investments

In less than ten days, the sky fell to the earth, and many disappointments befell the Pixar chain and, in general, Lux Animation. In less than ten days, they had lost the Oscars, and the vibrant John Lasseter cursed Disney for taking away the deserved golden statuette over the Stop Motion film, Wallas and Growing. It surely had a lot of publicity and money from Disney, and although it's not known, Warner also influenced the decision. A decision that only caused mild indignation in some people; the media mysteriously remained silent, and only a few independents dared to mention the masterful theft committed by Disney.

John Lasseter walked down the hallway, contemplating the idea of telling Billy to open a second animation division to release a movie every year. The times when Pixar animated were long and expensive.

-What's bothering you today, John? - said Randall McArthur from his desk, sorting through his documents. Among all, John was the easiest to deal with but undoubtedly the most persistent.

-Well, boss, I was thinking about a significant proposal for the improvement of the company, but I think we should think it over a bit before suggesting it at the September meeting, - said John.

-Sit down, - said Randall, taking his time. John Lasseter was as subtle as a bull running through an office. The first few weeks, he walked past Randall's office and greeted; the next, he went to Lux Animation to produce, something well-received by Anne Hall, the big boss.

-Well, I was thinking of expanding the production teams. I know we're a new studio, but I feel we can divide the efforts a bit. The computer team already has most of the technical programs for the Bugs movie. Now we can start brainstorming ideas for the third one, the Ice Age, and have an annual release. With two movies a year, we can not only train more workers but also showcase the efforts of our teams to improve 3D animation capabilities, - said John.

-I see, but it's not very viable. The video game department usually sends us work to produce some designs for the games, and that production already takes up many of our resources, - said Randall.

-Well, that's why I say it's of vital importance to consider organizing our ideas for the second 3D film production team, - said John Lasseter.

He left the room to continue his work as an animator, not without checking the work of all the teams.

Randall continued reviewing financial, administrative, and operational reports. He heard another knock on the door.

-You can come in, - Randall said calmly, thinking it was John. However, he saw someone just as easy to handle or even more so if handled correctly.

Raimon entered with a joyful expression, marveling at the always impressive Pixar offices.

-good morning, Mr. Randall. It's been a long time since we last saw each other, - said Raimon. He was dressed in a large Toy Story T-shirt, black jeans, and Slam Dunk sneakers, taking the Lux Animation vibe to an unbeatable level.

-It's been a while indeed, -- said Randall, standing up from his desk, and shaking hands with Raimon, a colleague from the same faculty. -- I'm impressed by the report you sent a week ago about resource optimization, -- Randall said, not lying.

-Oh, yes. Well, I conducted some research on the animation process and realized that Pixar, being a computer-centric entity, loses a lot of time without a reliable communication system. It relies on assigned tasks and continues with the next, and many animators tend to overlook these times, delaying movie production. Nothing out of the ordinary, - Raimon explained.

-Well, it's been very helpful. Installing an email system is a very innovative idea, - said Randall.

-Thank you, sir, but the idea of email was entirely Billy's. He even wants to create an email company that serves as a solution or alternative to fax. The company is expected to be created this year, - said Raimon.

-Sounds fantastic, - Randall said.

-It is. The creation of an email platform is something that makes me wonder, what else can be done with technology? However, it's still in the creation process, and everything I could tell you wouldn't fit in this time frame. They have many technical focuses, - said Raimon.

-I see, - said Randall.

-Yes, - said Raimon, focusing on the toys and collections on the side—they were simply wonderful. Randall stared at the young man, who fell into a silent reverie and decided to continue with his tasks. He had many and wanted to leave work early to meet his family for a meal.

Raimon realized, ten minutes later, that he had been lost in his thoughts. -- I'm sorry, Mr. Randall. Ideas roam my head like stars in the sky, and I have a very busy day, -- said Raimon, pulling out a check from his portfolio, made out to Pixar, handed to Randall.

Randall held it in his hands and saw the sum of five million dollars, already signed into the Pixar company.

-This is the investment from Lux Animation to improve the software system a bit and cover any expenses needed. Ed Camult and John Lasseter requested certain investments to expand the company. We're still waiting for the results of the alliance with CGI. For now, we can only continue as usual, - said Raimon.

-All right, I'll make the arrangements. Starting tomorrow, I have some errands in the afternoon, but tomorrow I'll talk to Ed and John Lasseter about what needs to be done, - said Randall, looking at the deposit.

-That's all. It's also mentioned that the work team will expand again. Billy's companies just keep growing, and we plan to hire five new people to handle all matters promptly, - said Raimon.

-okay, can you send me a summons when it's possible? - said Randall in farewell.

Raimon got up from the chair and decided to take a walk. Why did he do it? No one knows. He walked this path and observed all the details, drawings stuck here and there, some stressed animators, and a few others casually sipping coffee from their chairs.

-Good morning, John, nice to see you, - said Raimon, greeting John enthusiastically, whom he had met in his multiple visits to Lux Animation.

-It's a pleasure too, - said John, who lit up like a lightbulb upon seeing one of the three saints of Lux Animation—known as Anne Haal, Raimon, and Rachel. They form the pyramid responsible for reviewing, managing, and implementing ideas coming from Billy Carson.

John Lasseter was animating some details about the protagonists of the movies. Although it might seem inexplicable, the movie "Daily's Bug Adventures" is much simpler to edit than Toy Story. Both the settings and characters are less complex, even though attempts have been made to bring a certain level of tele-reality to the process. The path continues firm and powerful; the technological advances committed by three corporations have borne fruit, making technological progress unattainable for emerging 3D animation studios in about five years.

-Raimon, good to see you. What brings you here, kid? We're just a boring working team with a lot of tasks, - said John Lasseter.

-Well, with Billy going for acting, I've taken on all his tasks. Now I have a meeting with George Lucas, - Raimon whispered. - I hope I can live up to expectations, but I feel nervous. -

-George is a fantastic person, - said John Lasseter.

-Really? - asked Raimon.

-Yes, kid. He's very calm and patient. Although he has his quirks, he's a great person, - said John Lasseter.

-In that case, I feel more at ease about how things might turn out, - said Raimon.

-Yeah, you know what? You can go to Lucasfilm; it's half an hour from here and have lunch with us later. Alvy Ray is a great friend and can give you insights for your next meeting that will surely guide you for the upcoming negotiations, - suggested John.

-That sounds fantastic; I'll do that, - said Raimon.

-Great, do you have a cellphone? - asked John Lasseter.

-Yeah, I bought one recently, - said Raimon.

-Take my number; I'll keep working until you call me, and then we can go to lunch, - said John Lasseter.

Raimon nodded and walked a bit more into the Pixar company. In search of an exit, he got into his beloved car, a battle companion, now painted in an electric blue that was very striking and almost made it look like an illegal racing car.

...