New Animated Features and Shorts

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Greathinker · #51 Post by **Greathinker** » Thu May 31, 2007 2:29 am

A short, poignant flash film I came across this.

Flash is criminally under-used as a new film medium-- this one doesn't break any new ground but I don't see many (any) films that are taking their material seriously while maintaining a high level presentation.

portnoy · #52 Post by **portnoy** » Thu May 31, 2007 4:30 am

I'd argue flash is criminally overused, but also criminally underregarded - it has a tremendous degree of potential as a tool, but is all-too-often placed in the hands of those who would use it as a shortcut around creating an artful work

A relatively recent example of how compelling great flash animation can be, Run Wrake's Rabbit.

Greathinker · #53 Post by **Greathinker** » Thu May 31, 2007 2:54 pm

portnoy wrote:I'd argue flash is criminally overused, but also criminally underregarded - it has a tremendous degree of potential as a tool, but is all-too-often placed in the hands of those who would use it as a shortcut around creating an artful work

That's what I mean. Not to mention the whole "genre" of work generally categorized as "crappy" on sites like newgrounds.com.

#54 Post by **Jeff** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:51 am

God bless John Lasseter. He is not only bringing back hand-drawn animation, but has also reinstituted the Disney shorts program. The first one will be a new entry in the classic Goofy "how to" series. How to Hook Up Your Home Theater should play in front of Disney's Enchanted (which is getting astonishingly good early word of mouth) in November.

As you can see from the poster, they are really trying to capture the classic style. Here is an interview with Goofy animators Andreas Deja and Mark Henn. Animation historian Jerry Beck loves the short. Here is his review:

They nailed it.

Unlike other recent tries at reviving Disney classic characters via new shorts (think The Prince and the Pauper or Runaway Brain), the goal of this new film was not to reivent Goofy but to recapture the spirit of the Disney shorts of the late 40s, particularly the Jack Kinney classics like Hockey Homicide or a Goofy Gymnastics. They did it. It all felt right to me.

Though the film boasts the cream of the crop of current Disney animators (Deja, Henn, Baer, Goldberg, etc.), this isn't an animators film - it's a director's picture. Just as Tex Avery's cartoons are masterfully skewed through his twisted vision, here directors Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton (the first woman to direct a Disney cartoon!) take control, weaving numerous contempory gag situations into a refreshingly old school cartoon structure.

The red burlap opening titles are back. Michael Giacchino provides a perfect Oliver Wallace-styled musical score, and Corey Burton narrates with intonations falling somewhere between John McLeish and Frank Graham. Certain layouts are direct lifts from Motor Mania (Goofy's home) and How To Play Football (the football field). And there are literally dozens of gags - truly funny ones and several visual in-jokes for those looking extra hard - packed into the six and a half minute running time.

The bottom line: How To Hook Up Your Home Theater feels exactly like a contemporary 1949 Goofy cartoon - and I can't pay it any higher compliment than that. It's the perfect film to start the new shorts program with. A nod to the past as the studio looks to the future. I just hope the studio will promote it properly when it decides to release it later this fall.

#55 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:18 am

Saw the Oscar-nom'd short Madame Tutli-Putli tonite and the use of real eyes makes the stop-motion animation look unnervingly more like a nightmarish reality than any other animation I'd seen before:

Someone burned me a copy captured off Arte, but does anyone know about the quality of this official DVD?

Antoine Doinel · #56 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:09 pm

NFB DVDs are usually very solid in terms of quality; I can't really think of any reason why shouldn't order from them.

Michael Kerpan · #57 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:51 pm

Antoine Doinel wrote:NFB DVDs are usually very solid in terms of quality; I can't really think of any reason why shouldn't order from them.

I find that www.archambault.ca is usually considerably cheaper than the NFB store. Other Canadian online sources might also carry this.

Anonymous · #58 Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:45 pm

portnoy wrote:Has anyone seen Eric Leiser's IMAGINATION (2007)? I'm trying to decide whether or not it's worth a blind buy, but I don't want to watch the 10-minute version of the film Leiser's put up on his website..

From Amid at Cartoon Brew:

Imagination, an experimental indie feature that combines live-action with hand-drawn animation, stop-motion puppet animation, pixilation, and time-lapse, was released onto dvd earlier this week. The dvd offers numerous special features including:

1. “Making Imagination” Documentary with cast/crew interviews
2. “Behind The Animation” Documentary with director Eric Leiser
3. Q&A with the Leiser brothers & Ed Gildersleeve at Sunset 5 Theatres
4. Isolated Film Score
5. Stills Gallery
6. Director’s Statement

It's worth it!! And you're smart to not watch the 10-minute version if you're a "film purist". Enjoy.

patrick · #59 Post by **patrick** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:55 pm

Sorry for the catch-all nature of this post, but I suppose it's fairly unusual for a studio to announce their slate of films 4 years out:

New York, New York -- April 8, 2008 -- The Walt Disney Studios unveiled a diverse and ambitious slate of 10 new animated feature films from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios to be released through the year 2012 at a New York press conference held today by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, and John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.

The line-up includes new films from Disney and Pixar’s accomplished team of filmmakers, and features vocal performances by such top celebrity talents as John Travolta and Miley Cyrus (“Bolt”), Reese Witherspoon and Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson (“The Bear and the Bow”), Anika Noni Rose and John Goodman (“The Princess and the Frog”), as well as return engagements by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and the rest of the “Toy Story” vocal ensemble (“Toy Story 3”). The roster of new animated features includes six new films from Pixar Animation Studios, four from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the first four in a series of direct-to-DVD films featuring Disney Fairies from DisneyToon Studios. Starting later this year with the release of Disney’s “Bolt,” all Disney and Pixar animated features will be presented in state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3-D™. Additionally, newly converted 3-D versions of the beloved classics, “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” are set to debut in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Among the upcoming animated films on the 2008 release schedule are “WALL•E” (Pixar) from Academy Award®-winning director/writer Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo”) opening nationwide June 27th; “Bolt” (Disney) from the talented new directing team of Chris Williams and Byron Howard, due in theatres on November 26th; and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of “Tinker Bell,” the first in a new franchise of original entertainment set in the world of Fairies, on October 28th. The Studio’s 2009 animated slate includes the summer release of Pixar’s first 3-D feature, “Up,” from director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”) and co-director Bob Peterson, the Christmas Day release of Disney’s original animated fairy tale “The Princess and the Frog” from acclaimed veteran Disney directors John Musker and Ron Clements (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Hercules,”) and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell North of Never Land" (working title). 2010 brings the highly anticipated return of Buzz and Woody in the Disney Digital™ 3D summer release of Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” directed by Lee Unkrich (“Finding Nemo,” “Monsters, Inc.”); followed by the Christmas arrival of Disney’s version of the classic fairy tale, “Rapunzel,” featuring the directing debuts of animation legend Glen Keane and directing partner Dean Wellins, and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell A Midsummer Storm" (working title).

In the summer of 2011, Pixar’s “newt” marks the directing debut of multiple Oscar® winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom. Christmas 2011 brings Pixar’s first fairy tale, “The Bear and the Bow,” from acclaimed filmmaker/writer Brenda Chapman (“The Prince of Egypt”). The Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell A Winter Story" (working title) also debuts in 2011. The year 2012 will mark the return of Lightning McQueen, Mater the tow truck, and an international cast of favorite and new car characters in Pixar’s “Cars 2,” directed by Brad Lewis (producer of “Ratatouille”). Scheduled for Christmas 2012 from Walt Disney Animation Studios is “King of the Elves,” an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story, directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker (“Brother Bear”).

Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, “We couldn’t be more proud and excited about our upcoming line-up of feature projects. With so many great films literally on the drawing boards and computer screens, we felt that now was the perfect time to give moviegoers all over the world an update on the state of our art. In a year when our Studio is marking the 80th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, the character that started it all for us, it seems especially timely to share our plans for the future of animation. With John Lasseter and Ed Catmull guiding our creative efforts both at Emeryville and in Burbank , this is as exciting a time as any in our history.”

Lasseter added, “This is an amazing time for animation at Disney and Pixar, and it’s a thrill to be working on such a diverse and original group of films with such an all-star team of filmmakers. The thing I love best about my job is that I get to work at both Disney and Pixar with filmmakers who are passionate about their projects and who are the absolute best in the business. We’re excited to be pushing the boundaries of 3-D and computer technology to tell our stories in the best possible way. At the same time, we’re drawing on our past to emphasize memorable characters, original edge-of-your-seat stories, and believable worlds. Walt Disney and his creative team taught us how to blend comedy, powerful emotion, and action-filled excitement in our films, and this group of incredible filmmakers is bringing their own originality and sensibilities to the process.”

patrick · #60 Post by **patrick** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:57 pm

And this page at the dreaded Ain't It Cool News features individual descriptions of all the projects beneath the press release I posted above.

Antoine Doinel · #61 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:02 pm

Wow, none of those films sound remotely interesting.

patrick · #62 Post by **patrick** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:05 pm

After Pixar's last few films (Cars excluded, I suppose) I'll go see pretty much anything they stamp their name on. However, it's a definite disappointment that they're going to be releasing two sequels (to my two least favorite Pixar films) in the next four years. It's also a bit much that every Pixar and Disney film is going to be in 3-D.

I have to admit that I'm a little intrigued by the Disney film based on a Philip K. Dick story though.

Alphonso · #63 Post by **Alphonso** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:20 pm

What's all this tinkerbell garbage? Good grief. At least there's that New Orleans set 2D feature.

#64 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:37 pm

patrick wrote: However, it's a definite disappointment that they're going to be releasing two sequels (to my two least favorite Pixar films) in the next four years. It's also a bit much that every Pixar and Disney film is going to be in 3-D.

Toy Story is the best (only good?) Pixar film... or were you considering Toy Story 3 a sequel to Toy Story 2, in which case I'm with you

Via_Chicago · #65 Post by **Via_Chicago** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:48 pm

Alphonso wrote:What's all this tinkerbell garbage? Good grief. At least there's that New Orleans set 2D feature.

Yeah, that actually sounds pretty awesome. Of course, it doesn't persuade me when the two guys involved with its creation made some of the least interesting Disney movies of the last twenty years (The Little Mermaid and Aladdin). Hopefully they get it right though.

#66 Post by **domino harvey** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:35 am

domino harvey wrote:Saw the Oscar-nom'd short Madame Tutli-Putli tonite and the use of real eyes makes the stop-motion animation look unnervingly more like a nightmarish reality than any other animation I'd seen before:

Someone burned me a copy captured off Arte, but does anyone know about the quality of this official DVD?

Luckily I never ordered this because the new Wholphin came in the mail and it's on it!

=D>

Zobalob · #67 Post by **Zobalob** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:21 am

Sunfilm, a German company, are issuing Raoul Servais' Taxandria on DVD at the end of October, but their website only has sparse details. Running time is given as 100mins, 20 mins longer than the film as originally issued AFAIR. Does anyone have any info? i.e. is it in English?, directors' cut?, extras?

Banana #3 · #68 Post by **Banana #3** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:59 pm

I apologize if this has already been posted, but here is a pretty amazing short film: Orgesticulanismus

noelbotevera · #69 Post by **noelbotevera** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:15 am

Wall.E Andrew Stanton, 2008

noelbotevera · #70 Post by **noelbotevera** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:07 am

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Dave Filoni, 2008)

Antoine Doinel · #71 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:10 pm

Ok, so I watched Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie the other night and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's a solid and charming little adventure that thankfully sidesteps gooey romantic subplots or toilet humor. Many of the jokes and cameos would go right over the heads of kids, but there are many accomplished sequences (particularly the first flight through New York) that will keep their attention.

Antoine Doinel · #72 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Mon May 11, 2009 8:45 pm

The trailer has arrived for Disney's somewhat controversial return to hand animated drawing, The Princess & The Frog.

Binker · #73 Post by **Binker** » Mon May 11, 2009 9:21 pm

Antoine Doinel wrote:controversial

Probably should have named her Jessica and had her working as an administrative assistant. I mean, this is just absurd. Her name's Maddy, which sort of sounds like Mammy? She's a maid? I don't know which groups are voicing these complaints, but for Hollywood it's like why even bother? Why represent anything but the most MOR white culture? You will never get it right and your film's box office will be slashed with the haze of controversy

#74 Post by **Matt** » Mon May 11, 2009 9:23 pm

Haven't you heard? The movie boycott is the hottest trend for '09. What hath the Internet wrought?

Binker · #75 Post by **Binker** » Mon May 11, 2009 9:34 pm

That appears to be the case with “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” which spurred fierce demands for a boycott when Warner Brothers disappointed fans by bumping the film, originally scheduled for release last year, to July.

“It’s completely tapered off,” Emerson Spartz, the founder of the mugglenet.com Harry Potter fan site, said of the outburst.

Mr. Spartz, who spoke from Indiana, where he had just finished his final class at the University of Notre Dame, said he was confident that fans would show up for the “Harry Potter” opening. But, he added, Warner could have avoided trouble by giving an early warning about a possible delay.

“We were so close we could almost taste the movie,” Mr. Spartz said.

Must've been devastating for them

I love the logic of it. We want to see this film so much we're not gonna see it!

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