DVDizzy Forum

Besides Disenchanted, this got me the most excited at the presentation. A loyal boy band fan who gets excited and turns into a red panda is so me. I can't wait to learn more about it down the road...

UF, I sure hope this film brings more $ for the museum!!

Sotiris wrote:It's a mix of Ghibli with CalArts style. Going by Luca and this film, it looks like the dreaded bean mouth shape has infected Pixar too.

FYI, artists hate the term "CalArts Style." It implies that everyone who works in animation went to that school, which is blatantly not the case. Domee Shi, for example, didn't attend CalArts. She's a graduate of Sheridan College (also the alma mater of Dean DeBlois, Chris Williams, Nik Ranieri, David Soren and Danny Anotonucci). The term also originated with John Kricsfalusi, who weirdly used it to disparage the designs and animation of "The Iron Giant" of all things.

Weirdly, it's the people who never even went to CalArts (like "Steven Universe" creator Rebecca Sugar, "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power" creator Noelle Stevenson, current "Animaniacs" director Katie Rice and former Looney Tunes designer Jessica Borutski) whose work is most often called CalArts Style.

I think I pointed this out in the "Luca" thread, but the bean mouth goes back decades. Just look at Little Lulu. Marjorie Henderson Buell gave her characters bean mouths and she was drawing those strips a good three decades before CalArts was founded. It's more likely character designers are inspired by artists like Buell, especially when drawing children, who are the most likely to have those cartoon features.

I don't know how to feel about this. Another movie with a character turning into a bear? Cause we didn't have enough of those? Also the premise seems similar to Luca but I'm guessing the execution will be different.

farerb wrote:I don't know how to feel about this. Another movie with a character turning into a bear? Cause we didn't have enough of those? Also the premise seems similar to Luca but I'm guessing the execution will be different.

Disney has really leaned into animal transformations in the past 20 years but I must inform you that Red Pandas are not bears at all. They are more closely related to raccoons. “Panda” means bamboo eater ergo the giant “bamboo eater” (your traditional black and white panda bear) and the red “bamboo eater.”

Thank you for the information, I just thought that they meant a Panda but red instead of black and white. I didn't know they're two different animals, so confusing.

Red pandas are adorable little suckers. I recommend looking up videos of them on YouTube for a smile!

Wow, I never knew that. Hmm. I've always thought pandas were bears... I guess it's a common misconception.

estefan wrote:I think I pointed this out in the "Luca" thread, but the bean mouth goes back decades. Just look at Little Lulu. Marjorie Henderson Buell gave her characters bean mouths and she was drawing those strips a good three decades before CalArts was founded. It's more likely character designers are inspired by artists like Buell, especially when drawing children, who are the most likely to have those cartoon features.

Furthermore, while I can understand people not liking it (we all have our own tastes, after all, don't we?) I don't understand why it is such a grave sin that both Luca and this have the bean mouth. I would get riled up if the next twenty feature films from Pixar or WDAS did this!

Variety is the spice of life, people!

Disney's Divinity wrote:Wow, I never knew that. Hmm. I've always thought pandas were bears... I guess it's a common misconception.

Giant pandas (black and white) are bears. But red pandas are not.

estefan wrote:FYI, artists hate the term "CalArts Style." It implies that everyone who works in animation went to that school, which is blatantly not the case.

Love it or hate it, it's the name that has become associated with this style. It doesn't have another name. It has become a way to refer to the particular look, regardless if it in fact originated from CalArts graduates or if not everyone who uses it studied there. Even though some may not like the name that stuck, they immediately understand what someone is referring to when they use it.

estefan wrote:I think I pointed this out in the "Luca" thread, but the bean mouth goes back decades. Just look at Little Lulu.

But Litle Lulu doesn't use a bean mouth.

estefan wrote:It's more likely character designers are inspired by artists like Buell, especially when drawing children, who are the most likely to have those cartoon features.

I think it was popularized in TV animation because it's a simple shape and easy to animate in Flash. Personally, I don't care for it, but more power to you if you're fond of it.

Sotiris wrote:Love it or hate it, it's the name that has become associated with this style. It doesn't have another name. It has become a way to refer to the particular look, regardless if it in fact originated from CalArts graduates or if not everyone who uses it studied there. Even though some may not like the name that stuck, they immediately understand what someone is referring to when they use it.

The cringe factor also comes from the fact that John Kricfalusi, now a well-known sexual harasser and pedophile, was the one who came up with and popularised the term. He was already disliked in animation circles for his treatment of artists and disparaging remarks towards those who work in modern animation. And now he's pretty much become persona non grata in the animation industry to the point many people in the field protested the announcement of a "Ren & Stimpy" reboot, even though he would have zero involvement. So "CalArts Style" is now a term that's become offensive to animation professionals, due to its close association with John K.

Sotiris wrote:But Litle Lulu doesn't use a bean mouth.

I just Google image searched Little Lulu to verify and she definitely has a bean-shaped mouth.

I don't think the source of a term should have any bearing on its relevance. While John K. may be what you say (I have no idea who he is), unless the term "CalArts" was used as a form of sexual harassment or pedophilia, there's nothing wrong with it?

estefan wrote:I just Google image searched Little Lulu to verify and she definitely has a bean-shaped mouth.

We must have a different definition then. To me, this is what the bean-shaped mouth looks like.




Little Lulu comic strips use a circular and a side-smile shape.

I hope there will be some adults in the movie too , So we can get some well known actors to provide the voices ! I guess it will be Asian actors since the Director is Chinese-Canadian,

Fingers crossed Tsai Chin, Kotoko Kawamura and or Lucille Soong will be in the movie.

I would also like to hear James Hong

Fruits Baskets

that's all I shall say

^ A quick Google search also brings up Ranma 1/2. But then another Google search brings up a whole bunch of anime with animal transformations:
https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/tags ... sformation

I still think this looks super cute!!

well its a common fantasy trope for animated films in general. I dont know why Fruits Baskets was the first thing that popped into my mind... maybe b/c its about a teen and a modern setting as opposed to a fairy tale setting. I admit Im not crazy for the mouth shape either(whatever you wanna call it, bean mouth or Aardman mouth)

Disney's Divinity wrote:While John K. may be what you say (I have no idea who he is)

John K. was the creator of Ren & Stimpy.

I really hope Tsai Chin will be in this !

The reason Mei Lee keeps transforming into a giant red panda is because of a "family curse".

Pixar's next three features were all greenlit before Docter assumed the CCO job — Luca, a coming-of-age adventure set in Italy directed by Enrico Casarosa, due this summer; Shi's movie, Turning Red, about a teenager dealing with a family curse that turns her into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited, due in March 2022; and Lightyear, the origin story of Buzz Lightyear, directed by Angus MacLane, due in summer 2022.

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/featu ... of-scandal