Disney's Pixar: How Steve Jobs Changed Hollywood

by Aurelia Jackson

Overview

Pixar is one of the most successful companies creating movies today. You've probably seen at least one of their huge hits, movies such as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars, or Wall•E. Ever since Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers, bought the company from George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, Pixar has changed the way animated movies are made. Steve has turned the company into something incredible. Discover the story of how Steve gave Pixar the chance to make their first movies, how Pixar changed Hollywood—and how Pixar hopes to keep on amazing moviegoers in the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781422287163
Publisher:	Mason Crest
Publication date:	11/17/2014
Series:	Wizards of Technology Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

Today’s teens have a new set of heroes, explored here in the “Wizards of Technology” series. In this volume, readers meet Steve Jobs (1955-2011), famous founder of Apple, whose story is told here as a prelude to his acquisition of Pixar. Jobs, always brilliant and mercurial, made Apple into a successful and innovative maker of computers; but in 1985, internal disagreements caused him to be fired from his own company. Disoriented for a while (though rich and honored), Jobs eventually acquired Pixar, concentrating on its talented animation team headed by John Lasseter. At first, they made animated commercials; but a deal with Disney led to the painstaking work of creating Toy Story, a full-length 3D-animated film that was a huge success. Teens can read about the complex process and the time animators spend working on films like Cars, Ratatouille, and Finding Nemo. Jobs has been credited by associates with providing Pixar’s creative atmosphere, giving his employees unusual freedom, and supporting them with his enthusiasm and vision for the company. Jackson tells Jobs’ story largely from a commencement address he gave to students at Stanford, thus letting him control the narrative and minimizing his unpredictable, perfectionist nature. In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with cancer, though he managed to keep on working for eight more years, returning to Apple and introducing the iMac, the iPhone, and the iPad. Both Apple fans and the famous, like Bill Gates and Barack Obama, mourned his death. Praise for his genius came from Fortune and Forbes, Time magazine and Financial Times. Large color photos show Jobs, his collaborators, and characters from Pixar films, while glossaries, quizzes on the text, and ideas for research projects are included. A timeline would have been helpful, too. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft; Ages 12 up.

Children's Literature - Barbara L. Talcroft

11/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—This series introduces readers to the people who created well-known social media and entertainment products. Written with an intense business focus, they analyze why Netflix and others brands are popular and illustrate their inventors' creative journeys. At times, conceptual graphics seem geared toward a business audience rather than an educational arena. For example, an image of people floating above an outstretched palm is meant to convey that Reed struggled to manage his employees, but it may not be clear to students. Well-written study questions encourage readers to return to the text and skim for relevant passages. Some questions call upon students to conduct Internet research or analyze different business models. These texts provide a realistic view of how adults learn and grow in the working world, learning from their mistakes. Students will understand what an innovator or entrepreneur is and how personal challenges—such as Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's speech impediment—can lead to new forms of communication. An inspiring series.

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