This Week in Cinema - The Production of 'Toy Story' Begins

This Week's Historical Theme: Cinema

 

19 January 1993

 

A significant event throughout the history of cinema that occurred in January was the start of production on 'Toy Story'. This was to be the first full-length feature film created by the pioneering Pixar Animation Studios. Initially functioning as a branch of George Lucas' visual effects company, Pixar first put itself onto Disney's radar with special effects produced for films such as 'Young Sherlock Holmes', that featured the first computer generated images, also known as CGI. After Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, purchased Pixar in 1986, it became an independent company.

 

In 1991, the company signed a $26 million deal with the Walt Disney Company to develop, produce and distribute up to three animated films. 'Toy Story' thus became the first feature-length animated film that was completely computer generated. Even though the long development process included drawings, paintings and sculptures, the final work was done entirely on computers. When released in November 1995, the film received universally positive reviews, and became the first animated feature to ever earn an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. There has subsequently been three sequels, all of which were also critically acclaimed. 'Toy Story 2' was released in 1999, 'Toy Story 3' in 2010, and 'Toy Story 4' in 2019.

 

Want to find out more about the production behind 'Toy Story'? Click here for more information, or here for more about the history between Pixar and Disney.