Friday, July 10, 2009

In the Halls of Mouse

In between packing files, papers and office knick-knacks into cardboard boxes, a fellow IATSE rep and I spent a piece of the morning talking to employees about the  oncoming negotiations for an updated Disney-IA Collective Bargaining Agreement. (The pact is up the end of October, so the IA and TAG are now laying groundwork for Fall negotiations.) ....

During our studio ramble, we ran into Glen Keane, who related that he was supervising animation with the Rapunzel animation crew (He's also executive producing on the picture.). Glen told us traditional animators are teaming with c.g. animators to bring a more "hand-drawn" sensibility to the c.g. characters in Rapunzel, with more stylization and counter-weight in the animation, melding computer graphics with the rhythms and tempo of traditional Disney animated features.   He related how the characters' skin will have a softer look. (There is also the animation dynamics of Rapunzel's seventy feet of hair.  Animationg that will be fun.)

The way Glen described the process, it's going to make Rapunzel a c.g. feature to put on your "to see" list.   The film is now going into serious production, so we'll be able to watch the results of the artists' and technicians' labors in (relatively) short order.

Have yourself a splendiferous weekend.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

With the unequaled cg animation staff of disney animation studios, rapunzel will no doubt have the best human animation(2d or 3d) done to date by anyone in the world.

g said...

I dunno. Its gonna be hard to beat Ratatouille...

Not that it cant be done...but Im just sayin'

Anonymous said...

Not sure if this is correct as it is just what was discussed over lunch in Burbank.

The awkward growing pains of the studio continues as the new management tries it's best to bring together the best of both worlds.
Heard from others over a lunch with artists from the halls, there will be a teaming up of buddies to have the traditional artists help the 3D artists learn more of the fundamental basics of animation.
It appears like a positive step forward yet from talk over lunch, the only problem is that the company values the student much more than the teacher.
The pay for the traditional artists is known to be lower than what they pay the 3D artists.
Doesn't quite make sense does it?
IF this is indeed fact? As an outsider, i'm not sure? Maybe someone can clear up any misunderstandings?
Should there be a division between the two?

Zuh? said...

"...more stylization and counter-weight in the animation, melding computer graphics with the rhythms and tempo of traditional Disney animated features."

Seems to me Pixar has been doing this very thing for years now. Particularly in "The Incredibles".

Anonymous said...

Above post is backwards.

There is a teaming up of buddies to help the Disney traditional animators learn Maya.

I hope the system will work both ways, helping the 3d animators to delve more into traditional, but that has not been set up yet, other than some lectures.

It is also not at all necessarily true that the 3D folks are getting paid more than the 2D guys. Some are, some aren't.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, not refering to "Zuh's" post, but the one above it.

Anonymous said...

"With the unequaled cg animation staff of disney animation studios, rapunzel will no doubt have the best human animation(2d or 3d) done to date by anyone in the world."

Good one....HAHHAHHAHAHAHA!!!

Anonymous #3 said...

If being cynical made people better artist, everybody in this blog would be like Michelangelo.

Anonymous said...

glen keane would only accept the very best in cg talent to carry out his vision. maybe those cynics out there are just jealous that they can't cut the mustard to meet glen's standard and are just lashing out. can you honestly name a studio that has better cg animation talent than disney?

Edna Mode said...

"can you honestly name a studio that has better cg animation talent than disney?"
------

(is this a trick question ? )


PIXAR.

Anonymous said...

the animation in bolt is way better than anything pixar has produced.

even chicken little has some amazing acting in it. the bowler hat guy in meet the robinsons is way more sophisticated than anything i saw in the incredibles.

Anonymous said...

Look, I liked Bolt too, but..uh...let's not go overboard, all right?

Anonymous said...

(is this a trick question ? )


PIXAR.




that's funny. as an outsider i assumed that most of the animators at pixar were the ones that couldn't get into disney. go figure...

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, Blue Sky has the best actual [b]animators[/b]. Their 2d sensibilities mixed with technical prowess takes them beyond what Ive seen from Pixar. But they havent done humans (unless Ice Age 1 counts) so we'll have to wait and see.

Kung Fu panda had some dynamite animation in it as well. Bolt had moments of solid animation (pigeons) but certainly not the best (humans).

Anonymous said...

"glen keane would only accept the very best in cg talent to carry out his vision."

Ah, but Glen Keane isn't directing the film any more.

Anonymous said...

"as an outsider i assumed that most of the animators at pixar were the ones that couldn't get into disney. go figure..."

Wow.

- Another anon. - and outsider.

Anonymous said...

"Ah, but Glen Keane isn't directing the film any more."

But he's directing the animation (supervising dailies, giving notes and direction) which is his forte.

Anonymous said...

Why so little faith in the animators at Disney? The art form as we know it was developed at that company. And Glen Keane redefined it with 2d and i'm sure he can do it with 3d. After all, the computer us just another tool.

Anonymous said...

as an outsider i assumed that most of the animators at pixar were the ones that couldn't get into disney. go figure..."

You figured wrong. Try reversing your assumption.
There are excellent CG character animators at Disney, as good as anyone working anywhere in the world in fact. But not nearly as many with as much support as there are in Emeryville.

Anonymous said...

I guess none of the Disney buffs saw Kung Fu panda. clearly the best animated CG film to date.

And i have never worked for dreamworks but after seeing what they accomplished in 3d, that was the closest thing to a 2D organic traditional style of animation that has been produced.

Anonymous said...

I'd argue that Ratatouille has been the best animated CG movie to date (animation-wise, not necessarily story-wise). But the point is the same. Disney is getting there (Bolt was pretty good), but have a little ways to go.

Anonymous said...

[b]that was the closest thing to a 2D organic traditional style of animation that has been produced[/b]

I'd argue that Horton Hears a Who beat them to it

Anonymous said...

doesnt formatting work anymore?

Anonymous said...

You have to use the little arrows above the comma and period.

scissorhands said...

Hi guys!
I have a question for you.
Do you know where are currently working Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise?
I knew that the first one worked for Dreamworks and should have directed Mastermind (now Oobermind), but now the accredeted director is another guy; maybe he is co-directing. Is Gary still working at Dreamworks?
And Kirk? He will attend the comicon to present B&tB 3d, so I guess he is working at Disney now. Where did he work in these years?
Do they have blogs, personal pages or other?
Thank you very much.

Anonymous said...

I believe Gary is directing another Shrek TV special for DW and Kirk is just 'consulting' for Diz on the B&B 3D film (good work if you can get it, I guess)

scissorhands said...

thank you!

r said...

Ratatoille = overrated!

Anonymous said...

Not at all overrated.

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