Alvy Ray Smith: The Founder of Pixar
Did you know that Pixar was started in?1979?as part of the LucasFilm computer division, then known as the Graphics Group? But it was then spun-off and incorporated as Pixar on 3rd February 1986, made possible with funding from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs who then became its majority shareholder.
So it seemed fitting to mark the anniversary with a replay of my conversation with Pixar co-founder Dr Alvy Ray Smith, a computer scientist and pioneer in the field of computer graphics.?Listen here.
After starting his career in academia, Alvy had an epiphany following a serious skiing accident. He decided to move to California to combine his two passions - art and computers - in a place where he felt something good was about to happen.?
Alvy was always a pioneer. From creating his first computer graphic in 1965, Alvy became an original member of the Computer Graphics Lab at the New York Institute of Technology, he witnessed the birth of the personal computer at Xerox PARC, and he was the first director of computer graphics at George Lucas’s Lucasfilm. It was there that Alvy gathered some of the smartest people he knew to develop computer graphics software, including early renderer technology.
He and colleague Ed Catmull then spun out to co-found the famous Pixar, soon followed by the hiring of Lucasfilm colleague John Lasseter, and Steve Jobs as an investor. It was at Pixar that Toy Story would be made - the very first, entirely computer-animated, feature film.
In 2006, Pixar was sold to Disney for?$7.4 billion.
Alvy went on to co-found Altamira Software and has created a number of computer art pieces including the famous Sunstone with Ed Emshwiller which featured in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Alvy was also the first Graphics Fellow at Microsoft. Listen here.
In this interview, Alvy recounts his career from the early days at Xerox PARC to how Pixar got started. We discuss the Pixar journey in detail, as well as his latest book –?A Biography of the Pixel?(buy it here)- including how innovation is born from three strands: An idea, chaos and a tyrant. And how Steve jobs was both the saviour and the tyrant in the incredible Pixar story.
领英推荐
Alvy has combined his two passions – art and computer science – to spend his career showing the world what computers can do.?
?A true pioneer, this is one of my favourite conversations.?
I hope you enjoy it too.
Listen here.
Danielle
-----
Let us know what you think of this episode and please rate, review and share - it means the world to me and helps others to find it too.
Danielle on Twitter?@daniellenewnham?and?Instagram?@daniellenewnham
Buy Alvy Ray Smith's book?A Biography of the Pixel?here.?
Headline Image of Alvy Ray by?Christopher Michel