Pixar founder Ed Catmull explains why George Lucas invented technology for his “competitors”
“George Lucas had a very strong sense of wanting to contribute to the entire field.”
“He wanted to affect the entire industry.”
“It was a really exciting place to work because you're developing technology, and the world's greatest filmmakers are dropping in to see what you’re making. Spielberg shows up. Scorsese shows up.”
“Lucas viewed the entertainment industry as a different kind of competitive landscape. If you've got a movie out in the theaters, then you would actually like all the other films not to be there because you want everybody to come to yours. But if you don't have a film out, then you want people to enjoy going to the movies.”
“People that you might call your competitors are producing things that other people enjoy. And you have a vested interest in wanting the rest of the industry to be healthy.”
“George Lucas didn't think about competition in the way that others might.”
“He was actually developing technology that made this entire industry stronger.”
A conversation with Ed Catmull, founder of Pixar. I've been making podcasts about Ed for over 8 years. He invited me to his home and told incredible stories from his 60 year career. Ed worked with Steve Jobs longer than anyone else — for more than a quarter century. We talked about what he learned from Steve, the founding of Pixar, building a company at the intersection of art and technology, why getting the team right is the necessary precursor to getting the idea right, and so much more.
Ed is full of hard-earned practical wisdom. Spending time with someone I’ve studied for almost a decade was awesome.
I hope you listen.
0:00 Most Companies Are Full Of Shit
4:28 The Brain Trust Mechanism
10:13 Why Steve Jobs Was Banned From The Braintrust
17:48 Your Job Is To Manage The Dynamics
23:27 Betting The Company On Toy Story
24:35 Engineering Eisner's Worst Nightmare
36:51 Bob Iger's Crappy Hand
38:44 Why Disney Never Asked What Pixar Was Doing
43:48 Take The Hard Problem
44:38 The Director Can't Lose The Team
48:48 Quality Is The Best Business Plan
52:32 What Walt Disney Taught Him
59:25 George Lucas And The Motion Blur Problem
1:08:48 Now What's The Point Of My Life
1:13:31 How Much Of This Was Me
1:16:10 George Lucas Wanted The Whole Industry Healthy
1:25:11 Refusing To Let Anyone Feel Second Class
1:32:38 The Truck In The Building
Includes paid partnerships.