Non-Disney animation thread

taboo

Did you know that Frozen was originally intended to be traditionally animated?

yep but look! It was made into 3d and became the best selling animated movie of all time!

And then Disney laid off a bunch of their best traditional animators like Eric Goldberg, which is definitely a GOOD SIGN 2d is making a revival

edit: hm i cant find the article about Eric after double checking, but I did find other articles about firing their 2d senior animators. So maybe they still have him stashed away in a corner working on mickey mouse shorts

Er- sorry for sarcasm but I think people put too much value on the 'feature film' format. It's just 120 minutes of the same thing that has to be super marketable to kids or else hardworking people lose their jobs

Rebecca

@taboo:

yep but look! It was made into 3d and became the best selling animated movie of all time!

And then Disney laid off a bunch of their best traditional animators like Eric Goldberg, which is definitely a GOOD SIGN 2d is making a revival

edit: hm i cant find the article about Eric after double checking, but I did find other articles about firing their 2d senior animators. So maybe they still have him stashed away in a corner working on mickey mouse shorts

Er- sorry for sarcasm but I think people put too much value on the 'feature film' format. It's just 120 minutes of the same thing that has to be super marketable to kids or else hardworking people lose their jobs

I hope 2d animation isn't lost forever. I mean, look at how gorgeous "Atlantis" was. Not to mention this:

and these:

Below Average

@taboo:

hm i cant find the article about Eric after double checking, but I did find other articles about firing their 2d senior animators. So maybe they still have him stashed away in a corner working on mickey mouse shorts

I know that he was the lead animator on the Get A Horse short a couple years back and lead animator for Rabbit in the 2011 Winnie the Pooh movie. Not sure what he's working on these days. I remember seeing an interview with him talking about Disney layoffs but also can't seem to find it. I hope he's still around, though, I love Eric Goldberg.

taboo

@Rebecca:

I hope 2d animation isn't lost forever. I mean, look at how gorgeous "Atlantis" was. Not to mention this:

and these:
http://i.imgur.com/uhax2fJ.jpg

those are pretty but 2d is still really much alive in independent animated shorts

some of these are nsfw btw

!

!

!

!

! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnm19–Ic9E
!

even if all you look up is student films from Goeblins or Calarts, you're still gonna find some really deep and striking work.

check out Urbance or The Reward kickstarters

CosmicDebris

@Below:

I'm, personally, indifferent on the matter. I've no real bias towards traditional animation or CGI. But Hullabaloo looks interesting, even if it doesn't get picked up and remains a collection of shorts.

Yep, be sure to support if you can! It's cool not just because it's 2D.

Outerspec

Frankly speaking of course it doesn't matter if the movie is 2D or 3D as long as it's good , but for lack of a better word I do think it would be "cool" for a 2D animated film to be the next big hit. It't's not going to happen of course, at least not with the current market, but I am interested in films like Hullabaloo because they're trying and it's not a bad thing.

Gokuyuske

Speaking of beautiful 2D animation…has anyone seen Song of the Sea yet? I'm super interested because of how incredible the animation in Secret of Kells was.

Outerspec

@Gokuyuske:

Speaking of beautiful 2D animation…has anyone seen Song of the Sea yet? I'm super interested because of how incredible the animation in Secret of Kells was.

Well…now I have to see Secret of Kells. Then I'll get back to you on Song of the Sea.

Below Average

I've been meaning to look into Song of the Sea. Secret of Kells was a fantastic movie (I still hum the song Aisling sings to Pangur Ban when I'm doing chores around the house) and I'm curious to see how the company's second film turned out.

Gokuyuske

@Outerspec:

Well…now I have to see Secret of Kells. Then I'll get back to you on Song of the Sea.

Definitely check it out. All hand-drawn in the vein of the actual Book of Kells.

Robby

Secret of Kells actually kinda bored me. It looked and sounded great, and all the stuff with the forest girl was cool… but the whole thing was very slowly paced and I felt like it wasn't until the very end of the film that the story was actually starting. I ultimately felt the trailer pretty much covered everything worth seeing... but then I know other people who have absolutely loved it. So...

Wow, I haven't heard the term "Selkie" in like, 20 years.

Below Average

I'm guilty of being one of those who absolutely loved the movie.

I'm also much more interested in Song of the Sea now, knowing that one of the main characters is a Selkie. That's freaking awesome.

Nobodyman

So is anyone familiar at all with this?

I just discovered this day and I have no clue if it's any good or not (it's pretty obscure, but what few reviews I have found have said good things), but the trailer really sells it for me.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1891845/

KageKageKing

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/04/live-actioncg-rats-of-nimh-movie-in-the-works
I remember that.

CosmicDebris

^ I just heard about that. Not sure what to think now, I really liked the old 2D movie a lot.

Robby

Well, the Don Bltuh film actually strayed pretty far from the book, so its not impossible there's another good version of the story to tell.

That said, we're no doubt going to get wisecracking rats with attitudes and pop culture references with at least one ocmic relief bumbler, so… probably not much point hoping for anything, especially with the people attached that are attached.

Below Average

the movie adaptation will be done as a live-action/CGI hybrid, à la The Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks. The site adds that the film will be "an origin story in which an imperiled mouse protagonist befriends a comical crew of lab rats

These statements make me afraid of an abundance of pop culture references and toilet humor.

Going past my own negative expectations, a new look on the story of NIMH could be interesting. I've never read it but I've heard that the book didn't have the magical elements present in the Don Bluth film. I'd be curious to see a version of the story that dealt primarily with the nature versus technology aspect. That is, if they plan to make a more faithful adaptation.

Robby

I think "comical crew of lab rats" pretty much destroys most hope out the gate.

CosmicDebris

@Robby:

I think "comical crew of lab rats" pretty much destroys most hope out the gate.

Ugh…Yeah, that sounds terrible.

Satsuki

@Robby:

I think "comical crew of lab rats" pretty much destroys most hope out the gate.

. . . . . . . nope, not seeing it.

Below Average

Hyper-intelligent comical lab rats.

Which means they can use Twitter and "Get Jiggy With It"

(Yeah, don't know why I was trying to stay so positive about something that will, almost certainly, be a disaster.)

Satsuki

sigh No, trying to be positive is fine. But this was a project from the beginning that I was probably going to steer clear of.

Gizmo

So I know Dreamworks Trailers are notoriously bad, but is anybody excited for Home? I'm not, but Dreamworks really needs a win right now, and I feel like Home is the final nail in the coffin.

Robby

@Gizmo:

So I know Dreamworks Trailers are notoriously bad, but is anybody excited for Home? I'm not, but Dreamworks really needs a win right now, and I feel like Home is the final nail in the coffin.

It looks like an uninspired version of Invader Zim or Lilo and Stitch. And despite them going "from the guys that brought you Croods and HTTYD" they mean the producers, not the directors or writers… and they don't have Chris Sanders on it, so I really don't care.

Also its got the Big Bang Theory guy as one of the leads and he annoys the hell out of me, so...

KageKageKing

I knew that voice was familiar.

Nobodyman

The thing about Home is that I kept seeing it on their list of upcoming films and waiting to see it in some big teaser trailer.

And then about a week ago I saw an ad for it on TV and thought, "Oh, so this is finally coming out now? Okay. It doesn't really look that interesting."

EDIT: Is this really the only film they have planned for 2015? Damn.

Green_vs_Red

@Robby:

It looks like an uninspired version of Invader Zim or Lilo and Stitch. And despite them going "from the guys that brought you Croods and HTTYD" they mean the producers, not the directors or writers… and they don't have Chris Sanders on it, so I really don't care.

Also its got the Big Bang Theory guy as one of the leads and he annoys the hell out of me, so...

Maybe Rihanna will save the movie…....said no one ever.

Daz

I keep forgetting Home exists, and the only thing that stuck with me from the trailer was a joke about drinking piss.

Not terribly excited.

Ubiq

I'm thinking Home is just going to be the latest in a long string of underwhelming performances by a Dreamworks film.

@Nobodyman:

EDIT: Is this really the only film they have planned for 2015? Damn.

B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations was supposed to come out this year but was delayed. I'm thinking R.I.P.D. being a massive bomb probably had a lot to do with that.

Satsuki

@Robby:

Also its got the Big Bang Theory guy as one of the leads and he annoys the hell out of me, so…

Who? Sheldon? I love Sheldon.

Nobodyman

Outerspec

The first movie was surprisingly good for me. Admittedly my expectations were very low, but no, I just really enjoyed it.

Cyborg009

@Nobodyman:

i found this enjoyably funny. Plus…Mel Brooks is gonna be in it. bonus points!

Gizmo

That preview gives me hope it'll be good. Hotel Transylvania 2 I mean. Still not feeling Home at all.

Ubiq

http://www.slashfilm.com/genndy-tartakovsky-popeye-exit/

Ehhhh… I dunno how I feel about this. The test reel looked too spastic for my tastes but I'm afraid that, if it gets made, they'll hand it off to somebody who doesn't love the characters nearly as much as he does.

Satsuki

Hotel Transylvania was amazing. Hotel Transylvania 2 has Mel Brooks. This will be awesome.

Gokuyuske

Finally managed to catch Song of the Sea (it's not showing in too many places) and it was spectacular. The animation and art were as good as if not better than the Secret of Kells. I could look at the rocks, water and plants in the movie for an hour and a half and be thoroughly entertained. The lore and myth behind the plot were also fantastic. It's a great movie and anyone who enjoys animation owes it to themselves to check it out.

I recall Robby mentioning that he got a little bored during Secret of Kells and while I didn't feel that way myself I can see where he was coming from. This movie definitely moves along at a fast clip and is driven much more strongly by events.

Oh and this one is a lot more grounded in the "real world" despite its mythological awesomeness and manages to really hit home emotionally

Below Average

I recently got around to watching Song of the Sea as well and it was an incredible movie. The animation alone was worth it. The whole thing looks like a storybook brought to life; beautifully animated, wonderfully designed, and much more story driven than Secret of Kells.

Cartoon Saloon is two for two in the feature length animated film department.

SunnyBlue

Just watched Song of the Sea. *Warning slightly negative review"
It left me feeling conflicted. I was looking forward to watching it with all the rave review and also the gorgeous animation. With the art alone, it should have been on my top 10 list of favourite animated movie but unfortunately is not. I wasn't left disappointed with the movie but I wasn't blown away by it. It definitely wasn't average either but I don't find it good. _Admittedly, I did feel emotional in some scenes but I get emotional easily._I don't think I'm making much sense.
I even watched the movie twice and I still felt the same way.

! I feel like I have seen a variation of this story before. A younger sibling that is "magical". A father who is upset over the *death of his wife and is trying to protect the younger sibling from her "magical" heritage. A missing mother who is also "magical". An ordinary older sibling who desire is to protect his younger sibling. At the beginning, he didn't want to but he does care for her eventually.
I also went into the movie without knowing anything about the mythology behind it. It was rather confusing. I didn't know what was a selkie until I search it up after the movie has ended. I'm not even sure if the other "fairies" or macha are actual mythology beings or made up.
! There were a lot of things I didn't get either.
Why did the mother left? I remember that as long selkie can sing and have their coat, they should be fine. She was still able to sing and had her coat with her. But her hair still turn white which indicate she's going to die. So, why? At the end of the movie, she looks pretty alive to me!
I know after Macha take the emotions, the people turn to rock. According to one of the fairies, if a selkie sings, it turns them into back normal. When Saoirse sang at the end, only their souls were released. Why?
Also, I don't get the ending sequence. So, all these mythical beings souls are crossing over to the their world or what? Why did Saoirse singing trigger that? Is she the chosen one or something?
What are those tiny lights anyway when Saoirse started playing the shells or started to sing?
I don't know why this movie is confusing to me. Even without subtitles, I should have been able to understand it quite well.
! On the positive side, I did like that Ben progress from a jerk older brother to a responsible and caring one.
I also love the songs and the background sceneries.

Gizmo

The box office baffles me. Home was the best DreamWorks Spring opening weekend since Monsters Vs. Aliens, estimating at $54 million.

Outerspec

The people have spoken. There is absolutely nothing else to watch this weekend so Home it is, but before I really say anything about it I'm going to have to see it myself.

Robby

@Gizmo:

The box office baffles me. Home was the best DreamWorks Spring opening weekend since Monsters Vs. Aliens, estimating at $54 million.

It probably helps that there is literally nothing else out right now that hasn't already been out for several weeks… and not much coming up either till Avengers takes the year.

Ubiq

@Gizmo:

The box office baffles me. Home was the best DreamWorks Spring opening weekend since Monsters Vs. Aliens, estimating at $54 million.

It's been a really dry year at the box office so far; the second half is loaded but there's not any competition for it right now.

Plus they marketed the hell out of this thing; I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if marketing actually exceeded the production budget by a good margin like Turbo did. I think Dreamworks said they spent $170 million promoting that film versus a budget of around $130 million.

Satsuki

@Robby:

It probably helps that there is literally nothing else out right now that hasn't already been out for several weeks… and not much coming up either till Avengers takes the year.

Yeah, Cinderella's been out long enough that it's not enough of a contender to mark it down.

Spring is pretty much dead. We're all waiting for Summer.

Gokuyuske

@Robby:

… and not much coming up either till Avengers takes the year.

That statement makes me Furious very Fast.

Below Average

@Gokuyuske:

That statement makes me Furious very Fast.

I didn't even realize there was another Fast and the Furious movie coming out until it hit theaters.

Honestly, aside from Avengers, Tomorrowland (I would marry Brad Bird's filmography if I could), and Pixar's fare, I can't say I have much interest in this year's upcoming films.

Maybe the Ratchet and Clank movie. Maybe. But that's only because I was a fan of the games.

Robby

Greg Weisman, creator of Gargoyles and showrunner on a bunch of other stuff like Spectacular Spiderman and Young Justice is doing a kickstarter to professionally produce an audio drama version of a book series he's writing.

Its good stuff and with a pedigree of stuff like what he's done, you know it's probably good. Voice acting is already done and paid for out of his own pocket, now its up to mixing and making.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1693681637/rain-of-the-ghosts-full-cast-audioplay?ref=video

Though I can't help but think maybe should have focused on making more books before jumping into the mega audio-play edition but oh well. Lotta talent involved there.

Nitwit

@Robby:

Greg Weisman, creator of Gargoyles and showrunner on a bunch of other stuff like Spectacular Spiderman and Young Justice is doing a kickstarter to professionally produce an audio drama version of a book series he's writing.

Its good stuff and with a pedigree of stuff like what he's done, you know it's probably good. Voice acting is already done and paid for out of his own pocket, now its up to mixing and making.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1693681637/rain-of-the-ghosts-full-cast-audioplay?ref=video

Though I can't help but think maybe should have focused on making more books before jumping into the mega audio-play edition but oh well. Lotta talent involved there.

Ahh! I remember Greg Wiseman…. I never liked him that much. lol Must be a love hate relationship I had with him for some reason? ( ≖n≖)

Robby

For all that I didn't care for some of the stuff he's done, the man has been behind some of the very best animated series to exist over the last 2 decades. It's really hard to argue with the pedigree.

Satsuki

@Robby:

Greg Weisman, creator of Gargoyles and showrunner on a bunch of other stuff like Spectacular Spiderman and Young Justice is doing a kickstarter to professionally produce an audio drama version of a book series he's writing.

Its good stuff and with a pedigree of stuff like what he's done, you know it's probably good. Voice acting is already done and paid for out of his own pocket, now its up to mixing and making.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1693681637/rain-of-the-ghosts-full-cast-audioplay?ref=video

Though I can't help but think maybe should have focused on making more books before jumping into the mega audio-play edition but oh well. Lotta talent involved there.

Awww, for a second I thought you meant he was making audio book for Gargoyles.

But anything Greg Weisman makes is cool.

@Nitwit:

Ahh! I remember Greg Wiseman…. I never liked him that much. lol Must be a love hate relationship I had with him for some reason? ( ≖n≖)

You wanna go at it? cracks knuckles