Lasseter directed the first computer-animated feature film, TOY STORY, for which he received a Special Achievement Oscar® and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. TOY STORY was the first animated film ever to receive an Oscar nomination for screenplay. Lasseter has written and directed a number of short films and television commercials while at Pixar; LUXO JR. (1986 Academy Award nominee), RED'S DREAM (1987), TIN TOY (1988 Academy Award Winner) and KNICKNACK (1989), which was produced as a 3D stereoscopic film. TIN TOY was the first computer animated film to win an Oscar, when it won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
Lasseter also designed and animated the Stained Glass Knight character in the 1985 Steven Spielberg production, YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES. Lasseter joined Lucasfilm's Computer Division in 1984, and was a founding member of Pixar when it was formed in February, 1986. Prior to this, he spent five years as an animator at The Walt Disney Company, where he worked on such films as THE FOX AND THE HOUND (1981) and MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL (1983). He earned his B.F.A. in film from the California Institute of the Arts where he produced two animated films, each winners of the student Academy Award for Animation: LADY AND THE LAMP in 1979 and NIGHTMARE in 1980. His very first award came at the age of five when he won $15 from the Model Grocery Market in Whittier, California for a crayon drawing of the Headless Horseman.
Other executive producer credits at Pixar include GERI'S GAME (1997), FOR THE BIRDS (2000), SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI/ SPIRITING AWAY and MONSTERS, INC. (both 2001), FINDING NEMO (2003), THE INCREDIBLES (2004), MEET THE ROBINSONS and RATATOUILLE (both 2007), and WALL·E (scheduled for 2008).
Nominated for Short Films (Animated Films) 1986: LUXO, JR. - Producer (w. William Reeves)
Best Achievement in Animated Short Films 1988: TIN TOY - Producer
Nominated for Writing (Screenplay written directly for the screen) 1995: TOY STORY (Story w. Peter Docter, Andrew Stanton & Joe Ranft)
Special Achievement Award 1995: For his inspired leadership of the Pixar TOY STORY team, resulting in the first feature-length computer animated film.
Nominated for Best Animated Picture of the Year 2001: MONSTERS, INC. - Producer (w. Peter Docter)
Nominated for Best Animated Picture of the Year 2006: CARS
5 nominations, 1 Award, 1 Special Achievement Award