Pixar

[rcallicotte]

http://flickeringmyth.blogspot.com/2009/11/animated-storytellers-pixar-animation.html

http://flickeringmyth.blogspot.com/2009/11/animated-storytellers-pixar-profile.html

http://flickeringmyth.blogspot.com/2009/11/animated-storytellers-pixar-animation_18.html

These are in order from Part 1 to Part 3

[penang]

When talking about Pixar, what made me laugh is Disney.

Pixar repeatedly produced animation blockbusters, and on the other hand, after the death of Mr. Walt Disney, Disney's animation department is like imploded.

So much so that Disney had to purchase Pixar, and that only made Steve Jobs more filthy rich.

Why in the world Disney keeps on producing really lousy animations?

Like the most recent one, the "Christmas whatever" (see, I can't even remember the name, since it's so damn bad, even the trailer is so damn terrible), who wants to watch such lousy thing???

Disney has totally lost its touch, and I hope Pixar would not be adversely.

[Henry Blewer]

A big problem Disney has is that the people who control the purse strings are now in control of the creative departments. They only produce stuff by an old formula,, this worked 40 years ago, do more.
Disney would benefit from allowing the creative talent to make the decisions. There still has to be budget control, but it could be more 'fresh' if Disney allowed creative freedom.

[efflux]

The old Disney animations are masterpieces, at least in technical terms, but some of the stories fall short. In cleaned up remasters they are absolutely beautiful looking. Stunning backgrounds and character animations. In my opinion, 3D animation has yet to come near Disney. The best 3D movies are the Brad Bird directed Pixar  - the Incredibles and Ratatouille. He did an old cell style animation called The Iron Giant which is good.

Studio Ghibli stuff is good but varies a lot. Ghibli is obviously cell animation but generally it is much more intelligent than Pixar stuff. Three good ones are Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, My Neighbor Totoro and Grave Of The Fireflies. There are some other very good Japanese animations. I thought Metropolis and Ghost in the Shell were great. There may be many other great ones that I haven't seen.

As for stop motion, Wallace And Gromit rule.

[efflux]

Here's another animation well worth watching:

http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/

[TheBlackHole]

As for stop motion, Wallace And Gromit rule.

Really? I thought those LEGO guys were good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RlJkSDLdJ8

[penang]

There is one difference in between Pixar and Disney.

In Pixar, they made movies they themselves want to watch.

In Disney, they made movies they think people will watch.

Comparing "Toy Story" (not the best from Pixar, btw) to Disney's latest "Christmas-something", for example:

1. Color ---

Toy Story's color is bright, cheerful, easy for the eyes.

Christmas-something's color? Ha !

2. Story ---

Toy Story's story is straight forward, easy to comprehend.

Christmas-something's story? Ha !

3. Characters ---

Toy Story's characters, good and bad, easy to differentiate.

Christmas-something's characters? Same guy doing all the 7 characters? What are they trying to fool??

Disney has failed miserably !

[rcallicotte]

Just a thought, really - is it possible that the major difference in cases like Disney and Pixar is that it's easy for people to rely on something other than their willingness to explore?  You know, trust what seems secure rather than find interesting ideas?

[penang]

You mean "Formula"?

Disney does make movies (animated and non-animated) based on formulas.

Even the Mickey-mouse, Donald-Duck cartoons, if compared to the Bugs Bunny cartoons, seems awkwardly going along a certain "formula".

Bugs Bunny cartoons, on the other hands, are not that "formula" based, that's why they are more lively, more funny, and more unexpected.

Disney full-length cartoons from Cinderella to Snow White to Beauty and the Beast to Mulan, while the characters are not the same, all with different background history, story-wise, they are the same.

A weak beautiful girl somehow gets into trouble (for whatever reason), go through rough and tumble time, and finally, meets her prince.

And they live happy ever after.

Formula? You bet !

[dandelO]

Long live WB©!

Although, Disney do some really amazing stuff, still.

[efflux]

I think Disney fell into problems very early on by being forced into government propaganda during the war which they never seemed to recover from hence Snow White and Pinnochio may be the best movies from a point of view of story.

[efflux]

I think from a technical point of view the older Disney is absolutely unsurpassed. I especially liked when the xerox was invented and Disney used this so the original artists drawings were not inked out. If you look at 101 Dalmatians it has the rough quality of the real drawings rather than perfectly inked outlines. This is something that is lost in 3D. You do not have that gesture of drawing even although you have the amazing sense of 3D.