For the Walt Disney Company, the Studio Entertainment segment stands true to the original foundation of the company itself. In 2006, Disney successful purchased Pixar Animation Studios; whom have excelled in the animation industry for over thirty years. Before the purchase of Pixar, the two companies formed an agreement to produce an animated feature film every year. This began with the release of the world’s first computer animated film: Toy Story. The success that studio has brought to the Walt Disney Company resides in the roots of Pixar; the works of Walt Disney himself. This hallmark of Pixar was to provide emotion and to touch audiences globally. Since the agreement between Disney and Pixar, they have produced seventeen full-length animated features and over eighteen animated shorts. With this success, Pixar has become fabricated within Disney and stays true to three priorities: Creativity and Innovation, Global Expansion, and Technology. Each of these are pertinent to the triumph of the Walt Disney Company and although the investment in Pixar was a risk, it was a true achievement.

The risk factor Pixar faced with its competition with other animation studios was their creativity. How did they plan to stand out among the crowd with other studios such as DreamWorks? Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, John Lasseter, contributes Pixar’s creative success to the creation of characters who are realistic to human beings. They carry emotions, personalities, and they have a challenge to overcome whether it is a toy curious about the purpose of life or how a rat can work alongside a human to pursue his dreams. These characters bring audiences personal attachments that last a lifetime. Lasseter acknowledges the creative success with the collaboration with the technology: “The art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art.” These were the dreams of Walt Disney, and even though Walt never witnessed the opening of Pixar, his roots of animation paved the way for the foundation of Pixar.

Pixar was created for the purpose to produce animated features and for everyone of all ages to enjoy them around the world. Not only can audiences view the movies, but they can visit Disney Parks and Resorts to find these characters come to life. In Disneyland, guests can visit Cars Land and be able to feel like they traveled to Radiator Springs. Lasseter helped create the Cars Land and enabled it for the highest victory in transforming it to life. On the Disney Cruise Line, kids are able to enjoy their time in Andy’s Room and feel like they have been shrunken down to toy size. In Shanghai Disneyland, the Toy Story Hotel has opened for guests to relax throughout their vacation. All of these are possible because of the stories that Pixar has brought to life and they are recognized for them internationally.

Not only has Pixar been recognized internationally for their featured films and shorts, but the studios have wowed the world with their technology. Pixar was the first animation studios to produce a computer animated film. They have incorporated details such as fur, smoke, fire, and water to bring the movies and characters to life. Pixar works alongside a graphic visual effects company, RenderMan, who challenge their animation with making it become believable. Just by watching a Pixar film and not necessarily knowing that it is one, you can tell that it is. This is because of the computer animation that the animators use because everything appears real. The stories that Pixar create would be nothing without the computerized technology that they have developed.

Before Pixar was a critical piece of Disney, they had already developed the same priorities. Today, John Lasseter is not only Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, but he holds the same position for the Walt Disney Animation Studios. His inspiration is core to the evolution to both Pixar and Disney. This all started with a dream to revolutionize the animation film industry with the development of computer animation. Pixar’s films are crucial to the success of the Walt Disney Company because they are some of the most recognized Disney films internationally. For as long as Pixar creates stories; new and old, the studios will thrive and keep Disney’s Studio Entertainment alive.