Pixar Animation Studios, or simply Pixar is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio is best known for its CGI-animated feature films.
Often paralleled to its competitors Disney and DreamWorks, Pixar Animated Studios has stayed loyal to the ‘great story first, then animation’ to guide its positioning strategy in the market of animated media.However,its positioning in the minds of its viewers is not this linear.
With its intricate story lines,Pixar characters show strong, multi-faceted development throughout, often displaying a strong change in their personalities The themes are often multi -layered, with a major plot and various subplots. It prods the viewer to connect with his inner vulnerabilities of being human. The themes often if not always question the conventional way of things as dictated by social convention. It gives its audience the audience food for thought, that resonates with their core sense of morality, and growth through experience.For example, tracking the development of male protagonists in three Pixar films (Toy Story, Cars, and The Incredibles), a trend of characters overcoming the flaws of the toughness associated with the traditional alpha male, including isolation, denial of vulnerability, and the fear of figurative emasculation from any disempowerment. Each character grows to embrace and promote his more “feminine aspects” including kindness and gentleness, “caring, sharing, nurturing, and community”. In the cases of Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story, Lightning McQueen in Cars, and Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles, found that all strive initially for a strong, independent, assertive alpha-male identity. They all later face failures and ultimately all find redemption through the learning of altruism, the display of emotional vulnerability, and the establishment
of meaningful homo-social relationships. By these means they achieve (and teach) a “kinder, gentler understanding of what it means to be a man”. Lightning McQueen overcomes an obsessive, alpha-male desire to “be the best” when he suffers a humiliating defeat. He then gains a new self-worth by belonging to a community, helping his friends, and placing integrity over victory. Mr. Incredible, after insisting that he “work alone” is figuratively emasculated, his self-confidence rattled by capture and defeat. He then finds new strength by working together with his wife and children, as well as by prizing their strengths instead of his own.
Improvement: A recurring theme in these articles is that Pixar writes strong and varied female characters, breaking free of the “princess” confines of traditional Disney by portraying women as cowgirls, chefs, superheroes, and professionals. However, none of them have assumed the lead role in the narrative, at least not without sharing it with a man.None of the stories examine universal problems from a female character’s perspective, one in which young girls could “see a reflection” of themselves. Therefore, Pixar’s forthcoming productions could be centered around strong female characters and their development throughout the plot.
