Has there ever been a studio with such a high hit rate as Pixar? From Toy Story to latest offering Monsters University, the benchmark for quality was set very high very early on, and - with only a few limp films such as the Cars duology - that benchmark has been mostly maintained over the years. The Pixar magic was never just saved for the feature films, however. The studio released a short to be played before each theatrical release, and were of such a high quality that several of them were nominated for major awards themselves. I've listed them all here from worst to best, and noted the extensive Easter Eggs and references to the Pixar universe contained within. There are also instances of an early character or story being a clear inspiration for a later one. There are several other shorts that Pixar specially made for home releases, but as they were never theatrically released, I have omitted these from the article. Otherwise, here are Pixar's finest little moments. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section below..
Honourable Mentions:
The Adventures Of Andre And Wally B (1984)
This was actually Pixar's very first animation and although rough and ready, it contains the style and humour that would eventually become iconic to Pixar Studios.
Red's Dream (1987)
Another theatrical short that was never officially released but still deserves a mention. In case you didn't notice, the spotlight is the same design from the Luxo, Jr. ball.