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Why was Toy Story important in the history of computer animation?

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Animated scene from The Wild Robot showing a round-eyed robot with a fox perched on its shoulder in a forest clearing. — Animation Scene from the 2024 science fiction animated film *The Wild Robot*, directed by Chris Sanders.

Toy Story (1995) is a landmark in the history of animation because it was the first feature-length film created entirely with computer-generated imagery (CGI).123

Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by John Lasseter, the film demonstrated the viability of computer animation for long-form storytelling. Its production was a massive technical undertaking, requiring approximately 114,240 frames and 800,000 machine hours to render.1452

The film's immense critical and commercial success proved that computer-animated features could resonate with audiences, effectively shifting the industry away from traditional animation methods. By validating CGI as a powerful medium for both visual innovation and emotional storytelling, Toy Story encouraged other studios to adopt the technology, paving the way for the modern era of computer-animated cinema.245