Stan Kinsey
Encyclopedia
Stan Kinsey is a former Disney
executive and co-founder of Iwerks Entertainment, along with Oscar winner and Disney legend Don Iwerks
. Kinsey is famous for being a visionary that sought to take the Walt Disney Company in the direction of computer animated films
(chronicled in the books Disney War and The Pixar Touch).
, Greencastle, Indiana
and received his MBA at Stanford University
. Kinsey was in the same class as Scott McNealy
of Sun Micro fame.
At Disney, young Kinsey was a considered a "golden boy" by top Disney executives Frank Wells and Ron W. Miller
. Kinsey had thrived running the Operations and New Technology group, and was Disney's chief technologist under executive Ron Miller. He championed the direction toward films created using computer animation. He saw the potential of computer animation and wanted the company to purchase Pixar
, a collaborator and supplier of high-end computer hardware for the secretive Computer Animation Production System (CAPS
) project. Kinsey believed the CAPS
could "return Disney animation to its glory days by developing new computer technology." However, he was to be overruled by Miller's replacement and new chairman of Disney's film division, Jeffrey Katzenberg
. Katzenberg and Micheal Eisner had brought a new culture to the Disney company as profiled in the book Disney War. Kinsey continued to clash with Katzenberg and eventually left the company in 1985. After the departure of Kinsey from Disney, Katzenberg relented and continued the partnership with Pixar and development of the CAPS
championed by Kinsey.
The evolution of CAPS
and Pixar resulted in the great success envisioned by Kinsey. An Oscar for Scientific and Engineering Achievement was awarded in 1992 to the team that developed the CAPS system. Pixar became the Pixar Animation Studios, which went on to win 26 academy awards
, 7 Golden Globes, and 3 Grammy Awards, and generate over $6.3 billion worldwide in revenue by the early 2000s. (The Walt Disney Company did buy Pixar Animation Studios outright on January 24, 2006 for 7.4 billion.)
Kinsey left Disney in 1985 and founded Iwerks Entertainment with Don Iwerks
. Iwerks Entertainment became well known as a leading developer of special films, venues, and virtual reality theaters throughout the world. He was Chairman and CEO of Iwerks for 10 years.
Kinsey headed up another entertainment technology company called NTN Buzztime
, a developer of interactive entertainment games. The company is known for its bar trivia online games. He was Chairman and CEO of NTN for 10 years.
Kinsey currently is CEO of Nigel Power LLC, a manufacturer of wireless communications equipment in San Diego and a subsidiary of Qualcomm
.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
executive and co-founder of Iwerks Entertainment, along with Oscar winner and Disney legend Don Iwerks
Don Iwerks
Don Iwerks is a former Disney executive, a Disney Legend, an Oscar winner, and co-founder of Iwerks Entertainment along with former Disney executive Stan Kinsey...
. Kinsey is famous for being a visionary that sought to take the Walt Disney Company in the direction of computer animated films
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
(chronicled in the books Disney War and The Pixar Touch).
Career
Originally from Indiana, Stan Kinsey did his undergrad studies at DePauw UniversityDePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
, Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania...
and received his MBA at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Kinsey was in the same class as Scott McNealy
Scott McNealy
Scott McNealy is an American business executive. He co-founded computer technology company Sun Microsystems in 1982 along with Vinod Khosla, Bill Joy, and Andy Bechtolsheim.-Biography:...
of Sun Micro fame.
At Disney, young Kinsey was a considered a "golden boy" by top Disney executives Frank Wells and Ron W. Miller
Ron W. Miller
Ronald William "Ron" Miller is a former professional American football player, the son-in-law of Walt Disney, and a former president and CEO of what is now The Walt Disney Company.-Marriage and early career:...
. Kinsey had thrived running the Operations and New Technology group, and was Disney's chief technologist under executive Ron Miller. He championed the direction toward films created using computer animation. He saw the potential of computer animation and wanted the company to purchase Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
, a collaborator and supplier of high-end computer hardware for the secretive Computer Animation Production System (CAPS
Computer Animation Production System
The Computer Animation Production System is a proprietary collection of software programs, scanning camera systems, servers, networked computer workstations, and custom desks developed by The Walt Disney Company together with Pixar in the late-1980s...
) project. Kinsey believed the CAPS
Computer Animation Production System
The Computer Animation Production System is a proprietary collection of software programs, scanning camera systems, servers, networked computer workstations, and custom desks developed by The Walt Disney Company together with Pixar in the late-1980s...
could "return Disney animation to its glory days by developing new computer technology." However, he was to be overruled by Miller's replacement and new chairman of Disney's film division, Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg is an American film producer and CEO of DreamWorks Animation. He is perhaps most famous for his period as chairman of The Walt Disney Company's film division, and for producing DreamWorks animated films such as Shrek, Antz, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Chicken...
. Katzenberg and Micheal Eisner had brought a new culture to the Disney company as profiled in the book Disney War. Kinsey continued to clash with Katzenberg and eventually left the company in 1985. After the departure of Kinsey from Disney, Katzenberg relented and continued the partnership with Pixar and development of the CAPS
Computer Animation Production System
The Computer Animation Production System is a proprietary collection of software programs, scanning camera systems, servers, networked computer workstations, and custom desks developed by The Walt Disney Company together with Pixar in the late-1980s...
championed by Kinsey.
The evolution of CAPS
Computer Animation Production System
The Computer Animation Production System is a proprietary collection of software programs, scanning camera systems, servers, networked computer workstations, and custom desks developed by The Walt Disney Company together with Pixar in the late-1980s...
and Pixar resulted in the great success envisioned by Kinsey. An Oscar for Scientific and Engineering Achievement was awarded in 1992 to the team that developed the CAPS system. Pixar became the Pixar Animation Studios, which went on to win 26 academy awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, 7 Golden Globes, and 3 Grammy Awards, and generate over $6.3 billion worldwide in revenue by the early 2000s. (The Walt Disney Company did buy Pixar Animation Studios outright on January 24, 2006 for 7.4 billion.)
Kinsey left Disney in 1985 and founded Iwerks Entertainment with Don Iwerks
Don Iwerks
Don Iwerks is a former Disney executive, a Disney Legend, an Oscar winner, and co-founder of Iwerks Entertainment along with former Disney executive Stan Kinsey...
. Iwerks Entertainment became well known as a leading developer of special films, venues, and virtual reality theaters throughout the world. He was Chairman and CEO of Iwerks for 10 years.
Kinsey headed up another entertainment technology company called NTN Buzztime
NTN Buzztime
NTN Buzztime is a company which produces interactive entertainment across many different platforms. Its most well-known product, simply called Buzztime, and formerly known as the NTN Network, since 1985, broadcasts trivia and other games via broadband over a national network to over 3,800 bars...
, a developer of interactive entertainment games. The company is known for its bar trivia online games. He was Chairman and CEO of NTN for 10 years.
Kinsey currently is CEO of Nigel Power LLC, a manufacturer of wireless communications equipment in San Diego and a subsidiary of Qualcomm
Qualcomm
Qualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
.