Books: Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull (2014)

After the success of Star Wars, George Lucas became interested in using computer graphics for the follow-up film, The Empire Strikes Back. While the cost was prohibitive at the time, what he saw in the early examples of computer effects used in the 1973 movie Westworld and its sequel, he understood that it was still possible, so he decided to create his own graphic department. Therefore, a search went out to find anyone who could help the writer/director accomplish this goal. Eventually, in 1979 they found Ed Catmull, who studied computer graphics at NYIT. He was hired on at Lucasfilm to teach and lead the newly created The Graphics Group (it would be renamed Pixar later), a division within Lucasfilm that also included the FX company Industrial Light and Magic. While Catmull had the knowledge to help Lucas out, he had never managed a team before. One of his first road blocks was the film editor crew, who not only resisted any type of change, but did not believe the computer would be able to do anything more than what they were already doing. He realized then that a transformative idea, no matter how good, would be useless unless the people who had to implement the change fully embraced the concept. 

The Graphic Group's first attempt to create a fully computer generated image story was the 1984 short film The Adventures of André and Wally B. However, several structural issues stymied the production team and no one seemed to know how to solve them. It was not until Catmull hired John Lasseter –let go at Walt Disney Animation for thinking outside the box- who would help transform the team at Lucasfilm. Lasseter, with his never waning energy and his open enthusiasms about the future of animation (like Catmull, he wanted to make a film made on computer) brought the one missing link that could prevent a fully CGI movie being made -its lack of expressive tension. By adding a second character to the main one, this changed the dynamic of the short and introduced what all films truly need to connect to an audience –emotion. It became clear at this early stage to Catmull then, his dream of a fully CGI movie was now within reach, if only because they overcame its biggest obstacle -using the same tool live action films have done for a hundred years: make people care about the characters. This emotional arc is the one main narrative device that would play out through all of Pixar’s films in the future, which is probably why they have been so successful (but I also believe that character driven films are more rewarding than plot driven ones).

Still, even after the shorts creative success, Lucas admitted he was not interested in making a fully computer animated movie –this new format was only supposed to be a mere tool to enhance live-action. A noted example of what he meant was the 1985’s Young Sherlock Holmes, which became the first film to include a fully photorealistic animated character -a knight composed of elements from a stained glass window. So in 1986 he spun it off the renamed Pixar to the legendary Steve Jobs -who was between careers at that time, having been let go from Apple and was still working on NeXT. While Jobs provided the capital, Catmull faced his first real dilemma while working with him. Lucas was always somewhat hands-off boss; he seemed to understand that talent did not need constant attention and understood that creative people need space to create. But Steve Jobs was someone completely different. "When I don't see eye to eye with somebody," Jobs had told him, "I just take the time to explain it better, so they understand the way it should be." That philosophy is great, in some ways, but in a business world where ego and rules of engagement are paramount, Jobs was a thorn in many peoples side (that he was proved right on most things showed what a revolutionary mind he truly had). Now Catmull had to deal with him directly and he wondered how he was going to deal with a man who might fight him on anything and everything Pixar was bound to do towards the future road that would lead to Toy Story.

Of course, ultimately Jobs backed down if only because Catmull eventually understood how to work with him, along with his wide personality. Sure, it would take time, but as he writes, "Steve had a remarkable knack for letting go of things that didn't work. If you were in an argument with him, and you convinced him that you were right, he would instantly change his mind." As an example, Jobs wanted to be heavily involved with the direction of the animation studio then, but he came to the realization that while he knew many things on many subjects, he was not, in the end, a filmmaker. What Catmull needed was his innate abilities and shrewd business sense and when he came to that conclusion, he became Pixar's biggest supporter when negotiations began with Disney that would lead to Toy Story’s release in 1995 and everything beyond.

While the success of Toy Story marked a turning point in film animation, Catmull realized there was a serious problem lurking within Pixar, something he had never seen before. When it came to begin work on A Bug’s Life, he was astounded to find that the production managers were not lining up to come back, as the battle lines between them and the artists and technicians had been drawn (no pun intended). Moreover, it came down to one simple fact - that the bean counters, while doing their jobs, were impeding good filmmaking. However, no one, not one artist or manager, came to Catmull to explain this during the chaotic atmosphere that existed when making Toy Story. Moreover, this type of mentality exists in almost every company because people fear that their constructive criticism is an attack on someone's ability more than on a reason for the teams disconnect. Therefore, he implemented an open door policy that said anyone should and could be able to talk to anyone else, anytime without fear of reprimand and reprisals. A very candor policy that, while a great theory for many companies, is never successful because no one actually thinks it can work. Nevertheless, it did and it successfully changed the culture within Pixar.

There are many bumps along the way as the animation company grows; new issues are addressed, and they face many new challenges that include the acquisition of the company by Disney in 2006 and the death of Steve Jobs in 2011. At the core though is the belief that employees will work hard for you if you allow them a proper culture in which to accomplish goals. That upper management needs to allow everyone to rock the boat occasionally, to have a voice (because you can treat your employees like servants, they will love you, tell them they are servants, and they will rebel).

What Catmull suggests -how candor and transparency might help all sorts of businesses- is broadly painted here, but I like the idea that (especially) being candid with all folks within a company, including the upper management, which can be the key to a more productive company. I mean, living off the wits of your staff in not called leadership.