Luxo Jr. is the first film produced in 1986 by Pixar following its establishment as an independent film studio. It is a short computer-animated film (two and a half minutes, including credits), demonstrating the kind of things the newly-established company was capable of producing. It is the source of the small desk lamp included in Pixar's corporate logo.

It features two desk lamps (inspired by a LUXO task-light found on his desk, hence the title), one larger (implicitly older) than the other. The smaller one plays with a small rubber ball, as the other reacts to its antics. On the technical level, it demonstrates the use of ray tracing to simulate the shifting light given by the animated lamps, simple surface textures, coordinated articulation of "limbs", and power cords that trail believably behind the moving lamps. On the cinematic level, it demonstrates a simple and entertaining story, including effectively expressive individual characters.

In 1986, Luxo Jr. received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film.

External Links

• Pixar's official Luxo Jr. site (Downloadable movie available)
• Luxo Jr. at IMDB
• LUXO homepage