DVDizzy.com

They actually showed "Paperman" at Destination D last weekend. I think it has a lot of sincerity and heart to the piece. The look is an improvement from some of the CG things Disney Feature Animation has been releasing, however, I came away from it feeling that it still looked too glossy. The technique is an interesting one, to be sure, but my real draw to the short is how effective they were in telling a story and getting me involved with the characters in such a short span and with no dialogue.

That was more exciting to me than the look of the piece. It seemed so honest in its attempt to tell a story that makes you feel something...it wasn't about selling a franchise or trying to make you laugh at cheap jokes.

_________________
"It's Kind Of Fun To Do The Impossible"
- Walt Disney

That's a very good point disneyfella. Naturally with how hyped the technique has been, the story itself is being pushed aside and overshadowed. It really is a great, sincere story. The visuals and the fantastic score only let that story fly higher.

Bleeding Cool’s Exclusive Look Into Disney’s Pioneering New Film, Paperman
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/08/23/ ... -paperman/

Paperman, and what it means for Disney animation
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/paperma ... -animation

Charming short film 'Paperman' plays with 'Wreck-It Ralph'
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ar ... goryId=200

_________________

A video about the technical making of 'Paperman'.
http://www.itsartmag.com/features/paperman-breakdown/

_________________

Wow, this truly DOES look like the future of Disney animation. I am floored.

It's everything I hoped it would be and SO much more. STUNNING.

WOW! it looks so unique and at the same time so familiar! nearly 3 months left till I can see the short.

Ok, now I'm EXTREMELY excited for this more than Wreck-It Ralph!

_________________


www.youtube.com/NeverLandQA

Glad they're finally posting video, although I doubt this is the way the filmmakers would have presented the first moving images to the public. The technical videos like this always seem to supercede marketing.

I was lucky to see Paperman again last weekend at the Ottawa Film Festival. John Kahrs was there and I got a signed poster from him! Very excited to see the publics reaction next month.

I thought the technical process was going to the opposite of what it is, animation and then CG to make it more "round". To me its amazing but I can see the point of some guys saying that is CG with 2D on the top of it, yeah, it has 2D animation, but it seems that the thing that really drives it its CG, the good thing to those 2D animation hardcore fans is that it looks like it was done in 2D so that bad excuse made around 2005 of "2D is dead, CG conquers all" is gone forever and the studios will try to do 2D again.

Finally we get to see it in motion. And I finally get it. I think. There are parts where they kinda loose me but the basic idea is that its using the CG for for the base, and the shading, and generates vector lines that can be further refined from there. Its pretty much an evolution of cel shading where the computer tries its best to make it look hand drawn, but now you have more control over the line your given. I really hope to see this make its way into a full length feature. And as artsy as the monochromatic look might be, I'd love to see it in full color.

One limitation this seems to have, unless I'm missing something is that you still don't have full control over the forms themselves. You can adjust the line and smears but not the silhouette of the models themselves in a more organic way.

Edit: wait, if everything gets vectorized, including the base color that must mean I'm wrong and they can adjust that, right?

Just to clarify- the vectors are not just created based on the CG forms. The vectors are completely created by the 2d artist's drawing. So they do have complete control over them. Also, they were indeed able to control the forms of the CG character. An example I saw was a shot where the 2d artist didn't like the way the hair was working in CG. So she was able to erase part of the forms and completely recreate the hair in 2d.

Also, not everything gets vectorized. I believe it's only the lines that are drawn once in Meander.

I can see the hand-drawn look and feel the CG feel. However, (sorry for being a broken record) I hope it doesn't cause them to give up on solely/completely hand-drawn movies. You know, in the style of recent hand drawn movies.

Um...let's not go there again, okay. I know we miss hand drawn animation, but they're still doing hand drawn animation. They just don't have one in the works right now. So let's just give Disney some time.

I agree. They've been pretty consistent as of late in their position that they're not opposed to 2D for the right story. While it's fun to believe in conspiracy theories and all that, I think we have to take what they've said at face value.

I think it'll be similar to stop motion. They don't work in the media all that frequently, but they will for the right project.

I just hope the gap between Winnie the Pooh and their next 2D project isn't as long as the gap between James and the Giant Peach and Frankenweenie.

Totally agreed with RyGuy. If the artists and directors decide a movie will be best in traditional animation, then I think it will be at least considered.

However, that said... that depends upon the artists wanting to do it in traditional animation. I'm not saying that will never happen, but being involved in the animation community, most traditional animators that have seen Paperman, or were involved in it, seem fixated on the possibilities of this new technique. Even those that have always stood firmly opposed to CG seem intrigued. So I wouldn't be surprised if, at least for a number of years, any films that would possibly have been done traditionally are done this way.

I think after a number of years, artists at Disney will want to do a real, traditional film again. But for now, I think the excitement of something new will overshadow that.

okay, now this is getting exciting! such a unique and interesting technique and a first look(for me) at the characters!

_________________

Anyone think this will win the oscar for The Academy Award for Animated Short Film? La Luna lost eariler this year to The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

I think it will be nominated, but judging by WDAS' luck in recent years (i.e. Destino, Lorenzo), that's probably as far as it will go.

A lot has been said about how this new technique is mainly adding layers to the 3D animation so the illusion is that of hand drawn animation. But the way I see it, it IS a wonderful evolution of the medium and hopefully it will inspire the other studios to try and create new styles rather than copying what Pixar has been doing for the last 20 years or so.

Think of it as how 2D animation had to evolve from its crude beginnings. One of the things I loved the most about Tangled was how the CG felt very smooth and loose as oppose to the likes of How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3. I think if Disney decides to move onto CG, I see this being the style they could go with: loose, colorful and Disney-esque (I see traces of that in Wreck It Ralph, too).

So why this new look isn't as groundbreaking as we hoped it would be, it does look to be the right step in giving Disney an original look and feel despite being CG animation.

_________________

New Images:

Merging Classic With Cutting Edge for Disney's "Paperman"
http://www.fastcompany.com/3001775/merg ... s-paperman

_________________