How to Train Your Dragon

Last March, Dreamworks Animation SKG's new animated film How to Train Your Dragon won the hearts of both the audience and critics! This time the reception is extremely positive. The movie has received a whopping 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, an online rating site that has never given a Dreamworks animated film anything higher than a 90%. Time Magazine has announced that Dreamwork's caliber is now equivalent to that produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Competition between these two dominant studios will now be but a hair's width apart, assuming that Dreamworks quality remains consistent in its future animated features.

As with all the recent CG films, this film gets a gold star for stunning imagery---BUT allow me to be more specific so I don't sound redundant. Let's track back to the time when Dreamworks first started on its 3D path, in particularly with the movie Antz. The modeling of the characters in that movie are blocky and crude compared to the detailed sculptures in Dragon. Hiccup's father, for example, looks so real, so real that I have to remind myself constantly that he's just a cartoon. Cartoon, however, is probably an understatement. The detail of the fur on his pelt, the wisps of red hair on his beard, and the speckles on his skin, the lighting of the environments...All of this realism really sucks you into Hiccup's wild world of dragons and vikings.

Not to mention the back breaking use of the cameras. I do not know what type of cameras Dreamworks use, but from what I have learned so far with cameras on 3D software (I emphasize that I am terribly noob at Maya)...I just can't imagine how they moved the cameras so that it appears as if you are flying with the characters. You're dipping and diving through clouds and soaring across the ocean, dodging jagged rocks just in the nick of time. As a noob, I already thought it was difficult just setting up ONE camera, adjusting its lens, adjusting the view planes, and putting it in the right place so that an entire scene is properly captured. The professionals probably have an entirely different system of using cameras, so maybe the little that I learned did not apply to what they had to do at all -_- .

The action sequences are impressive, but what's most captivating are the quieter and intimate moments between Toothless and Hiccup. My favorite scene in particular was when Hiccup drew a picture of Toothless on the sand with a twig and Toothless imitates him using a gigantic tree branch. When Hiccup steps on his drawing, Toothless growls, and when Hiccup steps off the drawing, Toothless stops growling. Then Hiccup hesitantly touches Toothless on the nose. That part for me was just a real twang at the heart.

What makes the film so much more successful is its powerful script. It's very witty, with subtle jokes that adults can enjoy while not traumatizing the children. The writers did not let anything slip from beginning to the end (In the beginning Hiccup says "The only problems are the pests" and at the end he says the only thing that is amazing are the "pets". CLEVER HUH?) It is the script and storyline that really impresses us when we leave the theater. To be honest I did not think the preview was anything extraordinary when I first saw it, it looked like another banal Pocahontas and Avatar (still love those movies though) story. So it was no wonder I was very surprised when a third party enters the plot and changes the original perspective of the situation. It was truly a well spun tale.

I am very happy that Dreamworks has finally received such high reception from everyone. Though the studio is known for its inconsistency in the quality of their films, they have released many great productions like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. The studio has proven its capability of making good films, but they have been outshone by the Pixar's consistent streak of successful hits. It must have stung the whole studio when Jack Black joked that he would use the money he made from Dreamworks and bet it all on Pixar winning the Academy Awards. I believe this love for Pixar is partially due to the biased feeling that the studio was established first (Like old Disney vs. Warner Brothers Productions and Max Fleischer cartoons) and also the timing of the productions release.

My favorite 2D animated film is actually a Dreamworks production , the Prince of Egypt. In my opinion it is the most epic film using the animated medium. The visual style is so compelling and suitable for the Egyptian setting. More importantly, it contains the most powerful universal message that transcends princess stories and cute animals---the power of faith. Prince of Egypt was relevant to Katzenberg's original motto "We bring out the adult in every child"(I don't know if he still adheres to that...), and it worked, sometimes. Too bad CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg had to shut down the 2D department after flops like Sinbad and shifted to the 3D medium. Dreamworks almost declared bankruptcy twice and has struggled to come up with a successful box office hit. Now it finally has, and boy does it deserve it after all these years!

So go watch How to Train Your Dragon, support the artists at Dreamworks SKG!

Michael Kustche, Alice in Wonderland, Youtube, and just plain COOLNESS

Movies -Wow I should be seriously studying right now (<---BAHAHA good one...)but, being a second semester senior, I am making up for all of those years of stress and work and catching up with my procrastination... (<---you gotta admit, that's a pretty decent way to phrase it) The best way to do so is just go on my computer, which literally gobbles up all the attention left I have to offer. So I'm going to blah about what I've been up to on the internet...
OKAY so I have a new hero in addition to my band of heroes, and his name is Michael Kustche (The image on the left is his work, titled Boxer which was done on Corel PAINTER, holy crap right?). This guy's AMAZINNNGG, his concept art is just so inspiring, so REAL yet at the same time, BURSTING WITH IDEAS that are open to your interpretation...and that's why I love his work so much. GO VISIT HIS SITE THE LINK IS PROVIDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ENTRY)

He and the guys at Imaginism Studios (<---Also my heroes, GO VISIT THEM TOO )collaborated on the character design for Tim Burton's delightfully creepy Alice in Wonderland! And... according to his website... Kustche will be working on the upcoming film John Carter Goes to Mars which I believe is Andrew Stanton's (Director of Finding Nemo and Wall-E) first live action film...

Also...THERE REALLY IS GOING TO BE A LIVE ACTION TIN TIN MOVIE!!! And they're going to use the skull cap technology that was used on Avatar!

YOUTUBE

There's are a lot of lovely youtube vids I've failed to mention earlier...so here's one. I just love Where the Hell is Matt?, I always get a smile when I watch it for the 141341413 th time :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY Nothing brings the world together like dance and music :) It reminds you how big and beautiful our home can be.

Okay, time to start studying...at midnight haha. GO VISIT THOSE LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ENTRY OR ELSE

LINKS

Michael Kustche
site http://www.mistermk.de/
deviant http://michaelkutsche.deviantart.com/

Imaginism Studios
site http://www.imaginismstudios.com/
deviant http://imaginism.deviantart.com/

the Princess and the Frog

To celebrate the end of applications, I am going to FINALLY blog about...the Princess and the Frog! After three years of waiting to see it, I finally did (two months ago). I never thought this entry would be so delayed...but, better than never right?

So by the time I was in the theater, I honestly did not know what to expect. I tried to avoid the Disney Channel at all costs, since they over expose the film with 5 "sneak peaks" clips...but I could not escape those...and even after all that I still found so many dazzling and inexplicable charms throughout the entire film.

Okay, so it wasn't "OMFG that changed my life" reaction, but if anyone really expects that, I think they are missing the point of the movie's release. It isn't meant to convert us into paganism or anything, it is meant to be a film that sticks true to traditional Disney ways, reminding us how the Disney Company all began---with the heart and soul in the 2-D medium. I think John Musker and Roger Clements and the entire Disney crew were just trying to say "We gave it our best shot, and we just want the world to know that this is how we roll." In that sense, I believe everyone did an excellent job, and honestly, they could not have done any better.

This film, like many Disney films, cannot be fully appreciated with just one viewing. Every second is filled with ridiculously luscious scenes that contain wonderful little details that we overlook--- from the lovely structure of Charlotte's bed, to the surrounding plants in the bayou. I felt sorry that the movie was so fast paced, and that these scenes could not be looked at more carefully. The animation had a lot of creative movements, there was so much in so little time that it's hard to notice every single one. And, I must say, the COLORS were sooo beautiful, and I just love all the characters... (except for those three guys in a boat, they were sort of annoying) The soundtrack is completely matches the New Orleans setting. It wasn't OMG BROADWAY music, but it was definitely jazzy and fun to sing along to. All of these things mixed together, and you get a gumbo that touches your heart :)

The story is sort of corny at times, but...THAT'S

WHAT MAKES IT SO CUTE!!! The target audience IS for little kids af

ter all...and of course most teens put on the tough act and deny that they take pleasure watching these films, but that is typical adolescent cynicism. There is no doubt that this film clearly teaches our younger generation important morals, such as working hard for what you want, and remembering that love is the most powerful element in our lives. And I find Tiana one of the more likable Disney princesses, she's one of the few who actually DOES WORK and at the same time displays some form of intelligence...compared to the heroine in OTHER Disney films that were higher acclaimed (Honestly, I feel that it's easier getting a higher rating when a successful studio FIRST starts out ...it's more difficult to CONSISTENTLY meet expectations of the audience for what is now more than 80 or so years...

In essence, I believe that it isn't the film that lacks quality, but the fact that it is now out of place in today's CG dominated film industry. When I was watching this film, I could not help but feel a bit sad, because I felt like I was watching a movie that should have been made ten years ago. And with Avatar released a week later, the comeback in 2-D animation was, in comparison to the blockbusters, very weak. However, I read somewhere that the amount at the box office was enough to keep the studio going, and I am hopeful for Disney's next production on Tangled, which is loosely baesd on the fairy tale Rapunzel and will come out this November!

And here is some of my fanart for the Princess and the Frog from my sketchbook! I lined them over in Photoshop. I'm proud to say that I drew the frogs from memory. I really like Mama Odie and Dr. Facilier...and Ray the Cajun Firefly (he made me cry in the end, the dear thing!) Enjoy!!!

Avatar

I know it's been like... what, 3 or 4 months? It's been pretty hectic nonstop. I still have two more schools to finish applying to, yearbook drawings to finish up on, two AP art concentration pieces due this upcoming week, and on top of that I also have school work to catch up on... Procrastination took its toll yesterday when I put off my work writing a story. It's not really a story, more like a script. That took, what, 5 hours of my day haha. But I feel good doing what I want to do. I feel significantly less stressed than before, and with all these "deadlines", I kinda feel like a legit working artist :D Even though I'm not getting paid -_- Also I had my first peanut butter bannana and honey sandwich! That was goood.

Despite all this I just HAVE to write about Avatar, absolutely have to, this post is already way past its due.

So there's been criticism about poor script writing and James Cameron's treatment towards his fans...but let's just side step that and look at the bigger picture here. Avatar has revolutionized the concept of filmmaking. I think that's already a pretty good plus ...

The artists are freakin incredible, just OMFG amazing. Major props to Weta Digital and Industrial Light & Magic, I wrote an article about Weta earlier so go check that out.

I'm dissapointed, however, that the Art of Avatar is barely the thickness of my agenda book. Perhaps the studios do not want to leak out any raw concept art because they aren't finished with all three films (word has it that they're making an Avatar trilogy)? Beats me... but there's several "behind the scenes" articles up on CG Talk now.











Behind the Scenes: Fun Facts to Chew On


Here's one juicy article that goes in depth with the technical problems the team had to overcome: http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=5434&page=2 When making Avatar, the production team had to come up with these new cool features:

1. Virtual Camera-Also known as the Steering Wheel, allows James Cameron to look through the view finder and "steer" his way around the Pandora environment built by the Virtual Arts Department (VAD) for a certain scene. This way the director could point out changes that need to be made, such as relocation of a tree or floating mountain to get a better camera angle.


2. Motion/Performance capture (mo-cap) is upgraded to a whole new level so that there is finer detail of facial expressions and other beauties.


3. Skull caps- Funky helmets the actors had to wear when they acted out a scene. These skull caps mo-cap the actors and process the data into the Virtual Camera. This way Cameron can look over the scene in a more complete version. He will see the actor's "blue suit" alien counterparts moving in real time in their digital surroundings. Doing this allows Cameron to use his directing abilities without delay and make any corrections in a quicker time.


4. Head of Massive Department Jon Allitt wrote a system to make plant growth in the Pandora jungle look realistic. Massive (Multiple Agent Simulation System in Virtual Environment) is a software used to simulate crowd-related movement in film. In the past Massive was used to move people (overly used in battle scenes, first in Lord of the Rings, then in many other films that followed suit). Allitt thought, if you could manipulate characters to react to their environment, why not instill the same concept in plants? Lo and behold, Allitt's idea worked very well.


5. I'm not quite sure this is true, but I was told that there is a special camera that was designed by Sony so that the lenses moved exactly the way our eyeballs do. That's why it seems a bit dizzy in certain action packed scenes. I don't know the name of this camera, but it sure sounds cool.
   

Is Avatar an Animated feature?

This has stirred quite a buzz on forums the minute after this movie was released. Click on this for a thorough read http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/should-avatar-be-considered-for-best-animated-oscar . One guy reasoned that if a movie like Alvin and the Chipmunks was eligible for an Oscar in best animated feauture, then Avatar was definitely qualified as a worthy contestant. James Cameron and all the other actors, however, have repeatedly emphasized that Avatar is NOT an animated feature. A new question arises, is there a clear boundary between visual effects and animation? Though Avatar did require tons of animators and animation procedures, almost all of it revolved around the actor's live performance. This is different than what animation studios like Pixar and Dreamworks do, in which the animators make up the performances themselves.

Then again, performance capture is pretty much a modern day rotoscope technique, which was often used in an animated film. This practice has dated wayy back during productions like Disney's Cinderella and Max Fleischer's Betty Boop cartoons.

Perhaps the only separation between what is animated and what is VFX (visual effects) is the director's own intentions. If the director wants to make everything extremely photorealistic, then he'd probably say that the film is not considered an animated feature. If the director wants to make everything look unrealistic and cartoony, then it is an animated feature. I this has to attribute to our way of perceiving animation. We forget that it's a basic science and often associate it with Tom and Jerry Cartoons. Is this a cultural mindset?!

No matter, this is really an open ended debate...Besides, Avatar was not submitted into the animated category to begin with, so it won't be considered this round. One thing's for sure, whether Cameron calls Avatar and animated feature or not, animation was definitely used to make the movie as we see it. Competition in the film industry has now come to a whole new level, it's exciting but a little scary how our perceptions of the future are slowly becoming a reality.

v In the film the Polar Express, Tom Hanks was mo-capped and seen as an animated train conductor in the final film.




In Lord of the Rings, Andy Serkis was mo-capped and in this way played the role of Gollum, the ex-hobbit obsessed over the Ring.

Ub Iwerks

While it is true that Mickey Mouse's character was mostly developed by Walt Disney, not many people know about the man who first drew out our round eared friend and made Mickey a visual reality. In this sense, Ub Iwerks was the first draftsman of Mickey Mouse. He was Walt Disney's longest partner in the animation business, and perhaps Disney's oldest friend. Here's a blog tribute to Iwerks, for it is unfortunate that not many people know this man behind the Mouse. He definitely deserves more credit for his work.

People assume that Walt Disney was a super octopus being drew everything and made the films himself. Actually, Walt Disney only animated in the beginning of his career and was really more of a master storyteller than a draftsman. Disney was certainly responsible for making the Disney company a corporal success, but it was Ub who did a lot of the craft work--- the animating. In Disney and Iwerk's first company, the Laugh-O-Grams Studio, Ub pretty much animated all the shorts. He also did most of the animating for the Alice Comedies and Silly Symphonies, and sometimes animated entire episodes. AND he set the blueprint of Mickey by first drawing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the character Mickey Mouse was based on. What a guy huh?!

The work for Ub grew too demanding, so he decided to break off the partnership with Disney and tried to set up his own studio. He was funded by financial competitor Pat Powers, who conflicted with Disney earlier during the production of Steamboat Willie. Unfortunately, while Ub was a talented draftsman, he could not outmatch Disney in terms of narrative and character development. Thus his business venture didn't work out so well, and he returned to Disney Studio. He helped develop the ground breaking xenographic technique (which was used in Sleeping Beauty). Henceforth he worked mostly on special effects such as combining live action with animation (in the film Song of the South). He also worked for WEB Enterprise, which is today's Disney Imagineering (the company that designs and builds Disney theme parks. Randy Pausch, the former professor from Carnegie Mellon University who gave the Last Lecture, worked for Imagineering). Ub even worked outside the studio and was nominated for an Academy Award for special effects on Alfred Hitchcock's film the Birds.

In 1999 a documentary was made on Ub, called the Hand Behind the Mouse: the Ub Iwerks Story. So that's comforting that the man did receive some degree of recognition. Anyway, since it's Halloween tomorrow (HALLELUJAH) I thought it would be appropriate to link the Skeleton Dance, a Silly Symphonies Halloween special completely animated by Ub Iwerks. Happy Halloween! And enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkhxjzc9uuE

9

Finally, a review on 9:

Plot-Man made machine, machine outsmarts man and wipes out the human race. The same man makes little dolls in which he stores pieces of his soul, hoping they would one day oust the machine. The dolls find a way to destroy the machine and start life anew.

Review
Matt Pais from the Chicago Tribune articulated exactly what many have been trying to express within a simple sentence, "Triple the average visual style times zero story doesn't add up."

Producer Don Hahn once wrote how he and his team presented a complicated story idea to an executive, and after several minutes, the executive stopped them and asked two simple questions that are key to creating the beginning of a solid storyline: "What does this guy want and why can't he have it?" In addition to answering these two questions, there needs to be a "wow" factor, an original idea that was never implemented before and gives the movie its own flavor.
Well, we know that 9 wants to know who he is and why his world is the way it is. The killer machines and 1's opposition got in his way of finding out the answers. Unfortunately, this whole man vs. machine Frankenstein plot has already been used in so many movies (ex. I Robot, Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Stealth, Wall-E, Titan A.E., the Rats of NIMH), that it would be a challenge to create a film with a similar environment and still set itself apart from the rest of the sci-fi category. The only difference between this movie and all the others is its unique visual style, and that is just not enough--- like presenting the beautiful icing without the cake.

Plot Holes- here are several conundrums I found, correct me if I'm wrong:

1. If the scientist made the dolls, shouldn't they have been all in the same room?


2. If so, how come they did not know there was a 9th doll when he was clearly sprawled next to the dead scientist?
   
3. How did most of them end up in the middle of a war zone? What happened to the other killer machines?
   
4. If all the dolls make up the scientist's soul, shouldn't they all be "set free" so that the scientist rests in peace?


5. If these dolls make up the scientist's soul, then what does that say exactly about the character of each individual dolls? That each doll should represent the scientist's different traits only, like the Seven Dwarfs? If so then why are some (like 1) flawed and have the ability to change, while others (like 9) are always full of stagnant virtue?


6. If indeed each doll makes up the scientist's soul, shouldn't it be clear what each doll represented? If so, then why were 3 and 4 twins? They were so hyper that it was easier to consider them as two counterparts that make up a whole character. But Acker intended them to have individual characteristics, one to "teach" and one to "define" us. How could the audience make that distinction between the two?


7. As for the fire ring, now that we find out what it's for (from the original short), we still do not know where it came from. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that fire ring never appeared at all in the entire film until the end...and if people did not watch the original short, they would find it completely random.


8. What are the dolls supposed to do at the end? It was really dissapointing to hear 9 say, "I don't know" to answer that gaping question. Sure it's raining, and there might be a vegetation miracle that would bring back biological organisms, but what are the dolls supposed to do? They can't repopulate, they're made of stitching. They are supposedly the remains of a fragmented soul, and there is no other human life around. What are they going to do in their spare time ? Laugh and smile at each other like they did in that "Somewhere over the Rainbow" scene? (I couldn't help but laugh at their ridiculous gaiety) while they spend every second rediscovering ALL of human knowledge?

Visuals-It was very unfortunate that the graphics were so amazing (and done under such a low budget!) while the story was cliche and inspid. To read about the making of 9, go here http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=5254

Cons-Why does everyone but 1 look so detailed? He had a smooth animal cracker texture while everyone else was riddled with granulated stitches. Is that to set him apart from the rest of the dolls? And sometimes, the flying rocks do not look like rocks at all, but like nerds candy. Perhaps that is a frustrating technological setback that we have yet to overcome? Or maybe it's just me.

Pros-I did like how the artists featured themselves in the character 6. He was the one who drew hundreds of charcoal drawings and posted them all on a wall. If anyone's been to a foundation drawing class or lab, students do that all of the time. And I loved how his hands were always covered in charcoal! It never seems to come off! The ring of statues really reminded me of the Ringling Museum of Art (It's a beautiful place, go visit it). I really like how 9 jumps off on a rope, the angle and posture looked so dynamic. I also liked how the twin dolls had flickering eyes, a reference to the beginnings of filmmaking.

That's my two cents!

UP

WOOHOO!!! JUNIOR YEAR IS OVER!!! GOOD BYE HELL!!! HELLO SUMMER!!!! YAY PARTY!!!
Man Junior year was by far the most mentally compressing year of my life... I was practically windmilling my way through the entire year without ceasing to look back... and now that I've sped through the perilous jungle, mybrain's still sprinting lol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL I WENT WITH A BUNCH OF FRIENDS TO GO SEE UP!!!! WELL IT WAS ABOUT TIME!!! Everyone watched it before FINALS and I WAS SQUIRMING IN MY SEAT while EVERYONE was TALKING ABOUT IT!!! I resolved to suck it all up and finish finals first...AND NOW I FINALLY SAW IT BAHAHAHAHA

I've waited a YEAR for UP... this is the second most anticipated movie for me, Princess and the Frog is first in line. I have both observations both pros and cons that I would like to make.

PROS (Spoiler Alert)
I remember one time I was watching Wall-E, my Dad pointed out how the Pixar team upgrades their visual performance with every movie... and that is so true.

The main idea in the movie (learn to make peace with loss and continue to enjoy life) was so charming and poignant! The husband wife relationship was very moving...I was all choked up the whole 96 minutes... got all teary haha. I loved how they gave a soft glow on everything when it was time to focus on Ellie and Carl---I liked how the couple didn't say much, but you could tell they were truly in love with each other. For instance, when Carl and Ellie laid on the picnic blanket and looked at different shaped clouds, Carl would just listen to Ellie ramble on and he closed his eyes in content. When they fixed up their quaint little house, Ellie and Carl would wipe the windows on opposite sides, and they would see each other through the glass! By showing all of that, we really get a knockout empathy for Carl when Ellie dies. We really FEEL how much is missing because Carl continues to go about his routinely business without having his usual counterpart. I liked how Ellie was artsy and painted the house..hehe its kinda something I want to do if I ever have time.

I like how Ellie and Carl were foils for each other since the beginning. Ellie's the fiery adventurous outoing tomboy while Carl is the shy timid and quiet guy. When they got married Ellie's family members were rowdy cowboy like characters (lol one shot the roof with a rifle) while Carl's family members were solemn and silent people.

On the more technical aspects...

I really liked the color of the balloons... did they base it off cmyk colors? I wonder if they had to work on every single ballon or if they just programmed it so that they only needed to make four or three balloons and then duplicate them so that it appears as one numerous mass.

Russell's chubby figure was priceless... he was SOO CUTE!!! I really wanted to hug him! Pixar seemed to be much more detailed about the muscle movement, there are much more slight nuances of expressions that make the characters more fleshy and lovable.

The final battle between Charles and Carl was EPIC!!! I thought it was so funny and creative! Two old men having the fight of their life, they want to hit each other but their backs keep cracking! I thought that was awesome!

The shiny mammal fur coat texture must've been something new they invented... IT HAD to be... I mean why else would Disney be releasing all these other random furry creature films? (What the heck was up with that guinea pig movie? blegh!)

Also Pixar's animated short "Partly Cloudy" was SOO CUTE!!! I remembered my friend and I remarking how the crane and cloud had a husband and wife relationship. They also remind of business partners...lol

Doesn't the cloud look so soft? hehehe

Cons
When I watched this film, I couldn't help but think "Gender Criticism" (maybe it was because of the AP Lang final) Russel names the bird "Kevin" because he automatically assumes its a boy, and even when they find out that Kevin's actually a girl, they still call him Kevin! Just throwing that out there...
If Carl Frederickson was 78 years old, then Charles Muntz was around 100 years old... lol...and Charles looked younger haha... and where the heck did he get all those dogs?

Charles Muntz didn't have to die... the plot hole here was that there was a more reasonable alternative. It was a big miscommunication, if Carl and Russel told Charles that Kevin had babies to take care of...Charles might've had a change of heart. I would've liked to see that, as Charles would've had a more rounded character. Then again, there wouldn't be as much of a plot. Still, I think suddenly labeling Charles as evil was a bit of a stretch.

Alright, that's all I have to say for the film. Overall the idea was good and it was a treat to watch! Carpe Diem!!!

Princess and the Frog

YES! My first blog entry!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!! HUZZAH!!! WHOOPDEEDLYDOO!!!
I made this blog primarily to sort out, organize and share what I've learned in animation and art in general. I'll also feature all sorts of random findings that come by in my life... what I've learned what I've seen what I've made...

So with that said....

Disney's Animation Studio has FINALLY released a formal trailer for its long awaited Princess and the Frog.
This probably isn't new news...especially for the friends who are the victim of my Disney babble :) I literally got goosebumps from watching the trailer!!! The scenery is just so drop dead gorgeous... How the hell do you paint beauties like that?! Do they even get to the keep them? Lol probably not...

WATCH THE TRAILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! though the resolution here doesn't do the film enough justice :(




Here's a synopsis from online:

"When the free-spirited, jazz-loving Prince Naveen of Maldonia comes to town a deal with a shady voodoo doctor goes bad and the once suave royal is turned into a frog. In a desperate attempt to be human again, a favor in exchange for a fateful kiss on the lips from the beautiful girl, Tiana takes an unexpected turn and leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana to the banks of the almighty Mississippi and back in time for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. An unforgettable tale filled with music, humor and heart where two frogs—along with the help of a 200-year-old voodoo priestess, a love-sick Cajun firefly, and a trumpet-playing alligator—discover that what they want isn’t as important as what they need."

Why is this so important you say? BECAUSE Disney hasn't released a 2-D animated film in a long time. Former CEO Mike Eisener decided to shut down the 2-D department shortly after the production of Home on the Range, which was released back in 2004. He believed that the world no longer wanted to see hand-drawn films, and that Computer Graphic imagery (CGI) was going to dominate the future of animation.

BUT CEO Ed Catmull (co-founder of Pixar) and Creative officer John Lasseter had a talk with John Musker and Ron Clements, former directors of Aladdin and the Little Mermaid. Frankly, nobody wanted to see the end of 2-D animation. After all, it is because of the traditional hand drawn medium that brought all these people together in the first place (more on that later). It was then decided that the Disney Animation Studio would work on the Princess and the Frog. Hopefully, if this movie is a success, more 2-D films can be produced by Disney! Now there is great anticipation for what is to come!

Some of you may think, why another princess? This is because the"rags to riches" storyline has always been the formula for financial success. Of course, if there's no money there's no movie. Since Disney's just beginning to lubricate its rusty joints, it cannot risk having a completely new and never-before-heard plot and expect a positive reception from the audience. Disney needs to do what it does best, conveying the same princess idea but with a slightly different story each time. This is clearly evident since Disney's beginnings, with its first full length animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and its old Silly Symphonies shorts like the Cookie Carnival. To me, this is monumental because I've always dreamed of working on a Disney 2-D film...regardless of what the task is. It really broke my heart when I realized that I may never be able to fulfill that wish, even though it already was pretty much a pipedream.

There's been a racial controversy over how Tiana is the first African American princess but Prince Naveen is not African American (is he French? Latino? No one's even sure.) It is understandable that this may be a bit unsettling... but this can also be seen as an attempt to embrace diversity, which has been one of Disney's trademark, as it has made films based on Greece, India, China, Hawaii, South America, Space etc. I think the Disney artists just wanted to produce work that is ideal and free from social tensions. We shouldn't throw rotten tomatoes at the film before it has even been released.

I'm not trying to be cliche, but we take a lot of wonderful things in life for granted. 2-D animation is one of them. To the general audience, its just a cartoon character on an unrealistic adventure. But if we all took a few minutes to explore the process of making such a film, we would find it more as a sophisticated rarity than a mere source of entertainment for kids. Then again, it wouldn't be realistic if everyone appreciated everything... But at least those who read this would be so kind as to consider my opinion.

SOO EVERYONE BUY TICKETS FOR PRINCESS AND THE FROG WHEN IT COMES OUT IN THEATERS!! SUPPORT THE ARTS!!!