Pixar has always managed to impress the pants off me. So to hear that Pixar was going to branch out to include live action in some of their features with live action elements, the buzz came about that Pixar could branch out to offer effects for other studios. Well the buzz has been silenced when /Film picked up the story:
“We’ve got two projects coming where there’s a live action element. But our view is not that we’re trying to diversify; it’s more that we’ve got a creative vision to try something different, and we want to support that vision,” Catmull said. “Whether or not it goes beyond that we don’t know, but we don’t want to turn Pixar into a live action studio. In fact, the intent is that the special effects will not be done at Pixar… We are not trying to become a special effects company.”
Its good to know that Pixar will remain a feature films studio instead of allowing its greatness to be limited to just effects. They can devote all their attention to their own projects without dividing their efforts out to the highest bidder.
I think this will do well not only for Pixar but also for the industry itself. ILM became rich and mighty by being the best. Anyone who wanted great effects could just pick up the Yellow pages and with a heaping pile of money, your visual magic was assured. Others are infringing on a territory once dominated solely by Lucas’ little effects club and Pixar certainly has the know how to stab into that field. Many dare to tread where only ILM had the graces to stand and dare I utter the blasphemy, that ILM is not the only player in the game anymore.
But them denying this service only breeds competition. Competition breeds ambition. Ambition breeds genius.
This move excites me for the future of films.