Pixar Animation StudiosThis article is about the animation company. For information on the file format .pxr or thePixar Animation Studios, or simply Pixar (/ˈpɪksɑr/, stylized PIXAR), is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio is best known for its CGI-animated feature films created with PhotoRealistic RenderMan, its own implementation of the industry-standard RenderMan image-rendering application programming interface used to generate high-quality images. Pixar began in 1979 as the Graphics Group, part of the computer division of Lucasfilm before its spin-out as a corporation in 1986 with funding by Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who became its majority shareholder.[1]The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $7.4 billion, a transaction which made Jobs Disney's largest shareholder.Pixar has produced fourteen feature films, beginning with Toy Story in 1995. Thirteen of the films have received both critical and financial success, with the notable exception being Cars 2, which, while commercially successful, received substantially less praise than Pixar's other productions.[2] All fourteen films have debuted with CinemaScore ratings of at least "A-", indicating a very positive reception with audiences.[3]The studio has also produced several short films. As of July 2013, its feature films have made over $8.3 billion worldwide,[4] with an average worldwide gross of $597 million per film.[5]Both Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3 are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time, and all of Pixar's films are among the 50 highest-grossing animated films, with Toy Story 3 being the all-time highest, grossing over $1 billion worldwide.The studio has earned 27 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and eleven Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Since the award's inauguration in 2001, most of Pixar's films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, with seven winning: Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, Toy Story 3, and Brave. Up and Toy Story 3are two of only three animated films to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture (as well as the second and third animated film after Disney's Beauty and the Beast). On September 6, 2009, executives John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Lee Unkrich were presented with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement by the Biennale Venice Film Festival. The award was presented by Lucasfilm founder George Lucas.HistoryEarly historyPixar's studio lot in Emeryville. The studio opened in November 2000.A Pixar Computer photographed at the Computer History Museum with the 1986-1995 logo on it.Pixar was founded as The Graphics Group, which was one third of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm that was launched in 1979 with the hiring of Dr. Ed Catmull from the New York Institute of Technology(NYIT),[6]where he was in charge of the Computer Graphics Lab (CGL). At NYIT, the researchers pioneered many of the CG foundation techniques—in particular the invention of the "alpha channel" (by Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith);[citation needed] years later the CGL produced an experimental film called The Works. After moving to Lucasfilm, the team worked on creating the precursor to RenderMan, called REYES (for "renders everything you ever saw"); and developed a number of critical technologies for CG—including "particle effects" and various animation tools.In 1982, the team began working on film sequences with Industrial Light & Magic on special effects.[6]After years of research, and key milestones in films such as the Genesis Effect in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanand the Stained Glass Knight in Young Sherlock Holmes,[6]the group, which numbered 40 individuals back then,[1] was spun out as a corporation in February 1986 with investment by Steve Jobs shortly after he left Apple Computer.[1] Jobs paid $5 million to George Lucas for technology rights and put them and $5 million cash as capital into the company.[1] A factor contributing to Lucas' sale was an increase in cash flow difficulties following his 1983 divorce, which coincided with the sudden dropoff in revenues from Star Wars licenses following the release of Return of the Jedi. The newly independent company was headed by Dr. Edwin Catmull as President and Dr. Alvy Ray Smith as Executive Vice President. They were joined on the Board of Directors by Steve Jobs who was Chairman.[1]Initially, while awaiting the consequences of Moore's law, that would reduce the cost of computing a film, Pixar was a high-end computer hardware company whose core product was the Pixar Image Computer, a system primarily sold to government agencies and the medical community. One of the buyers of Pixar Image Computers was Walt Disney Studios, which was using the device as part of their secretive CAPS project, using the machine and custom software (written by Pixar) to migrate the laborious ink and paint part of the 2-D animation process to a more automated and thus efficient method. The Image Computer never sold well.[7]In a bid to drive sales of the system, Pixar employee John Lasseter—who had long been creating short demonstration animations, such as Luxo Jr., to show off the device's capabilities—premiered his creations at SIGGRAPH, the computer graphics industry's largest convention, to great fanfare.[7]As poor sales of Pixar's computers threatened to put the company out of business, Jobs invested more and more money and took more and more ownership away from the management and employees until after several years he owned essentially all the company for a total investment of $50 million. Lasseter's animation department began producing computer-animated commercials for outside companies. Early successes included campaigns for Tropicana, Listerine, and Life Savers.[8] In April 1990 Pixar sold its hardware division, including all proprietary hardware technology and imaging software, to Vicom Systems, and transferred 18 of Pixar's approximately 100 employees. The same year Pixar moved from San Rafael to Richmond, California.[9] During this period, Pixar continued its successful relationship with Walt Disney Feature Animation, a studio whose corporate parent would ultimately become its most important partner. In 1991, after a tough start of the year when about 30 employees in the company's computer department had to go (including the company's president, Chuck Kolstad),[10]which reduced the total number of employees to just 42, essentially its original number,[11] Pixar made a $26 million deal with Disney to produce three computer-animated feature films, thefirst of which was Toy Story. At that point, the software programmers, who were doing RenderMan and CAPS, and Lasseter’s animation department, who made television commercials and a few shorts for Sesame Street, was all that was left of Pixar.[12]William Reeves, CTE at Pixar, on rendering algorithms, raytracing and global illumination, 1995, after the release of Toy Story.Despite the total income of these products, the company was still losing money, and Jobs, still chairman of the board and now the full owner, often considered selling it. Even as late as 1994, Jobs contemplated selling Pixar to other companies, among them Microsoft. Only after learning from New York critics that Toy Story was probably going to be a success and confirming that Disney would distribute it for the 1995 Christmas season did he decide to give Pixar another chance.[13] He also began then for the first time to take an active direct leadership role in the company, making himself its CEO. The film went on to gross more than $361 million worldwide.[14] Later that year, Pixar held its initial public offering on November 29, 1995, and the company's stock was priced at US$22 per share.[15]Pixar built a new studio in Emeryville which opened in November 2000.会声会影运行软件开始注册，当出现“剩余XX（30）天”界面，点击左下角的“已经购买”按钮；会弹出激活界面（如果已过试用期请点击左下方的“其它激活选项”），复制序列号到“请输入您的序列号”框中，点击中间的“致电Core(P)”！再弹出激活界面，复制界面中的“安装代码”、“序列号”出来追加提问（不要截图），利用注册机算出激活码World Wide Fund for Natureof wildlife refuges ...for educations among those who would care... For sending experts to danger spots and training... Making it all possible that their needs are met before it is too late.”-Morges ManifestoWWF has set up offices and operations around the world. It originally worked by fundraising and providing grants to existing non-governmental organizations, based on the best-available scientific knowledge and with an initial focus on the protection of endangered species. As more resources became available, its operations expanded into other areas such as the preservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of natural resources, the reductionof pollution, and climate change. The organization also began to run its own conservation projects and campaigns, and by the 1980s started to take a more strategic approach to its conservation activities.In 1986, the organization changed its name to World Wide Fund for Nature, to better reflect the scope of its activities, retaining the WWF initials. However, it continues to operate under the original name in the United States and Canada.[6]That year was th e 25th anniversary of WWF’s foundation, an event marked by a gathering in Assisi, Italy to which the organisation’s International President HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, invited religious authorities representing Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. These leaders produced The Assisi Declarations, theological statements showing the spiritual relationship between their followers and nature that triggered a growth in the engagement of those religions with conservation around the world.[11]In the 1990s, WWF revised its mission to: “Stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:• conserving the world's biological diversity• ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable• promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.”WWF scientists and many others identified 238 ecoregions that represent the world's most biologically outstanding terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, based on a worldwide biodiversity analysis which the organization says was the first of its kind.[12] In the early 2000s (decade), its work was focused on a subset of these ecoregions, in the areas of forest, freshwater and marine habitat conservation, endangered species conservation, climate change, and the elimination of the most toxic chemicals.We shan't save all we should like to, but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried. —Sir Peter Scott[13]In 1996, the organization obtained general consultative status from UNESCO.status as an endangered species, panda is seen to serve the need of a strong recognizable symbol of the organization. Moreover, the organization also needs an animal that would have an impact in black and white printing. The logo was then designed by Sir Peter Scott from the preliminary sketches made by a Scottish naturalist, Gerald Watterson.[14][15]WWF's current strategy for achieving its mission specifically focuses on restoring populations of 36 species (species or species groups that are important for their ecosystem or to people, including elephants, tunas, whales, dolphins and porpoises), and ecological footprint in 6 areas (carbon emissions, cropland, grazing land, fishing, forestry and water).The organization also works on a number of global issues driving biodiversity loss and unsustainable use of natural resources, including finance, business practices, laws, and consumption choices. Local offices also work on national or regional issues.[16]WWF works with a large number of different groups to achieve its goals, including other NGOs, governments, business, investment banks, scientists, fishermen, farmers and local communities. It also undertakes public campaigns to influence decision makers, and seeks to educate people on how to live in a more environmentally friendly manner.It urges people to donate funds to protect the environment. The donors can also choose to receive gifts in return.WWF publishes the Living Planet Index in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London. Along with their ecological footprint calculations the index is used to produce a twoyearly Living Planet Report to give an overview of the impact of human activity on the world.[17]The organization also regularly publishes reports, fact sheets and other documents on issues related to its work, in order to raise awareness and provide information to policy and decision makers.[18]AMPHIBIANSTree FrogTree Frog, or Tree Toad, any of several kinds of climbing frogs or toads. Most live in trees, but some inhabit smaller plants, and a few species are ground-dwellers. Tree frogs are found in most parts of the world. They vary in length from less than one inch (2.5 cm) to more than four inches (10 cm).Tree frogs have pads at the ends of their fingers and toes. These pads help in climbing because they are rough and are covered with a sticky secretion. Some tree frogs have claw-shaped fingers and toes, and most kinds have webbed hands, webbed feet, or both. Many tree frogs can change color, usually to match their surroundings. As winter approaches, tree frogs burrow into the humus on the forest floor. Their tissues and body fluids are protected from freezing by glycerol, a type of alcohol made in the frogs' cells.Tree frogs are noted for the loudness and variety of their mating calls, made only by the male. Most tree frogs lay their eggs in water. There is variety in their breeding habits, however, especially among tropical American species. Some lay their eggs on leaves overhanging water into which the tadpoles, or larvae, fall after hatching. The tadpoles of certain other species are carried from tree to stream on the back of the male frog. The female of some kinds carries her eggs in a pouch on her back where they hatch and the tadpoles remain until they metamorphose.Tree frogs have sticky pads at the ends of their fingers and toes to aid in climbing.Tree Frogs of the United StatesZoologists use the term true tree frogs to describe only those belonging to the family Hylidae. The only tree frogs found in the United States belong to this family. They include:Common Tree FrogTree-dwelling. The body is 2 to 2 1/2 inches (5 to 6.4 cm) long. It is pale gray to brown on back with one or more large greenish blotches, but is capable of marked color change. Found over most of the United States west to the Great Plains and into Canada.The common tree frog is Hyla versicolor.Spring PeeperSome live on the ground, others in trees. About 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) long. Usually brown on back with a dark cross-shaped marking. Range is about the same as that of the common tree frog.The spring peeper is H. crucifer.Pacific Tree FrogGround-dwelling. Body is nearly two inches (5 cm) long. The back is extremely variable in color, with various markings. This frog is found from the Pacific Coast eastward into Nevada, Idaho, and Montana.The Pacific tree frog is H. regilla.Chorus FrogGround-dwelling. Body length is about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm). The back is greenish gray with five darker stripes or rows of dots. The chorus frog is found from the Atlantic Coast west to Montana and southern Idaho, and in New Mexico and Arizona at high elevations.The chorus frog is Pseudacris nigrita.Cricket FrogSemiaquatic. Body length is a little more than one inch (2.5 cm). Wide variation in color from gray to greenish red, with darker or contrasting markings. Found over most of the United States west to the Rocky Mountains and into Mexico and Canada.The cricket frog is Acris gryllus.Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about ourfriends in the animal kingdom.Fun Leopard Facts for KidsPart of the cat family, leopard’s bodies are built for hunting. They aresolitary animals, hunting at night and often drag their food up trees forsafe keeping.Read on for more interesting information and leopard facts.∙Leopards are part of the cat family, Felidae. The scientific name for a leopard is Panthera pardus.∙Leopards are well known for their cream and gold spotted fur, but some leopards have black fur with dark spots. These black leopards are often mistaken for panthers.∙Adult leopards are solitary animals. Each adult leopard has its own territory where it lives and, although they often share parts of it, they try to avoid one another.∙ A leopard’s body is built for hunting. They have sleek, powerful bodies and can run at speeds of up to 57 kilometres per hour. They are also excellent swimmers and climbers and can leap and jump long distances.∙ A leopard’s tail is just about as long as its entire body. This helps it with balance and enables it to make sharp turns quickly.∙Leopards are mostly nocturnal, hunting prey at night.∙Leopards protect their food from other animals by dragging it high up into the trees. A leopard will often leave their prey up in the tree for days and return only when they are hungry!∙Female leopards give birth to a little of two or three cubs at a time. By the time a cub is two years old it will leave the company of its mother and live on their own.∙When a female leopard is ready to mate she will give a scent and rub her body on the trees to leave her smell there. Male leopards either smell the females scent or hear her call to know that she is ready to mate.∙Some people believe that the bones and whiskers of leopards can heal sick people. Many leopards are killed each year for their fur and body parts and this is one reason why the leopard is an endangered animal. While they were previously found in the wild in a number of areas around the world, their habitat is largely restricted to sub-Saharan Africa with small numbers also found in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, China and Indochina.Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about ourfriends in the animal kingdom.Enjoy these fun lion facts for kids. Learn about lion behavior,how fast they can run, where they are found, how many lions areusually in a pride, the male’s mane, lioness differences andmore. Check out the wide range of interesting facts about lions.∙Lions are the second largest big cat species in the world (behind tigers).∙The average male lion weighs around 180 kg (400 lb) while the average female lion weighs around 130 kg (290 lb).∙The heaviest lion on record weighed an amazing 375 kg (826 lb).∙Lions can reach speeds of up to 81 kph (50 mph) but only in short bursts because of a lack of stamina.∙The roar of a lion can be heard from 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) away.∙Most lions found in the wild live in southern and eastern parts of Africa.∙Lions are very social compared to other cat species, often living in prides that feature females, offspring and a few adult males.∙Male lions are easy to recognize thanks to their distinctive manes. Males with darker manes are more likely to attract female lions (lionesses).∙Lions are the national animal of Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, England, Ethiopia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Singapore.∙Lions in the wild live for around 12 years.∙When lions breed with tigers the resulting hybrids are known as ligers and tigons. There are also lion and leopard hybrids known as leopons and lion and jaguar hybrids known as jaglions.∙Lionesses are better hunters than males and do most of the hunting for a pride.∙In the wild, lions rest for around 20 hours a day.11。
