Disney Pixars ‘Toy Story’ (1995)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/

Toy Story

The First feature length CGI animation ever to grace the cinema screens, directed by John Lassester.
Released 19th November 1995 USA, 22nd March 1996 UK.

Distribution
Buena Vista.

Production
Budget- $30 Million
Opening Weekend- $119 Million US
Gross Worldwide- $358 Million

Targets from 06.11.09- 12.11.09

-We need to collect the props for our room so that we can start building our set:

-Black cloth for background
- Table prefferably round
- Cutlery
- Fabric Napkins
- Extra props will be borrowed from home

We hope to borrow as much of the props as possible from college; however we will be buying things such as:

-Food
-Tea-light candlesTage

Prduction Log 05.11.09

Today i took my research into the next step, i have started looking at film posters and how they are used to attract and engage an audience. It has been interesting and a new step into the media industry for me, film posters are interesting in that they have such power in normally and average size. The examples i looked at used a few different techniques to attract it’s audience, The Dark Knight poster used the idea of fear to bring it’s audience together. The poster had a strong relation to terror which has a strong meaning in the US, it’s a strange and very controversial. One thing i shall remember when creating my poster is mode of address, I’ve always been under the impression that you should use a direct mode of address but when looking at posters and pictures with this in use you tend to get a very unnerving picture. I’ve learnt today that keeping an indirect mode of address for your primary image will avoid this, but with secondary subjects it will add more effect to use a direct stance.
Camera angle and stance can create massive connotations for the poster, If the subject leans in it can create the impression of anger and action. It’s very evoking and makes the subject look as though they are having a fight. A camera that is angled up will make the subject look bigger more powerful and important.

I feel i have made a good start to my research and shall follow it up with more extensive in look when i come to making the the poster.

Film Posters



The Dark Knight was one of the most renowned films From 2008, From looking at the poster it’s easy to see that the image is completely focused on the image. The picture featured in the poster is what is used to sell, this is the main attraction and is recognizable to most people who see the poster. The name with the Batman logo behind it is also another main symbol for the poster, it’s very iconic and will be acknowledged worldwide. The 3 things caught at first glance are the image, the title and the date. This is what the creator and production team are aiming to achieve, it;s a well known fact that the viewer of this poster will only see it for a maximum of 3 seconds, so they need to be able to get the audience to know the important parts in that time.
The image creates a massive impression for the target audience its is very different to previous Batman posters, there is a sense of evil and darkness. This obviously suits the film title and the theme of the film, but this will not be known by an audience unknown to the story and concepts of the movie. A low angle medium shot creates a mass of imposing power felt towards the Batman character, the stance also represents anger and power. The clenched fists and the angled down head puts the audiences view point of his enemy how is seen lower and not as strong as him. The fire in the building has some very dark connotations and to a certain audience, specifically the American audience it will have a large connotation of terror. A tall building burning will have a strong representation to 9/11 and may cause some distress for some people. The reason i feel this was used is to bring home the idea of a ’saviour’. Batman has always been one of the most realistic super heroes and it’s as though the producers are playing of this fact, it’s as though they want him to seem more real and idealistic. They have reflected this by using a direct link to an major terrorist attack which is recognized worldwide, so people will relate the disaster to the poster and see the character as a savior to a real event.
When you take a longer glance at the poster, the actors names are the second most predominant thing on the poster, stars and their representation are something that can sell a film, so this will be another thing the producers with want the audience to notice.
When it comes to making my poster i know have a starting line and a decent outline to what is most important, i shall focus mainly on getting an image fit for the poster. This picture will have to be challenging and a good relation to the theme of the film. We are looking for romance as our theme so this will definitely need to be reflected in our poster. Star names and release dates aren’t decided but they will be included in our poster as this is a standard feature of a poster. The one thing I’ve noticed with this poster is it’s impact, it’s a very powerful image and carries a very powerful message, this will get it noticed and it did. The film has made over $1 Billion dollars and is most of the most successful films of all time.

This is another example of a film poster. The main content here being, Image, title and then date. The image creates a representation for the film very easily, so again another example of the primary image and the impact it has on viewer and the impression you get on the film.

This poster has a strong denotation of strength power and anger, there’s a strong interaction with the audience in the image, The main character is leaning in and engaging the audience. The other two characters are using a direct mood of address interacting the audience with the film and the poster.

Time Managment

So far as we’ve progressed with our project well, i have taken a fair amount of time into consideration for the research. I think i might have spent a little to much on this part of the project but i have always thought that the more you understand about the area you are studying and the medium you are creating the better it will be.
We are looking into progressing further into our creation soon, we need to set up the room and get out setting and location sorted. Props are also something we need to continue to work with. At the minute time management isn’t brilliant we were held back by the lack of equipment but now we this we shall be continuing with production.

Disney Pixars- ‘UP’

UP
Distributed by- Buena Vista
American release- 29th of May 2009

Directed by Pete Docter and the Pixar team

Budget- $175 Million
World wide marketing budget- $150 million

Gross (as of 25th oct 2009)
Domestic- $293 million
Foriegn- $214 million
Worldwide- $507 million

Opening Weekend

The fil totaled a release of nearly 4,000 cinemas in the US and grossed $70 million.

Reviews Advertising and Promotions
(summary)

One of the main achievements and most highlighted success of the launch of this film, was its airing at ‘The Cannes Film Festival’ Disney Pixar creation ‘Up’ was the first ever animation to open the festival. This is a massive achievement for the animation teams and directors, a new step in the world of feature-length CGI. John Lassester the creative mid working alongside most of the films, is now credited for another step in the world of CGI. John Lassesters influence on animation in my opinion is massive productive and revolutionary. This is what in my opinion makes him and Auteur in the film industry. He has taken the use of CGI animation from the likes of ‘The adventures of Andre and Wally B’, to Toy Story the worlds first feature-length CGI animation. Now obviously Disney had been around for years creating animations, but this market was getting stagnant and out dated, the films were becoming conventional and repetitive. Pixar to animation to a new level, and now are rewarded with the opportunity to open one of the most renowned film festivals across the world.

Review
http://www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/lifestyle/79951/review-disney-pixar-s-up.aspx

5/5

“WHILE Disney Pixar seems to have lost some ground to Dreamworks in recent years, the studio’s tenth computer animated release, Up, puts them back on top of their game.

Up tells the story of Carl Frederickson (Edward Asner), an old man who – as a boy – idolised an heroic and intrepid adventurer. Whilst out adventuring in his neighbourhood he meets another would-be adventurer, the goofy Ellie.

The first act of the movie is a whistle-stop tour of Carl and Ellie’s lives as they grow up together, fall in love and marry.

With your cinema seat barely warm, however, things turn less rosy for the couple as their dreams of world exploration fade, they succumb to the ravages of age and are eventually separated as Ellie dies.

Carl becomes something of a shut-in, and as developers begin building around the couple’s lifelong home – pestering him to give it up for a place in retirement home ‘Shady Oaks’, Carl gives in and agrees to move out in the morning.

Mementos of his life with Ellie and their dreams of exploration prompt him into action though, and with the bulldozers at the gates - Carl pulls the rug from under their feet as hundreds of helium-filled balloons emerge from the roof, lifting the house from its foundations and carrying Carl off for the adventure he and his love had dreamed of.

Accompanied by scaredy-cat and would-be do-gooder boy scout Russell (Jordan Nagai), the two set off in their helium propelled house to South America – the place where Ellie had always wanted to explore.

As you’d imagine their adventure features enough colourful characters, talking animals and hi-jinx to keep kids and parents alike interested for the film’s 96 minute run-time.

After the film’s romantic, albeit tragic opening, what follows is hugely uplifting and often hilarious.

Once again Pixar impress with beautifully rendered characters and landscapes. The character design is as fresh as ever, with Carl having more than just a passing resemblance to the house he seeks to defend so fervently.

The visuals are complemented by superb voice acting and a suitably Disney score.

In a time when movie studios seem oblivious to the short attention spans afforded to children, Up is merciful in pace and length.

With half term approaching, Up is a perfectly cheery and funny film for the kids and charming and sensitive enough to capture older audience members’ interest.”

CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT INTERNET AND HOW ITS USED TO ADVERTISE. AND SYNERGY.

Actors, Locations and Costumes.

In further planning of the film i have looked into ways of handling my actors, locations and costumes. With our film it’s only really the location that is a major issue, the film only contains 2 actors for a maximum of about 10 seconds and still, this particular part is still in planning and may not be included. Again with costumes, there isn’t much we really need to plan other than set design and mise en scene. If we do decide to include actors they will be dressed in a ’smart casual’ manor, nothing to smart and nothing to tacky. The reason we have decided this is mainly due to the mise en scene and overall setting, it will fit with the style of the location having them dressed fairly smart.
The location was a major issue to get around in the beginning we had a very good idea of what we wanted, we just weren’t sure where could actually do it. We had the idea from the start of having a dark, low lit room room with a table set up for a romantic meal but finding somewhere to create this was a problem. We did eventually find a small room at college that we have been given permission to use as our setting, we are planning to place black sheets all around the room to counter the white walls and create a darker more romantic setting. With this room now available we feel confident that we can create the setting and mise en scene we aimed for. We still have some props to purchase to make this room into the location we aim for but we were well aware from the start that our budget may prove to be an issue.

The Adventures of Andre and Wally B

But you were a lone animator in a world of programmers.
Yeah, the computer animation world at that time was primarily in university research labs. It was mostly TV commercials and mostly quite awful.

Everything was made of stone and glass and very reflective and all that, because most of the stuff being done was by people who’d created the software. I thought to myself, ‘You know what? I can make an object move around and give it personality and emotion through pure movement.’

I thought our powers were complementary, that I wasn’t gonna learn what they can do. I’d just sit next to them and co-operate! That became, I think, the single things that set Lucasfilm and Pixar apart: the idea of making tools for filmmakers to use.

Because there’s no software solution for entertainment; it comes from people, from the artists who uses it. So from the very, very beginning I really viewed the computer as just a tool for artists to use.

That logic presumably fuelled your first project, The Adventures Of André And Wally B?
Yeah. It became the first real animation that the computer had ever done – there were some attempts before by other people – but Andre & Wally was very cartoony, and people loved that.

I remember one guy, who worked with a computer graphics company, coming up to me after a screening to ask what software I used to get the humour in!

It really brought home to me how much it was seen as science at the time. No one realised that there were these animation principles that had been developed for like 50 years and I became something of an evangelist, speaking at animation festivals and at computer animation conferences on how computers are just tools you can use to entertain an audience.

This small extract from an interview with John Lasseter details the very start in Computer Generated Imagery, there was obviously examples of CGI in previous films but nothing had every been created purely using CGI. The animation was made in 1984 and to my knowledge was the first short film made using entirely CGI. It was made by Lassester for boy and although the film scared his son, it became revolutionary in the way the film industry viewed computers, technology and it’s potential uses in films. This is a perfect example for my project and my research, this is the proof that John Lassester changed animation, creating a new style. Lassester never stopped dreaming and always pushed with the idea of making a feature length animation.
In my opinion this was one of the main stepping stones in the development of CGI and how it was viewed. A development that was under main control and inspired by Lassester with the help from the team at Lucas film. This is a key aspect to the reason i believe that Lassester is an Auteur.

Key Details:
The idea and direction was done by Alvy Ray Smith
Animation was done by John Lassester
Tom Duff contributed in the technical lead. This was the man who designed the animation program ‘MD’ Motion Doctor

This Short film was groundbreaking at the time, it was the first film to use CG motion blur, creating a more realistic look for motion in animation. And at the time is was the recognized for it’s complex 3D backgrounds. According to Wikipedia Lasseter was known to push the envelope and asked for manipulated shapes able to achieve the squash and stretch style. This was a new angle seen as earlier CG models were basic stable geometric shapes, that were rigid and and constricted.
It was rendered on a Cray X-MP/48 supercomputer and ten VAX-11/750 super minicomputers from Project Athena.

Sources:

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/interview-john-lasseter/page:6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Andr%C3%A9_and_Wally_B.

Production Log 15.10.09

Today i looked a little further into my target audience and existing media, i have discovered from my research that my video will fit into the ‘Viral media’ style short video, it contains many of the same qualities and ideologies of other short films show on the main community i shall be looking to reach, youtube. I have taken a lot of useful information which i shall apply into the thought of my film from today’s session, i have looked into some of the statistic of youtube and how the viewer figures are broken down. This has given me a good idea of what i will be approaching with the film. ‘Community’ and the concept of online virtual communities is key to the the film, knowing hows these communities work will allow me to understand what angles to approach and how to attract my audience. This is something i shall investigate further.

Treatment.

« Newer Older » September 16, 2009 • 2:26 am Treatment What if your romantic meal wasn’t just romantic for you?… A stop-motion animation based on a romantic dinner for two, however instead of the couple being the focus,the cutlery, meal and other objects on the table are the main focus, using these utensils we will create the romantic essence. Using stop-motion we will be able to tell a story through the movement of the objects on the table showing the romance there instead of between the couple. The story will develop as we follow all the different objects on the table creating the romance in the scene. The main examples are the salt and pepper pots dancing, the knife buttering the bread and many other things. We aim to keep the film looking classic and romantic and avoid all cheesy/corny elements. The main characters will be our props and the film will focus on the salt and pepper pots, these will dance, hug and create a story and emotion for the viewer.
The setting will be kept simple, we will film entirely on the table using all objects as props and a setting. We aim to create a low lit romantic setting, candle light and 3 point light to keep visibility. The film will be between 3-5 minutes each second of the film will contain approximately 24 images, this is the standard for most films and stop motion should contain the same. The genre will be mostly romantic, we will try to avoid comedy as this could make it seem slightly tacky. The mood and overall feel to the film is to create a positive reaction from the audience getting the ‘Aww’ reaction is something we mainly trying to achieve.
The main movement in the film will be from the salt and pepper pots, following them dance around the table, distancing and the rejoining. We will also use the same effect with the food, knives and forks and wine glasses, as well as many other utensils. We aim to create a fluent motion in the film, taking influence from many old black and white romantic dance scenes.
In terms of mise en scene the main colour theme will be black and white, keeping some red to keep the impression of passion and love. Keeping with the theme of a classic film we have opted with 50’s style music, Taking influence in the film from artists such as Nat King Cole and Frank Sinartra.
Equipment will be a DSLR camera, a canon 500D keeping video available to use as well. 3 point to get the best mood and setting and we shall be using tripods and other equipment surrounding those 2 main aspects. Editing will take place in final cut pro, we would like to edit in I-Stop motion but we don’t have the available budget to obtain this software, in terms of overall budget we are limiting to around £25. This will be used to buy most of our props, for example the table covers and black cloth to create the setting.