Pixar Animation Studios is an Academy Award-winning computer animation studio with the technical, creative and production capabilities to create a new generation of animated feature films. Pixar’s objective is to combine proprietary technology and creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films. In partnership with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar created and produced Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999) and Monsters, Inc. (2001).

One of Pixar’s technical organizations is the Studio Tools department. They are responsible for the design and implementation of Marionette, the software system used for modeling, set dressing, layout, animation, effects and lighting. The software provides precise control over the camera, the sets, the motion of the characters and the look of each frame in a film.

In partnership with the artistic and technical communities, Pixar's interaction design group works to refine and enhance Marionette’s user interface. This talk will describe how user-centered system design is accomplished at Pixar. It will introduce the audience to the domain of feature animation and illustrate some of the challenges the team faces when designing within a film production-engineering environment.