<Li> Mickie McGowan as Grace Phillips (voice), the unseen mother of Sid and Hannah . </Li> <P> Director John Lasseter's first experience with computer animation was during his work as an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation, when two of his friends showed him the lightcycle scene from Tron . It was an eye - opening experience which awakened Lasseter to the possibilities offered by the new medium of computer - generated animation . Lasseter tried to pitch The Brave Little Toaster as a fully computer - animated film to Disney, but the idea was rejected and Lasseter was fired . He then went on to work at Lucasfilm and later as a founding member of Pixar, which was purchased by entrepreneur and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs in 1986 . At Pixar, Lasseter created short, computer - animated films to show off the Pixar Image Computer's capabilities, and Tin Toy (1988)--a short story told from the perspective of a toy, referencing Lasseter's love of classic toys--would go on to claim the 1988 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, the first computer - generated film to do so . </P> <P> Tin Toy gained Disney's attention, and the new team at The Walt Disney Company--CEO Michael Eisner and chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg in the film division--began a quest to get Lasseter to come back . Lasseter, grateful for Jobs' faith in him, felt compelled to stay with Pixar, telling co-founder Ed Catmull, "I can go to Disney and be a director, or I can stay here and make history ." Katzenberg realized he could not lure Lasseter back to Disney and therefore set plans into motion to ink a production deal with Pixar to produce a film . Disney had always made all their movies in - house and refused to change this . But when Tim Burton, who used to work at Disney, wanted to buy back the rights to The Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney struck a deal allowing him to make it as a Disney movie outside the studio . This opened the door for Pixar to make their movies outside Disney . </P> <P> Both sides were willing . Catmull and fellow Pixar co-founder Alvy Ray Smith had long wanted to produce a computer - animated feature . In addition, Disney had licensed Pixar's Computer Animation Production System (CAPS), and that made it the largest customer for Pixar's computers . Jobs made it apparent to Katzenberg that although Disney was happy with Pixar, it was not the other way around: "We want to do a film with you," said Jobs . "That would make us happy ." At this same time, Peter Schneider, president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, was potentially interested in making a feature film with Pixar . When Catmull, Smith and head of animation Ralph Guggenheim met with Schneider in the summer of 1990, they found the atmosphere to be puzzling and contentious . They later learned that Katzenberg intended that if Disney were to make a film with Pixar, it would be outside Schneider's purview, which aggravated Schneider . After that first meeting, the Pixar contingent went home with low expectations and was surprised when Katzenberg called for another conference . Catmull, Smith, and Guggenheim were joined by Bill Reeves (head of animation research and development), Jobs, and Lasseter . They brought with them an idea for a half - hour television special called A Tin Toy Christmas . They reasoned that a television program would be a sensible way to gain experience before tackling a feature film . </P>

Where is toy story supposed to take place