It’s not an easy road to be an innovator, yet the people that became Pixar had this dream way back in the early 80’s. Back then they were using a dinosaur computer called a Vex 70 and were working under the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Project. The film was groundbreaking because it was animated by John Lasseter, who would be the face and the name of Pixar, and it used new technology such as the motion blur in CG animation. Although it was the beginning of it all, it was such a arduous process that the computer in a modern day cell phone is a hundred times faster then their Vex 70. Still, they stuck with it and created their first animation short called, The Adventures of André and Wally B.
The next project however is the one that started everything rolling and is part of the Pixar logo still today. Luxo Jr. is the first official short produced by Pixar in 1986 and is a story about two desk lamps. One adult desk lamp and one young desk lamp Luxo Jr., who plays with a small rubber ball through the course of two and a half minutes. The film not only showcases light and shadow but also brings characters to these inanimate objects.
The rest they say is history. Pixar today has produced some of the most memorable computer animated shorts and feature films in the last twenty years. Now for the first time on DVD all of Pixar shorts are being made available on one DVD. Many of these shorts you may have seen if you arrived early enough to watch them before the feature presentation. I remember them being as wonderful as the actual features and it’s great to have them all lumped into one collection.
The just released Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 includes 13 shorts in all from their very first, The Adventures of André and Wally B. in 1984, to the most recent Lifted that appeared before Ratatouille over the summer. This collection is perfect for anyone who loves animation and especially the Pixar films.
Also included in this set is a documentary on the Pixar history and audio commentaries on each and every short. The commentary on Mike’s New Car’s commentary is actual done by the director's two kids which makes for dialog that only kids can produce. It might not tell you anything about the real process of making the short as the other commentaries do but it’s still fun to listen.
Pixar is the Walt Disney of their time and have changed the way animation is rendered and looks forever and we are all the better for it. This collection shows how far they have come and gives a hint to where they are heading to next.
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