Disney Animation on Blu-ray in 2013

[quang25thinh]

I really like the coverart of Sword in the Stone, very striking, personally I think it's one of the best covers this year so far

[Atlantica]

Disney can't have totally forgotten about Hecules, as they have just popped a quote from the movie on their facebook page ?!

[tlc38tlc38]

Disney can't have totally forgotten about Hecules, as they have just popped a quote from the movie on their facebook page ?!

I don't think they've forgotten about Herc. I just think they're saving it to release when all they have left are "small titles" like The Black Cauldron and the package films. All that's left to release now are the 6 package films, The Black Cauldron, Aladdin, Hercules, & Tarzan. I didn't include 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book because we all know those will come next year in the diamond line.

[disneyftw1]

I really like the coverart of Sword in the Stone, very striking, personally I think it's one of the best covers this year so far

I'm afraid I have the opposite side on that. I miss the 90's VHS cover of that.

.... My poor wallet.

It's called "Waiting till there's a sale". That's what I would do instead of just jumping in in the instant. (Barnes & Noble's 40% off sale on family titles or during the holidays, as an example, may help) I want to pay for what it's worth, but never pay too much. ... just wish Disney was like MGM, and just make their retail prices on their catalog titles lower.

[DC Fan]

Disney can't have totally forgotten about Hecules, as they have just popped a quote from the movie on their facebook page ?!

I don't think they've forgotten about Herc. I just think they're saving it to release when all they have left are "small titles" like The Black Cauldron and the package films. All that's left to release now are the 6 package films, The Black Cauldron, Aladdin, Hercules, & Tarzan. I didn't include 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book because we all know those will come next year in the diamond line.

Still, you know 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin and Tarzan are already on BR in Europe.

So that means the 6 package films, The Black Cauldron and Hercules.

I don´t think they will release them together.

In fact, I won´t be surprised if the the 6 package films get released before or after TBC and Herc.

What I wonder is, which will be the last one to be released...

[ToyStoryFan]

I'm getting worried for the package films! Is it possible they won't come out? What are the odds that out of the 8 animated classics not yet announced/out, all 6 package films are in that small list of 8? It makes me wonder if they are purposely not putting them out.

If they do come out, it's very obvious they will have a Caballeros/Amigos 2-Movie Collection and a "musical" Make Mine Music/Melody Time set. I think Ichabod and Fun and Fancy Free is a very odd pairing, and plus I'm pretty sure Ichabod is strong enough to release on its own. We'll probably see Fun and Fancy Free and Ichabod released separately if it ever happens.

[Atlantica]

That's what I was thinking too; practically every Disney movie has had some sort of Special Edition given to it (the quality and the 'specialness' of it not withstanding) but Hercules is the ONLY one! Yeah it got a few VHS and a DVD release years ago, and that's it!! I do not understand Disney's blindness when it comes to this movie.

[Mickeyfan1990]

Press release for Return To Neverland (including a DVD/Digital Copy pack of the original Peter Pan):

http://www.toonzone.net/2013/05/disneys ... t-20-2013/

[ianwahlers]

They've only been putting out 2 Diamond Editions each year so far, correct?

Do you think that Aladdin is not going to be labeled as a Diamond Edition since it's more likely that 101 Dalmatians and Jungle Book will get the two slots?

I suppose it's possible that they'll put out 3 just to complete the set? Otherwise they may make us wait to complete the set by having one come out in Spring 2015 instead of during 2014.

In regards to the others, Tarzan will probably come with a sequel on it as a double feature, but do you think they might actually dust off the Zero to Hero "movie" to put on Hercules as a double feature? Wasn't it just the multi-part series opener for the TV show? Also, it's never been on a disc format ever has it?

Regardless of whether they're double features or not, I could easily see them releasing Black Cauldron, Tarzan, and Hercules together on the same day. Very boy-centric releases to really push sales of all three.

I'm also still hoping for double features of the package films (Three Caballeros/Saludos Amigos, Make Mike Music/Melody Time, Fun & Fancy Free/Ichabod & Mr. Toad).

Anybody with a better knowledge of their blu-ray release schedules care to predict how these puzzle pieces could all fit together in a single year?

(2 Platinum Editions + Aladdin + 3 "boy" films + 3 package films)

[Disney_freak]

In regards to the others, Tarzan will probably come with a sequel on it as a double feature, but do you think they might actually dust off the Zero to Hero "movie" to put on Hercules as a double feature? Wasn't it just the multi-part series opener for the TV show? Also, it's never been on a disc format ever has it?

Zero to Hero has never made it past the VHS, and it most likely will never. All it is is a few episodes of the TV show, and I'm 99% sure that at that time they weren't digital. Unless someone made those specific episodes digital they would have to go back and do extensive restoration and we would have a Belle's Magical World problem. So overall I don't think it'd even be possible.

[Khonnor]

These are my predictions for 2014 and the remaining titles.

February
- The Jungle Book: Diamond Edition

March
- 101 Dalmatians / Patch’s London Adventure
- Hercules
- Tarzan / Tarzan II: 15th Anniversary Edition
- Piglet’s Big Movie / Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
- Frozen

June
- Saludos Amigos / The Three Caballeros
- Make Mine Music / Fun And Fancy Free / Melody Time
- Bedknobs And Broomsticks

August
- The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad: 65th Anniversary Edition
- Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition
- The Jungle Book II
- The Black Cauldron

October
- Aladdin: Diamond Edition

November
- Aladdin: Return Of Jafar / King Of Thieves

Or something along those lines...

[Jules]

I'm just hoping the package features actually do make it to blu-ray. Most of you seem to be assuming they will. Do you guys not remember the evil corporation that owns those films? They'll keep them in the vaults forever!

[nachonaco]

What makes you think Disney won't release them?

[Jules]

Just the fact that they're obscure and a tough sell. Unlike films like Snow White and Pinocchio, which are relatively timeless, films like Make Mine Music and Melody Time feature dated music which, I think, in Disney's eyes makes them not commercial enough. If Disney mass-produce these films on Blu-ray, they need to sell them.

Personally, I think that with some good marketing, the films can be made to look attractive to present day kids, and I even believe that children will enjoy them, even if they are purely products of the 1940s. But if Disney want people to buy these films, they need to make sure people know about them.

In any case, if they do put the package films out on Blu-ray, Disney can be sure that animation aficionados will purchase them (if unedited, that is).

[Tae]

Just the fact that they're obscure and a tough sell. Unlike films like Snow White and Pinocchio, which are relatively timeless, films like Make Mine Music and Melody Time feature dated music which, I think, in Disney's eyes makes them not commercial enough. If Disney mass-produce these films on Blu-ray, they need to sell them.

Personally, I think that with some good marketing, the films can be made to look attractive to present day kids, and I even believe that children will enjoy them, even if they are purely products of the 1940s. But if Disney want people to buy these films, they need to make sure people know about them.

In any case, if they do put the package films out on Blu-ray, Disney can be sure that animation aficionados will purchase them (if unedited, that is).

Since they're part of the animated canon, I have no doubt that they'll get releases eventually. Movies like Oliver & Company, The Rescuers Down Under, and Treasure Planet are practically unheard of by the general public, but all three have been released (or in Oliver's case, gotten a release date). Disney seems concerned more about just getting all of their animated classics onto the format and less about whether or not they sell really well (even some of their more popular titles have gotten minimal marketing), so I would expect all of the package films to be released on one day sometime in the next year and a half, probably as 3 2-packs. I understand why your concerned, but personally, the Oliver/Robin Hood/Sword in the Stone release day in August has basically eased all my fears on whether Disney will release the entire canon or not.

[Lnds500]

Kinda off-topic but I need a good post/article on how Disney animated movies are drawn based on a frames per second basis.

Wait a sec, Snow White was animated at only 12 frames per second? Really?

"Full" animation, like the Disney features, is mostly animated "in twos," that is, 12 drawing per second, each photographed twice. Animating "in ones," or 24 drawings per second, is generally reserved for rapid movement, as it appears less choppy or strobe-like. "Snow White" follows this pattern, a mix of ones and twos.

I recall Fantasia and Pinocchio being largely on ones, but dumbo is mostly twos. Max Fleischer's cartoons were usually all on ones in the 1930s, but a lot of it utilized loops and repeated cels (hence, the trademark "bouncy" look of stationary characters).

Does anyone know more about this? This is interesting stuff

[Elladorine]

Lnds500 - from what I recall, shooting on twos was the norm for most scenes, not only because it was more cost-effective, but it was easier to achieve a smooth look. Ones were reserved for more complex scenes, or for films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, since it had live-action and moving backgrounds to integrate with.

I think there was a conversation in this forum years ago about the difference between ones and twos, and a general debate on whether or not the number of frames drawn per second affects the quality of animation.

[Lnds500]

Lnds500 - from what I recall, shooting on twos was the norm for most scenes, not only because it was more cost-effective, but it was easier to achieve a smooth look. Ones were reserved for more complex scenes, or for films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, since it had live-action and moving backgrounds to integrate with.

I think there was a conversation in this forum years ago about the difference between ones and twos, and a general debate on whether or not the number of frames drawn per second affects the quality of animation.

Interesting, thanks for the reply!

What about the Disney renaissance? Same rule? Twos and ones for some scenes only?

[SWillie!]

What about the Disney renaissance? Same rule? Twos and ones for some scenes only?

Yes, basically once you get down to 12 frames per second the average eye can't tell much of a difference. The general rule of thumb is that fast action requires the animation to be 'on ones', while normal motion is fine 'on twos'. Some animation is even done with less - lots of Ghibli stuff is done on threes or even fours.

Also, it can change all throughout a shot - so it isn't necessarily this is scene is on ones, this scene on twos. For instance, a character may jump up in the air on twos, and then come down on ones because it's faster. It all depends on what the shot calls for. One thing that should be pointed out - some young animators just beginning to learn about all this sometimes think that doing a scene on ones means that it's "better" or somehow shows better skill. That simply isn't the case... some of the best animated scenes in history were done on twos. (Actually, probably most of them). It all depends on what is necessary for a given shot.

One way to explore this for yourself is to download a digital copy of an animated films, open it with a program like quicktime that allows frame by frame navigation, and use the arrow keys to go through a scene frame by frame. If you have to press it twice to get to the next drawing, it's on twos.

[thelittleursula]

These are my predictions for 2014 and the remaining titles.

February
- The Jungle Book: Diamond Edition

March
- Hercules
- Tarzan / Tarzan II: 15th Anniversary Edition
- Piglet’s Big Movie / Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
- Frozen

June
- Saludos Amigos / The Three Caballeros
- Make Mine Music / Fun And Fancy Free / Melody Time
- Bedknobs And Broomsticks
- 101 Dalmatians Diamond We Hate Aladdin Edition/ Patch's

August
- The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad: 65th Anniversary Edition
- Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition
- The Jungle Book II
- The Black Cauldron

October
- Aladdin: Plain and dull like the Australian edition

November
- Aladdin: Return Of Jafar / King Of Thieves

Fixed, made it more realistic. ):

My dream would be Diamond Aladdin Oct ( 013 ) like you mentioned and then 3D Aladdin Easter Holidays, with Little Mermaid 3D in Jan/ Feb in American regions.