9781422277379

blend the colors of computer-generated objects. In 1979 George Lucas, the famous director of the StarWars fran- chise, invited CGL staff to come work for his Lucasfilm studio. Several members accepted the offer and formed a new research and develop- ment team called the Graphics Group. This was the core group that would later become Pixar. At Lucasfilm, the Graphics Group continued to advance com- puter-animation technology, creating the earliest version of Pixar’s trademark program RenderMan. It was originally called Reyes, which stands for Renders Everything You’ve Ever Seen. The software al- lowed researchers to create realistic three-dimensional computer images. By 1982 the Reyes rendering program was advanced enough to provide images for the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , and again in 1985 for Young Sherlock Holmes . The Graphics Group also worked to create special effects with Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic company. CGI Computer-generated imagery, or CGI, is a catchall term for the use of computer graphics to produce images and special effects. Artists use 3D animation to set their CGI creations in motion. CGI technology is used in films, television, and oth- er media. It allows designers to create scenes they couldn’t in real life, as well as stage complicated visuals without the need for props, additional actors, or other costly equipment.

1: The Early Years

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