John Lasseter
A pioneer of digital animation, John Lasseter is remarkable for both his artistic and technical prowess. Born in 1957, Lasseter graduated from the California Institute for the Arts, and went on to a job at Disney. While at Disney, he saw how the team that crafted Tron (1982) used computer technology to bring key elements of their film to life. Lasseter realized that the same techniques and ideas could be extended to animation, and worked with Glen Keane to create the short Where the Wild Things Are. Sadly, his vision for future films was not shared by his superiors, and Lasseter found himself out of a job. Fortunately, a set of contacts at Lucasfilm hired him to head up animation on a short entitled The Adventures of André and Wally B, a tribute to the film My Dinner with André. The division of Lucasfilm responsible for this project, the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Project, was spun out as a startup company, and Pixar was born. As a founding member of Pixar, Lasseter assumed oversight of all films, as well as the director's chair for many of the projects. Success after success has followed since: his directorial work in the shorts Luxo Jr. and Tin Toy (an Academy Award winner), as well as Toy Story (another Academy Award winner), A Bug's Life, and Cars confirm Lasseter's exhuberant imagination and artistic talent. Pixar was purchased by Disney in 2006, and Lasseter was named Chief Creative Officer and Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering, expanding his vision to the world of Disney's parks. So, next time you look at your desk lamp and smile while thinking of the bouncy Luxo Jr., remember to thank John Lasseter for his work.
