Movies - Luxo Jr.

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	Movies - Luxo Jr.

Luxo Jr. is the first film produced in 1986 by Pixar Animation Studios, following its establishment as an independent film studio. It is a computer-animated short film (two and a half minutes, including credits), demonstrating the kind of things the newly-established company was capable of producing. It is the source of the small desk lamp (officially named "Luxo Jr.", according to ) included in Pixar's corporate logo.

It features two desk lamps (inspired by a Luxo brand task-light, hence the title), one larger (implicitly older, named Luxo) than the other. Luxo Jr. plays with a small rubber ball, as Luxo reacts to its antics. On the technical level, it demonstrates the use of shadow maps to simulate the shifting light and shadow given by the animated lamps. The lights and the color surfaces of all the objects are calculated, each using a RenderMan surface shader, not surface textures. The coordinated articulation of "limbs", and power cords trail believably behind the moving lamps. On the cinematic level, it demonstrates a simple and entertaining story, including effectively expressive individual characters.

It was Pixar's first animation after Ed Catmull and John Lasseter left ILM's computer division and was also John Lasseter's directorial debut. Lasseter's aim was to finish the short film for SIGGRAPH, an annual computer technology exhibition attended by thousands of industry professionals. Catmull and Lasseter worked around the clock, and Lasseter even took a sleeping bag into work and slept under his desk, ready to work early the next morning. The commitment paid off, and against all odds it was finished for SIGGRAPH.

“'Luxo Jr.' sent shock waves through the entire industry – to all corners of computer and traditional animation. At that time, most traditional artists were afraid of the computer. They did not realize that the computer was merely a different tool in the artist's kit but instead perceived it as a type of automation that might endanger their jobs. Luckily, this attitude changed dramatically in the early '80s with the use of personal computers in the home. The release of our 'Luxo Jr.,' ... reinforced this opinion turnaround within the professional community.” Ed Catmull, Computer Animation: A Whole New World, 1998.

In 1986, Luxo Jr. received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film. It was the first CGI film nominated for an Academy Award. Spinoffs of the short have also appeared in Sesame Street.

Luxo Jr. later served as the mascot for Pixar Animation Studios, appearing in its production logo. Notice when Luxo Jr. hops on top of the rubber ball, he squishes it down so that it's no longer visible beneath him, then shifts its "head" towards the audience. In the Pixar logo, he does the same to the letter "I" in the word Pixar.

The short was re-issued in 1999 and shown before screenings of Toy Story 2
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[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Luxo Jr. ]

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Movies - Luxo Jr.

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