The beginnings of it all...

[Charlie in Dayton]

All those computer-generated videos had to start somewhere...apparently they started here...

[Swift]

Some time around Christmas 1989, I was visiting a friend of mine. She and her husband were computer science types, and another friend of hers, who I only casually knew, was also visiting. This friend of my friend was talking about this relatively new company that he was working for out in California. Oh, and by the way, he had a video tape of the stuff he was working on, would we like see. So we watched this video of this (at the time) amazing computer animation; just little snippets and test things he had been involved with.

The name of the company: Pixar.

[starcanuck64]

The name of the company: Pixar.

Which began its life as the Graphics Group, part of Lucasfilm.

I wonder if George regrets selling it in 1986?

[Doodler]

Which began its life as the Graphics Group, part of Lucasfilm.

I wonder if George regrets selling it in 1986?

I doubt it, he pretty much owns a mint. Personally, I'm glad he did. I don't think I could have lived with a Toy Story where Buzz shot first.

[publiusr]

So we watched this video of this (at the time) amazing computer animation; just little snippets and test things he had been involved with.

The name of the company: Pixar.

So you were among the first to see the lamp and son jump to life--or the baby and the tin drummer? That close to being in on the ground floor.

I remember being at a Sci fi convention some years ago where Kate Mulgrew was talking to some folks just milling around--her and Dan Goldin and a few other astronauts. I would wait patiently, and both times as I was about to ask a question--it was as if someone waved a wand and everyone disappeared.

It seems there are those of us who are allowed only a taste--only a brush with...oh well.

[Swift]

So you were among the first to see the lamp and son jump to life--or the baby and the tin drummer? That close to being in on the ground floor.

After almost 25 years, I don't recall what we watched. I have a vague memory that it was all wire-frame black & white stuff, but I don't know.

[Fazor]

So you were among the first to see the lamp and son jump to life--or the baby and the tin drummer? That close to being in on the ground floor.

Those were both much after the initial test stuff soon-to-be-Pixar did. From the sounds of it, it was some of the even earlier proof-of-concept work they did to show what could be done.

He would have had to take me back to Cali with him. I love that stuff.

[SkepticJ]

Pretty cool that it went from that, to the ship in Flight of the Navigator in just 23 years.

The T-1000 effects in Terminator 2 are 21 years old now.

Jurassic Park is 19.