This title examines the remarkable life of John Lasseter. Readers will learn about his family background, childhood, and education, his career as a movie producer and director, and his famous works. Color photos and informative sidebars accompany easy-to-read, compelling text. Features include a timeline, fast facts, list of famous works, and a critical evaluation activity.Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Celebrated as Pixar's "Chief Creative Officer," John Lasseter is a revolutionary figure in animation history and one of today's most important filmmakers. Lasseter films from Luxo Jr. to Toy Story and Cars 2 highlighted his gift for creating emotionally engaging characters. At the same time, they helped launch computer animation as a viable commercial medium and serve as blueprints for the genre's still-expanding commercial and artistic development. Richard Neupert explores Lasseter's signature aesthetic and storytelling strategies and details how he became the architect of Pixar's studio style. Neupert contends that Lasseter's accomplishments emerged from a unique blend of technical skill and artistic vision, as well as a passion for working with collaborators. In addition, Neupert traces the director's career arc from the time Lasseter joined Pixar in 1984. As Neupert shows, Lasseter's ability to keep a foot in both animation and CGI allowed him to thrive in an unconventional corporate culture that valued creative interaction between colleagues. The ideas that emerged built an animation studio that updated and refined classical Hollywood storytelling practices--and changed commercial animation forever.

A two-time Academy Award-winning director and animator, John Lasseter is a founding member of and the creative force behind Pixar Animation Studios. Pixar is responsible for ushering in the age of computer-animation and revolutionizing the industry, having produced blockbuster features such as Cars, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., and Wall-E. Lasseter began his career in animation at Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he soon became fascinated by the potential for creating animation using computer-generated images. After a move to a division of Lucasfilm that would become Pixar, Lasseter wrote, directed, and produced many computer-animated short films and television commercials, including the first completely computer-animated short to win an Oscar, Tin Toy. He then began work on the first computer-animated feature film, the landmark Toy Story, which forever changed the animation industry. In John Lasseter, learn how this creative mind keeps bringing lasting characters and stories to the big screen through the wizardry of animation. Chapters include: Uncovering His Artistic Passion Taking a Creative Leap Championing Computer Animation Living in a Pixar World.

With the premiere of Toy Story in November 1995, a new era in the history of feature film animation was born. The first-ever computer animated full-length motion picture, Toy Story was the extraordinary result of a unique collaboration between the Walt Disney Company, the leader in traditional animation, and Pixar, the award-winning computer animation studio. In Toy Story: The Art and Making of the Animated Film, author Steve Daly teams with director John Lasseter to tell the tale of how these two visionary companies joined together and set out to do what had never been done before. At the heart of their journey lies the collaboration and sense of discovery that went into developing this computer animated "buddy movie," in which a rag doll cowboy named Woody and high-tech space toy Buzz Lightyear compete for the affections of a boy named Andy. The authors explain and illuminate how Toy Story achieved its pioneering look while taking the elements of animation entertainment—humor, heart, and the creation of a world both real and fantastic—to new three-dimensional horizons. Richly illustrated with concept and storyboard art as well as images from the film, this book provides an in-depth review of the amazing technology, creativity, and artistry that went into the making of this breakthrough motion picture.

A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year The Pixar Touch is a lively chronicle of Pixar Animation Studios' history and evolution, and the “fraternity of geeks” who shaped it. With the help of animating genius John Lasseter and visionary businessman Steve Jobs, Pixar has become the gold standard of animated filmmaking, beginning with a short special effects shot made at Lucasfilm in 1982 all the way up through the landmark films Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and others. David A. Price goes behind the scenes of the corporate feuds between Lasseter and his former champion, Jeffrey Katzenberg, as well as between Jobs and Michael Eisner. And finally he explores Pixar's complex relationship with the Walt Disney Company as it transformed itself into the $7.4 billion jewel in the Disney crown. With an Updated Epilogue

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.

Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3 takes viewers back to the story that started it all. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Rex, Slinky Dog, and Hamm—alongside a surprising cast of new toys—return to the big screen for a comical new adventure in Disney Digital 3D. In The Art of Toy Story 3 internationally renowned animation historian Charles Solomon takes readers through the technical challenges, triumphs, and emotional hurdles that faced the Pixar team as they developed the toys' adventure. The Art of Toy Story 3 includes an extended introduction showcasing the story and visual development behind the first two films, as well as a gallery of over 250 pieces of concept art. Featuring storyboards, character studies, color keys, reference photos, environment art, and a special color scripts by art director Daisuke Tsutsumi, this ebook provides a memorable narrative of the entire Toy Story trilogy.

Over the past 25 years, Pixar's team of artists, writers, and directors have shaped the world of contemporary animation with their feature films and shorts. From classics such as Toy Story and A Bug's Life to recent masterpieces such as Up, Toy Story 3, and Cars 2, this comprehensive collection offers a behind-the-scenes tour of every Pixar film to date. Featuring a foreword by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, the complete color scripts for every film published in full for the first time as well as stunning visual development art, The Art of Pixar is a treasure trove of rare artwork and an essential addition to the library of animation fans and Pixar enthusiasts.

A collection of original essays on Toy Story, exploring its themes, techniques, and cultural significance.

From the hit-makers at Pixar Animation Studios who brought us Buzz Lightyear, Nemo, and Mr. Incredible, now comes Remy, the furry star of Ratatouille. A lovable rat (yes, a rat!), Remy is driven by his passion for fine cuisine to become a chef—against all odds and with madcap adventures along the way—at the most famous restaurant in Paris. The Art of Ratatouille includes more than 200 of the artistic ingredients in this heartwarming film: storyboards, full-color pastels, digital and pencil sketches, character studies, maquettes, and more. In this exclusive movie tie-in book for adults, effusive quotes from the director, artists, animators, and production team reveal the genius at work inside the studio that changed cartoon heroes forever.