Bill Taylor, author of Mavericks at Work posts what he considers to be some of the secrets behind Pixar’s constant success.

His first is Pixar’s preference for long-term agreements over picture-to-picture deals:

a tightknit company of long-term collaborators who stick together, learn from one another, and strive to improve with every production. Andrew Stanton, who directed Wall-E, was a key figure behind Finding Nemo, which won two Oscars, generated worldwide box-office of $840 million, and became the best-selling DVD of all time. But Stanton didn’t follow the success of Nemo by offering himself to the highest bidder or demanding perks and special treatment. He went back to his job as an employee of the studio, to pitch in on other films and eventually begin work on his next major project.

He then goes on to give great praise to Pixar University and its availability to all employees, regardless of position.  Dean Randy Nelson explains why:

“Why teach drawing to accountants? Because drawing class doesn’t just teach people to draw. It teaches them to be more observant. There’s no company on earth that wouldn’t benefit from having people become more observant.”

I still have yet to see Wall-E, but from what most of I’ve read I’m sure it will be phenomenal.  There are some people I’ve talked to who say the film takes a nosedive once the humans enter the picture, but the majority of reviews I’ve read absolutely love it.  In fact, in some places they’re already talking Best Picture nom. come Oscar time next year.  I haven’t heard that about any other film this year so far - animation or live action.

From everything I’ve read and everything I know about working at other studios, Pixar represents a completely different way of approaching filmmaking.  Ironically, it’s the closest to what I imagine it would’ve been like to work at the Disney studios in the 1930s and 40s.  So it’s not so much revolutionary as it is just plain smart business.  After nine consecutive number-one hits, they’re obviously doing something right.

As Bill puts it,

You can’t win big unless you change the game in your field.

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(via SvN)