• "Toy Story" is a landmark animated motion picture -- the first full-length feature ever to be created entirely through the use of computer animation.The film represents an ambitious and exciting creative collaboration between Walt Disney Feature Animation and Pixar, the Northern California-based production company that was incorporated in 1986 and has pioneered computer animation by creating the world's first "digital animation studio." It is the first in a three- picture arrangement between Disney and Pixar. The two companies have worked closely together in the past and shared a special technical Academy Award in 1992 for their joint invention of CAPS (a computer animation post-production process), its contribution to "Beauty and the Beast" and to the art of animation as a whole.
• Computer animation combines the skills of traditionally trained character animators with the most sophisticated "pencils" in the world. Using computers as a tool, the filmmakers are able to create a dimensional yet stylized look for the characters and backgrounds that is unlike any other form of animation. It uniquely suits the needs of this delightfully imaginative story. Characters have a dimensionality and realistic texture that adds to their believability.
• "Toy Story" is a sophisticated and delightfully irreverent comedy-adventure conceived and directed by Academy Award-winning director, John Lasseter, a former Disney animator whose innovative work with Pixar includes the 1989 Oscar-winning short, "Tin Toy" as well as "Luxo Jr."(an Oscar nominee), "Red's Dream" and "Knickknack." Ralph Guggenheim, Pixar's vice president of feature production, and Bonnie Arnold, a veteran filmmaker ("Dances With Wolves," "The Addams Family," "Last of the Mohicans," etc.) serve as the film's producers. Acclaimed songwriter Randy Newman wrote and performs the film's three original songs and composed the film's rich underscore.
• Set in a world where toys have a life of their own when people are not present, "Toy Story" takes moviegoers on a fantastic fun-filled journey,
viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys -- Woody (voice of Tom Hanks),
a pull-string talking cowboy and Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen),
a superhero space action-figure. The comically-mismatched duo eventually learn to put aside their differences when circumstances separate them from their owner Andy and they find themselves on a hilarious adventure-filled mission where the only way they can survive is to form an uneasy alliance
• New toy characters (like Woody and Buzz) are joined by such well-known classic favorites as Mr. Potato Head and Slinky Dog in the all-star toy cast featured in the film.
• Using a new generation of state-of-the-art software (developed by Pixar) and employing a team of outstanding artists and animators specially trained for this unique form of animation, "Toy Story" combines technical artistry with a warm- hearted family story that is in the best Disney tradition. The film introduces a unique three-dimensional animation look, with qualities of texture, color, vibrant lighting and detail never seen before in traditional animated features.
• Based on an original story by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft, the screenplay for "Toy Story" was written by Joss Whedon ("Speed," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alex Sokolow.
THE STORY
• Woody (Tom Hanks), a traditional pull-string cowboy doll has always been Andy's favorite toy, but not even six-year-old Andy knows that his toys have a life of their own when he's not around. Woody's life is about to change, however, with the arrival of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), the latest, greatest action-figure, complete with fold-out wings, push-button laser, digital voice and wrist communicator. It is every toy's greatest fear that they will be replaced by newer toys, and this time, it is Woody whose position as top toy is threatened by Buzz.
• Much to Woody's chagrin, Buzz begins to monopolize all of Andy's attention and becomes an instant favorite with his toymates: Slinky (Jim Varney), Woody's flexible canine friend; the hot-tempered Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles); Rex (Wallace Shawn), an insecure dinosaur; Hamm (John Ratzenberger), the pigheaded piggy bank and Bo Peep (Annie Potts), the beautiful figurine lamp who is the light of Woody's life. Making matters worse for Woody is Buzz's insistence that he is not a toy but a fearless space ranger who has just landed on an alien planet.
• Woody plots to get rid of Buzz, but things backfire and he finds himself lost in the outside world with Buzz as his only companion. Joining forces to find their way home, the two rivals set out on an adventure that takes them to Pizza Planet, a galactic-themed fast food/arcade, and lands them in the clutches of Sid, a sadistic neighborhood kid who is notorious for dismembering and reassembling "mutant" toys in his bedroom. It is a toy's worst nightmare come true.
• As "guests" of Sid and his dog, Scud, the two fugitive toys form an even closer bond. Buzz discovers that he is not a real space ranger and, with Woody's help and encouragement, learns his true value as a toy. Together, the cowboy and the spaceman forge a genuine friendship and learn that only through mutual trust and respect do they have any chance of survival.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
• To gear up for their first feature-length production, Pixar's staff went through several important stages of preparation. Proprietary software was written and refined to meet the technical challenges of the film while the animation team honed their performance skills by studying acting, mime, life drawing and storytelling techniques. In order to make the toys seem like living, breathing characters, anatomy, movement and expression were carefully researched and experimented with.
• The head creative team from Walt Disney Feature Animation, which included president Peter Schneider, senior vice president Thomas Schumacher and special projects vice president Kathleen Gavin, consulted regularly on the development of the script and provided creative input throughout the production.
• Most of the animators involved in "Toy Story" came from traditional animation backgrounds -- either in hand-drawn, puppet or clay animation. They were chosen for this project based on their acting ability and flare for personality-driven character animation. Director John Lasseter explains, "We're storytellers who happen to use computers. Story and characters come first and that is what drives everything we do."
• Throughout the production, the Pixar team created an unmatched "digital back lot" -- an incredible database of thousands of proprietary digital models, textures and images which were used to create characters and scenes.
• Art director Ralph Eggelston set out to create a "heightened reality" look for "Toy Story." The result is a caricatured world where the designs are stylized but the textures are very realistic. Among the key sets that the art department designed are the contrasting worlds (bedrooms) of the toy's beloved Andy and his twisted neighbor, Sid; the space-age motif of "Pizza Planet" and a Gas Station where Buzz and Woody plan their escape.
• Andy's bedroom was conceived as a refuge -- a safe and comfortable environment in which the toys can spring to life. In contrast, Sid's bedroom is a horrific torture chamber for toys complete with black light posters and a rusty barbed wire bed without any comfy blankets or sheets to sleep on.
THE MUSIC
• Grammy Award-winning composer/songwriter Randy Newman has created three original songs for the film as well as the richly textured and evocative underscore. The songs which he wrote and performs are: "You've Got a Friend in Me," "Strange Things" and "I Will Go Sailing No More."
• Music serves a unique role in "Toy Story." Unlike traditional Disney animated musicals where characters break into song, the songs here play over the action to support the emotional moments of the film. Director Lasseter notes, "We use music in the same way that Simon and Garfunkel did so successfully with 'The Graduate' and Disney did so memorably in 'Dumbo' with 'Baby Mine.' In both cases, the music amplifies the emotional underpinnings of the scenes."
THE CAST OF CHARACTERS
• WOODY -- is a traditional pull-string cowboy toy who has long enjoyed a place of honor among the menagerie of toys as Andy's favorite. Admired and respected by the other toys, Woody is the de facto leader who keeps peace between the various and disparate personalities who tend to bicker amongst themselves. Quick to calm their anxieties about being replaced by newer arrivals, Woody finds his own confidence shaken when Buzz Lightyear lands on the scene and threatens Woody's status.
Voice: Tom Hanks
• BUZZ LIGHTYEAR -- is simply the coolest space action figure ever made. Complete with voice sampler, laser beam, karate chop action and pop-out wings, Buzz is a boy's dream come true but a pain in the neck to his fellow-toy Woody. Suffering from the delusion that he is not a toy but the actual intrepid defender of the galaxies who has been sent to save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg, his sole purpose after crash-landing in Andy's room is to get his spaceship (the box in which he was sold) fixed and continue his mission with the universe protection unit. As a result, he views his daily routine as an outer space adventure -- until he finally learns what Andy's other toys have known all along.
Voice: Tim Allen
• ANDY -- is a rambunctious and imaginative six year old, who spends time staging elaborate games with his toys. With a move to a new home in a new neighborhood where he won't know a soul preoccupying much of his thoughts, he is counting on the security of his trusted toys to help get him through. Andy, of course, has no idea that his toymates have a secret life of their own when he's not around.
Voice: John Morris
• SLINKY -- is a collapsible canine with a springy midsection that expands and contracts with each movement. He's one of the veteran toys in Andy's room and his friendship with Woody stretches back a long time. With his down-home country drawl and easy going manner, Slinky is a faithful pal, but the arrival of Buzz finds him bent out of shape and puts an old friendship to the test.
Voice: Jim Varney
• MR. POTATO HEAD -- is a cynical spud (with removable parts) who is the first to let off steam when things don't go exactly as they should. Woody is a favorite target for this hot-headed character who is always coming apart at the seams. Despite his crusty exterior, he's a romantic softy at heart who secretly longs for a Mrs. Potato Head.
Voice: Don Rickles
• HAMM -- is the pigheaded piggy bank who thinks he knows it all and doesn't mind "snouting" off to the other toys. Stationed by Andy's bedroom window, Hamm doesn't share the other toy's anxieties and insecurities because he knows that Andy has too much invested in his jingling "pork belly" to ever replace him. Along with his caustic pal and fellow agitator, Mr. Potato Head, Hamm is a lively member of the toy menagerie.
Voice: John Ratzenberger
• BO-PEEP -- is the pretty porcelain lamp stand figurine who serves as the voice of reason among her male toy counterparts and is the object of Woody's affection. A sultry but fickle belle who knows how to light up a room, Bo-Peep tends to more than sheep as she searches for a suitable "moving buddy" and shifts her loyalty to the current favorite.
Voice: Annie Potts
• REX -- is not your average Tyrannosaurus Rex. Even though he's molded after the most ferocious beast in history, he has the gentlest heart of all the toys. Neurotic, nervous, sensitive and insecure, Rex is a 12-inch-high plastic dinosaur, who has never been quite comfortable with the role in which he's been "cast."
Voice: Wallace Shawn
• SID -- is the malicious and overactive kid who loves to torture, torment and blow up toys, all in the name of fun. Everyone knew a "Sid" when they were growing up. Toys all over the neighborhood shudder with the knowledge that they may someday wind up in his evil hands or find themselves in Sid's bedroom from which they may never see the light of day again.
Voice: Eric Von Detten
• SCUD -- is Sid's loyal pet dog. Half pit-bull, half man-eating shark, this lean, mean eating machine's favorite hobby is lunching on the toys that his master discards. He eats, chews toys, sleeps, chews toys, etc.
• SID'S MUTANT TOYS -- are an odd-looking bunch of hybrids that are the product of Sid's "playtime." Toys that have been ripped apart and put back together in grotesque combinations, these unfortunate creations are pure and gentle at the core despite their outward appearances. Survival is the key to their existence and unlike most toys, this group does not want to played with -- especially by Sid.
THE FILMMAKERS:
• John Lasseter (Director), an Academy Award-winning director and animator, is vice president of creative development at Pixar and is the director of "Toy Story." He has written and directed a number of short films and television commercials at Pixar including: "Luxo Jr." (a 1986 Oscar nominee), "Red's Dream" (1987) and "Tin Toy," which won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Lasseter also designed and animated the stained glass knight in the 1985 Steven Spielberg production, "Young Sherlock Holmes." He joined Pixar in 1984 after serving five years as an animator at The Walt Disney Studios. He earned his B.S. in fine arts from the California Institute of the Arts where he produced two animated films, each winners of the student Academy Award for Animation, "Lady and the Lamp" in 1979 and "Nitemare" in 1980.
• Ralph J. Guggenheim (Producer), vice president of feature production at Pixar serves as one of the two producers of "Toy Story." He has been director of animation production since 1985 and produced the Pixar animated films "Red's Dream," "Tin Toy" and "Knickknack." In 1988, "Tin Toy" won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. At the Computer Graphics Lab of The New York Institute of Technology in 1978, Guggenheim met and began his association with the future Pixar team. Two years later he joined Lucasfilm's Computer Research Group as director of editing research. Guggenheim earned both his B.A. in communications and his M.S. in computer graphics and film production from Carnegie-Mellon University.
• Bonnie Arnold (Producer) has been working in all aspects of motion picture production since 1978 and is a producer on "Toy Story." She served as associate producer of the multiple Academy Award-winning "Dances With Wolves" and also on "The Addams Family." Her other credits include "The Last of the Mohicans," "The Mosquito Coast," "Revenge" and "Hero." Arnold has a B.S. in journalism from the University of Georgia and an M.S. in journalism from Boston University.
• Dr. William T. Reeves (Supervising Technical Director) joined the computer division of Lucasfilm, Ltd. in 1980 as project leader of the systems group and a member of the computer graphics group. In 1982 he invented a new image synthesis technique, particle systems, that enables the generation of very complex and detailed images. From 1982 to 1986, he worked as project leader of the modeling and animation group. In 1986, Dr. Reeves joined Pixar as head of Animation Research and Development. His film credits while at Lucasfilm, Ltd. and Pixar include: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," "Return of the Jedi," "Young Sherlock Holmes," "Luxo Jr." (1986 Academy Award nominee), "Red's Dream," "Tin Toy" and "Knickknack." In 1988, Dr. Reeves received an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his work as technical director on "Tin Toy." He received his B.S. in math from the University of Waterloo in Canada and his master's and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Toronto.
• Steven P. Jobs (Co-executive Producer), chairman and chief executive officer of Pixar is a co-executive producer on "Toy Story." Jobs purchased the computer division of Lucasfilm, Ltd. in 1986 and formed Pixar as an independent company. Before becoming co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of NeXT Computer, Inc., Jobs also co-founded and served as chairman of Apple Computer, Inc. Under his guidance, Apple grew to become a $2 billion company. In recognition of his pioneering work in technology, he was awarded the National Technology Medal by President Reagan in 1985 and the Jefferson Award for Public Service in 1987. In 1989, he was named "Entrepreneur of the Decade" by Inc. magazine. Jobs attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon.
• Dr. Edwin E. Catmull (Co-executive Producer), Pixar's executive vice president and chief technology officer, serves as a co-executive producer on their first feature film project. George Lucas recruited Dr. Catmull in 1979 to become vice president of the newly formed computer division of Lucasfilm Ltd., with the charter to bring his high technology expertise to the film industry. He was a key developer of RenderMan, the Academy Award-winning program that creates realistic digital effects for computer graphics and animation. In 1993, Dr. Catmull was awarded the Scientific and Technical Engineering Award from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for this work. He also won the Coons Award, which is the highest achievement in computer graphics, for lifetime contributions.
