Luxo Jr.
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| Luxo Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John Lasseter |
| Produced by | John Lasseter Bill Reeves |
| Written by | John Lasseter |
| Music by | Chick Corea |
| Release date(s) | August 17, 1986 (SIGGRAPH) November 24, 1999 (with Toy Story 2) |
| Running time | 2 min 18 sec |
| Country | USA |
| Preceded by | The Adventures of André and Wally B. |
| Followed by | Red's Dream |
| IMDb profile | |
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 hopping desk lamp included in Pixar's corporate logo. After the Pixar logo at the beginning of the film, text appears (in white) reading, "In 1986, Pixar produced its first film. This is why we have a hopping lamp in our logo."
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[edit] Plot
It features two desk lamps (inspired by a Luxo brand task-light on John Lasseter's desk, 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.
[edit] Significance
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.
[edit] Luxo Jr. after the short
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 called "Surprise", "Light and Heavy", "Up and Down", and "Front and Back" have appeared in Sesame Street, which are now available on the Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 though the original narrator track is not included.
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 his "head" towards the audience. In the Pixar logo, he does the same to the letter "I" in the word "Pixar". This was modified a little for Cars, when the screen dimmed, a message appeared saying "Celebrating 20 Years", Luxo Jr.'s head being the "0" in the 20. This indicates that Cars marked Pixar's 20th Anniversary. Also, in a teaser trailer for WALL-E, and quite possibly the rendition of the "PIXAR" logo for the film, Luxo Jr.'s light bulb burns out and WALL-E rolls in to replace the bulb, after doing this Luxo, Jr. turns towards the audience and WALL-E knocks over the "R" in the Pixar logo, then he positions his body into an "R". Luxo Jr. also appears after the end credits of every film. Every now and then the Pixar logo comes up and has music in the background which blocks out Luxo Jr.'s sound effects. When he does and he shifts his "head" towards the audience, the logo's background dims away, leaving nothing visible but Luxo Jr.'s bright light, which then disappears with a clicking sound.
In To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, a book of Pixar's history up through January 2007, film critic Leonard Maltin said that he "like[s] the fact that Luxo [Jr.] still has significance to the people at Pixar", and remarked that it was something like Disney's Mickey Mouse.
The short was re-issued in 1999 and shown before screenings of Toy Story 2. There is also a scene in Toy Story 2 where the toys frantically flick through TV channels to find a certain commercial. One of the channels is showing Luxo Jr.
[edit] The Ball
The ball that Luxo Jr. plays with in the film has also appeared in many other Pixar films - Red's Dream (pattern only), Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. and Jack-Jack Attack are a few in which it has appeared.
The ball has also appeared in Aardman's Creature Comforts TV series, which was a little tribute to Pixar.
The ball has also appeared in Blue's Clues, but only the star was blue and the stripe was red.
The ball has also appeared in Rugrats inside Tommy's playpen.
[edit] External links
- Pixar's official Luxo Jr. site (Downloadable movie available)
- Luxo Jr. at the Internet Movie Database
- Luxo's web site
| Preceded by The Adventures of André and Wally B. |
Pixar Animation Studios animated films 1986 |
Succeeded by Red's Dream |
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