How Toy Story changed the course of animated feature films

With the release of Toy Story in theatres, the cinema scene, especially for animated feature films, changed forever. The CGI animation in the film was revolutionary, bringing to screen a well-crafted and visually appealing story that would be only the first in a line of films that signaled the transition in mainstream animation from 2D to 3D.

The animation was not the only thing brand new in the movie. While the concept of inanimate objects having their own lives was not new in television history, Toy Story brought a brand new dimension to the story, not only by telling a poignant tale dealing with themes of rebellion, childhood, and the fear of being replaced but also having stars like Tim Allen and Tom Hanks appear as voice actors.

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When was Toy Story written? History explored

The CGI of a space toy in the first film Toy Story gradually evolved in the sequels (Image via Pixar Animation Studios)

Releasing worldwide in 1995, Toy Story was conceived in the early 1990s and remains the magnum opus of Pixar Animation Studios, whose ability to breathe life into non-human entities through its gorgeous storytelling has enabled it to remain among the top animation studios even today.

The greatest visionary mind behind Toy Story was John Lassetter who remains renowned for his ability to focus on not only the technological and animation side of things but tell a relatable and heartwarming story that could appeal to all ages.

Woody's transformation from a jealous character into a genuinely sympathetic leader for his fellow toys was tastefully done, enabling him to become a good role model for kids.

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How did Toy Story come to life?

Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios joined hands to make Toy Story. The long runtime implied that the creative team, consisting of John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter, would have to take extra measures to ensure that the animation quality would be palatable, especially considering that the entire runtime was filled with animated sequences without live action.

This placed the film in stark contrast to previous works like Tron, where CGI first reared its cinematic head. To ensure that the final product was a polished piece of art, the creative team had to optimize and work on each individual detail.

For instance, the main character Woody was a wooden doll, and the animators needed to ensure that the wooden texture was evident in his anthropomorphic mannerisms.

Beyond that, the cloth on his body, the plastic on Rex, Buzz, and Hamm, as well as the shiny surface of the Potato Heads intended to breathe authentic life into these toys.

Working with computers allowed the animators to tweak and be extra creative with the plaid pattern on Woody's shirt and even the stickers that were present on Buzz's helmet. Initially, due to difficulty rendering, human faces were avoided unless absolutely necessary and showed betterment in the sequels.

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Toy Story creators paid special attention to the story

The visionaries of Pixar realized soon that only using groundbreaking animation would only go so far, but a good story complemented by technological brilliance would have a long-lasting impact.

On the other hand, the failure of the film to make an emotional connection would lead to the eventual shutdown of Pixar Studios because this project's failure would lead to the end of the contract.

Andrew Stanton, decades later, would mention:

"It’s the ugliest picture we will ever make, but you don’t care because you get wrapped up in the story to this day.”

The story was easily a relatable one, featuring a jealous lead who would show immense character development and become the leader of a group of oppressed toys.

The story of a sheriff doll being replaced by a newer, more hip astronaut-based toy marked a cultural shift in the consumerist patterns of US children, with their fascinations shifting from the Wild West to space.

It was the perfect time to tell the story to a group of kids who might wonder if their toys are alive, while letting other kids imagine that their own toys might be! The success of the story justified Andrew Stanton's words:

"We said anything that we break ground with, computer graphics-wise, will be subservient to getting the story right, because that’s what history has shown wins.”

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Toy Story was a grand project that required several months of creation (Image via Sportskeeda)

Toy was hardly the first film to be made with CGI, considering the technology had been prominently used by filmmakers since the 1970s. Live-action films like Tron used CGI in certain places, but was mostly set in the real world.

Fully CGI works included Golgo 13 from 1984, as well as The Adventures of Andre and Wally B by Lucasfilm, which was released in 1981. However, none of these films marked the grand scale of Toy Story and its long runtime.

Toy Story was not even the first CGI film made by Pixar, as that tag goes to the animated short film from 1986, Luxo Jr. with the second being Tin Toy in 1988. While archaic by today's standards, these films paved the way for what would become Toy Story.

However, it was the first CGI animated film, thereby marking challenges that the creative team handled with full gusto.

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What was the cost of making Toy Story? Budget and box office explored

The production of Toy Story required significant financial investment. As such, it had a budget exceeding $30 million. However, the gamble paid off handsomely, as the movie grossed over $361 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

Its commercial success not only solidified its place in cinematic history but also paved the way for future animated blockbusters, including Cars, A Bug's Life, and Finding Nemo, which happen to be favorites of every animation fan to this date.

Of the popular impact of the story, John Lasseter remarked:

"There was a little boy with his mom holding a Woody cowboy doll. The look on his face I will never forget. It was the first time I’d seen a character we created in the hands of somebody else. I think about it every day: that character no longer belonged to me, it belonged to him.”

What inspired Toy Story?

Toy Story was inspired by the creative team's diverse experiences. (Image via Disney)

A host of inspiration went into making Toy Story. The trope of the buddy movie, featuring friendship between two characters laced with conflict was one of the major decisions that went into the final product for which Stanton had written a screenplay.

The director of Pixar and Disney Animation, Ed Catmull, remarked that while they were experimenting with various things, their own childhood experiences and education influenced the final movie.

Catmull's own dreams of illustrating movies after having grown up as a boy in Utah, as well as John Lasseter's experiments in animation, helped them design their own characters.

In fact, Catmull and the other computer scientists at Pixar had built RenderMan, the software that the animators would then design the film and others with.

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Is Toy Story 5 confirmed by Disney?

The first film was originally intended to have two sequels, but around nine years after the conclusion of the third part, a new sequel was released. While initially skeptical, fans quickly warmed up to the storyline in Toy Story 4, which featured Woody leaving the safety and sanctity of everything he believed in to become a lost toy, showcasing a fitting conclusion to his story. However, that might not be it.

The fifth film might feature Woody's journey from here on while offering a glimpse into the lives of the other fan-favourite toys as well, but unless something is officially confirmed, we will never know. Currently, all 4 films are on Disney +.