The second weekend in less than a month Billy had to make a spontaneous trip across California for some business matters. Fortunately, Richmond San Francisco was just an hour's drive away. San Francisco is a beautiful city.
Billy arrived at the Pixar offices, hoping to address the evident operational issues of the company. The need for a meeting, set up by the furious trio of Pixar, was a fact. All three of them were talented men. Billy, who was still 14 years old, was symbolically part of the board.
There had been a constant back-and-forth with intense calls about how to refine the Toy Story storyline. In other words, they had outlined the general concepts for the Toy Story series. However, they had planned enough to expand the story a bit through spin-offs, all reworked for the "Lightyear" saga. John Lasseter's talent is exceptional; he has a keen eye for details. The Buddy's arc ended up exposing the plan to make at least three movies.
This not only impressed John with the faith Billy had in Pixar, but it also touched the majority of the inner circle. It's always a good thing when people hold you in such high esteem.
The three most powerful men at Pixar, not counting Billy, traveled side by side as faithful companions. Each of them had exceptional skills that set them apart from others. Edwin Catmull was responsible for the company's technological advancements; his computing abilities and technical team were among the best.
Alvy Ray Smith was the glue that held them together. His animation work stemmed from a passion that very few in the company possessed. But it was his intuition for computing that helped Catmull with many things to integrate software with his work teams. John Lasseter was the artistic soul and one of the standout individuals. He had a sharp eye for talent and often took the lead in interacting with people due to his excellent public speaking skills.
-Good morning, everyone. I arrived a bit late; traffic was chasing me all the way. The applicants have arrived,- Billy said.
He appeared youthful in his three-piece suit and a white shirt with black lines along the collar and sleeves. The blonde look with brown eyes resembled his father, with a slightly tanned skin tone inherited from his mother.
-The applicants have been waiting for half an hour, but of course, not every day can you earn a salary of $200,000 per year. Some good-looking young men in suits showed up, a few with interesting resumes, - John Lasseter mentioned.
-That's good to hear. Anne took care of everything she could, - Billy replied.
-She did. She reached out to two agencies and posted a call all around San Jose and its surroundings, - Ed Catmull mentioned in his usual pragmatic manner of speaking.
-I thought your father was coming too? - John asked.
-He has a meeting nearby; he'll come later, -Billy explained. He felt a bit tired; his father had only been able to drop him off at the entrance.
Entering Pixar Studios, he saw a line of twelve people in their neat suits. Curiously, they all seemed to be in a meditative state, some pacing back and forth due to the lack of chairs. But they all shared one thing in common—an anxious expression.
-The filter Anne started was quite effective. She requested five years of experience, a master's in business, and an administrative focus with enough points, - Ed Catmull said again.
-Enough to manage our company. Your agent is willing to help us secure some commercial contracts, - John added.
-Yes, but we still need to resolve the administration issue, - Billy noted.
Among all the participants, three stood out with resumes that exceeded Anne's minimum requirements. There was also a last candidate who barely met the minimum criteria, but his friendly demeanor and satisfactory reasons for wanting to work at Pixar were appealing.
All of these candidates left a remarkable impression, whether it was due to the quality of their resumes, skills cultivated through their experience, or their industry relationships.
-Putting aside all the candidates, the one that benefits us the most is this one. Randal McArthur, a business administrator from Stanford University. He has served as a marketing director for a restaurant chain for six years, managed an electronics store for five years, and worked as an executive assistant for an investment fund for 11 years. He holds two master's degrees in economics and business administration, - Ed Catmull said.
-I agree. In terms of work, he's beyond qualified. His resume is acceptable and could alleviate our burden, - Ray Smith added.
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-What do you think, John? - Billy asked.
-He's fine. As long as he understands our interests. We want to make 3D movies. With Steve, we were a bit nervous about making mistakes. We know we need to make money through certain activities, but our primary goal is to make movies, - John replied.
-Alright, forming a board of directors with five members is enough for us to carry out all the activities. Additionally, we can draft a document outlining the path we want to take for the company. We need a source of income until the movie is completed, and at the same time, we should refine job positions. There's confusion about the roles of each worker and our future directions, -Billy suggested.
-Alright, we've talked about the employees; we have a plan in place. We'll present it to you later, along with our chosen administrator, - Ray Smith said.
-Agreed. I'll leave these decisions in your hands. For now, I have an idea that could generate some income for us in case of any financial problems, - Billy added.
-Oh, what could help us generate income? - Ed Catmull asked with evident interest.
-Well, the 3D software system is incredible. From there, I could use it to create a 3D computer game. Imagine, if a 3D movie is an innovative concept, what if we could recreate that three-dimensionality in video games? If it's successful, it could sustain us until we release the movie, - Billy explained.
-How much is the investment cost? I understand that games aren't cheap, and creating one can be quite expensive, - Ed asked.
-With our software system, it's possible to create it with an investment of around $150,000. Returns would start after selling around 9,000 copies. However, with the comic company's support and some marketing efforts, the game may be a success. I have connections in similar industries. If we work hard enough, attracting attention in the market won't be a problem, - Billy explained.
-You'll need a team of professionals! Game development involves a challenging blend of skills, - Ed said.
-I already have a team selected. This game will revolutionize the industry. I just need some help with the game's graphic design, - Billy replied.
-Ah, I wish I had your enthusiasm for juggling so many projects. Beyond Pixar, my energy level hits rock bottom, - John Lasseter chimed in, displaying his inherent joviality.
-Well, my enthusiasm grows as I dive into different fields. Besides, it's my father who deals with the administrative aspects of the companies. I mainly contribute the creative content and ideas, - Billy said.
-I can help you guys in my free time to create some game scenes. If it's not too complex, I can provide you with a 3D blueprint along with its composition and music, - Ed Camult offered.
-Are you serious? - Billy asked.
-Absolutely. If it's for the good of Pixar, I'm in. You've invested $20 million, between the purchase of Pixar and capital injection. I hope a bit of my help can provide us the financial security and fulfill our dream since 1983,- Ed Camult said, his tone taking on a dreamy quality, a departure from his usual chief engineer demeanor. Not only did creative opportunities open up, but they also had gaming machines, a ping pong table, and improved working conditions.
-Ah, yes, we've been working tirelessly on our movie creation, and we're not letting this intriguing opportunity slip away. I'll help with any characters you need, - John Lasseter chimed in.
-With Pixar's software and some minor assistance, the game will be ready by next year, - Billy confidently stated.
-If that's the case, let's hope everything goes as planned, and you make a lot of money to invest in the company, - John replied.
-Well, we'll talk to Thomas about hiring our new CEO. Now we need the assistance of your agent, - Ray Smith said, breaking the uneasy silence in the room.
A mysterious aura filled the boardroom, the very room where negotiations took place with Steve Jobs, who then negotiated with Roy Disney under certain conditions. This boardroom held the guiding points for Pixar's future. There had been numerous negotiations in recent years, and now they were setting the course for Pixar's future.
-Did I hear correctly that several companies have approached us for television commercials? - Billy asked.
-That's right, a mouthwash company and a fast-food chain. But the offers are not acceptable, - Ed Camult explained.
-How are the contract offers from these companies? - Billy inquired.
-They're reasonable offers. Your father is reviewing the contracts. Hopefully, nothing more than money-related disagreements will arise, - Ed said.
-Is it not enough money? - Billy asked.
-800,000 dollars for a 30-second Listerine commercial and 750,000 dollars for a 32-second fast-food commercial, - Ed explained.
-What's the problem? That seems like a lot of money, - Billy said.
-We need another investment of at least 3 million dollars. We've managed to stabilize the situation, but we believe we need more research into creating motion in our 3D animations. We've been operating at a loss since the company's inception, - Ed Camult revealed.
John Lasseter shifted uncomfortably; money was always a problem.
-I see. Can you wait until next year? - Billy felt one of the significant issues that Jobs faced: stabilizing a company that was burning through money during software development.
-If we wait, we can continue our research on our own, but we don't know how long that'll last. Doing it on our own might take time, - Ed explained.
-The combined payments add up to 1.5 million dollars. Isn't that enough? - Billy asked.
-Most of it gets absorbed in maintaining the company and continuing our efforts on the Toys movie. Jobs' computer division was a great help, but that door is closed now, - Ed said.
-Well, I'll do my best. I have a few deals to close, The premiere of the 'Ghost Report' series is coming up, and we're expecting an uptick in comic sales. In two months, I can give you an answer regarding the potential injection of funds, once the humorous enthusiasm materializes, - Billy stated.
Now he was facing some financial deficiencies, but everything was on track. Debt wasn't a big concern at this time, but he still owed 7 million dollars. He also needed to invest some money in expanding his distribution presence in Canada with Dark Horse Comics. For now, he'd continue selling a lot of comics with the current business model, and he'd increase the number of series to four. However, he planned to gradually decrease the series before the comic bubble burst.
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