the next animated feature

[Debbie]

does anyone know what Disney's next planned animated feature will be? It's kinda depressing that the last few releases haven't as successful as Lion King, B&B, Little Mermaid etc. Something is missing, that added quality that made those movies classics. My two boys, ages 9 and 6 can't even sit through an entire tape of the last few releases yet they couldn't get enough of the above mentioned. Anyone have any insight into this?

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

I totally agree Debbie! to me, the last really great Disney movie was Toy Story. but the last good cartoon was Lion King (even though i'm sick to death of that movie)...wait, did Pocahontas come after Lion King??? i can't remember anymore! i get them all confused! when Hercules came along, they just seemed to get worse. I think it's the quality of the animation. Disney had started getting really detailed with their cartoons. now they're just too 'cartoonish'. my sister and i saw an advertisement to Atlantis (after all, how can you not? they're all over the place!) and she pointed out how the main guy (not sure of their names) had a triangle fingernail...i mean, come on! a 5 year old can draw triangle fingernails, ya know? and i don't even see how the story lines are all that great any more. and i'm assumeing that's what you meant when you said your children can't sit through a whole movie with the recent releases. surely Disney hasn't completely run out of good ideas for movies! i just wish Disney would back into the Lion King and Pocahontas mode.
now i know a lot of people liked movies like Hercules and Tarzan and...i'm not sure what else can between those (A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2 was pretty good though...i think Disney has found a gold mine with Pixar) but personally i couldn't stand them. oh, i forgot about Mulan...that was ok...it still was missing something though.

 

[NowInc]

Actually..each Disney movie has its own artistic style...Herculies used a LOT of spirals (greek)...Atlantis used a LOT of triangles in the movie...

Stylization is very common in cartoons...and Disney has been doing it for years..it just hasnt been very prominant in most movies..but no 2 disney films look alike.

 

[Goofster]

You know, I hate to say it, but I (me being a teenage boy) have loved all the recent movies, and me in my obsession with Disney, force my friends to watch them, too, and they love 'em also! We were dying during Emperor's New Groove, it has got to be the funniest disney movie ever made, and we're excited to hear Lilo and Stitch will be a comedy along these lines. We all saw Atlantis, and that was awesome, too.

Emperor's New Groove was the first movie to be okayed after Kratzenberg (spelling?) left the studio, and it sorta started the whole downfall. I loved Tarzan, Hercules, Mulan, they've all been great, especially Tarzan, which could be my favorite. I disagree with those who believe the studio is making movies that aren't up to par with the disney name, but i think it's mostly the public, we're a hard crowd to please.

I'm sure Monsters, Inc. and Princess Diaries will get everybody into a Disney frenzy that will last for the next few years and give rise to Disney Animation once again, as it did early last decade!!!!

 

[WDW-Imagineer]

Why has Disney started to make crap movies. Did they fire all of their good animators?? I would like to see another animated movie with the caliber of Little Mermaid, Lion King, etc.

But please, no more straight to video sequels.

 

[wdwcrazy]

Why has Disney started to make crap movies

I don't think that Disney has been making crap movies. Atlantis was an amazing movie. I think that Monsters Inc. will be a huge hit for disney. I agree, no more direct to video sequels!!1

 

[NowInc]

Crap movies? Compaired to what? I mean...to compaire disney movies to disney movies is really not a good basis for comparison. As i said above...each Disney movie has a different style...and just because its not another Lion King doesnt mean its a bad movie. Compaired to Dreamworks movies, I feel disney cartoons have much more longevity and do much better in video sales. I mean..El Dorado really wasnt a classic here..ya know??

I admit that in the end its all a matter of opinion...and personally I feel the last few disney movies were AMAZING (mostly due to the absence of songs in them)...

 

[WDW-Imagineer]

Alright, I shouldn't have said Crap movies... but you must admit that there movies have been sliding into a deeping slump and its gonna be harder and harder to get out.

 

[Chad]

Well, I have to agree that Some of disney's movies aren't that great, but some were amazing! TENG wasn't one of their best, it was like a long drawn out cartoon that was funny, but not great..Mulan was wonderful, and so was Tarzan, Pochantos faltered and so did Hunchback. But I think Atlantis was GREAT the animation was wonderful, and whil the triangular fingernails did bother me, it wasn't because of budget cuts or anything, they were drawn like that for style, but that was the most annoying part of the movie. The reason its not doing to well in theaters, I think, is because of bad timing <shrek> and that its a movie thats hard to get a crowd for. Teens see disney and run away, parents see the PG rating and arent sure about taking the kids..BUt I though Atlantis was great, and I definetly didn't think it was a CRAP film...

The upcoming movies I've heard are Milo and stitch, which I'm not sure about..I'll hold judgment..Treasure Planet which seems truly inspired, and could become an amazing classic film...Sweating Bullets A return to the musicals...and A classic fairy tale which I haven't heard the name for, btu have heard rumors that it could be rupenzel <sp?> Anyways, look at the list, it seems like they are trying to please alot of people, getting some people who were never interested in cartoons because of the cute songs and sidekicks, might want to go see Treasure Planet, or the people who want a fun, funny family film could go see Milo and stitch, Disney is trying to give something for everyone...And i'm happy with em'

 

[wdwmaniac]

Disney movies are not as good as they use to be but hopefully they will start making better movies. I know Monster Inc. is coming out this November. This movie has already been siad to be the best movie of the year.

 

[Goofster]

Aww man, that'd be awesome!

Do you think Shrek has hurt Monsters, Inc or will shrek boost Monsters, Inc?

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

In reply to an earlier post about triangular fingernails in Atlantis... this was done on purpose. One of the head guys working on the movie is also a comic book artist (Not sure who tho...) his trademark is triangular fingernails on his characters... So, next time, research before you knock something... or at least read Disney Magazine!... sheesh.

 

[Debbie]

the last few releases were good movies but watching it once was enough. Whereas the Lion King and those before, you could watch over and over again. And with those movies came the merchandise tie-ins that were so popular. I was a cake decorator for 18 years and you could tell a smash hit of a movie by the tons of cake orders you get. If I didn't make 100 Lion King cakes and 100 Little Mermaid cakes I didn't make one.

 

[dopey]

goofster, i think the comparisons between shrek and monsters inc. are inevitable because they're both computer generated.

but i think monsters will stand on its own.

if the film is as good as the previews, monsters will blow shrek away much like a bug's life stomped all over antz.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Hmm... to tell you the truth I thought Antz was much better then A Bugs Life.

 

[wdwcrazy]

Here's a link for upcoming disney movie traliers. Peter Pan 2 doesn't look all that bad, but it will never beat the original.
http://www.game-plus.it/SPECIALI/specialecinema/disney.html

Scroll all the way down to the bottom.

 

[TynkerBelle]

Possibly the problem is computer animation. If you can produce the movies in a fraction of the time, you might be less choosy about the storyline. It's easier to choose three or four out of thousands than just one.

 

[TynkerBelle]

Originally posted by wdwcrazy
Here's a link for upcoming disney movie traliers. Peter Pan 2 doesn't look all that bad, but it will never beat the original.
http://www.game-plus.it/SPECIALI/specialecinema/disney.html

Scroll all the way down to the bottom.

You can't beat the original. (Ugh! Remember Hook?) Tinkerbell is never as vivcious and Peter is never as unethical.

 

[NowInc]

Originally posted by TynkerBelle
Possibly the problem is computer animation. If you can produce the movies in a fraction of the time, you might be less choosy about the storyline. It's easier to choose three or four out of thousands than just one.

are you insane???

LoL

I myself am a Computer Animator..and it takes JUST as long to make a computer animated feature as it does a hand drawn 2D feature...maybe even LONGER. We first have to design the movie...then decide how we are going to go about building it...once we do that (alone this is usually a 6 month process at LEAST)...we then move on to basic modeling for an animatic. Once you get an approved animatic..you can then start making the higher resolution models. By this point you could be up to about a year or a year and a half into production. Once you get it modeled (which you are never truely done modeling..but you now have enough to work with)...you can go either one of two ways...

1.) start doing animation

or

2.) start setting up textures and lighting

Lets say you go with option #1....

Animation is a VERY time consuming process...unless you use Motion capture, it takes MONTHS to get just a few scenes up to "film standards"...and if you DO use motion capture (which disney DOESNT) ..it will still take you quite a long time to get everything looking just the right way...

At this point you MUST move on to textures and lighting. Now..EVERYTHING has to be textured...Characters..objects...enviornments..EVERYTHING. Now, most companies (such as the one I work for as well as Disney) hand paint ALL the textures for the 3d Enviornment. Once again..months and months of work...

Think you are done?? WRONG!!

Somewhere in that period of time you need to take care of lip syncing (the toughest thing in 3D), test renders (Even the fastest computers take a LONG time to do this)..

Once you get everything "done"..THEN you can begin the Final render ....your looking into about 5 months here..providing there are no render errors (yeah right...like that'll ever happen)..

And once thats all said in done...usually there are last minute things to be added or scenes that are to be re-done or tweaked...

I purposly left out Sound effects and Voice Talent recording because those are also done in 2D movies...


So dont go thinking that 3D is easy and/or fast work...its actually MUCH harder than any 2D production (thats why we get paid so well to do what we do)

 

[Tink]

Just because a movie is a commercial success does not mean that it is an artistic one. I don't think that Disney animation has slipped just because they haven't hit a home run like Toy Story II in a while. Disney always has taken artistic chances, most recently with films like Toy Story and Atlantis - stylistic chances that the audience may (as in the case of Toy Story) or may not (as in the case of Atlantis) be ready for. I think that as long as Disney continues to be a pioneer in the making of films, both animated and otherwise, they will have lulls but they will also have tremendous peaks. Pioneers are risk takers and with risk come the possibility of failure and of triumph.

And that's my two cents...