Kyle wrote:Are you talking about simulated multiplane shots? Is not can you be more specific?
No, I'm talking about actual CG backgrounds. They may have went over the actual renderings to make the look of it fit better, but you can tell the difference between a simulated multiplane shot and a cg background when a building changes perspective, not just distance, during a camera move. Off the top of my head, without watching it again, I believe there is a shot during the party at the LaBouff mansion, and also during the Mardi Gras scene. There may be more. I don't see a problem with it... I actually like the effect. But the artists on PatF weren't against using computers to aid them. I believe they might even mention the use of CG briefly in the Art Of book.
Sotiris wrote:I can accept that it was "right" decision from a financial/business perspective but calling this the "right" decision from an artistic/creative perspective is quite arbitrary.
You're right, it is. Which also means that you can't possibly know that it is NOT an artistic decision. I think you ought to be more open to the idea that it
might be the right decision both financially and artistically.
Sotiris wrote:That's ridiculous. Most projects at WDAS are CGI. They did not need to turn Snow Queen too into a CGI film to "push boundaries with CG animation". They have so many projects to do that with. And what about exploring the potential and the styles of hand-drawn animation? How about "pushing the boundaries" of that medium? Suddenly, it does matter to explore the hand-drawn medium anymore but only the CG medium because that's the one that sells? I don't see any artistic justification in that.
You're right that they have other projects to push boundaries with. But also keep in mind that Tangled was the very first CG fairy tale. Since Snow Queen is next up in line for fairy tales, I'm sure many are excited to be building on that specific genre in the CG world. And I don't at all think that they shouldn't push hand drawn animation anymore - but I think Glen is on the right track in thinking that the two need to be blended further and further. It should not be an all out war between traditional and CG. It's all animation.
Sotiris wrote:No one claimed that but you. I am sure the CG-fied Snow Queen will be beautiful and of high quality. But saying that hand-drawn could not match match CG in beauty and artistry is very untrue. Snow Queen would be equally great (if not better--but that's my opinion) in hand-drawn animation as well. So, claiming artistic reasons for the change in medium is totally BS.
No one used those exact words, no. But as soon as Disney ever makes a decision that is less than what a lot of people on this forum, as fans, want... many of you immediately jump to blaming the executives for being money-hungry. While I'm sure that is certainly the case in some situations, it is not the case in
every situation. We, as fans, can't possibly know what goes on behind the scenes. So, when people jump to conclusions that decisions are made for financial reasons alone, and say things like "nice way to treat your artists, Disney", I assume that art and commerce are thought of as enemies.
I
never implied that hand-drawn could not match the beauty and artistry of a CG film, so I have no idea where you're getting that from. Films like Bambi, Pinocchio, Beauty and the Beast... they are leagues ahead in beauty and artistry than any CG film so far. But why not try to get CG to that level?
Sotiris wrote:That's because most artists there are CG artists and animators. I highly doubt that the hand-drawn animators are pleased about the lack of 2D projects and the turning of Snow Queen into CG when it was supposed to be their next project which was even originally envisioned as a hand-drawn feature. (And how hypocritical of Disney saying that the hand-drawn Snow Queen got shelved because of story issues. What, suddenly CG has the ability to solve storytelling problems? Rolling Eyes )
After having been to WDAS a few months ago, many of the artists there seem excited about the future of CG at the studio after the release of Tangled. That film changed the way people look at CG. Yes, even the traditional animators. Many of them are trying their hand at CG. Clay Kaytis, a CG animation supervisor, said that it's interesting to train someone who has been a hand-drawn animator longer than he has been at the studio. So while I'm sure many 2D artists aren't happy about it, there ARE many who are happy about it, or at least intrigued by it.
Also, why has EVERYONE seemed to jump to the conclusion that the story was worked out
because of the change to CG? Did I miss where Disney said that? Could it not be a possibility that they took a step back from the film when the story wasn't working, got some different artists in there to take a look at it who happened to think it would be great in CG, and were
actually able to start working out some of the story issues? Again, so many of you are jumping to conclusions extremely quickly because it's not what
you want, as a fan.
Sotiris wrote:Glen Keane has expressed the desire to experiment with animation in both mediums or a combination of the two which is quite commendable. However, I don't see that happening at WDAS. They didn't even let him keep the "painterly" look of Tangled claiming it was distracting and there are rumours that he's leaving WDAS anyway.
Again, assuming that it was the almighty "them" who didn't "let him" do things his way. While I was at WDAS, I was lucky enough to attend a lecture of Glen's in which he talked about the history of his Rapunzel story and how everything eventually developed into Tangled. He showed us the Swing image and a couple early tests that were done with the so called "painterly" technique. He explained that, while everyone at the studio loved what they were getting with it, it just simply wasn't practical at the time to make an entire feature using the technique. So, the same ideas were used in a lesser manner, and he said he loved the way the film turned out. I assume that he will continue to experiment with the two mediums. I think the rumors of his leaving have been pretty much put to rest. Not completely, but most comments recently in response to the subject have been "Glen's not going anywhere." And those comments seem to have gotten no rebuttals claiming otherwise.
Sotiris wrote:I'm not familiar with Randy Noble's work so if you could post some examples to illustrate your point would be great.
Whoops

My mistake, I meant Randy Haycock. Randy Noble is a Disney Parks artist. We sell some of his paintings in the gallery at Hollywood Studios. Anyways, Randy
Haycock, who I had the pleasure of meeting and emailing a few times, worked on Aladdin, The Lion King, and many others, most recently Winnie the Pooh. But he as also worked on Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons as a supervising animator, and from what I understand he was very involved in the ideas behind the heavy use of CG in Treasure Planet. He has told me that the artists at Disney who can and will do both traditional and CG animation are invaluable, and that he plans on working on a CG film next.
Sotiris wrote:Andreas Deja never but down CG animation. He never claimed that's inferior or not artistic. He only said that it's not for him and there are plenty of talented people that can work on that medium. It's true that since he wants to work on hand-drawn animation and the industry is not producing it, he cannot stay in the industry. And it's not just a handful of people who feel this way. They just can't be as vocal since they don't have Andreas status and resources. They were "forced" to work on CG projects to reman employed. You can't deny that a lot of artists were not given much of a choice due to the current nature of the industry.
I never said Andreas Deja claimed that CG is inferior or less artistic... or anything close to that. You didn't make any point here.
While I'm sure some animators are moving to CG because they are being "forced" to by the nature of the industry, there are also many who are intrigued by the medium and who are happy to give it a try. You keep talking as if traditional animators can only be that, and that if they ever have to do something else they are undoubtedly miserable. That is just simply not the case.
Sotiris wrote:Again, no one said that. You're confusing that with our disappointment and frustration over the lack of hand-drawn projects in the industry. Even stop-motion is more popular than hand-drawn now. No one said that "CG is evil or unartistic".
Obviously I was exaggerating that disappointment and frustration into what I called the devil himself. I realize no one
actually said that. I'm not confusing anything. Some of you are getting SO frustrated that, to someone like me, it seems that you think CG must be the epitome of everything that is evil.
Overall, I feel that you all should try and look at things from the perspective of the
filmmakers. Not the executives, not the traditional animators or the CG animators, not the directors, and most importantly, not as FANS. All of the artists working on these films are filmmakers, first and foremost. They are going to make a film that they are interested in making, in the way that they are interested in making it. While we may not like some of their decisions, those decisions were all made for a reason. Hopefully, a good one. But that is not for us to decide. That is for the filmmakers to decide. I, for one, will await the day when it doesn't matter
how a film is being done, but only that a film is being done.