Ed Catmull: Creativity, Inc. [Entire Talk]

TL;DR

Creativity grows when open collaboration, honest critique, and shared discovery guide the work. Catmull argues that publishing ideas attracts top talent and reduces fear, while balancing art and technology to advance film making. Leadership must protect creative people from secrecy and fragmentation to sustain innovation.

Transcript

Today we have a special guest, we have Ed Catmull from Pixar, so he is the President of Pixar and also the President of Dixie, I knew that, Disney Animation. Dixie is a little different company and why we're here today is to talk about... But Disney does use a lot of cups. Disney does use a lot of cups, they do, I would imagine... to talk about his... Read More

Key Insights

• Ed Catmull bridges physics, computer science, and animation, shaping his approach to creative leadership.
• Open publication and sharing of discoveries helps attract top talent and builds a strong community.
• The early Pixar and Lucasfilm years show the payoff of collaborative culture and bold technical experimentation.
• He believes one should acknowledge personal mistakes and test ideas rather than cling to false certainty.
• openness was a core value at Pixar and Disney, contrasting with typical corporate secrecy.
• Steve Jobs allowed Pixar to remain open, removing the secrecy constraint common at Apple.
• Catmull learned that some management ideas are wrong while others are right, but the ratio shifts with experience.
• The pursuit of technological capability and artistic storytelling went hand in hand in his career.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Ed Catmull describe the path from physics to computer graphics and animation?

Catmull explains that he started with physics and added computer science to study how images could be made to look good enough for features. He believed early on that art and technology could together enable animation, and his pursuit shifted from pure science to creating the first computer animated film, revising timelines as needed.

Q: What taught Catmull the value of openness in his work at Pixar and Disney?

He describes growing up in an open academic environment and choosing to publish discoveries to attract the best people. This openness contrasted with the secrecy common in industry, and he credits it with building a thriving community of like minded researchers who collaborated and advanced the field of computer graphics.

Q: What was Catmull’s experience with Alby Ray Smith and the New York Institute of Technology?

At NYIT, Catmull joined a lab aiming to fund a project to advance computer graphics. He worked with Alby Ray Smith, and the environment allowed experimentation with early graphics software. This collaboration helped him learn how to assemble teams and pursue ambitious, technically driven goals.

Q: How did Catmull view the 10 year vs 20 year timeline for solving animation problems?

He initially predicted a 10 year timeframe to solve core problems for feature animation but later realized it took 20 years. This realization shaped his humility about timelines, reinforcing the idea that progress often requires persistence beyond initial optimistic estimates.

Q: What does Catmull say about Steve Jobs and Pixar’s openness?

He notes that Jobs did not apply Apple’s typical secrecy to Pixar and allowed them to publish and share. This permissive stance helped Pixar remain open while benefiting from Jobs leadership, illustrating how a founder can support open collaboration within a broader company culture.

Q: Why did Catmull value sharing discoveries with the computer graphics community?

Sharing was valued because the field was young and fragmented; pooling discoveries would accelerate progress for everyone. By contributing papers and collaborating openly, Pixar attracted top talent, stayed connected with peers, and ensured the studio remained at the forefront of innovation in computer graphics.

Q: What leadership lessons did Catmull emphasize about ideas and mistakes?

He argues that most people overestimate their own accuracy, so leaders should expect to be wrong more often than they think. This stance encourages testing ideas, welcoming feedback, and iterating rather than clinging to a single, untested plan, which fosters a healthier creative process.

Q: What role did technology play in the storytelling at Pixar and during the Lucasfilm years?

Technology was treated as a co creator with storytelling. Catmull recounts the emphasis on the right combination of optomechanics and narrative to innovate, and how bold use of technology supported compelling stories. This synergy between technical capability and artistic goals defined the studios’ approach to film making.

Summary

In this video, Ed Catmull, President of Pixar and Disney Animation, discusses his new book Creativity, Inc. He talks about the early days of Pixar, including their struggles and successes, as well as the unique approach they took to fostering creativity and innovation within the company. He also shares insights on how Pixar's methods can be applied to other organizations.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Ed digitize his hand for a class project?

Ed used a class project at the foundation school for computer graphics to digitize his hand. He made a plaster of Paris mold of his hand and carefully digitized it using software. He then created a movie of it and showed it at a conference.

Q: How did Ed's childhood interest in animation and computer science come together?

In the 1950s, Ed grew up idolizing Walt Disney and Albert Einstein. He wanted to be an animator, but there were no schools for it at the time. So he switched to studying physics and later computer science. However, when he took a computer graphics course, he realized that art and technology could come together, and he became passionate about combining the two.

Q: What was Ed's role at the New York Institute of Technology?

Ed was hired by Alex Schiller, the president of the college, to bring high technology into film. Alex wanted to become the new Walt Disney and was willing to fund Ed's vision. Ed built a team and worked on solving the problems of computer animation, which eventually led to the creation of the first computer animated film.

Q: How did Steve Jobs get involved with Pixar?

Steve Jobs was initially interested in buying Pixar to use as the foundation for his new computer company, Next. However, the deal fell through, and Ed Catmull and others realized that Steve wanted to validate their worth rather than sell them. Eventually, Steve acquired Pixar and became involved in its management.

Q: What role did the brain trust play in Pixar's creative process?

The brain trust was a group of highly skilled and passionate individuals who provided feedback and critique on Pixar's projects. They had no authority to tell the director what to do, which created a collaborative and non-threatening environment. This allowed for open and honest discussions, leading to better creative decisions.

Q: How did Pixar's approach to creativity and innovation differ from Disney's?

Disney had a more process-oriented approach to creativity, focusing on efficiency and cost-cutting. In contrast, Pixar emphasized the importance of taking risks, experimenting, and continually striving for excellence. They also valued candid feedback and embraced failure as a learning opportunity.

Q: How did Pixar and Disney Animation work together after Disney acquired Pixar?

When Disney acquired Pixar, Ed and John Lasseter were asked to run Disney Animation. They kept the two studios separate but applied Pixar's principles and philosophy to Disney Animation. This eventually led to a turnaround in Disney Animation's success, with several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films.

Q: What is the concept of the "Hungry Beast and the Ugly Baby"?

The "Hungry Beast" refers to the part of a company that generates revenue but also incurs costs. It needs to be constantly fed with new ideas and products to sustain its growth. The "Ugly Baby" refers to new ideas or projects that may not initially appear promising or successful but have the potential to grow and become successful over time. Both the Hungry Beast and the Ugly Baby need to be balanced to ensure the long-term success of a company.

Q: How did Pixar maintain an openness and willingness to share their innovations and discoveries?

Even though Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Pixar, was known for his penchant for secrecy, he never applied it to Pixar. The company believed in the power of sharing and publishing their findings, which helped attract the best talent and foster a strong sense of community within the computer graphics industry.

Q: How did Ed Catmull and Steve Jobs work together despite their different management styles?

Ed and Steve had a collaborative and productive working relationship. They had disagreements but resolved them through ongoing discussions and open communication. Ed learned to present his ideas to Steve in a way that allowed him to process the information more effectively. Steve also evolved over time, becoming more empathetic and sensitive in his interactions with others. Ultimately, their mutual respect and shared vision for Pixar helped drive the company's success.

Takeaways

Pixar's success can be attributed to a unique combination of factors: a culture that values openness, experimentation, and candid feedback, a collaborative and non-hierarchical work environment, and a focus on continually pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation. By fostering a sense of trust and shared responsibility, Pixar has been able to consistently produce critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. The company's approach to creativity and managing talent is applicable to various industries and organizations, highlighting the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment that encourages risk-taking and learning from failures.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ed Catmull emphasizes blending art and science through open collaboration at Pixar and Disney, arguing that openness attracts talent and accelerates breakthroughs. He shares early experiences with mentors and labs that shaped his belief in shared knowledge over secrecy. The result is a culture that sustains long term creative risk taking.

• Catmull recounts his path from physics to computer graphics, the New York Institute of Technology chapter, and the shift toward openness that defined Pixar’s culture. He reflects on the value of publishing and community in computer graphics, and how that openness impacted the studio’s ability to innovate together.

• The talk highlights leadership lessons, including humility about one's ideas, the importance of a strong creative environment, and the role of bold technology in storytelling. It also covers the Lucasfilm years, the Steve Jobs relationship, and the broader implications for managing creative teams over time.