Pixar bootstrapped the digital world

Filed in archive Bootstrapper News on October 17, 2007

A new film by the granddaughter of the man behind Mickey Mouse tells the story of a bootstrapping startup that launched a revolution.

"In a relatively short period of time, Pixar went from a bootstrap enterprise run by some pretty daring risk takers to a multi-billion dollar corporation that sets the standard for an entire industry," said filmmaker Leslie Iwerks.

Iwerks is the granddaughter Ub Iwerks, the original designer and co-creator of Mickey Mouse.
Her new documentary The Pixar Story, follows former Disney Illustrator John Lassetter, engineer Ed Catmull and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in their quest to create an animation studio unlike any seen before.

"The film is in large part a tribute to their tenacity and creativity, their unwillingness to give in when it seemed impossible to win, and to continue their creative journey no matter how difficult it became," said Iwerks.

Iwerks' documentary will begin playing in selected markets including Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Denver, Seattle San Diego, Boston, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Minnesota, and San Francisco beginning Oct. 23.

See more on the film's release on the Unidentified Sound Object blog and in the press announcement from Leslie Iwerks Productions.

Photo Credit: Leslie Iwerk Productions