Current Slate of WDAS

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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

SWillie! wrote:You're right, but I think both of us were speaking in broader terms - not just ourselves, but more the general public. Back when all this information wasn't released before a movie, each new Disney film that was released was an "event" for everyone. It's not like that anymore, just because the market is so flooded with animation and previews and featurettes and all kinds of marketing. So by the time the movie comes out, for everyone except for us hardcore fans, it's just like... "oh hey another movie came out. Meh."
I really don't think that the reason Disney movies are not an "event" anymore is because previews, featurettes or concept art are available on the Internet. There is not much information released on T.V (which is still the most wide-spread medium) until a couple of months before the release and I highly doubt that the general public cares about or searches for info about upcoming Disney movies on the net in order to feel saturated by the time the film is released.

I think that these are the feelings of us fans and not the general public's. Instead of first seeing the trailer of an upcoming Disney movie in theatres or on our VHS cassettes with the film being released a few months later which kept our enthusiasm for the movie alive and vibrant, now we follow a movie from inception to final release while scrutinizing every new detail in between. This is what has become frustrating and tiresome and that's why some of us end up completely losing any enthusiasm left by the time the film is finally released.

But this is what we as fans may experience and I really don't think that's what the general public experiences. And again, we could avoid this but I guess curiosity gets the better of us because information is now so easily accessible. In the 90s we did not have easy access to this kind of information and we couldn't learn more even if we wanted to.
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KubrickFan
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Post by KubrickFan »

I definitely try to, with any release, not to know too much about it beforehand. For example, with Inception, I didn't feel the need to actually watch the trailers, or promos or whatever, since I knew I wanted to see it. And since a lot of trailers tend to be disappointing, I'd rather go in completely lacking any information than already knowing so many bits from trailers, tv-spots and everything.
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Post by Semaj »

Sotiris wrote:I really don't think that the reason Disney movies are not an "event" anymore is because previews, featurettes or concept art are available on the Internet. There is not much information released on T.V (which is still the most wide-spread medium) until a couple of months before the release and I highly doubt that the general public cares about or searches for info about upcoming Disney movies on the net in order to feel saturated by the time the film is released.
No, or else Tangled would've underperformed from already being too widespread on the Internet. The movie is now on DVD and can be downloaded online, but the movie did respectably well in the box office, and is still showing in some cheap cinemas.
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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

Semaj wrote:No, or else Tangled would've underperformed from already being too widespread on the Internet. The movie is now on DVD and can be downloaded online, but the movie did respectably well in the box office, and is still showing in some cheap cinemas.
I think you might have misinterpreted my argument. I actually agree with you. I've said that whether a lot of info (featurettes, artwork etc) is available online or not that does not constitute a factor in a film's commercial success or failure.
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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

This has been already posted in the 'Tangled' thread, but I've decided to post it here as well:
Greno and Howard are currently in the process of developing an original Disney film, but the two couldn’t reveal much more information than that — and it’s not because they have been sworn to secrecy.

“We’re not even being secretive about it,” Greno said, referring to the new movie. “The thing is, this time, it’s not a classic story that we’re taking and turning into a film. It’s an original idea, it’s an original world and it has original characters. So, we’re just figuring it all out. Ever since ‘Tangled’ got done, we’ve been working on it and it changes almost week to week. We’re always adding new things. What I can tell everyone is it’s a giant action movie. It has a lot of suspense and it’s a lot of fun. It’s also funny — the characters are going to be hilarious.
“This is kind of new information that we haven’t really told the press yet, but the studio has asked us to do a ‘Tangled’ short,” Greno said. “Based on the success of the film, they want to see more of the characters.

“We have come up with a story for a short that we believe is great and really funny,” he added. “Again, it’s kind of a big action short. It’s all the stuff you loved from the movie kind of packed into this little five- or six-minute short. It’s going to be a good time. Maximus, Pascal and everybody, they are all back.”

Greno said the “Tangled” short should be completed by the end of the year but he doesn’t know when it will be released.
Source: http://www.wdtimes.com/features/screen_ ... mode=story
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Post by Sotiris »

At Walt Disney Animation Studios the morale is better, but then, the people with bad outlooks were cut loose a while back so it's not surprising. There are several projects in development, and directors will be pitching new movie ideas to Mr. Lasseter when he comes down from Emeryville.

A staffer informed me that my speculation about Reboot Ralph going into production earlier because its release got moved up was wrong. I was told that Reboot's production schedule and production start dates (with attendant hiring) are pretty much the same as before.
Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... bouts.html
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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

Steve Hulett wrote:Yesterday I was tripping through Walt Disney Animation Studios, where animation continues on Prep and Landing Deux and development work rolls along on Reboot Ralph as it eases toward full-bore production. (Other features are in development, with more waiting to be pitched to Mr. Lasseter.)
Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... where.html

Kirill: What’s next for Claire Keane? Anything exciting you can share with us?

Claire: I am hoping someday to find the time to work on my own personal project. As for right now though, I’m having a lot of fun working with some wonderful people: Chris Buck (director of Tarzan and Surf’s Up) and Mike Giaimo (art director of Pocahontas) on a really fun and whimsical film. Mike has such a bold personal style and I am so excited to help get that style onto the screen.
Source: http://www.pushing-pixels.org/2011/05/0 ... keane.html
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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

Floyd Norman wrote:Good news from Disney animation. They're still in business after all, and a new slate of animated films have been rolled out. Goody!
Source: http://twitter.com/#!/floydnorman
Steve Hulett wrote:I'm informed that WDAS is hiring for "Reboot Ralph." Supervisor told me hiring was imminent a while back.
Anonymous wrote:Based off of what I've heard from employees there, the studio is really trying to create something new instead of a resurrection of the "Disney Renaissance". They are looking for quality, not quantity. Most of the new employees coming in are in the "Talent Development Program" in areas including animation, story, visual effects, and clean-up.

However they're taking things a bit slower than in the past. Things are moving slow but I've gotten the impression that the stuff they're working on are very challenging/of high quality. The existing projects are in very early in development so I don't know what are the stories exactly.
Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... izing.html
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Post by DisneyAnimation88 »

Thanks for the information, it's good to see that things seem to be progressing at Disney in terms of future animated films.
We're not going to Guam, are we?
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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

Stevie Wermers-Skelton wrote:We've still got another two or three months of work left to do on 'Naughty Vs. Nice'. We hope to wrap animation by July. And then we'll need to record the score and do post production. By the way, just like we did with the first 'Prep and Landing' back in 2009, we're talking about screening 'Naughty Vs. Nice' for D23 members in August at the D23 Expo.
Source: http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief ... short.aspx
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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

Steve Hulett wrote:At Walt Disney Animation Studios, there will be pitch and story reel sessions for Mr. Lasseter in the next few weeks as he comes off the 'Cars 2' bandwagon.
Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... ities.html
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Sotiris
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Post by Sotiris »

Untitled Road...
http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2011/ ... -road.html
A lot has been happening in the Hat Building over the past six months...

After all, at the end of last year saw the release of "Tangled," which was a huge film for the studio. Not only did it relieve a bit of pressure to perform by the Disney animators, it also made way for a lot of projects to move further into development. Many have complained that there wasn't much in development over the past few years, causing many an animator/artist to get a layoff notice.

I am happy to tell you that that is not the case now. Of course, the development slate is nowhere near as large as DreamWorks Animation, which has a very large and long list of projects, but it is getting fattened up, and it's still growing.

First off, we know that Walt Disney Animation Studios next film is the hand-drawn sequel "Winnie the Pooh," which comes out as counter programing to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2." But where does the road take us after that?

Well, come 2012 we know that Rich Moore's "Wreck-It Ralph" will be the studios' animated offering. I hear that the project is very different from the last few films, but still shares the same, Disney heart. If some of the hysterically dark scenes I heard make it though the cut then this one will get an unusually rare, PG13 rating for the 52nd animated feature from Disney Animation. But we'll have to wait and see what final form it arrives in.

As of 2013, the next project to be moving down the pipeline is newly re-envisioned "King of the Elves," which has been chugging along under the direction of Chris Williams (something we reported exclusively last year). The storyboarding has been going on, new scenes are being written and the story structure is being tightened up. This CG animated feature should tentatively arrive during the holidays unless a kink in the production process pops up. I've heard many people asking if rumors of it being out of development were true and from what I know, it has continually been moving forward since last year.

Now for 2014, it gets a little murkier, as these projects are in a more fluid state of development, so changes could happen. But as of now, this is what you are likely to see.

Based on the current state of projects, a CG version of "Snow Queen" directed by Chris Buck is likely to see release sometime during the year. The story structure problems that popped up in the last hand-drawn version seem to be ironed out and storyboarding has moved forward with Chris' unique take on the material. And for those of you wondering if it'll be faithful to the original story? I can only say that it'll be as faithful to it as the Mouse was to "The Little Mermaid." Presuming that another film gets released that year, it is likely to be the new hand-drawn film from John Musker and Ron Clements. And no, I'm not talking "Mort" as the rights to that would have required the Mouse to purchase the entire series, which it didn't want to commit to. So this new project is something else that the duo has pitched Lasseter. All that is known, is that it will be hand-drawn.

After that, in the 2014/2015 range will be the untitled project coming from Nathan Greno & Bryon Howard's. Not much is known about this film, but the duo hit it off on "Tangled" and have apparently pitched a project that Lasseter thinks will be great. If their project is not ready, then Dean Wellins' project will fill the slot. His is a story that will be very different from the mold we picture Disney animated films and this is a project that is aimed at all those boys that don't like princess movies.

Sometime around this point in the schedule, Don Hall's super secret project may have been greenlit and far enough down the line to be penciled in for a 2015/2016 release. That project, once announced will generate a lot of buzz in certain geek communities, as it's going to surprise a lot of people for what it is and what it's not. But it's in the very early embryonic stage and it depends on how well the project is received upon the presentation that is being prepared for John and Ed.

After that, there are several ideas that are being prepared for pitches which could compete for time on the release slate, but as of now there you have it. It will be interesting seeing how Disney's marketing department deals with some of these titles as they are out of what we normally picture for a Disney film. Even some of the ones you would think are in the classic mold, are really not.

Although several of these films have titles, they are very much temporary ones and are as much in flux as is the schedule itself. The development track expanding in the last year is a very positive step and Lasseter's trust in the talent is also a very reassuring development as well.

The greatest contribution about last years hit is not the box office it generated, but that it may have untangled the restrictions that had been placed on the company's animation future...
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Post by Wonderlicious »

Wreck-It Ralph: I'll need to see more before I make a firm judgement.

King of the Elves: Yes, finally! I was excited about this back when it was first mentioned and announced for 2012, so I'm glad it's back on the schedule for the time being at least.

The Snow Queen: Good to see it back on track, even if it would probably be CG. I'm just hoping that they don't turn it into a mushy love story between the Snow Queen and some random like earlier treatments suggested. The original story is episodic and vague but at its heart is an adventure about the power of friendship and has some wonderful elements that can be enhanced. Even Tangled kept the age dynamic and overall message of the traditional story.

Musker/Clements film: It's good to know they're planning a hand drawn surprise. :) I'm glad to hear the full story for the death of Mort. It seemed a bit stingy for Disney to have shelved a film because they didn't want to pay the rights for a single book; the fact that they would have had to pay for around twenty more that they won't use makes a lot of sense.

Other projects: They all seem intriguing, but we know nothing about them to really make any real remarks. Don Hall's mystery project, though, sounds interesting. I'm just wondering how it could excite certain "geek communities". Is it sci-fi? An adaptation of a fantasy series?
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Post by DisneyJedi »

But it's not fair that Snow Queen has to be CG, especially after they said they'd do a hand-drawn film every two years. :(

Major screw-over, Disney.
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Post by estefan »

Did you not read that they are producing another hand-drawn animated film? It may not be coming in 2013, but they're allowed to be a year off, since they hit a snag with the Mort rights and I would rather they not sacrifice the story and animation by rushing the film.
Wonderlicious wrote:Don Hall's mystery project, though, sounds interesting. I'm just wondering how it could excite certain "geek communities". Is it sci-fi? An adaptation of a fantasy series?
Like I said in the Don Hall thread, my guess is the first DAC to be stop-motion. I think that's something that would generate a lot of buzz among that group.
"There are two wolves and they are always fighting. One is darkness and despair. The other is light and hope. Which wolf wins? Whichever one you feed." - Casey Newton, Tomorrowland
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Post by DisneyJedi »

Well, yes. I don't care HOW long we have to wait, but I don't want Musker and Clements (despite the fact that the animated films that they worked on are great) to be the only guys at Disney willing to pitch any hand-drawn films! :(
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Post by Neal »

These sort of posts are fun and all but kind of fluff - tomorrow every project just posted in that story could be canceled. Obviously, they won't - but Disney keeps changing its slate, adding projects, dropping them, green-lighting pitches, denying others - honestly, until the trailer comes out - I don't care. Because even screenshots and a poster don't mean anything (see: American Dog).

If Snow Queen can match the beauty of Tangled, it'll be fine if it's CG.

Just hope hand drawn doesn't fade again.
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Post by DisneyJedi »

^Especially not permanently. Because I can tell you that a lot of us will be majorly disappointed.
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Post by Neal »

Hey, shouldn't "Home on the Range" already having been 'the last hand drawn Disney film' help soften the eventual blow? :lol:
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Post by Sotiris »

At the Diz
http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... t-diz.html
Steve Hulett wrote:I spent a good part of the afternoon at the Disney Company's hat building, where there's more production happening ...

Wreck-It Ralph is well underway, with 100 staffers (if my informants have their numbers right) now working on the picture. A Chris Buck feature and King of the Elves are also moving briskly along.

Animators practicing the hand-drawn version of the craft are now doing test footage of characters in 2-D versions, although the characters will ultimately be rendered and executed as C.G. when the films are in production. An animator related:

"This is a way for directors to see how the characters move and act before the c.g. versions are built. We can get footage out faster for test purposes. ..."

I got to look at some tests. It will be interesting to see the same characters in their computer graphic mode.

And there is early work on a possible hand-drawn feature taking place, although staff said it's too early to say if it will ultimately get made or not. The most recent example of the craft gets released this weekend.

... "Winnie the Pooh" is the Walt Disney Animation Studios' first journey into the Hundred Acre Wood in more than three decades.

... "We are going to take down 'Harry Potter,' no question," said [producer Peter] Del Vecho ...

I'm sure it will be a horse race over the weekend.
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