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Steven Lisberger's beginnings in animation started in 1973, with a short film that he directed and animated with fellow animator, Eric Ladd, called [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8iqvxodTj4&t&ab_channel=HankGrebe Cosmic Cartoon]. The cartoon itself is very psychedelic and features many different animation techniques.
 
Steven Lisberger's beginnings in animation started in 1973, with a short film that he directed and animated with fellow animator, Eric Ladd, called [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8iqvxodTj4&t&ab_channel=HankGrebe Cosmic Cartoon]. The cartoon itself is very psychedelic and features many different animation techniques.
   
[[File:Steven Lisberger by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb]]
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[[File:Steven_Lisberger_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg|thumb]]
   
 
A couple of years later, Lisberger founded the animation studio [[Lisberger Studios]] in Boston, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, very few animators lived on the East Coast of the United States and work was hard to find, thus the animation studio had very few employees. Lisberger and his business partner [[Donald Kushner]] decided to move Lisberger Studios to the West Coast in 1977 in order to get more work and employees. It was during this time that Lisberger saw video games for the first time. He was immediately fascinated by them and wanted to do a film incorporating them. According to Lisberger, "I realized that there were these techniques that would be very suitable for bringing video games and computer visuals to the screen. And that was the moment that the whole concept flashed across my mind." He was frustrated by the clique-ish nature of computers and video games and wanted to create a film that would open this world up to everyone. The Lisberger Studios' logo featured a character created completely out of light, by using backlit animation. Lisberger named the character "[[Tron]]" after the word "electronic".
 
A couple of years later, Lisberger founded the animation studio [[Lisberger Studios]] in Boston, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, very few animators lived on the East Coast of the United States and work was hard to find, thus the animation studio had very few employees. Lisberger and his business partner [[Donald Kushner]] decided to move Lisberger Studios to the West Coast in 1977 in order to get more work and employees. It was during this time that Lisberger saw video games for the first time. He was immediately fascinated by them and wanted to do a film incorporating them. According to Lisberger, "I realized that there were these techniques that would be very suitable for bringing video games and computer visuals to the screen. And that was the moment that the whole concept flashed across my mind." He was frustrated by the clique-ish nature of computers and video games and wanted to create a film that would open this world up to everyone. The Lisberger Studios' logo featured a character created completely out of light, by using backlit animation. Lisberger named the character "[[Tron]]" after the word "electronic".
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Coincidentally, "TRON" is a debugging command in the BASIC command language. It is an abbreviation of ''TR''ace ''ON''. It is used primarily for debugging, line-numbered BASIC GOTO and GOSUB statements. In text-mode environments such as the TRS-80, or MS-DOS/PC-DOS, it would print the current line number which was being executed on-screen. In a windowed environment, when the TRON command had been executed, a window would indicate the line number being executed at that instant. This command's opposite is '''TROFF''', or ''TR''ace ''OFF'', used to turn off command tracing.
 
Coincidentally, "TRON" is a debugging command in the BASIC command language. It is an abbreviation of ''TR''ace ''ON''. It is used primarily for debugging, line-numbered BASIC GOTO and GOSUB statements. In text-mode environments such as the TRS-80, or MS-DOS/PC-DOS, it would print the current line number which was being executed on-screen. In a windowed environment, when the TRON command had been executed, a window would indicate the line number being executed at that instant. This command's opposite is '''TROFF''', or ''TR''ace ''OFF'', used to turn off command tracing.
   
After doing several commercials and animations segments for children's shows like Sesame Street, [[wikipedia:NBC|NBC]] commissioned Lisberger Studios to make an animated made-for-TV movie to be shown along with the network's 1980 winter and summer Olympics coverage. That movie would be, ''[[wikipedia:Animalympics|Animalympics]]''. However, only the part of the movie made it to the small screen, as the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan caused President Jimmy Carter to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics. As America stayed away, NBC canceled its Olympic coverage, and Lisberger's hour-long companion special along with it. After this, Lisberger decided to put all of the focus onto making ''TRON''. (''Animalympics'' would eventually be released on cable television by [[wikipedia:Lorimar-Telepictures|Lorimar-Telepictures]] and later by [[wikipedia:Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]].)
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After doing several commercials and animations segments for children's shows like Sesame Street, [[wikipedia:NBC|NBC]] commissioned Lisberger Studios to make an animated made-for-tv movie to be shown along with the network's 1980 winter and summer Olympics coverage. That movie would be, ''[[wikipedia:Animalympics|Animalympics]]''. However, only the part of the movie made it to the small screen, as the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan caused President Jimmy Carter to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics. As America stayed away, NBC canceled its Olympic coverage, and Lisberger's hour-long companion special along with it. After this, Lisberger decided to put all of the focus onto making ''TRON''. (''Animalympics'' would eventually be released on cable television by [[wikipedia:Lorimar-Telepictures|Lorimar-Telepictures]] and later by [[wikipedia:Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]].)
   
 
===Making TRON===
 
===Making TRON===
   
Originally, ''TRON'' was conceived to be predominantly an animated film with live-action sequences acting as book ends. The rest would involve a combination of computer generated visuals and back-lit animation. Lisberger planned to finance the movie independently by approaching several computer companies but had little success. However, one company, [[Information International, Inc.]], was receptive. He met with [[Richard Taylor]], a representative, and they began talking about using live-action photography with back-lit animation in such a way that it could be integrated with computer graphics. At this point, Lisberger already had a script written and the film entirely storyboarded with some computer animation tests completed. He had spent approximately $300,000 developing ''TRON'' and had also secured $4–5 million in private backing before reaching a standstill. Lisberger and Kushner decided to take the idea to Disney, which was interested in producing more daring productions at the time. However, Disney executives were uncertain about giving $10–12 million to a first-time producer and director using techniques that, in most cases, had never been attempted.
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Originally, ''TRON'' was conceived to be predominantly an animated film with live-action sequences acting as book ends. The rest would involve a combination of computer generated visuals and back-lit animation. Lisberger planned to finance the movie independently by approaching several computer companies but had little success. However, one company, [[Information International, Inc.]], was receptive. He met with [[Richard Taylor]], a representative, and they began talking about using live-action photography with back-lit animation in such a way that it could be integrated with computer graphics. At this point, Lisberger already had a script written and the film entirely storyboarded with some computer animation tests completed. He had spent approximately $300,000 developing ''TRON'' and had also secured $4-5 million in private backing before reaching a standstill. Lisberger and Kushner decided to take the idea to Disney, which was interested in producing more daring productions at the time. However, Disney executives were uncertain about giving $10-12 million to a first-time producer and director using techniques that, in most cases, had never been attempted.
   
 
The studio agreed to finance a test reel which involved a flying disc champion throwing a rough prototype of the discs used in the film. It was a chance to mix live-action footage with back-lit animation and computer generated visuals. It impressed the executives at Disney and they agreed to back the film. The script was subsequently re-written and re-storyboarded with the studio's input.
 
The studio agreed to finance a test reel which involved a flying disc champion throwing a rough prototype of the discs used in the film. It was a chance to mix live-action footage with back-lit animation and computer generated visuals. It impressed the executives at Disney and they agreed to back the film. The script was subsequently re-written and re-storyboarded with the studio's input.
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Lisberger described himself as humbled and overjoyed that a new generation had made the TRON universe their own, approving of its evolving details, that his movie had inspired technically-oriented people to build computer careers, and that it had inspired Daft Punk, who were now creating ''TRON: Legacy's'' soundtrack.<ref>Den Of Geek: [https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/21195/steven-lisberger-interview-the-legacy-of-tron Steven Lisberger interview: the legacy of TRON]</ref>
 
Lisberger described himself as humbled and overjoyed that a new generation had made the TRON universe their own, approving of its evolving details, that his movie had inspired technically-oriented people to build computer careers, and that it had inspired Daft Punk, who were now creating ''TRON: Legacy's'' soundtrack.<ref>Den Of Geek: [https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/21195/steven-lisberger-interview-the-legacy-of-tron Steven Lisberger interview: the legacy of TRON]</ref>
   
===Personal life===
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===Personal Life===
 
Lisberger is married to Peggy Flook Lisberger, an attorney and Vice President of Business Affairs at MarVista Entertainment. They have a son named Carl.
 
Lisberger is married to Peggy Flook Lisberger, an attorney and Vice President of Business Affairs at MarVista Entertainment. They have a son named Carl.
   
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