Top Book Recommendations by Ed Catmull: Best Books for Success
Ed Catmull is a computer scientist and businessman who co-founded Pixar Animation Studios and served as president of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also the author of "Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration." Catmull's work in computer graphics has led to many groundbreaking films, including "Toy Story," "Finding Nemo," "Up," and "Inside Out."
Ed Catmull's career has been focused on computer graphics, animation, and leadership. He began his career as a computer scientist at the University of Utah, where he worked on the first computer-animated film, "Pixar's Adventures of Andre and Wally B."
In 1979, Catmull co-founded the Computer Division of Lucasfilm Ltd, later renamed Pixar Animation Studios. At Pixar, he served as the President and CEO. He was responsible for developing computer animation technology, which led to the first feature-length computer-animated film, "Toy Story." Under his leadership, Pixar produced some of the most successful and critically-acclaimed animated films of all time, such as "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," "Up," "Toy Story 3," "Coco," and "Incredibles 2."
In 2006, Disney acquired Pixar Animation Studios, and Catmull became the president of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He retired from Disney in 2019.
Throughout his career, Catmull has been recognized for his contributions to the animation industry and has received numerous awards and honors, including an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 1995, a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1999, and a National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2016.