How One Pixar Employee Rescued Toy Story 2

Back in 1998, the team at Pixar were putting the finishing touches on the sequel to their much-loved animated hit. Spirits were high, the end was in sight, and the project seemed to be ticking along nicely. Then, in a moment that would make any IT professional wince, a single errant command wiped out nearly the entire film. Scenes began disappearing before the team’s eyes, one after another, as if the past two years of work had never happened.

Ordinarily, such a disaster would be mitigated by reliable backups. Unfortunately, the studio’s backup system had quietly failed months earlier, leaving them with nothing to restore. In a matter of moments, millions of dollars and countless hours of effort appeared to have vanished down the drain. The situation was, to put it mildly, rather bleak.

Galyn Susman: The Unlikely Saviour

Enter Galyn Susman, Supervising Technical Director at Pixar, who was on maternity leave at the time. By sheer luck—or perhaps a touch of foresight—Susman had a copy of the film’s files on her home computer. This off-site backup, which she’d kept for work purposes, turned out to be the only thing standing between Pixar and a complete loss. Thanks to her, the project was salvaged, and the sequel went on to become a box office triumph.

Susman’s intervention was nothing short of a lifeline for the studio. Without her, the sequel might never have seen the light of day. The franchise, which would eventually rake in billions, owed a considerable debt to her quick thinking and, frankly, a bit of good fortune.

Box Office Success and Corporate Realities

The sequel alone brought in over $500 million worldwide, and the wider franchise has since amassed more than $3 billion. The numbers are impressive by any standard. Here’s a quick look at the figures:

Title	Budget	Box Office
Toy Story	$30,000,000	$375,452,457
Toy Story 2	$90,000,000	$511,358,276
Toy Story 3	$200,000,000	$1,068,879,522
Toy Story 4	$200,000,000	$1,071,177,215
Lightyear	$200,000,000	$218,878,024
TOTAL	$120,600,000	$3,245,745,494

Given her pivotal role, one might assume Susman’s position at the company was secure. Yet, in 2023, she found herself among the 7,000 employees let go as part of a sweeping round of redundancies. Her departure coincided with that of Angus MacLane, a senior creative who’d contributed to several major titles. The timing was particularly striking, as the parent company reported record revenues that year.

Three Decades at Pixar: Susman’s Career

Susman’s tenure at the animation studio spanned more than thirty years. She began as a lighting supervisor on the original film and went on to work on a string of celebrated projects, including Monsters, Inc., Up, Ratatouille, and Brave. Her final assignment was as producer on Lightyear, a spin-off that didn’t quite match the commercial heights of its predecessors.

Her academic background includes a degree in Computer Science from Brown University, followed by a stint at Apple as a research staff member. She joined the animation studio in 1990, steadily rising through the ranks to become a producer in 2005. By the time she was made redundant, she had dedicated nearly 33 years to the company.

Now, Susman works as a freelance animation producer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her story remains a striking example of how even the most indispensable employees can find themselves out in the cold, regardless of past heroics.