Now that I am freed from the clutches of a terrifyingly packed week, I have time to articulate my thoughts on the passing of Steve Jobs.
And I said I'd do it, so here it goes.
Without Steve Jobs, I would be different - very different. For a lot of people, this may be a stretch to say, but for me it is very clear.
I'm at the beginning of my first semester of college. And I'm studying Computer Science and Film. Why? Because I want to go into computer animation. My heart's desire is to work at Pixar Animation Studios.
And without Steve Jobs, that might not be possible. In 1986, he bought The Graphics Group from Lucasfilm for $5 million, and with his sponsorship, that group of around 45 individuals devoted to developing the computer into a tool for visual storytelling grew into the massive, wildly successful company that it is today. Jobs remained Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pixar until 2006. Without him, the creation of a computer-animated feature film may have remained an impossible dream.
If computer animation did not exist, where would that put me?
I grew up in a highly scientific household. I was taught to make fun of English majors, Psychology majors, and any sort of art major from an early age, but despite that, one of my truest passions has always been storytelling. Throughout high school, whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I would always reply, "Some sort of science, I guess. Maybe nanotechnology." But I would also write these books. And plan these stories. And sketch hundreds of faces every day. And daydream. And watch every "making of" featurette that I could get my hands on.
I didn't really put this all together until mid-junior year, when I had to start considering where I wanted to go to college. I realized that I wanted to make movies. I knew I couldn't go to film school, study film - anything like that. Economic and parental pressures were too high - I needed to be employable.
But then there was computer animation.
There was an avenue where I could obtain a degree in computer science - one of the most marketable fields out there and a subject that I really enjoy - and try to do film on the side. And then, if I did my best, put my best foot forward, worked my butt off, I could maybe even be employed at the one place that always looked the most perfect in the featurettes. Pixar Animation Studios. I could use my technical expertise to tell stories, the one thing I've only really ever wanted to do.
And it's thanks to Steve Jobs that it's even possible.
So Steve Jobs, hats off to you and may you rest in peace. And, though it's sort of a small thing compared to all of the other brilliant stuff you've done, thank you so much for creating a place for me.
