Pixar Animation Studios (NASDAQ: PIXR) is an award-winning American computer generated imagery (CGI) animation firm based in Emeryville, California (USA).

Though best known for its production of computer-animated feature films, Pixar also develops and markets high-end 3D computer graphics technology. Most notably, Pixar is the developer of the industry-standard rendering software RenderMan, which is used to generate high-quality, photorealistic images.

On January 24, 2006, Disney agreed to buy Pixar for $7.4 billion through the stock market, ensuring that Steve Jobs will be the largest individual shareholder of Disney. Disney are expected to complete the merger with Pixar in July 2006.

The Pixar Format

All Pixar features have a common theme. The setting of the film is always a world in which people/creatures/objects that are not commonly thought to have normal everyday lives live in societies resembling modern American society. For example:

Toy Story/Toy Story 2 — Toys come to life and live in a community in their owner's room while he's away.

A Bug's Life — Insects live in harmony and have their own hierarchy and tiny little cities.

Monsters Inc. — Horrifying monsters live everyday lives in their own community. Scaring kids is just their day job.

Finding Nemo — The ocean, like Earth's land mass, has its own cities, schools and communities ruled by fish.

The Incredibles — Superheroes live among us and take ordinary jobs and have ordinary problems, such as a greedy boss or a troublemaking son.

(Pixar Animation Studios Information Courtesy of Wikipedia.)