Pixar Hero Who Rescued Toy Story 2 Gets Fired Decades Later
A technical director's home backup saved millions when Pixar's sequel nearly vanished forever. Her reward after 33 years? A pink slip during Disney's cost-cutting spree.
Back in 1998, Pixar nearly lost everything. The studio was putting finishing touches on Toy Story 2 when disaster struck. An animator entered the wrong command into the root folder. The entire movie started deleting itself, scene by scene, right before everyone's eyes.
According to Rough Cut, about 90% of Toy Story 2 disappeared. Two years of work. Millions in production costs. Gone. The backup systems? They hadn't worked properly in months. Nobody knew.
Enter Galyn Susman, Supervising Technical Director at Pixar. She was home on maternity leave when the crisis hit. By pure luck, she had a complete backup of the film on her personal computer. Susman single-handedly saved what would become a $511 million box office hit.
The Layoff That Shocked Animation Insiders
Toy Story 2 alone brought in over half a billion dollars worldwide. The entire franchise has generated more than $3 billion across five films. Susman's rescue operation protected one of Disney's most valuable properties.
Fast forward to 2023. Disney announced 7,000 layoffs as part of budget cuts. On May 23, 75 Pixar positions were eliminated. Susman got the axe after 33 years with the company. Director Angus MacLane, who worked on Coco and Incredibles 2, was also let go.
The timing stung. Disney reported $88.9 billion in revenue that year, up 7.47% from 2022. Record profits, mass firings.
Three Decades of Animation Excellence
Susman joined Pixar in November 1990 as a visual effects supervisor. She worked her way up through technical roles on the original Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Up, Ratatouille, and Brave. From 2005 until her termination, she served as producer.
Her computer science degree from Brown University led to four years at Apple before Pixar. She gave the animation studio nearly her entire career. Her final project was the disappointing Lightyear, which struggled at theaters.
Today, Susman works as a freelance animation producer in the San Francisco Bay Area. The woman who saved Toy Story 2 from digital oblivion now hustles for independent gigs. Disney's gratitude apparently has an expiration date.