Pixar is one of the most prestigious animation studios in the business. Their films have inspired many to follow their own creative dreams and are both heart-warming and beautifully animated. When it comes to this art form there’s perhaps no other company that can hold a candle to their accomplishments in such a short space of time.
Yet, despite the variation in their storytelling, there are a few fundamental things that actually ring true for all of Pixar’s productions. These things might be the essence of what makes a Pixar film so great, or be a factor that honors the legacy of the studio and is synonymous with their work.
Honorable Mention: Critical Acclaim
Almost every single film in the Pixar archives has received critical acclaim. The animators, writers, producers, directors and every other member of the team, from the cleaners to the caterers, all put in their hard work to creating the most memorable of movies.
Most of their pictures have earned accolades across the world or are sitting with Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s only one film in the company’s history that has been panned, but since Cars 2, the company has continued to knock it out of the park.
A113
One of the most notable locations where everything started for Pixar was room A113, which was a classroom at the California Institute of the Arts. Plenty of alumni from the University worked at Pixar and were integral to the foundation of the studio.
As such, to honor the legacy of the educational facility, every Pixar movie has the letter and numbers A113 hidden somewhere. It might be on a number plate, a door, or perhaps even on a character, but it’s become a tradition for fans to try and spot the easter egg.
The Iconic Intro
Plenty of studios have shifted their intro over the years. There’s lots of music throughout Pixar films, yet their logo doesn’t have its own theme, like Marvel or Disney. But their intro has remained iconic for years, without any kind of changes being made.
Each Pixar film contains the lamp jumping on the Pixar I, a clear reference to the Luxo Jr. short film that kicked off the studio. Pixar is proud of its history and it continues to honor it every time the very first frame of any movie rolls.
Easter Eggs
While A113 might be a well-known easter egg amongst Pixar fans, there’s plenty of others throughout the movies that audiences have come to easily recognize. For example, both the Pizza Planet truck and the Luxo Ball are featured in each Pixar film.
What’s more, the studio also loves to tease both past and upcoming movies in some frames of their films. Notable examples include a Coco version of an Incredibles poster, Boo playing with Nemo and Boo actually featured in the daycare in Toy Story 3. These have given momentum to the shared universe theory.
Short Movies
It’s also become a bit of a tradition to have a short film run before a Pixar feature-length project. This has even continued into the streaming era, with Pixar using the Sparkshorts on Disney+ to coincide with the launch of a new animated movie.
The short film was at the heart of Pixar’s origins, as they used this format to experiment with and perfect their new technology and complex techniques. Short movies are the lifeblood of the industry and Pixar will always give credit to them.
Pixar Campus
The Pixar Campus is actually instrumental in producing the creative movies that the studio has made over the years. While the facility that Pixar currently uses in Emeryville wasn’t the original building for the startup, it is representative of a culture developed at the start of the studio.
Pixar always felt the need to create a community – one without too much of a hierarchy, that worked within a creative space to allow the most imaginative ideas to come into play. It’s a process that continues to evolve, but one that has been maintained on every movie and largely influenced by the architecture of their workspaces.
Influence Of The Original Team
No matter how far into the future the Pixar timeline goes, the impact of the original team which started the facility continues to inspire and influence the studio today. Whether it’s directors returning from early projects like Pete Docter or Brad Bird, or perhaps the legacy of Steve Jobs.
Individuals like John Lasseter and Ed Catmull also had their part to play and as the team continues to grow and expand, so too does the creative talent who follow in their footsteps and aim to continue to honor the principles of Pixar.
Disney’s Distribution
It was a point of contention for many years for the studio, but Disney has primarily been responsible for the distribution of Pixar’s properties. There was once a stage where Pixar almost moved away from the House of Mouse, but an acquisition changed all of that.
Every single film to have come from Pixar has the Disney logo attached to it. What’s more, this relationship has only gotten closer, with Pixar now one of the major studios under the Walt Disney Company’s control, linking in with video gaming, merchandise and the theme parks.
Appealing To All Ages
Pixar has never made a kids’ film. That may sound strange, but all of their movies are actually supposed to appeal to a universal audience. No matter the age, nationality, or background, these movies are supposed to reflect humanity in some manner.
The themes translate across all cultures and settings and the scripts are designed to contain jokes for both kids and adults alike. Indeed, Pixar has come to demonstrate that despite being family-friendly, their films are perhaps some of the highest forms of art.
A Message About Creativity
Pixar thrives on allowing for creative freedoms within their departments, and all of their movies share that similar message. Each film demonstrates a little something about being allowed to fully find one’s voice, often through the arts.
Whether it’s Riley’s sports, Remy’s cooking, Joe’s music, or Mike’s humor, each character has been given a unique skill that they can use to express themselves in some way. This is a consistent message which clearly aims to inspire the next generation of creators.
