Computers breathe life into 'Toy Story'

From the zoetrope to the magic lantern and the 1937 Disney classic “Snow White,” animators have always pushed the boundaries of technology and art. For decades, the hand-drawn artistry of Disney Studios dominated animated feature films. But rapid advances in computer-generated imagery, better known as CGI, have revolutionized the field.

The 1995 film "Toy Story" was "a complete game changer,” says Eddy Von Mueller, an Emory lecturer in film studies. “Toy Story 3” opened in theaters today, to rave reviews.

“The Toy Story franchise is fun, because you can look at the three Toy Story films and you can see the evolution of CGI as a cinematic tool," Von Mueller says. “Toy Story proved that we could make animation via computers that audiences would respond to, and because of that the floodgates have opened.”

Disney eventually bought Pixar. “When Disney says we can’t beat them we better join them, it’s an acknowledgment that the world of animation has been overturned,” he says.

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