out what really went on with The Brady Bunch. The Pixar Touch is to Pixar what Way Out There in the Blue is to The Reagan Administration. Only, I like to clown on the Reagan Administration, and I kind of thought Pixar was for real magic.
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THE PIXAR TOUCH drags, but only in the first couple of chapters, when Price outlines Pixar's beginning and gets bogged down in the details of animation software. The real meat of this book for me is the chapters devoted to Pixar’s feature films. I loved Price’s digressions into animation theory, telling us that "character emerges most realistically and compellingly from the choices that the protagonist makes in reaction to his problems" or "as depictions of humans become more lif...more
If you have, as I have, read books about Disney, Jobs, and worked in the graphics software business, there'll be little new to learn here. The main new things I now understand are the affinity Lasseter has for Miyuzaki and just how important the founders of Pixar were to the advance of graphics software in general. You can read it in 3 hours - a great Kindle read for the beach, which is where I was when I read this.
The beginning part of the book was extremely interesting to read, but I thought the last 1/3 of it dragged and just went through the motions. There were some odd phrasing in the book--such as mentioning an email being sent out way before emails were in public use and some strange stories added in more for filler than content. I don't believe the strength of the book is the writing, but rather the facts.
I really got a kick out of this book. It talks about how the company really got started and how it came to be. I thought I would have found this book categorized under Film/TV or Entertainment, but it was labeled a Business book under Business Profiles. I guess, since it was about how the studio came to be. Besides all that, I really loved that book and can't wait to read it again!
Not a bad overall tale of Pixar's development. Wish it dealt more with the specific personalities of the players more to really get a good sense of Lassiter, Jobs & Eisner. Got some, but would have rather had more of this and less of the technical aspects of computer animation (this coming from an engineer).
Good read if you like the movies though.
Good read if you like the movies though.
This was a suprisingly good read. It never got too technical, but it was fascinating to see where the company originated from and through who's hands it has passed. I honestly couldn't put it down, which, for the life of me, I cannot explain in any satisfactory way. I just really enjoyed it. Well written and worth the read, if you like Pixar.
Slogging through the computer jargon wasn't even that bad (this is a great author, a fellow W&M grad). It's a book about an animation company, but it was a page-turner. It was about the University of Utah, George Lucas, Steve Jobs, Disney, Dreamworks and about two dozen other major, well-known and not-so-well-known players. There were lawsuits and an IPO that made Jobs one of the richest people in the world only months after he almost sold Pixar to Halmark or Microsoft for a few million.
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