pixar

New technology revs up Pixar's 'Cars 2'

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--We all know what the reflections off cars or the roiling of the ocean are supposed to look like. So if you are tempted to believe that what you'll see in "Cars 2" proves that Pixar has made its first live-action film, think again.

This is the hit-making studio that breaks new technological ground with most of its new films, and "Cars 2," which opens Friday, is no exception. Where its technicians applied real physics to the escape of thousands of balloons in "Up," or true lighting effects to the rolling and pitching of plastic garbage bags … Read more

With 'Cars 2' game, Pixar's DNA is abundant

Michael Caine would probably forgive you if you couldn't tell the difference between the video game version of his "Cars 2" character, Finn McMissile, and the sleek, sauve master spy car he plays in the forthcoming Pixar film.

On June 24, Pixar will release the sequel to its 2006 hit "Cars." This time, however, rather than following the story of a hot rod lost in a small town, the film is a James Bond-esque spy thriller complete with endless action sequences in stunning locales the world over.

But first, Avalanche Software is putting out Cars 2: The Video Game, and is hoping that those who both see the movie and play the game (available on all major gaming consoles and on the PC) will not sense any loss of story line.

Indeed, according to Jon Warner, a senior producer at Avalanche--which is part of Disney Interactive Studios, and therefore related to Pixar, which is owned by Disney--the game is a clear extension of the movie.

"We worked with Pixar to make the game an authentic addition to the film universe," Warner said. "When you come home from the theater and play the game, you'll feel like you've stepped back into that familiar world." … Read more

Lawsuit accuses Apple, others of fixing worker pay

A new California lawsuit accuses Apple, Google, Adobe Systems, Intel, and other tech companies of violating antitrust laws by allegedly conspiring to fix employee pay, as well as working out "no solicitation" deals with one another.

The suit (PDF), which seeks class action status, was filed today with the California Superior Court in Alameda County and alleges that because senior executives from Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar "entered into an interconnected web of express agreements to eliminate competition among them for skilled labor," affected employees from those companies are entitled to compensation.

"… Read more

Balloons float real-life 'Up' house near LA

Ever wished real life could be more like a Pixar movie? It was for a little while on Saturday, as a team of awesomizers managed to successfully lift a house into the air, "Up" style, using a cluster of brightly colored balloons.

The adorable 2,000-pound, 16x16-foot yellow house took to the skies with the aid of 300 weather balloons that grow to 8 feet tall when inflated. From top to bottom, the entire aircraft measured 10 stories high and reached an altitude of 10,000 feet. It flew for about an hour at dawn from a private airfield east of Los Angeles. Oh, and there were people (of the non-animated variety) aboard.

The floating feat sets a world record for the largest balloon cluster flight ever attempted, according to the National Geographic Channel. It filmed the flight as part of a new series called "How Hard Can It Be?" that's set to debut in the fall.

And if you're wondering how hard it can be to set a balloon-supported house aloft, well, "it was pretty hard," Paul Carson, the show's host, notes in the behind-the-scenes video below. "It was very difficult actually." … Read more

The art behind Pixar's long run of hits

OAKLAND, Calif.--"Computers don't create computer animation any more than a pencil creates pencil animation. What creates computer animation are artists."

Those words would ring true no matter who said them, but in this case, the source has just about the highest possible credibility on the issue at hand: John Lasseter, the chief creative officer for both Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, and the director of four of Pixar's most loved films.

Lasseter's words hang high on a wall in the Oakland Museum of California here, where the exhibit "Pixar: 25 Years of Animation&… Read more

DOJ settles no-recruit claims against tech companies

Six Silicon Valley companies have agreed not to enter into further non-solicitation agreements as the result of a settlement with the Department of Justice.

The DOJ had been investigating a variety of interlocking broad agreements between six companies--Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, and Pixar--that prohibited them from soliciting one another's employees, which the DOJ said today "eliminated a significant form of competition to attract highly skilled employees." The settlement, if approved, would end the investigation and likely discourage such agreements between other high-tech companies in Silicon Valley.

The agreements mostly covered the practice of company recruiters "… Read more

Report: Tech firms close to settling no-poach case

Some of the largest tech companies are reportedly close to settling allegations that they colluded to keep down wages through no-poaching agreements, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Apple, Adobe Systems, Google, Intel, Intuit, and Pixar are reportedly looking to settle the allegations to avoid a courtroom face-off with the Justice Department. The companies have been trying to persuade the government that nonpoaching agreements are not anticompetitive because they help ensure that employees can work on projects with other firms without fear of being stolen away.

The DOJ asserts that such agreements can hurt employees by limiting their ability to … Read more

'Toy Story 3': Third time a charm (roundup)

Pixar brings back Woody, Buzz, and the gang for a third go-round, and once again puts innovative animation effects into the service of classic storytelling.

The groundbreaking tech of 'Toy Story 3' For the new film, Pixar tackles a huge computing problem to conquer what otherwise would be an impossible animation task behind the story's emotional climax. (Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman) June 15, 2010 10:00 AM PDT

The man behind Pixar's 3D films Q&A Bob Whitehill, the stereoscopic supervisor at Pixar, is the person in charge when it comes to decisions about … Read more

'Toy Story 3': Hope the movie is better than its app

The other night I watched the last half hour of "Toy Story 2" on TV. So what if the children were in bed? It's one of my all-time favorite movies--go ahead and laugh--and I can't wait for "Toy Story 3," which opens Friday.

Needless to say, I was jazzed when Disney's free "Toy Story 3" app arrived yesterday. That is, I was jazzed until I ran it; what a depressing, disappointing, borderline insult of an app.

Here's what you'll find inside:

Woody's Wild RideWoody's Wild Ride is … Read more

The man behind Pixar's 3D films

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--In Hollywood these days, the push to put out movies in 3D is on. In part, it's a way to get some additional marketing buzz about a film, but it's also a source of additional revenue because theaters charge a premium for showings in that format.

At Pixar Animation Studios, those rationales are not lost on executives, and when "Toy Story 3" comes out on Friday it will be offered both in 3D and the traditional 2D format. Indeed, last year Pixar worked to build up interest in the new film by promoting a … Read more