Pixar Animation Studios Scott A. Treloar Dr. Gary Rodgers Florida SouthWestern State College November 23, 2014.

Pixar Animation Studios

Scott A. Treloar

Dr. Gary Rodgers

Florida SouthWestern

State College

November 23, 2014

Current Situation and Industry Information

• About PixarLeading animation studio in the world.7 Oscars for Best Animated Film.Toy Story was the first computer-

generated full-length feature film.Toy Story 3 first animated film to

gross over $1 Billion!

• About the Animated Film IndustryTop Competitors include Pixar/Disney,

Dreamworks, Fox, and Blue Sky Studios.

Current Problems• Production

• How does Pixar maintain its current success?

• How will Pixar produce more films without

losing quality?

• Competition

• How does Pixar maintain competitive

advantage as the market sees new entrants?

Strategic Analysis VRIS Framework for Sustained Competitive

Advantage.

• Is it Valuable? Yes.– Creativity + Technology

= Box Office Success!– Quality > Quantity =

Consistent Success!

• Is it Rare? Yes.– Pixar’s greatest asset is

its talent, which is in limited supply.

– Constant education and innovation keep Pixar in front of competition.

Strategic AnalysisVRIS Framework for Sustained Competitive

Advantage (continued)

• Is it Imitable? Yes, but with difficulty.– Pixar’s storytelling is difficult to

imitate.– Pixar’s computer animation is

difficult to imitate.• Animation that creates more life-

life texture, backgrounds movement, and luminosity.

• Is it Substitutable? Yes, but with difficulty.– Pixar’s joint-effort with Disney

give it additional resources and talent, making substitution tough.

– New software program creates more animation to be produced with fewer artists and in quicker time.

Alternative Solutions

Production

• Expand Pixar University to Develop New Talent and More

Talent.

• Expand Relationship with Disney Animation Studio (and

Disney/ABC/ESPN) and Share Knowledge and Resources (i.e.

Tangled).

• Continue to Develop Innovative Technology to Increase

Production.

Competition

• Expand Animation Offerings to New Demographics.

Recommendations

Expand Pixar University to become an actual

animation college that trains more than just Pixar

employees.

Learn from Disney – Go Global with the storytelling

and reach new demographics.

Learn from competition (i.e. Shrek) – tell stories that

will appeal to an older demographic, too.

Spend more $$$ on R&D and innovate more,

sooner.

References

Dess, G. G., Lumpkin, G. T., Eisner, A. B., & McNamara, G. (2012). Strategic Management: Text and

Cases (6th ed.). New York, NY, USA: McGraw Hill. Retrieved October 24, 2014

Hoovers. (2014). PIXAR. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from Hoovers.com:

http://subscriber.hoovers.com.db07.linccweb.org/H/company360/overview.html?

companyId=46451000000000

Pixar. (2014). About. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from pixar.com: http://www.pixar.com/about