Many are familiar with the image of a small lamp hoping through the screen and stepping on the Pixar "i" at the beginning and end of each their films. This little lamp is called Luxo Jr. and is both the star and name of Pixar's first animated short. It features Luxo Jr. playing with the famous Pixar ball, yellow with a blue stripe and red star, while Luxo Sr. watches nearby. In Luxo Jr.'s excessive excitement and constant jumping, he accidentally deflates the ball. Disappointed but not for long, he finds a bigger ball to play with as Luxo Sr. watches, shaking his head. Luxo Jr. is more important than people realize, having paved the way for Pixar's greatness. According to Ed Catmull, one of the founders of Pixar, this 2-minute short film helped change people's perception of computer animation, transforming it from a work that undermines technology to a tool used to artistically expand animation in the as a whole (Streetuhm). Little Luxo made quite an impact when it was released and brought a new depth of realism and emotion to animated film. Becoming "the first computer-animated film that allowed viewers to forget they were watching computer animation." (Price, 92) Thanks to the success of Luxo Jr., Pixar has become a household name and the lamp has taken a well-deserved place as the company's trademark. Since the days of Luxo Jr., Pixar has been a major player in the animation industry, releasing films such as the groundbreaking Toy Story to the more recent Monsters University. With each new film they produce, they have tirelessly pushed their boundaries, resulting in award-winning films that manage to reach the hearts of its viewers. But most importantly, Pixar's continued evolution allows it to maintain its position as a pioneer... middle of paper... breaking barriers, leading the company to create the first CGI feature film that brought l animation to new levels of visual and emotional realism, captivating audiences unlike any animated film before it. After just over 25 years of existence, Pixar has become synonymous with great computer animation. Since the beginning of their careers they have taken the industry by storm, elevating technology to a legitimate creative medium. Since then they have been successful because they found the perfect balance between the technical and artistic aspects of cinema. Pixar took cartoons and transformed them into an art form that brought to life real characters and emotions that touched the hearts of audiences of all ages, keeping the magic of animation alive. For Pixar's Craig Good he was right, in the end "story is sovereign". (Capodagli and Jackson 137)