Moana

[frankf3]

So it looks like the movie will indeed be animated in the "Paperman" style.

the most exciting project on the slate as far as we're concerned—"Moana," a Polynesian fairytale directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, two genuine Disney legends who directed "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Princess and the Frog." What makes this project even more exciting is that it will be the first feature-length production to utilize the 2D/3D hybridization style that was first exhibited in last year's Academy Award-winning short film "Paperman" (and in the impressively resurrected Mickey Mouse short "Get A Horse," which will play with "Frozen")

source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ ... um=twitter

[DisneyJedi]

So it looks like the movie will indeed be animated in the "Paperman" style.

the most exciting project on the slate as far as we're concerned—"Moana," a Polynesian fairytale directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, two genuine Disney legends who directed "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Princess and the Frog." What makes this project even more exciting is that it will be the first feature-length production to utilize the 2D/3D hybridization style that was first exhibited in last year's Academy Award-winning short film "Paperman" (and in the impressively resurrected Mickey Mouse short "Get A Horse," which will play with "Frozen")

source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ ... um=twitter

Do we know for sure that's how it is? It's still pretty early to know for sure. What I want to know is whether or not this is some kind of trick to get our hopes up, only to shoot them down.

[Sotiris]

So it looks like the movie will indeed be animated in the "Paperman" style.

The Playlist is a very unreliable source. They're the ones who falsely claimed that Musker and Clements' new film is the story of Rumpelstiltskin titled "The Name Change". They actually ran this story as fact based on some anonymous comments they found on the TAG blog.

Regarding their claims about Moana, they simply based that on previous reports and rumors about the project. They don't have any inside information.

[Sotiris]

The film is still planned to be a musical.

[Ron Clements] and longtime writing, directing and producing partner John Musker are in pre-production for their seventh film, an untitled original musical. "We're not sure if this will be our last one," he says during lunch at the company cafeteria. "They take so long and there are a lot of young directors coming up. The bulk of the work is down the line, so we'll see." Now, he and Musker are working on the script, deciding the film's look and considering possible voice talents. It's an exciting time in their world but it's at least four years before the untitled movie will see the light of theaters. [...] When Clements' film gets moved up on the production schedule, his office will move to the second floor where animators, effects artists, writers -- you name it -- fine tune the details.

[...] Clements and Musker had been working on another project after "The Princess and the Frog" but rights problems entered in "and all that went away. We were bummed for a little while and then went back to the beginning and pitched three new ideas." To make sure there wouldn't be a similar problem, they decided to do something original, something not based on a book. "We've been developing this for two years. The projects are a lot of work and they take a lot out of you."

[...] Now, there's even an Oscar given to the year's best animated film. Nominated twice, Clements and Musker say it wouldn't be a bad thing if they won for their next film. But that's not the goal. "Getting here was the goal," Clements says, surveying the office building. "Now, this is home."

Source: http://siouxcityjournal.com/entertainme ... 104b7.html

[thedisneyspirit]

I haven't really been impressed with Menken's stuff lately- Home and the Range and Tangled were pure crap in terms of music. His last good stuff was Enchanted, and even then I doubt he'd use the same type of music for this film.

[Sotiris]

I haven't really been impressed with Menken's stuff lately- Home and the Range and Tangled were pure crap in terms of music.

I beg to differ. The music in Home on the Range is great. Particularly "Will the Sun Ever Shine Again" which is a beautiful, lyrical ballad that really stands out. His work on Tangled is at worst mediocre but that was mostly the result of the directors' instructions. Menken actually wanted to go on a different musical direction with the film.

I honestly don't understand how some people can prefer Mancina over Menken for this project when Mancina's work is severely underwhelming and when Menken has proven himself over and over again with his diverse and versatile body of work.

[DisneyAnimation88]

I honestly don't understand how some people can prefer Mancina over Menken for this project when Mancina's work is severely underwhelming and when Menken has proven himself over and over again with his diverse and versatile body of work.

Because everyone has different opinions.

[Sotiris]

Those of you that read our report will remember that "Moana" was to be late 2018 following the last release of "Giants" in 2016. Well, that has been confirmed. Giants and Moana have official dates. This isn't because of any trouble the productions have, only that Giants has progressed to a point where it has earned an earlier slot. There was a time when Moana was thought to be put ahead of Giants, but the goal is to advance projects as their status changes. Slots open up and slots get moved around. Think of this as solidifying of tentative plans. Ron and John's film is steadily moving along, but it's taking its own sweet time, and the powers that be have decided to give it more time for the story and structure to settle.

Source: http://www.blueskydisney.com/2013/09/giant-steps.html

Steve Hulett: Friday was Disney Animation Studios, where work on Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Giants and Ron and John's Moana continues apace. (When you kick the release schedule up to one animated feature a year, you've got to raise the tempo in the story department. There were a number of meetings going on in the big story conference rooms while I was stumbling around.)

Q: Is Moana going to be in ordinary CG or will it be a hybrid like Paperman?

Steve Hulett: When last I checked, "Moana" was a feature that would have hand-drawn elements/characters in it but would LOOK like a CG feature. This was a long while ago and I haven't paid attention since.

Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... ounds.html

[Disney's Divinity]

I honestly don't understand how some people can prefer Mancina over Menken for this project when Mancina's work is severely underwhelming and when Menken has proven himself over and over again with his diverse and versatile body of work.

I was going to say that. I hate when people say Menken is awful now because of Tangled when the blame for that film’s soundtrack are on the directors and Mandy Moore. And even if Menken were the reason behind a bad soundtrack, I don't consider 1 mess-up to disprove his talent, when nearly everything else he's done for Disney has been near flawless. (I also agree that HOTR has a very good soundtrack--far better than it deserves. Personally, I believe people hate the movie so badly that they dismiss everything involved when the music is fine.)

I don’t really bother thinking about it, because I’m sure Musker/Clements had as little choice of the composer here as they did on TP&TF (which would’ve greatly benefited from a better composer and soundtrack).

[Sotiris]

I think the reason Menken has not been offered another film project is because of Lasseter. I just get the vibe that he doesn't like him and/or his work. He was removed from two films under Lasseter (The Princess and the Frog and Frozen), and was not given a second project after Tangled. Not even the sequel short Tangled Ever After. Every single composer/songwriter who has worked for Lasseter has been given at least a second animated film to work on within the company besides Menken. Coincidence? I think not.

• Danny Elfman: Meet the Robinsons ---> Frankenweenie, Captain Sparky vs. The Flying Saucers

• John Powell: Bolt ----> Super Rhino, Mars Needs Moms

• Henry Jackman: Winnie the Pooh ---> Wreck-It Ralph, Small Fry

• Robert Lopez/Kristen Anderson-Lopez: Winnie the Pooh ---> Frozen

• Jon Brion: Glago's Guest ---> The Blue Umbrella

• Kevin Kliesch: Tangled Ever After ---> Sofia the First

• Christophe Beck: Paperman ---> Frozen

• Joel McNeely: Tinker Bell ---> TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure, TinkerBell and the Great Fairy Rescue, Pixie Hollow Games, Secret of the Wings

• Mark Mancina: Planes ---> Planes: Fire and Rescue, Moana

• Michael Giacchino: 5 Pixar features & 8 shorts ---> How to Hook Up Your Home Theater, Prep & Landing, Operation Secret Santa, The Ballad of Nessie, Naughty vs. Nice

• Randy Newman: 7 Pixar features, Mike's New Car ---> The Princess and the Frog

• Alex Mandel: Mr. Incredible and Pals ---> Your Friend the Rat, Brave

• Patrick Doyle: Brave ---> The Legend of Mor'du

• Thomas Newman: Finding Nemo ---> Wall-E, The Good Dinosaur, Finding Dory

• BT: Tokyo Mater ---> Partysaurus Rex

• Mark Mothersbaugh: Unidentified Flying Mater ---> Heavy Metal Mater, Monster Truck Mater, Mater Private Eye, Moon Mater, Air Mater, Hawaiian Vacation

• Bruno Coon: Mater and the Ghostlight ---> El Materdor, Mater the Greater, Rescue Squad Mater

[Atlantica]

Wow, I kind of always figured that, but never seen it written out like that. Really is true then I guess, there isn't any love lost between the two. Which is a shame, as he has a lot to give. And he formed a vast past of most people's childhoods as well.

Has he been allowed to work on the Aladdin show? He also helped with the reworking of The Little Mermaid songs as well didn't he?

I do miss him at Disney I have to say.

[Sotiris]

With this week's Blu-ray combo release of The Little Mermaid (including 3-D), I had a chance to catch up with co-director John Musker. He looked back at the masterpiece that launched Disney's second renaissance in '89 (the first fairy tale since Sleeping Beauty) and ahead to Moana, his first CG feature with partner Ron Clements: a Polynesian musical, which is part of the third renaissance led by his old CalArts pal, John Lasseter. [...]

For Musker, working in pre-production with Clements on Moana and with guidance from Lasseter, is a continuation of the sincerity and heart that they learned from the Nine Old Men. However, he confirmed that it's far too early to apply the Paperman hybrid technique to a feature. The Meander digital in-betweening interface still has a host of production issues (including color) that need to be perfected.

"In some ways, [Paperman] may be the tip of the iceberg in how there are ways that hand-drawn sensibilities can merge and I think there will be other things that come out that find ways of fusing those."

Meanwhile, Musker looks forward to learning more about CG and making it work for Moana in an illustrative way (Paul Gauguin, anyone?). It's built around the Disney ethos and music will naturally play a strong role. "We both are fans of music and I think that animation and music go along together."

Source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/animationsco ... -and-moana

While the studio doesn't seem to have settled entirely on the look for Moana, this next film from John Musker and Ron Clements, the directors of Treasure Planet and The Little Mermaid, is expected to try some new, ambitious techniques. Remember how Paperman tried a new blend of the hand-drawn and the digital? The artists behind Moana have been playing around with similar, though notably different, cutting edge software and systems, seeing how much is ready for application to a full-length feature. [...]

We’re a long way out from Moana, with its release unlikely to happen before 2018. The look of the film could change an awful lot in the meantime, and that’s always worth bearing in mind. And the story could change too, so for now, I’ll sit on most of the fine detail I have about this film’s narrative. I will tell you, though, that it’s an epic, or even mythic, adventure set around 2000 years ago and across a series of islands in the South Pacific.

The lead character, Moana Waialiki is the only daughter of a Chief in a long line of navigators. She’s really a bit of nerd, but a nerd about sea voyaging, and when her family need her help, she sets off on an epic journey. Some of the other characters are demi-gods and spirits drawn from real mythology.

Source: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/10/12/ ... ure-moana/

[Jules]

Well ... by confirming that the Paperman technique will probably not be ready in time for Moana, Musker has sort of semi-confirmed that it (the technique) hasn't been abandoned either, despite the loss of John Kahrs.

Am I being unnecessarily optimistic?

[DisneyJedi]

Well ... by confirming that the Paperman technique will probably not be ready in time for Moana, Musker has sort of semi-confirmed that it (the technique) hasn't been abandoned either, despite the loss of John Kahrs.

Am I being unnecessarily optimistic?

Not necessarily.

[Disney's Divinity]

With this week's Blu-ray combo release of The Little Mermaid (including 3-D), I had a chance to catch up with co-director John Musker. He looked back at the masterpiece that launched Disney's second renaissance in '89 (the first fairy tale since Sleeping Beauty) and ahead to Moana, his first CG feature with partner Ron Clements: a Polynesian musical, which is part of the third renaissance led by his old CalArts pal, John Lasseter. [...]

I don't consider this a Renaissance, but I don't consider the '50s (with Cinderella, L&tT, etc.) one either, so not sure how they got three. The '90s was the only Renaissance the company has had, imo, while the '50s was a repetition of Snow White-Dumbo and the current era is a repetition of the '90s.

[unprincess]

well, you can definitly say we're in a Renaissance financially...
artistically though, Im not so sure....

[Disney's Divinity]

Cinderella, etc. also did well financially.

[TsWade2]

With this week's Blu-ray combo release of The Little Mermaid (including 3-D), I had a chance to catch up with co-director John Musker. He looked back at the masterpiece that launched Disney's second renaissance in '89 (the first fairy tale since Sleeping Beauty) and ahead to Moana, his first CG feature with partner Ron Clements: a Polynesian musical, which is part of the third renaissance led by his old CalArts pal, John Lasseter. [...]

For Musker, working in pre-production with Clements on Moana and with guidance from Lasseter, is a continuation of the sincerity and heart that they learned from the Nine Old Men. However, he confirmed that it's far too early to apply the Paperman hybrid technique to a feature. The Meander digital in-betweening interface still has a host of production issues (including color) that need to be perfected.

"In some ways, [Paperman] may be the tip of the iceberg in how there are ways that hand-drawn sensibilities can merge and I think there will be other things that come out that find ways of fusing those."

Meanwhile, Musker looks forward to learning more about CG and making it work for Moana in an illustrative way (Paul Gauguin, anyone?). It's built around the Disney ethos and music will naturally play a strong role. "We both are fans of music and I think that animation and music go along together."

Source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/animationsco ... -and-moana

If this movie is going to be in CG,.....so be it. This is just sad that Clement and Musker won't do any hand drawn animated movies anytime soon. Just saying.

[thedisneyspirit]

Can it actually be considered a Renassaince already? PATF underperformed and Pooh flopped, and we still have to see how well Frozen does...

Two films can't be "a New Renassaince"- especially since neither Tangled nor Ralph have the Beauty and the Beast-syndrome on the media (everybody loved it, nomination at Oscars, changed the view of Disney, yada yada)

[TsWade2]

Can it actually be considered a Renassaince already? PATF underperformed and Pooh flopped, and we still have to see how well Frozen does...

Two films can't be "a New Renassaince"- especially since neither Tangled nor Ralph have the Beauty and the Beast-syndrome on the media (everybody loved it, nomination at Oscars, changed the view of Disney, yada yada)

I wouldn't called it a renaissance, and The Princess & the Frog should of been a box office hit if it weren't for those stupid little boys and that stupid chipmunk sequel. If The Princess & the Frog should of been a box office hit, none of this would of happen. If I hear someone say The Princess & the Frog is a flop, I would get furious and more upset.