While Steve Jobs‘ legacy at Apple often overshadows his significance in the formation of Pixar Animation Studios, there is no doubt that he left an indelible mark on the studio. Pixar CCO John Lasseter often credited Jobs with encouraging the employees to continue striving for great stories. Jobs famously pumped in millions of dollars to keep the then-fledgling studio afloat, long enough for Toy Story to be released, the studio’s first feature film, which went on to set a high bar critically and in box office take. After his death in October 2011, many openly wondered how Pixar would honor Jobs’ memory. The studio remembered him during the credits of its 2012 film, Brave, and recently dedicated a tree on its campus in his honor. Take a look at the beautiful tree and its plaque after the break!
Earlier this week, I was at Pixar to preview the studio’s upcoming films, Monsters University and The Blue Umbrella, and noticed that one tree stood alone on the grass near the studio’s main building, which was recently named The Steve Jobs Building. The tree’s solitary nature appeared to extend its beauty, as if a spotlight shined on its leaves and highlighted its importance.
Upon closer inspection, the plaque placed before it became clear:
It reads:
Dedicated With Love And Gratitude To
Steve Jobs
Our Partner, Mentor, And Friend
These are the very words that appear at the end of Brave, which you can take a look at in the clip below:
That dedication at the end of the film was touching to see, and seeing it memorialized physically on the campus so that all who enter the studio grounds pass it, is beautiful. Although many will likely miss the plaque because it is not instantly noticeable at first glance, the tree is a graceful sight nonetheless. It is a more subtle reminder of Jobs’ Pixar legacy than the building name, but is another way that the studio has chosen to recognize that there would be no Pixar without Steve Jobs.
