Tinker Bell movie - official date: October 2007!

[Margos]

Oh my God! Epic win! And I like that his hat is less flamboyant and everything.... It looks to me like a Captain Hook who has yet to come into his own and reach the full height of his power.... So this may be a bit of an origin story? I love it!

Hey, what did that article mean, the schedule has been switched? Is Race Through the Seasons coming out next year, with Mysterious Winter Woods the year after? That doesn't make any sense to me, since I thought Race Through the Seasons involved Leap Day for some reason (so it would make more sense with Winter falling between Summer and Leap Day).... unless they really wanted to drag out the chronology of this for some reason.

[Frightfull123]

Oh my God! Epic win! And I like that his hat is less flamboyant and everything.... It looks to me like a Captain Hook who has yet to come into his own and reach the full height of his power.... So this may be a bit of an origin story? I love it!

Hey, what did that article mean, the schedule has been switched? Is Race Through the Seasons coming out next year, with Mysterious Winter Woods the year after? That doesn't make any sense to me, since I thought Race Through the Seasons involved Leap Day for some reason (so it would make more sense with Winter falling between Summer and Leap Day).... unless they really wanted to drag out the chronology of this for some reason.

There is some big conception going around that the two movies (Race Through the Seasons and Mysterious Winter Woods) have been switched. I'm 99% sure this is false because in the Great Fairy Rescue DVD they have a preview for Mysterious Winter Woods announcing its release date sometime in fall of 2011

[Old Fish Tale]

I also believe that's a mistake...

[DisneyLuver]

Is there any kind of information/material/promo pics/trailer regarding Tinker Bell and the Mysterious Winter Woods yet? It is supposed to be out February 11, so I'm just curious. The winter one is my most anticipated Tinker movie, so I'm excited!

[Margos]

Well that really is a relief, I must say! I mean, if they are going to keep this series short (5 films instead of 8-10), then dragging out the time period without introducing Peter Pan is the single biggest mistake they could possibly make. I mean, at the time of Great Fairy Rescue (a little more than a year after the original), Wendy is probably about 5. We only have 7 years before Tink and Peter have to be at the point that they are in PP. So when the series wraps up as it currently stands (almost 2 years after the original), they can still conceivably go without devoting a film to Peter's arrival in Never Land. Any longer than that, and they will have to introduce him to prevent failures in realistic continuity.

I still think they should do a 6th film in the series very, very loosely based on "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens," which would explain his relationship with the fairies. There are some scenes in that book which could be very lovely to see.... And it would allow some continuity to the original Peter Pan without requiring that Tinker Bell leave Pixie Hollow and her other friends entirely.

[Sotiris]

Bradley Raymond Talks Great Fairy Rescue
The director of the latest Tinker Bell movie discusses a new wrinkle with human interaction.
http://www.awn.com/articles/article/bra ... iry-rescue


A very small sample from the interview:

BD: What improvements did John Lasseter suggest?

BR: Yes, one of the things in this movie is that Tinker Bell hides from Lizzy and her father when they're having an argument about whether fairies are real, and I was going to play Tinker Bell coming out of the fairy house nervous and afraid, proving the father's point. And John said that Tinker Bell would already be bonded with Lizzy and would be angry, turn red and confront the dad. And that was more in character with Tinker Bell, and that's what John Lasseter brings: it seems so natural, so it's been like going back to film school with him.

[Margos]

John Lasseter really is my hero!

I give him full credit for teaching DisneyToon Studios how to make proper films... Actual good movies instead of just cash cows. A lot of Disney fans are prejudiced against them still, thanks to all of the terrible cheapquels.

Thank you so much JL, for ensuring that the Tink series is done very well!

[Matt]

No soundtrack for the new Tinkerbell Movie?
What gives?

[Sotiris]

Toonzone Interviews Actor Lauren Mote on "Tinker Bell & the Great Fairy Rescue"
http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/3 ... iry-rescue

Preview:

TZN: Do you remember what happened at the audition? Did you get any hint at what you were going for?

LAUREN MOTE: Well, because they changed directors, the audition script was with another character who was taken out of it later. It had nothing to do with Tinker Bell, it was just to do with flowers. I can remember just studying that and what was it, and why was it. But no, I didn't have any indication that it was Tinker Bell.

TZN: How long ago did you record the role for Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue?

LAUREN MOTE: Well, I started two years ago, and I finished about five months ago.

TZN: Did you get to see any artwork or any footage in the later sessions?

LAUREN MOTE: Yes, towards the end, I think in my last couple of sessions. I did the flying scene, and that's when I had some animation, so that was the only point where I had some.

TZN: Did that throw you at all when you finally saw what your character looked like?

LAUREN MOTE: Well, yes I was imagining obviously a little girl, but obviously everything's different when it's on a piece of paper. I did imagine a small girl who looked pretty sweet and innocent, and that's what Lizzy is, essentially.

TZN: What was the funniest or the strangest thing that you were asked to do when you were recording in the booth for this movie?

LAUREN MOTE: Oh, probably the strangest was laughing. They just told me to laugh and I didn't have any lines to lead me in. It wasn't necessarily strange, it was just a bit odd. It was just like, "Can you laugh please?" I enjoyed it (laughs).

TZN: What was the funniest or the strangest thing that you were asked to do when you were recording in the booth for this movie?

LAUREN MOTE: Oh, probably the strangest was laughing. They just told me to laugh and I didn't have any lines to lead me in. It wasn't necessarily strange, it was just a bit odd. It was just like, "Can you laugh please?" I enjoyed it (laughs).

Toonzone Chats with Brad Raymond & Helen Kalafatic on Next "Tinker Bell" DTV Movie
http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/3 ... -dtv-movie

Preview:

Q: Helen: How long did it take to create the new Tinker Bell movie, and roughly how many people were involved in the production?

HELEN KALAFATIC: It took several years. Development started when the first Tinker Bell film wrapped and it took us about two years to produce this film.

Q: Where did the idea for this film come from?

HELEN KALAFATIC: The idea came from Brad's desire to want to tell the story of Tinker Bell meeting a human prior to Peter Pan. Meeting Lizzy is the first time Tink's ever met a human.

Q: Helen: What were some of the visual and story inspirations for The Great Fairy Rescue?

HELEN KALAFATIC: Our art director, Fred Warter and his team were inspired by the period and the place. Fred spent time in London and the English countryside and we did extensive research throughout production to make sure that the world we were creating was accurate and magical at the same time.

Q: Bradley: When I chatted with Klay Hall and Sean Lurie about Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, they said that each film is set in a particular season. Is that still true with this film, and how did it influence the movies story and look?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: That is true. This movie takes place in the countryside of England during the summer. This created a beautiful and lush backdrop to the story of Tinker Bell meeting a human for the first time.

Q: Bradley: What was the most difficult scene to animate and why was it so difficult?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: The scene where Lizzy learns Tinker Bell's name was a very important scene in the movie. I wanted to capture the first moment that they start their friendship. This was the longest scene in the movie and was very dependent upon both character's performances. Although it was the most difficult scene to accomplish, it is the one I am most proud of.

Q: Bradley: In previous interviews with Disney directors, they've mentioned giving their work to Pixar's infamous Brain Trust for evaluation. Did you consult with the Brain Trust for this film, and who was instrumental in offering advice?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: The key person that I relied on for advice was none other than the Executive Producer, John Lasseter. He has been such a huge inspiration to me during the making of this movie. His influence is everywhere throughout this film. John brought the Pixar philosophy to our division and we have loved how it has benefited our projects immensely.

Q: The Tinker Bell franchise has brought in a nice selection of top actors like Anjelica Huston, Lucy Liu, and now Michael Sheen to the series. How did they get into the production and what's it like working with them?

HELEN KALAFATIC: All of the actors have been wonderful and they are really comfortable with Brad's direction and sense of humor. Michael Sheen is an amazing actor, he is such a sweet person and I was impressed with how down to earth he is. He told us how his daughter watched Tinker Bell and she even used to make fairy houses herself. I can't think of anyone else who could have played Dr. Griffiths with such authenticity.

Q: Bradley: How and why did you choose Michael Sheen as the voice of Mr. Griffiths?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: When I was listening for the voice of Dr. Griffiths, Michael Sheen was suggested to me by our head of casting, Jason Henkel. When I heard Michael's voice, I heard a sense of warmth in his voice. He gives Lizzy's father a likeability that is so crucial to the story. You want to root for Lizzy and her father to come together. Then when I had the pleasure to work with him, I got to witness his true greatness. Michael has the uncanny ability to act with his voice. That is so important in animation, because the actor's voice is what inspires the animator's performance on the screen

Q: Helen Kalafatic: Can you tell us some funny moments during production?

HELEN KALAFATIC: Getting stuck in London for two weeks under a volcanic ash cloud.

Q: Bradley: Can you describe how Tinker Bell developed over the 3 movies?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: These films take place before Disney's original Peter Pan. I look at Tinker Bell as a fully developed fairy in Peter Pan. So when Jeff Howard and I started thinking about the story for the first Tinker Bell film, we decided to tell her origin story. So our whole team has set out to give Tinker Bell a character arc that spans across multiple movies. So the audience gets to see how Tinker Bell got to be the amazing character that we've all grown to love.

Q: Helen: The two prior films have grossed nearly $50 million, so is there any pressure when tackling now a third film in a popular franchise?

HELEN KALAFATIC: Our goal was to make a great film and our focus never swayed from that. The pressure that we put on ourselves was to make the best movie we could, it's a luxury to be able to work in a studio with that mindset.

Q: Bradley: There have been subtle references to the Peter Pan story in the first two Tinker Bell films. Has the overall franchise arc been mapped out so there's a logical lead-in from the end of this series to the original film, or is it being taken one installment at a time?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: We were all influenced by the great characters and world that Walt Disney brought us in Peter Pan, and in each Tinker Bell movie there were many references to the original. In the first movie, young Wendy has a small cameo. in the second movie, we fly by Skull Rock.

In this movie, the audience gets to see the first interaction Tinker Bell has with a human. We get to see Lizzy learn that Tinker Bell jingles when she talks to humans and we see Tinker Bell sprinkle pixie dust on Lizzy and help a human fly for the first time! We even get to hear the famous words, "Think happy thoughts" for the first time!

Q: Bradley: Which was the most difficult character for you and the animation department and why?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: In order for the audience to feel the same magic that Lizzy feels in the movie, Lizzy needs to be a believable character that we all can relate to. Our animation supervisor, Sheryl Sackett and I worked closely with the animators to make sure that Lizzy's acting performance was as real as possible. So when the magical moments happened to her the audience feels that it is happening to them as well.

Q: Bradley: What films did you look to for the flying sequences?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: Walt Disney's Peter Pan was our biggest influence for the flying sequences in this movie. I wanted to capture the same exhilarating feeling that I felt when I first saw Wendy and her brothers fly in the original Peter Pan.

Q: Bradley: Could you talk about the details and backgrounds in this film? What's involved, for example, in producing Lizzy's sketch book, which looks photographically real?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: I wanted this world to feel as believable as possible, so that the audience feels like they are seeing something magical in a world that they can relate to. So I turned to our amazing Art Director, Fred Warter, to create a realistic look that still had the feel of Peter Pan. And when you see the final film everybody will be as amazed as I was when I saw what he and our team came up with!

For the sketch book, when one of our amazing artists with years of experience tries to draw like a nine year old, the audience notices. That would make our world less believable. So we decided to have real nine year old girls do Lizzy's drawings for her. Not only is this extremely cute, but you begin to believe this world is real. Ultimately this makes Lizzy's first meeting with Tinker Bell more magical.

Q: Bradley: Coming from your work on traditional animated films like Lion King 1/2 and Pocahontas II, and after some issues behind-the-scenes on the first film-a CG production, how have you adapted to the new technology of CG over cel animation?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: The biggest difference between traditional animation and computer generated animation is the use of the camera. In this movie, I was able to move the camera into scenes more like live action. This supported the subconscious element that I wanted to capture. When you watch the scenes in Lizzy's room, I wanted to give the feeling that the audience was standing in the room with Tink and Lizzy. So a moving camera was essential. Our head cameraman, John Bermudes and his amazing team took that idea and created such a magical use of camera.

Q: Helen: I'm noticing a lot more emphasis on action in this and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. Are you trying to make this series more appealing to boys or do the girls want some action too?

HELEN KALAFATIC: The rescue was key to the story we wanted to tell and naturally with a rescue comes action and adventure. We wanted all children to go on this exciting journey with our characters.

Q: Bradley: How does this movie fit into the Tinker Bell saga? Do you guys consider the other movies before developing a new story?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: When we start to develop a Tinker Bell movie, we present our ideas to our story trust. As a group we look at the whole franchise and world we created for ideas and try to keep each film consistent.

Q: Bradley: Why was the decision taken to base the four sequels around the seasons?

BRADLEY RAYMOND: In the world of Pixie Hollow, fairies bring the magic of nature to our world. They arrive and change the seasons. This is such a magical and relatable idea that it seemed natural to set each movie around the backdrop of the four seasons.

Q: Helen: Was it an active decision to give Tinker Bell's friends more screen time in this installment after the emphasis was more squarely on Tink herself in the second one?

HELEN KALAFATIC: Screen time wasn't something that was an active choice. Brad wanted to create a story that was believable and entertaining and timeless. All of the fairies play an important role in the rescue and the amount of screen time just worked out naturally.

[WDWLocal]

I just gave Kevin Cedano's review of "Great Fairy Rescue" a bird's eye glance and, IMO, he's pretty negative towards the films and franchise and doesn't give it enough credit.

Despite what he says, the Fairies franchise IS a a major success and has been making tons of money for the company.

Another case of a product getting reviewed by the wrong person.

[merbass]

No soundtrack for the new Tinkerbell Movie?
What gives?

I am wondering the same thing. I was looking forward to the new soundtrack.

[Margos]

I just gave Kevin Cedano's review of "Great Fairy Rescue" a bird's eye glance and, IMO, he's pretty negative towards the films and franchise and doesn't give it enough credit.

Despite what he says, the Fairies franchise IS a a major success and has been making tons of money for the company.

Another case of a product getting reviewed by the wrong person.

Agreed. I thought it was terribly biased. It really was a good film.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I just gave Kevin Cedano's review of "Great Fairy Rescue" a bird's eye glance and, IMO, he's pretty negative towards the films and franchise and doesn't give it enough credit.

Despite what he says, the Fairies franchise IS a a major success and has been making tons of money for the company.

Another case of a product getting reviewed by the wrong person.

He also said it was the best film of the series, so far. I think that's a pretty good indication that it's not a terrible film (even if it's not the greatest one either).

[disneyboy20022]

The $10 coupon for the Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Blu ray combo is now available through the DMR

http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/pr ... ptw-coupon

[WDWLocal]

Agreed. I thought it was terribly biased. It really was a good film.

Not only that. The fact that Kevin Cedano (who also should've never been allowed to review any of the High School Musical films or DVD's, among others) even interviewed the directors for the Tink films should've been incentive enough to give the new film a much more positive review.

I think he seems just as hateful and critical of the Fairies franchise as Renata "Fairy-Hater/Princess-Hater" Joy (who reviewed the first Tink film) and the person that reviewed "Lost Treasure".

IMO, if one of the critics on this site interviews someone involved in a particular production (actors, directors, etc.), they should only review their movies and whatnot if they're willing to be more rational in their reviews and be more respectful of the people who worked on them, etc. After all, nobody wants to burn any bridges, right?

[SmartAleck25]

Kelvin is giving his honest opinion. Just because you don't agree doesn't mean you can label him a terrible critic. He DID point out the strengths and the weaknesses. If he likes it, great! If he doesn't, you don't need to rant about it.

[blackcauldron85]

Interview: Lauren Mote
http://tommy2.net/content/?p=19563

[Sotiris]

Interview: Lauren Mote
http://tommy2.net/content/?p=19563

Tommy2: Did the animators get to see you at all when you were doing this?

Lauren Mote: No they didn’t, but they videod me and they like copied the video onto the Lizzy animation and that’s how they animated it.

Did she just "accuse" the animators of rotoscoping?

I know that the animators just used her footage as reference but the way she said it...

You can always tell when people are either ignorant or misinformed about the animation process.

[Luke]

IMO, if one of the critics on this site interviews someone involved in a particular production (actors, directors, etc.), they should only review their movies and whatnot if they're willing to be more rational in their reviews and be more respectful of the people who worked on them, etc. After all, nobody wants to burn any bridges, right?

Gotta strongly disagree with you there. Firstly, I'm baffled at why people are upset with a review that is almost overwhelmingly positive while addressing and deconstructing the concerns that older fans of Disney and Tinker Bell (i.e. the very people posting in this thread) might reasonably have. Secondly, talking to the creators of a movie really shouldn't have bearing on a review beyond possibly informing of their intentions (something to take into account, or not, on anything). Anyone who goes soft on a movie because they got to talk to someone who made it is doing a great disservice to the filmmaker, to their readers, and to themselves. There is no place for blind, unwavering support in criticism. I'm grateful, as you should be, that Kelvin provided more than enough information on the film and his genuine reaction to it to fulfill the very purpose of a review. And I think part of you must recognize that or else we wouldn't even be discussing it.

P.S. I do like your nicknames for Renata and will be updating her bylines accordingly!

[Matt]

Got an email that there is a $10.00 Off Coupon for Disney Movie Rewards!
YAY, I printed my coupon already!

Here is the link:
http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/pr ... lptw_wdshe