Incredibles but true!

INCREDIBLES BUT TRUE!

By David Edwards, Dec 3 2004, www.mirror.co.uk

PIXAR, the animation powerhouse behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, has raked in an astonishing £1.5billion since its launch in 1986.

But away from the dazzling effects, the story of the world's hottest film company is just as incredible as any of its movies.

And the latest twist is a bitter feud between Pixar's boss Steve Jobs - also CEO and founder of computer firm Apple - and Disney boss Michael Eisner.

Jobs, 49, has refused to renew a contract with the House Of Mouse in a move which could cost the Magic Kingdom a fortune,

Here, we reveal 12 things you never knew about Pixar...

FOUNDER Jobs was a college dropout and political radical who experimented with drugs and once dated protest singer Joan Baez.

IN 1976 he sold his VW camper van to build the first Apple computer in his parents' garage. "I want to put a ding in the universe," he said. When Apple floated on the stock exchange just four years later it was worth £640m.

IN 1986, a year after resigning from Apple, Jobs bought George Lucas's computer graphics division for £million and renamed it Pixar. Today, it's worth an estimated £80m and he is said to be worth £70m.

THE company began with eight employees. Today it has 730.

IN 1991, the firm teamed up with Disney, which agreed to distribute its films, beginning one of the most lucrative - and volatile - partnerships in movie history.

PIXAR'S first film, Toy Story, was released in 1995 and became the year's biggest-grossing movie, making £191m worldwide.

A STRING of hits followed, including a Toy Story sequel, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and current smash, The Incredibles. Together, Pixar's six films have made £1.5b and scooped 14 Oscar nominations, with three wins.

PIXAR'S next film will be Cars, slated for release in late 2005. Featuring the voices of Paul Newman and Bonnie Hunt, it'll be the firm's last collaboration with Disney. It focuses on a collection of talking cars and their adventures on Route 66.

A TEAM of 158 animators and computer programmers spent two years making The Incredibles. One of their biggest challenges was replicating the 100,000 strands of hair on each character's heads.

AT the heart of Pixar's success is its unique RenderMan special-effects program that uses hundreds of computers to make its films look so lifelike.

THE firm's HQ in Emeryville, near San Francisco, is called Planet Pixar and boasts an outdoor amphitheatre, pool, football pitch, yoga classes, tai chi and sculpture lessons. Staff are given scooters to travel around the 16-acre site.

KNOWN for his quirky style, Jobs, a married father-of-four, is a vegan who attends meetings in a black turtleneck sweater and jeans. He owns more than 100 pairs.

Not really news, but yet another article getting the v word out there.

I have been considering getting a Mac as my next computer, at least in part due to Jobs's morality.

And meat eater gates biggest rival they also knew each other well in the early days of Microshite, PIXAR rock hats off to them......The same as the Jim Henson empire which must never be sold to the corperate dizzy scum for 5 generations after Mr Hensons death.

I really want apple to kick microshite out of the way, Linux to come up smelling of roses, PIXAR to be movie gods and Dizzy to crash out......I just have a strong wish for the underdog to always win....

Hey Gert did you ever watch the TV show ran on BBC2 a few years back about Gates and Jobs very interesting viewing from a nerdy kind of way....but very hard to think watching that show that gates become so power hungry as he was put over as such a non materialistic hippy.

snaffler, are you angry about *everything*? I mean is anger your natural way of life? :)

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eve

snaffler, are you angry about *everything*? I mean is anger your natural way of life? :)

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No at all I am far from angry, I never get angry, sorry if my posts often come across that way, but I spend 99% of my life laughing and having fun...SORRY you have made me paranoid now ;) nah not at all.....Just fox hunters make me angry but not angry in the traditional sense....

It all gets turned into positive helpful energy, TBH I can't remember the last time I got angry as in the physical sense....Sorry.

I am really chilled all the time....I am to old to get angry :D

I can understand your comment now, no it's more of a strong support I always have had for the underdog, I hate seeing big corperations squash the good underdogs......e.g Mcdonalds Vs Dave & Helen and many other things.

I suppose I have a lot of socialist feelings towards life.

Snaffler, don't get paranoid, you have given me a lot of chuckles on the forum, I think, like me you use your anger and turn it into energy which you can then put to good use, like sabbing. ;)
Eve, you're just an old hippy! :p
Peace! :)

Actually, Eve, on this subject, I have decided that I should get fit (as I used to be, moons ago!!), so, with help from Personal Trainer Pete, I have a new Secret Plan (to conquer the World, mowhahahahaha!!).
I still like my Yoga (neglected recently), but i reckon a bit of the old Macho body work might be more my 'cup of tea'. I have surplus energy that needs an outlet!! Maybe I won't feel so angry then, eh, Eve? :D

YOGA yes I love my Yoga regular as clock work every thursday night and once at home....that relaxes me loads.....so I have to go out after and shout at the Kebab shop owner for killing dinosaurs and plcing them on rotating spits afterwards to keep my anger up ;) you know it makes sense...

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snaffler

YOGA yes I love my Yoga regular as clock work every thursday night and once at home....that relaxes me loads.....so I have to go out after and shout at the Kebab shop owner for killing dinosaurs and plcing them on rotating spits afterwards to keep my anger up ;) you know it makes sense...

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TeeHee! :D

Thanks for the comments, and hope you take mine in good spirit - no, not with gin!
No more yoga for me, but I do join with a few of my swimming friends at the home of one of them, one evening a week for a group meditation. We play a taped med, then discuss it a bit, some have a cup of tea, then we do a silent 10-minute meditation. Sometimes we have turns at leading. It always feel so great after that, and I really look fwd to seeing them again at the pool. It seems to bond us. We also have philosophical discussions, during which time I manage to bring up the subject of loving kindness to all beings. Sadly, those who go fishing, still go fishing!

I used to meditate with a group in Australia and absolutely loved it! Also, I used to attend a psychic circle group - where we studied many different things such as crystal healing, spiritual communication, dream interpretation, astral travel - I loved it so much and was very sad to leave it, when I left Australia. We used to meditate with crystals and I always felt so refeshed afterwards :)

I am thinking of buying a Yoga DVD from work and doing it at home. I am too embarrassed to do it in a group environment with all those tall, lanky, toned women in their expensive yoga outfits. :o

Roxy, I have a great Yoga video called 'Yoga and You' which I use to keep me going at home. I used to go to classes, but prefer to do it at home on my own.
I love all the 'psychic' stuff, too, and I go to my local Spiritualist Church sometimes - going there for a Christmas Supper/evening of Clairvoyance on the 16th. ;)

Hope John doesn't read this - he will tell us off for going off-topic again! :D

Eve - I love your comments, I find them amusing even if we often have to agree to differ! :)

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PinkFluffyCloud

I love all the 'psychic' stuff, too, and I go to mu local Spiritualist Church sometimes - going there for a Christmas Supper/evening of Clairvoyance on the 16th. ;)

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I would LOVE to do something like that - but I'm too scared to go alone and I don't know anyone in Canada that would go to something like that with me.

Gawwwd - just talking about his has really made me think about how much I miss my psychic mentor, Nick. What a beautiful person he is and he taught me soooo much!

Just go, Roxy, everyone is so welcoming, you'll love it!
Unfortunately, it seems I am an 'empath' which means I often come away with feelings of Depression, sadness, etc. I have learnt now to take a strong salt bath when I get home.

Ekk my forum hap dash rushed spelling gets worse every day - ekkk ok I have an excuse so I hope I can get away with it.

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snaffler

Ekk my forum hap dash rushed spelling gets worse every day - ekkk ok I have an excuse so I hope I can get away with it.

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No, it's a disgrace! :p

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PinkFluffyCloud

I go to my local Spiritualist Church sometimes - going there for a Christmas Supper/evening of Clairvoyance on the 16th.

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Hi Roxy, our little meditation group and a group from the local spiritualist church are getting together on Thursday next week just to meet up with each other. We all have to take a plate (some cooked or raw dish to share), and I'm really looking forward to that. :D

A nice relaxing get-together for you Eve. Maybe I will look into the spiritualist churches in my area (if there are any). I think I remember seeing an advertisement in the classified area of our local newspaper. I'll have another look next time it is delivered at work.

What about this, Snaffler, On the tv news today they reported that over 1000 people a year are accidentally shot by hunters in the US. There was a woman on, whose pregnant daughter was shot, though not fatally.