Two artists that I "liked" on facebook a while back have recently started posting concept art for a short animated film project that has been proposed to Disney. I think the stuff they've posted so far looks amazing.
3 years ago, David Kawena and I created this project called Princess Academy for Disney. We wanted to create a very artistic, classy but also very funny hand drawn short. Eight times Academy Award winning composer, Alan Menken was very excited about the project and agreed to work on it the moment we would have green light from the studio.
After months working on it, with hundreds and hundreds of storyboards and concept art, the Disney Animation hand drawn studios closed its doors. So there was no point for us to even show that project. I believe this image shows very well the mixture of artistic, high standard and humour of the project. Hope you will like it. Feel free to click on the share button. ~ Olivier Ciappa
Tomorrow evening, I'll put a new concept art that we've done for Princess Academy on my page.
Be sure to go on David Kawena's page too. He'll put a different one. ~ Olivier Ciappa
Feel free to share this second concept art from the 'Princess Academy' project I created with David Kawena. This is a Roman/Greek inspired statue of Megara that was to be displayed at the Academy building in the short film. A first storyboard frame from the project is on David's page, be sure to check it out. I also invite you all to the page of my dear friend Susan Egan, who voiced Megara in the Disney animated movie Hercules. ~ Olivier Ciappa
Here is another images from our "Princess Academy" project. This storyboard frame is one of my favourites as it challenged me to draw outside of my comfort zone. Plus, it was a pleasure drawing Madame Adelaide - a character usually forgotten by Disney and it's fans. Even though it is only a storyboard frame it was my goal to try and keep the characters on model and as recognisable as possible out respect to their original designers and animators. For a very special concept art from 'Princess Academy' featuring a very unusual heroine, please visit the page of director and writer for the project - Olivier Ciappa
Feel free to share and help us spreading the word on this project and bring some love back to 2D, hand drawn animation.
DK. ~ David Kawena
Of course David has gained internet fame already with his popular Disney Heroes artwork depicting various Disney men in homoerotic poses. This though is closer to the actual Disney style. I'm really interested to see more of this concept art and find out more of the plot they had in mind for this proposed project.
I love the first and last pictures, with the mixture of well-known and more obscure characters. I love how Rapunzel is listening to Alice's sister read, and Adelaide and Jenny are really cute together.
Listening to most often lately:
Christina Aguilera ~ "Beautiful"
Kacey Musgraves ~ "Follow Your Arrow"
Jason & DeMarco ~ "It's Okay"
Since when did David Kawena work for Disney? I never knew he got in that big, enough to even grab Menken's attention. I thought he was just a popular DA member(and UD's).
As for the pic, the statue of Megara and the boat picture was great. Who drew those pics? David or Olivier? The statue one look like it was done by actual professional Disney Animator.
I like in the boat pic, the the way how Alice is sitting at the edge of the boat with feet out.
After months working on it, with hundreds and hundreds of storyboards and concept art, the Disney Animation hand drawn studios closed its doors. So there was no point for us to even show that project
The reason Disney would never even consider this project is not because they've stopped producing hand-drawn animation but because they have a policy to never hear pitches from anyone outside the studio.
Super Aurora wrote:Since when did David Kawena work for Disney?
He never did as far as I know. He's a freelance artist based in Israel.
Super Aurora wrote:I never knew he got in that big, enough to even grab Menken's attention.
They probably just met Menken in an event or concert of some sort and showed him their project. Alan being the nice guy that he is, agreed to score the short if it ever got made.
Last edited by Sotiris on Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
atlanticaunderthesea wrote:She is billed as such in all credits to the film, it is stated in the books that Alice is on the riverbank being read a book of history by her sister.
I know she's her sister in Carroll's novel but I didn't know she was supposed to be her sister in Disney's version too since it's an adaptation with plenty of deviations from the original. Interestingly, she was named Mathilda in the stage version Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr.
The info they are sharing is still pretty vague. Ciappa seems to be the one with the connections to Menken, Susan Egan etc. I think the ONLY way they would be able to get an idea like this in the door would be to have someone already inside the Disney walls pitch it for them. Like Sotiris said, the company has a strict policy, especially regarding already existing characters. And while I don't think this will ever get made, I am just glad they are sharing these gorgeous creations online.
Also, I wouldn't worry about not seeing certain Disney princesses/heroines in these drawings yet. Remember he says they've created hundreds of story boards and art, and we've only seen a few images so far. I have no doubt we'll be seeing Ariel and (David's favorite) Pocahontas soon.
atlanticaunderthesea wrote:Wow....that concept art is breathtaking !
I would love to hear the whole concept behind it .... ?
Though the fangirl in me is terribly sad Ariel isn't included ..... especially as they are on water ?!
Sotiris, that is indeed Alice's sister.
^^This was my exact thought when I first seen it
What beautiful concept art, if this was to ever see the light of day it would be nothing short of amazing! All Disney's famous Princesses together along with many often forgotten heroines of Disney past and present, it would be perfect to be released alongside Frozen! I would also be very interested to see Rapunzel animated in hand drawn animation
ajmrowland wrote:Loving the ideas on display here.
Now, let's wait for Disney to inevitably try and remove the lesser-known characters for profit.
My thoughts exactly! I wish this would be made.. But seeing where Disney.. Or should I say MarvelDisney is headed I find myself yearning for days of old when bunnies thumped their feet,kittens learned their arpegios and a fox and a hound could be friends..
When it comes to brains, I got the lion-share,
but when it comes to bruth strength, I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool
