Process & Production: Pixar Animation Studios

In the early to mid 90's CGI was pretty uncommon. To have snippets of it in video games or films was seen as a huge novelty. 
But when Pixar released Toy Story in 1995, it really showed what the technology was capable of doing.
Pixar was previously known for it's 3D animated shorts such as Tin Toy and Luxo Jr. but once they'd created Toy Story - the first full length CGI feature film - they really set the standard high for animated films. 

Next came Pixar's second CGI feature film 'A Bug's Life' in November 1998, and again, was very well received by its audience. But the release of A Bug's Life brought rivalry. 
During the production of A Bug's Life, a public feud erupted between DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Pixar's Steve Jobs & John Lasseter. Katzenberg, former chairman of Disney's film division, had left the company in a bitter feud with CEO Michael Eisner. In response, he formed DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen and planned to rival Disney in animation.

A Bug's Life was released less than two months after Dreamworks debut film 'Antz', which was seen as much more than a mere coincidence.  Both films feature the life of an individual ant who feels himself misfit in the hive until he falls in love with the princess of the colony. He revolts against the consistent oppression and brutality that prevailed in that colony and saves the lives of his fellow-ants from evil raiders.

After building up a lot of publicity for A Bug's Life before its release and Dreamworks studio being virtually unknown, it was clear that Lasseter and Jobs believed that the idea was stolen by Katzenberg.

One difference that is apparent however is the animation and graphics. In Antz, the graphics designing isn't great, the surroundings appears dismal and dark and that darkness really takes its toll on the animation. Whereas the landscape and the characters in A Bugs Life appear far more vibrant and perhaps is what led it to have a greater success. 

Pixar have gone on and plan to make many more films making children and adults around the world appreciate the art of CGI animation.