Save Disney's Traditional Animation! -- PLEASE READ!

[Maerj]

Jake and I have started an email campaign to create awareness for the upcoming film, Brother Bear. We are also trying to communicate to people the importance of seeing this movie. We ask you to pass this message along to everyone on your mailing lists to help in the cause. If you are going to copy and paste this, please make sure that BROTHER BEAR is in bold or just ask one of us to forward a copy to you! Thanks!
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Dear Friend,

A lion who would be king once said, “Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger. Ha-ha-HA-HA!”

That was Simba, the lion cub of Disney’s all-time animated classic The Lion King. Now, nine years later, another Disney character will walk on the wild side, too. Literally. His tale comes in a time of great danger for a beautiful art form, a danger that we cannot simply laugh in the face of. The art form is the traditionally animated feature, and the danger is extinction. So join in the fans’ fight to save it – The Ink and Paint Campaign!
You may have heard of the new Disney movie Brother Bear, coming to theaters Saturday, November 1 (and earlier in select cities on October 24.) It is the epic story of three brothers. One is tragically killed by a bear. His brother, Kenai, kills the bear with vengeance, only to be turned into a bear by the great spirits of the forest. Meanwhile, his other brother comes upon him in bear form, and thinking that the bear killed Kenai, he swears a revenge of his own. Now brother hunts brother, and Kenai’s only hope for survival is to take a walk on the wild side in a quest to regain his human form.

Brother Bear is the latest spectacle from the animation team that brought us Mulan and last year’s energetic hit Lilo & Stitch. It features new songs written and performed by Phil Collins (Tarzan) as well as an opening title performed by the legendary Tina Turner. It promises to be a wonderful, touching family film, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.

Unfortunately, Brother Bear will be one of the last traditionally animated (also a wonderful, touching family film, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.

Unfortunately, Brother Bear will be one of the last traditionally animated (also known as hand-drawn or 2D) movies produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. (WDFA.) With the notable exception of Lilo & Stitch, Disney’s recent 2D animation efforts have not been performing as well at the box office as the more technologically advanced computer-generated movies they distribute for Pixar Animation Studios. Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo have all been phenomenal successes, breaking all kinds of records and gaining praise the world over. Thus, the top Hollywood animation studios, including Disney, are abandoning traditional animation altogether in favor of doing all movies in CGI. Spokeswoman Terry Press of Disney rival studio DreamWorks (responsible for such traditional hits as The Prince of Egypt and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron as well as the CG success Shrek) recently told the press, “Until audiences show some affection for 2-D, we're not going to get back into it,"

David Stainton, the current head of WDFA, recently told the press, “I absolutely stand firm that 2-D is not dead.” But actions speak louder than words, and Disney has been taking some very drastic actions. For the first time in ages, the company does not have any new completely traditionally animated projects in production after Brother Bear and next year’s Home on the Range. Disney executives have been closing several international branches of WDFA, including WDFA Paris and WDFA Japan.

Thus, it is becoming increasingly important that Brother Bear performs well at the box office and on DVD so that Hollywood, and Disney in particular, will see that people still love a good, traditionally animated feature film and begin to produce them once more. Computer-generated movies like Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. are wonderful, but so is traditional animation, and it would be a shame to see the nearly 70-year-old tradition of hand-drawn animation at Disney become extinct just because the executives think that people no longer enjoy and appreciate traditional product.

As a child, chances are you grew up on Disney’s classic traditional animation, and if you did, you probably want the same for your children and grandchildren. Well, Disney’s classic and innovating new traditional animation might not be there for them to grow up on unless Brother Bear and Home on the Range are big hits.

If you care about high-quality family entertainment and the future of 2D animation, please take a couple hours out of your day to go see Brother Bear in theaters this fall. See it opening weekend (November 1-2, 2003) and continue to support it throughout its run in any way you can. See it again, buy merchandise, and above all, please spread the word! Tell friends, family, coworkers and others to go see it as well. Forward this email to as many people as you possibly can!

In the realm of fantasy, Disney has always been the driving force, but in the modern world, the driving force is money. If Brother Bear falls, the long legacy of hand-drawn animation will fall with it.

For more information on Brother Bear, please visit <http://www.disney.com/brotherbear>

For more information about our campaign to save traditional animation, please visit our web site at <http://www.ultimatedisney.com/inkandpaint>.

For more information on the ongoing struggle to maintain traditional animation’s place in the movie industry, read the following article, which was very helpful in preparing this letter.
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business ... 4017.story

If you care, see Brother Bear! I hope you enjoy it.
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[Starion]

Nice letter I'll pass this around to all of my friends.

[PatrickvD]

I've already posted it on another forum, hope this will go around the net and have at least some affect. I doubt it will but its definitely worth a try! god bless traditional animation

[Prince Phillip]

I think you should shorten the letter a little, and get to the point quicker, that people should go see it in theatres... but other than that, it's nice.

I remember the same thing happen summer 2002, I was trying to convince everyone who would listen to go see Lilo and Stitch, cuaser there was the same threat, that if it did not do well, bam- the end of 2-D, well here we are a year and a half later, and Lilo was a big hit, unfortunately TP wasn't.

Do you really think it will make a difference? I don't know, but I will sure do my part...

[jabroni76]

Mm... it's great and all, but too long. .. You have to cut out like atleast half of it, cuz I know all my friends are too lazy to read that. I'll just drag them with me or something...

[BasilOfBakerStreet427]

BROTHER BEAR looks really good,but my sister thinks it looks dumb,because she's starting to hate animation,due to being forced to see "Finding Nemo" three times(once with me,and my mom,once with her friends,and once while babysitting four kids).She is 16.

[Maerj]

I think you should shorten the letter a little, and get to the point quicker, that people should go see it in theatres... but other than that, it's nice.

Do you really think it will make a difference? I don't know, but I will sure do my part...

Yes, I do think that it can help. If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't have done it. I was worried about the length of it from the beginning, but this was written between Jake and myself and it was being batted back and forth so much that it just became time to stop and get on with it.

[Maerj]

BROTHER BEAR looks really good,but my sister thinks it looks dumb,because she's starting to hate animation,due to being forced to see "Finding Nemo" three times(once with me,and my mom,once with her friends,and once while babysitting four kids).She is 16.

Contact the children she watches and encourage them to make her take them to see it. Also, tell her that you can't judge the entire film from a 2 minute preview. There will be enough stuff in the film that it should be enjoyed by people of all ages, including 16 year olds.

[Maerj]

Mm... it's great and all, but too long. .. You have to cut out like atleast half of it, cuz I know all my friends are too lazy to read that. I'll just drag them with me or something...

I agree that it is very long, that was a thing that we were debating while writing it. I realize that most people are lazy and when presented with a long document generally look and say "Ugh, words" and then move on.

I am hoping that they will give it a try at least. As I said, feel free to pass it on to everyone you know. If you feel its too long, remove some of it, so as to just get the main point across, which is if this movie doesn't make a profit, Disney will no longer produce traditional animation.

[Maerj]

Here is an edited version that you all may want to use:


Dear Friend,


You may have heard of the new Disney movie Brother Bear, coming to theaters Saturday, November 1. It is the epic story of three brothers. One is tragically killed by a bear. His brother, Kenai, kills the bear with vengeance, only to be turned into a bear by the great spirits of the forest. Meanwhile, his other brother comes upon him in bear form, and thinking that the bear killed Kenai, he swears a revenge of his own. Now brother hunts brother, and Kenai’s only hope for survival is to take a walk on the wild side in a quest to regain his human form.

Brother Bear is the latest spectacle from the animation team that brought us Mulan and last year’s energetic hit Lilo & Stitch. It features new songs written and performed by Phil Collins (Tarzan.) It promises to be a wonderful, touching family film, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.

Unfortunately, Brother Bear will be one of the last traditionally animated (also known as hand-drawn or 2D) movies produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. (WDFA.) With the notable exception of Lilo & Stitch, recent 2D animation efforts have not been performing as well at the box office as the more technologically advanced computer-generated movies they distribute for Pixar Animation Studios. Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo have all been phenomenal successes, breaking records and gaining praise the world over. Thus, the top Hollywood animation studios, including Disney, are abandoning traditional animation altogether in favor of doing all movies in CGI.

It is important that Brother Bear performs well at the box office so that Hollywood, and Disney in particular, will see that people still love a good, traditionally animated feature film and begin to produce them once more. Computer-generated movies like Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. are wonderful, but so is traditional animation, and it would be a shame to see the nearly 70-year-old tradition of hand-drawn animation at Disney become extinct just because the executives think that people no longer enjoy and appreciate traditional product.

As a child, chances are you grew up on Disney’s classic traditional animation, and if you did, you probably want the same for your children and grandchildren. Well, Disney’s classic and innovating new traditional animation might not be there for them to grow up on unless Brother Bear and Home on the Range are big hits.

If you care about high-quality family entertainment and the future of 2D animation, please go see Brother Bear in theaters this fall. See it opening weekend (November 1-2, 2003) and continue to support it throughout its run in any way you can. Spread the word! Tell friends, family, coworkers and others to go see it as well. Forward this email to as many people as you possibly can!

In the realm of fantasy, Disney has always been the driving force, but in the modern world, the driving force is money. If Brother Bear falls, the long legacy of hand-drawn animation will fall with it.

For more information on Brother Bear, please visit <http://www.disney.com/brotherbear>

For more information about our campaign to save traditional animation, please visit our web site at <http://www.ultimatedisney.com/inkandpaint>.


If you care, see Brother Bear! I hope you enjoy it.
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[Jake Lipson]

My turn to pop up here. I know Terry's already said a lot of this, but I'll say it too. To answer some concerns...

Yes, I know the email is long, and believe me, when I was writing it that was one of the biggest concerns I had. Terry and I cut it two or three times, and then I was thinking about cutting it again, but with the movie opening in less than a month, we both felt it was time to get the ball rolling. My hope is that even if they don't read it word for word, most people will at least skim it and get the main point. Also, in my definitive version which is on my computer and is what we sent out earlier today, several of the finer points were bolded or in italics, so even if they just skim for those and read the paragraphs where some of the text is specially formatted, we'll get some benefit out of it. (For those interested, I'm working with Terry and Luke on a small web site for the campign which should be up in a few days, and the definitive version, bolds and italics intact, will appear there.)

YES, I do honestly believe that this can work. Over the years, the general public has shown an incredible love for Disney's traditional animated classic library as a whole, even if some of the more recent movies haven't been doted upon as much as, say, The Lion King or Aladdin were. I think that they will take notice of Brother Bear and Home on the Range if alerted to how much is at stake if they fail.

In addition, the project has several big names in the world of animation attached that will attract the public's attention. Disney itself is a big brand; Phil Collins did well on Tarzan and it was a hit, so using Tarzan to connect to should be helpful; Mulan and Lilo & Stitch were both successes and just saying "the people who brought us" those movies could be helpful as people remember fondly what great movies those were. Tina Turner's name will help, too, and by using Simba's quote at the beginning, I tried to connect Brother Bear to The Lion King in the reader's mind in that this is going to be a wonderful, character-driven story highlighted by stunning animation and great songs. I think all of these points will help, and others will if they don't. As I said, the public has shown thst they have a love for traditional animation, and even if it drifted in and out of their conciouness between the last Golden Age and today, I have faith that they'll respond if they find out that the tradition is about to be taken away completely.

[Maerj]

Well I got yet another complaint about the letter, this one basically says that there are too many spoilers in the beginning, which is true. So here it is, shorter and spoiler free:
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Dear Friend,


You may have heard of the new Disney movie Brother Bear, coming to theaters Saturday, November 1. Brother Bear is the latest spectacle from the animation team that brought us Mulan and last year’s energetic hit Lilo & Stitch. It features new songs written and performed by Phil Collins (Tarzan.) It promises to be a wonderful, touching family film, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.

Unfortunately, Brother Bear will be one of the last traditionally animated (also known as hand-drawn or 2D) movies produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. (WDFA.) With the notable exception of Lilo & Stitch, recent 2D animation efforts have not been performing as well at the box office as the more technologically advanced computer-generated movies they distribute for Pixar Animation Studios. Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo have all been phenomenal successes, breaking records and gaining praise the world over. Thus, the top Hollywood animation studios, including Disney, are abandoning traditional animation altogether in favor of doing all movies in CGI.

It is important that Brother Bear performs well at the box office so that Hollywood, and Disney in particular, will see that people still love a good, traditionally animated feature film and begin to produce them once more. Computer-generated movies like Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. are wonderful, but so is traditional animation, and it would be a shame to see the nearly 70-year-old tradition of hand-drawn animation at Disney become extinct just because the executives think that people no longer enjoy and appreciate traditional product.

As a child, chances are you grew up on Disney’s classic traditional animation, and if you did, you probably want the same for your children and grandchildren. Well, Disney’s classic and innovating new traditional animation might not be there for them to grow up on unless Brother Bear and Home on the Range are big hits.

If you care about high-quality family entertainment and the future of 2D animation, please go see Brother Bear in theaters this fall. See it opening weekend (November 1-2, 2003) and continue to support it throughout its run in any way you can. Spread the word! Tell friends, family, coworkers and others to go see it as well. Forward this email to as many people as you possibly can!

In the realm of fantasy, Disney has always been the driving force, but in the modern world, the driving force is money. If Brother Bear falls, the long legacy of hand-drawn animation will fall with it.

For more information on Brother Bear, please visit http://www.disney.com/brotherbear

For more information about our campaign to save traditional animation, please visit our web site at http://www.ultimatedisney.com/inkandpaint


If you care, see Brother Bear! I hope you enjoy it.

[TsWade2]

I think we need to make a campaign to get Disney back to hand drawn animation.

[Angeldude98]

I think we need to make a campaign to get Disney back to hand drawn animation.

I agree with you 100%!

[ajmrowland]

I can be on-board with that.