Pixar had an incredible string of success, and despite the Cars 2 failure, the studio is arguably the most respect animation studio of today. Their success is based on their attention to the story of the film. Each successful Pixar film has had a story and characters that connected with the audience. Their appeal can be seen by their very successful movie sales, and enduring popularity. John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have both said that despite the company’s pride in the beautiful animation, it’s the stories that they credit the success of the films too, each Pixar film is about the story of the characters, the animation is a medium to tell that story, the story is not a medium to show animation.
On average, Pixar spends two and a half years developing the storyboards before the film even thinks about pre-production. Every character and detail is mapped out for maximum potential. This perfectionist attitude comes from the top. John Lasseter and Ed Catmull are both well known for refusing to rush their films and taking years to make their perfect their movies ,and when forced to rush work, as in the case of Toy Story 2, overworking themselves and their staff to have the best possible film on time. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Pixar, while not involved directly in the story making effort of the film, is famous or infamously anal about getting every detail perfect in his products, including the movies that bear his name. This uncompromising attitude toward making interesting and emotional developed characters and films has stood them well. Many of Pixar’s films are not “safe” bets. A nearly silent children’s film about love making robots, a story about a superhero having a mid life crisis, a tale of an old man trying to move on with his life after his wife dies do not seem like good premises for animated children’s movies. But Pixar accepted the challenge of stepping out of fairytales and musicals, and created “children’s movies” that are only labeled as such because they can be viewed by children not because adults do not actively enjoy them. The stories of Pixar films are unbeatable which makes their films films memorable and popular with critics and audience members alike.