Caveat Cartoon Sketches Part 3

The sketches continue as we work with a student animator, Matt, from Caveat Cartoons.

Again, we won't give away the character names or story yet, but we want you to enjoy the sketches.







Click here to check out Caveat's full blog post.

- TAE

Merry Christmas from The Animation Empire

Merry Christmas!

FANTASTIC MR. FOX (trailer)

From director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) comes FANTASTIC MR. FOX, based on the book by Roald Dahl. Featuring the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman.



It didn't fair so well...

Release Date: November 13, 2009

Production Budget: $40 million

Domestic Total as of Dec. 6, 2009: $14,084,495

This looks like a sophisticated stop motion style of animation.

What do you know, Fox distributed... Fox.

I think they'll let Wes stick to his quirky comedies from now on.


I'll catch this one on video. =^)

- TAE

Caveat Cartoon Sketches Part 2

The sketches continue as we work with a student animator, Matt, from Caveat Cartoons.

Again, we won't give away the names or story yet, but we want you to enjoy the sketches.



The notes in red are Matt's notes to himself as he teaches himself how to draw and animate. Being able to teach yourself is actually the most important skill of animation.



For example of the imporance of an animator being able to teach himself/herself, Disney and DreamWorks switched from 2D to 3D animation, and those who embraced it had a great future, and those who did not embrace it have not faired so well.

This gap of animators who did not ramp up quickly also left opportunities for brand-new visionary hot shots (like the directors of Bolt) to come in as animators without as much industry experience and go straight to the top.

(It doesn't seem like Bolt was very visionary, but that's because they made amazing 3D animated shorts in school and then directed mroe amazing shorts for Disney and then, as a result, they were brought on to replace the director of Bolt and to clean it up. So they were successful in saving Bolt, and I'm sure once they get a chance to make their own movies from the ground up, that's when we'll see their true genius.)



So anyway, go check out Matt's other illustrations in this round, and follow him as he journals about what he learns through this process:

http://caveatjunk.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html#2896683510116682693

Thanks!

- TAE

Happy Thanksgiving! - Gurkel's Revenge (part 1)

Here is our Thanksgiving animation we made with CartoonKing3!

Gurkel's Revenge (part 1):



Enjoy!

- TAE

The Animation Empire is in cahoots with Caveat Cartoons

We're working closely with Matt at Caveat Cartoons on a new project. No names or story yet, but we want to invite you to enjoy Matt's sketches:







These are some of our favorites. Go see the rest on Matt's blog and join him as he writes about his journey as he learns character illustration:

http://caveatjunk.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html#2007809492801153023

Enjoy!

- TAE

Question: Why is Space Chimps getting a sequel?

Why is Space Chimps getting a sequel?



Space Chimps did $30,105,968 domestically.

That's pretty bad when compared to Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks, who typically get well over $100 million domestically (really depends on the films).

Now Space Chimps cost $37 million to make. So by our normal standards, that's a flop. But that budget is actually super cheap, considering that the big boys spend over $100 million on an animated film. If you keep your costs down, then you don't need as big of a profit to have a "success."

So the first saving grace was that Space Chimps made $34,682,011 in foreign markets, totaling $64,787,979.

That said, not all that goes to the studio (a lot of it goes to the theaters). However, adding DVD sales on top of that, then "Space Chimps" definitely made a healthy profit for the studio.

Plus if they had a sweet script for the sequel, a promise that they can make the effects look better, and point that Andy Samberg is even more popular now than before... then I think they could sell the idea to the studio executives.

================

I think the aliens stuff from the first film was a little too "home video worthy" for a theatrical release, so I hope they have a better script and better alien effects if they venture back out to an alien planet. (Obviously Zartog is back, but he could be invading Earth.)

I think they knew that the alien stuff was the weakness, because it didn't show up in the trailer at all. Just going by the trailer, you actually didn't know that 80% of the movie was on an alien planet.

So I hope they make the script and alien stuff a little more movie-worthy. As for me, I loved the movie, and I thought the actors really did a great job!

Enjoy!

The Emperor

Space Chimps 2?

Is there a Space Chimps 2 coming? Yup. Will Andy be in it? Probably.

Check it out:

http://www.spacechimps3d.com/

http://spacechimps2.com/




Thanks to Anony for the scoop!

===========

Vanguard’s Space Chimps 2 3-D Goes into Production

Los Angeles-based Vanguard Animation is producing a sequel to its 2008 CG-animated feature, Space Chimps. Overseen by animation veteran John Williams (Shrek, Valiant, Happily N’Ever After) the studio is working on the 3-D Space Chimps 2 feature with Fox Home Entertainment, The Animation Picture Company and New Market Capital.

Plans are to release the new feature on DVD in the U.S. in January 2010 and theatrically in select foreign territories in March or April. Mumbai-based Prana Studios is handling the animation. Vanguard presented some of the completed 3-D scenes to buyers at the Cannes Festival this spring. An animated TV series based on the property is also in development.

From:
http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/10461
=========

Go here to find out how they were able to make a sequel (since the orignal didn't do all that well):

http://andysamberg.blogspot.com/2009/10/ask-asb-why-is-space-chimps-getting.html

Enjoy!

Despicable Me - New Trailer

Despicable Me.Release Date: 9 July 2010. A trio of orphan girls cause the normally deplorable Gru to rethink his plan to steal the moon.

Enjoy!

YouTube Tip 14 - How to leave lots of comments on channels

It's been awhile for this category (other than the Q&A one we just did), but we thought of another tip (and one we don't mind giving away). =^)


You can leave as many comments on channels as you want, but...

(1) Every 3 posts you got to type in the letters to prove you're not a bot and

(2) It won't post comments that are similar to your previous comments. So you gotsta vary your words.

Go YouTubers go!!!

- TAE

SNL does Disney's Beauty & the Beast

SNL 10/17/09 - Gerard Butler and Shakira

Sketch: Beauty and the Beast



Beastly is in the eye of the beholder.

Gerard Butler ... Beast
Bill Hader ... Lumiere
Bobby Moynihan ... Cogsworth
Jenny Slate ... Mrs. Potts
Kristen Wiig ... Belle



Kristen really is a Beauty! But apparently she needs a larger hiney to make the freaks happy. =^)

Hahahaha. I love this one! Kristen really makes this funny, and all the actors nail it!

Enjoy!

Disney's Peter and the Wolf (and Sterling Holloway)

I found this classic Disney tale, and I thought I'd share it with yoU!

Peter and the Wolf was released in 1946 as part of the compilation film, Make Mine Music. It was re-released in 1947, played as a short before the re-issue release of Fantasia (which was originally released in 1940).

PART 1:



PART 2:




This is where Peter and the Wolf fitted on Disney's release canon...


Full Features:

1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, December 21, 1937 (premiere)

2 Pinocchio, February 7, 1940 (premiere)

3 Fantasia, November 13, 1940 (premiere/roadshow)

4 Dumbo, October 23, 1941

5 Bambi, August 13, 1942 (limited)


World War 2 Budget Issues and Compilation Features:

6 Saludos Amigos, August 24, 1942 (premiere)

7 The Three Caballeros, December 21, 1944 (premiere)

8 Make Mine Music (featuring Peter and the Wolf, April 20, 1946 (premiere)

9 Fun and Fancy Free, September 27, 1947

10 Melody Time, May 27, 1948

11 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, October 5, 1949


Back to Full Features:

12 Cinderella, February 15, 1950

13 Alice in Wonderland, July 26, 1951 (limited)

14 Peter Pan, February 5, 1953

15 Lady and the Tramp, June 16, 1955 (premiere)

16 Sleeping Beauty, 6 January 29, 1959

17 One Hundred and One Dalmatians, January 25, 1961

18 The Sword in the Stone, December 25, 1963

19 The Jungle Book, October 18, 1967


The rest are post Walt Disney. With one exception (it was a compilation of shorts Walt had already released or was planning)...

22 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, March 11, 1977

=========



Peter and the Wolf is a composition by Sergei Prokofiev written in 1936 after his return to the Soviet Union. It is a children's story (with both music and text by Prokofiev), spoken by a narrator accompanied by the orchestra.

Disney obviously rewrote it a little to add in Sterling's character/personality and some new character differences.

In this photo, you can tell that Sterling was a comedic actor:



The narrator was played by Sterling Holloway, who was a professional actor in live-action shorts. He also played:

- The Frog in a 1933 non-Disney, live-action version of Alice in Wonderland (Disney's version came in 1951, where he played the Cheshire Cat).

- In 1937, Disney considered him for "Sleepy" in Snow White, but they decided against it.

- Mr. Stork in Dumbo (1941)

- Adult Flower in Bambi (1942)

- Narrator in The Pelican and the Snipe (1942) - Originally made to be released in The Three Caballeros, it didn't fit well, so it was pulled out and released as a "special short"

- Narrator of "The Cold-Blooded Penguin" in The Three Caballeros (1944)

- Narrator of "Peter and the Wolf" in Make Mine Music (1946)

- Narrator of "Mickey and the Beanstalk" in Fun and Fancy Free (1947)

- Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland (1951)

- Narrator and Mr. Stork in Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952)

- Narrator in Susie the Little Blue Coupe (1952)

- Narrator in The Little House (1952)

- Amos Mouse in Ben and Me (1953)

- Prof. Oscar Quinn in "Adventures of Superman" (3 episodes, 1953-1955)

- Narrator in Adventures in Fantasy from "Disneyland" (1957)

- Narrator in Goliath II (1960)

- Winnie the Pooh in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966)

- Kaa in The Jungle Book (1967)

- Winnie the Pooh in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968)

- Roquefort in The AristoCats (1970)

- Winnie the Pooh in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974)

- Winnie the Pooh in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)



Thanks for reading!

- TAE

SNL (Andy Samberg) does Disney's Scrooge McDuck

SNL 10/10/09 - Drew Barrymore and Regina Spektor

Weekend Update: Scrooge McDuck





In a very negative review of that SNL episode, Andy's Scrooge performance receives one of the few positive comments:

...best of all, Samberg as Scrooge McDuck. Maybe it’s just because I’m an unabashed Scrooge McDuck fan and The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is a masterpiece, but I thought this was pretty awesome...

From:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/drew-barrymoreregina-spektor,33943/
======================



Yeah, I think Andy could work on his Scottish accent a little more, but other than that, it was a great way to bust out Scrooge McDuck and to put Scrooge up there in Andy's wacky impressions that include the Swedish Chef (Muppets), Cathy (comics), and now Scrooge McDuck!

The Swedish Chef spawned two full Muppet skits and Cathy spawned a full comic skit and a bigger Cathy ensemble (with Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel jumping in).

Will Andy's Scrooge McDuck spawn a Duck Tales sketch or a Disney sketch? Time will tell!



Andy also has a little competition from Bobby Moynihan, who isn't afraid of busting out the cartoon and odd characters himself. He did a bad Garfield impression, but he nailed a Cats (musical) impression, Cogsworth (from Beauty and the Beast), and a Snagglepuss impression. Plus Bobby has been talking about doing a Hamburglar (do it Bobby!).


Enjoy!

YouTube Tips - Partner Q&A

Here are some partner questions coming from Bizzarrely Funny:



http://www.youtube.com/BizarrelyFunny


Q1 How long did it take you to become a partner?

A little less than a year with about 6 months of doing nothing in between bursts of posting vids. How's that for not answering a question? =^)

So I guess about 6 months of dedicated time in trying to build an audience. And stuff.

Q2 - How many subbers did you have?

I forget. Probably around 1300 subbers. That was in like early 2008.

However, subbers aren't that important. A few hundred are good. Anything over is just a bonus. What they want to see is that most of your vids have at least a thousand views (or lots of vids with over 1,000 views, even if it isn't most). That's really what they're looking for. Plus that you can justify that you have something to offer to a market of viewers. Also how you integrate into the YT social scene. All that would go in your essay when you apply. We applied and got accepted on our first try.

Q3 - Did becoming a partner increase your viewership?

I think. A little. Yeah. Depends on how social you are I guess. I'm pretty social, so that helps. If people don't go to your channel, the autoplay won't help much. [UPDATE: Autoplay now works on all channels, so the biggest reason to be a Partner no longer exists. Getting money from ads is also a big reason, but if you don't get a ton of views, you wouldn't get any money from ads anyway.]

Plus you don't make much money off of it unless you're super popular (100K plus views on most of your vids).

Autoplay is nice. Banners and other little channel things are nice. That's about it. Plus it's cool to say, "I'm a YouTube partner." =^)

It's not huge, but it is nice. On the negative side, it is a little painful to do and it takes a long time to process (like when you turn in your application, you pretty much need to wait 3 months to hear back; when you get accepted, you need to wait like a month or so for it to kick in: yes, it's that slow).

Thanks!

- TAE

Despicable Me - Update

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru planning the biggest heist in the history of the world.

He is going to steal the moon, yes, the moon. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.



This is done by Blue Sky as their follow-up to Ice Age 3. So it makes sense that they get Kristen involved, since she worked on Ice Age 3.

Enjoy!

Ducks Playing Duck Hunt

Please subscribe to our animator:

http://youtube.com/bowlingballout



Don and Darrell are playing Duck Hunt, and they get an unwelcome surprise.

Check out the alternate ending where the ducks get zapped (it's on BowlingBallOut's channel):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hho6w8q_Rx0

===

CREDITS

Animated and Edited by Right Arm Productions:
http://youtube.com/bowlingballout

Written and Produced by Ed 'word' Price

Robbie Daymond - Don Duck

Vernon Dew - Darrell Duck


========

OUR OTHER ANIMATIONS WITH BOWLINGBALLOUT:

Dating Game: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7mEt2Sgq45U

7 Fantasy Shorts: http://youtube.com/watch?v=o54d9ihVt_s


OUR OTHER ANIMATED SPOOFS:

Legend of Zelda: http://youtube.com/watch?v=U5uhpL0WZeM

I'm a Mac: http://youtube.com/watch?v=XdLKjpaAjYY

The Doctor's Office: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fg_FzyUPDEE

Mike Tyson: http://youtube.com/watch?v=b1oqOXG4GTk


Thank you everybody for watching! Please subscribe to us and to BowlingBallOut:
http://youtube.com/bowlingballout

Please leave a comment to let us know what you think! Thanks!

- TAE

Super Sam

Check out this great spoof of super heroes we produced, in collaboration with the HankAndJed production team:



Watch the higher quality, longer almost-7-minute version here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2106D5orB3w

Thanks!

- TAE

Hi, I'm a Mac...and I'm a cRaYoN!!!

This is a little different from the ItsJustSomeRandomGuy Marvel/DC parodies. Apparently, using the bathroom is real easy in an Apple store. =^)

Animated by the dudes over at 64PackOfCrayons:

http://www.youtube.com/64PackOfCrayons

They've made 28 of these crayon vids, and their animation skillz just keep improving, so check them out!

They just released a new Web site that looks pretty nice. Here's their announcement video about it:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lak_hDyudnE

Thanks for watching everyone!

- TAE

How to Train Your Dragon - Update

They released the trailers for "How To Train Your Dragon" ... a new DreamWorks cartoon coming in 2010.

It's just a short teaser with no voices or characters other than the dragon. But it's enough to get you excited!



Enjoy!

Can John Lasseter Save Disney?

Can Buzz Lightyear save Mickey Mouse? In this video from http://www.Movies.ie Paul Byrne talks to John Lasseter about taking over the Mouse House, and trying to turn the good ship Disney out of troubled waters.



"I actually got fired..." Hahahaha. He's humble. I like that.

So Bolt wasn't the one that people wanted. Lasseter came into Disney when Bolt was in progress and changed it. But the projects from scratch that are coming are the ones that are going to turn Disney around again. That's starting with these films...

1. The Princess and the Frog



2. Rapunzel



3. King of the Elves



I can't wait!

- TAE

Toy Story 3 - Update

New trailer:



So obviously they redid Andy as a kid and his mom for this, because the models didn't look this good.

It's interesting if they'll be able to keep it fresh since they don't have the connection to Andy to focus on. They'll have to build a new connection and emotional focal point to pull it off.

Enjoy!

- TAE

Disney's Rapunzel is changing

Take a look at how the Rapunzel movie is changing. It almost seems like they're making it 2D, but it could be that they're making it seem 2D but actually make it in 3D (which would be an awesome effect).

I can't wait until next year to see it!

- TAE

Princess and the Frog

I can't wait!

This is the first new movie to come out since John Lassetter took over Disney Animation. And it's from my favorite Disney directors!

Plus Randy Newman is letting the actors sing instead of singing himself like his Pixar films. =^)

I think the voodoo stuff might be too scary for little kids, but it looks like a lot of fun!

- TAE

Thank you for 5K subscribers!

Thanks to the YouTubers out there who have subscribed to us! We love you guys!

- TAE

"Family Guy" Goes Disney (VIDEO): The Pie Song

Methinks this universe has a little more Warner Bros. influence than Disney. There are a few things that push toward Disney, though, such as Lois in her Snow White clothes and Mr. Herbert as the Queen in witch garb. Good gag where they say no to the witch.

I don't actually understand the part where they beat the salesman.

What's also very interesting is that Fox is clearly spoofing other shows/brands here, including Disney and Robot Chicken. It's interesting because Disney wouldn't want Fox to do this (due to the blood), so they probably didn't get permission. Which means legally Fox would be relying on the parody laws to justify this (which are very gray right now). This is a good case to bring to Fox the next time they accuse of breaking parody laws when we spoof their brands (because they've done it 3 times purposefully and 1 time on accident, so far).

Enjoy!

- TAE

Documentary: "Gurkel's Revenge" & "Santa's Slay"

Here is a documentary about our two Fox pitches:




Here is the first animation, Gurkel's Revenge:



Rate and comment on Gurkel's Revenge here:

http://aniboom.com/animation-video/392296/Gurkels-Revenge/




And here's Santa's Slay (lots of potty humor):



Rate and comment on Santa's Slay here:

http:// aniboom.com/animation-video/393360/Santas-Slay/

Here is our first promotion video for Santa's Slay:



Rate and comment on Santa's Slay here:

http:// aniboom.com/animation-video/393360/Santas-Slay//

Thanks!

- TAE

Donald Duck / Marvel Mashup Art

Main article and Mickey/Marvel mashups:

http://theanimationempire.blogspot.com/2009/09/disney-buys-marvel-for-4-billion.html

DONALD DUCK

Donald Duck and Wolverine:





Donald Duck and Captain America:








Donald Duck and Iron Man:





Donald Duck and MODOK (a.k.a. Moduck):






Donald Duck and Hulk:






Donald Duck and Daredevil:






Enjoy!

- TAE

Disney buys Marvel for $4 Billion (& Mickey/Marvel Mashup Art)

(Scroll below to see the Mickey/Marvel mashup art)

So Disney buys Marvel for $4 billion, a wise but interesting move. It doesn't look like anyone will join Disney's board or other businesses from Marvel (Iger joined from the ABC merger, Steve Jobs joined the board from the Pixar merger, and Lasseter took a CCO position from the Pixar merger).


This is coming off Disney kicking out Eisner and promoting Iger to the top spot. Iger has been shrewd and wise, betting big where it matters instead of trying to invest in sports and low-quality video releases like Eisner did.

(1) He got Oswald the Lucky Rabbit back under the Disney umbrella (Walt's first character; they own him now but they haven't done anything with him).

(2) He bought Pixar animation, put Steve Jobs on the Disney board, and put Lasseter in charge of animation and the theme parks (the theme parks and DVD animations improved immediately, Disney started making great short films again, and the animated feature films is more of a slow-moving improvement; the upcoming "Princess and the Frog" and "Rapunzel" are the first true results of the change).

(3) He bought the Muppets from Jim Henson, pulling them away from their Sony partnership. Another Muppets film is on its way, and you'll run into the Muppets at Disney parks.

(4) He bought the Fox Family Channel, and with it he bought the Fox Kids lineup, including the Power Rangers! (Note that he did this with Eisner back when Eisner was the CEO. Still tue though.) The only cross-over with the Power Rangers is that you can now see the Power Rangers in Disney theme parks (usually in the movie parks, like the Disney Hollywood Studios).

(5) And now he just bought Marvel. Wow. This is obviously a drive to get Disney to appeal more to boys (similar to the success of Incredibles and Cars, why Disney bought the Power Rangers, and why Cars is getting a sequel).

========================

So that brings up all sorts of questions...

1 - Is Disney going to slowly let its Marvel film licenses end in order to get the future films under their own studio?

2 - Is Disney going to bring the Marvel characters to its theme parks? YES - but the question is how is this possible when their Marvel characters are in Universal parks. Are they going to wait until the licenses expire and then move them over? So Disney can pull Marvel out of the Universal deal, but that still means that you'll see Marvel attractions at Universal Studios, but Universal can't update those attractions (which means they'll probably eventually get dropped).

3 - Is Disney going to start making Marvel films with their own studios? Will this affect movie crossovers? For example, X-Men films are tied up with Fox/News, Spider-man is tied up Sony, and then Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Avengers are all tied up with Paramount (Marvel tied up a lot of characters with one studio in order to pull off a massive crossover).

4 - Does this mean that once Disney gets Marvel out of those movie deals that they'll be able to do a massive Marvel Universe crossover film series?

5 - Will Lasseter oversee the Marvel studio, or will Avi Arad and the studio heads report directly to Disney CEO Bob Iger?

6 - Will Disney characters be added to Marvel comics, the Marvel universe, and Marvel games? For example, will the Incredibles show up in a Marvel game? In the comics, will Spider-man run into Donald Duck or Jack Sparrow or... wait for it... the Power Rangers?

7 - Marvel currently has a deal to build its own theme park in Dubai. Will Disney continue that? Will Disney build Marvel-only theme parks and add them to existing resorts (like Disney World)? After all, Marvel owns about 5,000 characters. To do them justice and show off a decent amount of them (appearances, brands, merchandise, etc.), Disney would need a dedicated park.

- The Emperor

===================================

Mickey mashup art is below.

Go here for mashup art for:

• Donald Duck

Mickey/Marvel Mashup Art

Mickey and Venom:





Mickey and Wolverine:









Mickey and Spider-man:












Mickey and Iron Man:





Mickey and Captain America:




Mickey and Deadpool:

Mickey and Galactus:






Enjoy!

- TAE

Santa's Slay - Go vote for us!!!

Go vote for us!!!!

Please vote for us!

http://www.aniboom.com/animation-video/393360/Samtas-Puke-Party-Santas-Slay/

Voting has started!
Create an account on aniboom.com easy and quick!

Thanks!

- TAE

Alice in Wonderland Official Trailer

I can't wait for this movie! It's good to see Burton unite with Disney again (Nightmare Before Christmas was so great). Burton got his start working for Disney. Hopefully they'll also do Frankenweinie together (an early Burton Disney short about a Weiner dog that got the Frankenstein treatment; they're making it into a feature length film).

Enjoy!

- TAE

A1 Steak Song FINALIST!!! - "100 Things That I Love About Steak"

We're finalists!

Thank you everyone for all your support!


- TAE

Awesome Green Lantern Fan Trailer

The shots of the Green Lantern Corps aliens and the alien villains have me super excited.



Too bad this isn't real. They cast Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern (probably due to his success with Wolverine and The Proposal, and he's obviously a comics fan (Wolverine and Blade 3).

I just hope the movie gets into the Green Lantern Corps and the aliens, cuz that's the coolest part of the story.

- TAE

7 Fantasy Shorts

So checka it out, yes?

This one above is a compilation of many vids, and you can check them out by clicking the links in the vid or in the description on YouTube. The animator is user name BowlingBallOut so check him out and sub him!

www.youtube.com/bowlingballout

- TAE

Family Guy got nominated for a Best Comedy Emmy!!!

Interesting enough, Family Guy got nominated in the Comedy category (not the usual animation, voice over, and music categories).



Wow. That's the second time an animated sitcom has been nominated for the Comedy category (first was Flinstones, and it didn't win). However, that means fiercer competition and it also means it got overlooked for the animated program category, a category that it has always lost to Simpsons or South Park (and had a decent chance of winning this year).

So Family Guy is leaving the animated series category to American Dad (first Emmy nomination), Robot Chicken, South Park, and the Simpsons to battle it out this year. King of the Hill didn't get nominated this year (but they won once in 97, which is more than Family Guy, American Dad, and Robot Chicken have done).

Also, it's interesting that no childrens cartoons were nominated for the category (previous childrens cartoons nominated include Spongebob Squarepants (08, 07, 05), Avatar (07), Camp Lazlo (06), Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (06), and Samurai Jack (05).

All the nominations:
http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2009ptemmys/61stemmys_noms.php

Enjoy!

Our highlights of the Comic Con schedule

Comic-Con ’09’s first official day, July 23rd, is loaded with all sorts of panels and events. These are just some of the highlights, not the whole schedule.



10:15-11:15: Summit Entertainment: Astro Boy — A superhero origin story set in a futuristic world, Astro Boy is an all-new CG-animated feature film based on the classic manga about a young robot with incredible powers and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny. Director David Bowers, producer Maryanne Grager, and stars Freddie Highmore (Astro) and Kristen Bell (Cora) debut footage exclusive to Comic-Con 2009 and answer your questions about bringing this beloved hero to the big screen. Room 6BCF

10:30-11:30: Motion Comics: Graphic Novels in The Digital Age — Warner Premiere is one of the pioneers in the production of Motion Comics which include Watchmen, Peanuts, Batman: Black and White, and many others. Motion Comics are short-form videos that use subtle movements, voice-overs, sweeping music scores, and stunning comic book artwork to bring an engaging visual experience to life. Moderated by Gregory Noveck (DC Comics), with panelists Paul Levitz, (DC Comics, Batman: Black and White), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen, Batman: Black and White), Paul Dini (Batman: Black and White, Mad Love), Lydia Antonini (Warner Premiere), Dylan Coburn (Karactaz, Superman: Red Son), and Stephen Fedasz (Perpetual Notions) discuss graphic novel storytelling and production in the digital age. Attendees will also see the debut of two DC Motion Comic series during this panel. Room 6DE

10:30-11:30: TheOneRing.net: The Hobbit — With Middle-earth returning to the big screen in December 2011, TheOneRing.net will take you behind the scenes of the latest news, announcements, and rumors pertaining to the Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro production of The Hobbit. Chris Pirrotta, Larry Curtis, Cliff Broadway, and others from TheOneRing.net crew offer this early look at making The Hobbit happen! Room 7AB

10:30-11:30: Science Fiction That Will Change Your Life — The staff of io9.com, Eisner Award–winning author Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics), and others talk about science-fiction from the last year that does more than blow things up. It might also blow your mind. What science-fiction should you be reading and watching if you want your brain to grow so big it pops out of the top of your skull and starts throbbing and shooting lasers? The panelists have some tips. Room 8

11:00-12:00: The State of MMOs: A Discussion with the Developers — Join Craig Alexander (Turbine), Gordon Walton (BioWare), Bob Ferrari (Sanrio Digital), and Dave Brevik (Gazillion) for a panel discussion and Q&A moderated by George Chronis (DFC Intelligence) about the current state of the massive multiplayer online games market. Panelists will discuss topics such as MMO pricing models and free-to-play games, design innovations, the future of console MMOs, and much more! Room 5AB

11:00-12:30: Disney: 3D Panel — Walt Disney Pictures presents key filmmakers, select cast members and previously unseen footage from its upcoming slate, including Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Alice In Wonderland and Tron. Special guests include Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger, and moderator Patton Oswalt. Hall

11:30-12:30: Archie Comics: Archie Marries Veronica — It’s the wedding of the century, but that is just the start, with plenty of surprise announcements about the future of Archie Comics, including the latest news about Archie on television and in feature films! Panelists include legendary The Dark Knight movie producer and Archie writer Michael Uslan, new Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater, iVerse CEO Michael Murphy, IDW Publishing COO Greg Goldstein, Archie Comics president/director of circulation Fred Mausser, and Archie Comics vice president/managing editor Mike Pellerito. The panel is moderated by Archie’s public relations coordinator Rik Offenberger and features a Q&A session. An “Archie Marries Veronica” poster will be given to everyone attending the panel. Room 4

11:30-12:30: World of Warcraft: Epic Loot — Get your game on outside of Azeroth! Join a panel of Blizzard Entertainment decision makers along with their proud licensed partners for an all-out discussion/unveiling of World of Warcraft–inspired product awesomeness, moderated by Cory Jones, Blizzard Entertainment’s director of global business development & licensing. In attendance: Chris Metzen (Blizzard Entertainment Sr. VP of creative development), Nick Carpenter (Blizzard Entertainment cinematic creative director), Hank Kanalz (VP/GM of WildStorm and World of Warcraft monthly editor), Troy Lewter (Tokyopop editor on the Warcraft manga), Scott Gaeta (Upper Deck director of new product development and organized play), Margeaux Doremus Sullivan (Upper Deck brand manager on World of Warcraft minis), and Sean Gailey (J!nx creative director). Room 6BCF

11:30-12:30: Hasbro: G.I. Joe — The Hasbro design and marketing teams — Aaron Archer, Michelino Paolino (Hasbro Design), and Jeff Labovitz (Hasbro Marketing) — discuss the upcoming release of the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra movie, the new toy-line hitting shelves, the new video game, and much more! This panel will include special guests that you won’t want to miss, plus Q&A time. Room 7AB

12:00-1:00: Bongo Comics Sneak Peek — Bongo Comics offers a mouth-watering preview of upcoming projects featuring The Simpsons and Futurama. Managing editor Terry Delegeane and creative director Bill Morrison host this panel featuring the writers and artists who create the comics and books based on Matt Groening’s phenomenal TV shows. Find out what’s in the future for Futurama Comics and what to expect in Simpsons Comics. Plus, Sammy Harkham (Kramer’s Ergot) and Ben Jones (Paper Rad) will be on hand to talk about their wholly unique approach to The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror! Special guest and world famous cartoonist Sergio Aragonés will explain to all just what he’s doing on the Bongo panel. This is a “must-attend” panel for all fans of The Simpsons and Futurama, and anyone looking for a place to sit down! Room 10

12:00-1:00: Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey — Key production personnel and cast members discuss the making of Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey, the 3D, CGI Large Format film that combines beautiful animated sequences with actual space imagery captured during seven ongoing NASA and NASA/ESA space missions. Featuring a stellar voice cast that includes Neil Armstrong, Chris Pine, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayden Christensen, Amanda Peet, Robert Picardo, Jason Alexander, Tom Kenny, Sandra Oh, Brent Spiner, James Earl Jones, Williams Shatner, Mark Hamill, Doug Jones, Abigail Breslin and Gary Graham, Quantum Quest has been endorsed by the X Prize Organization, the International Space University, Challenge Center for Space Science Education, and the Young Astronauts Council. Producer, screenwriter, and co-director Dr. Harry Kloor, whose writing credits include Star Trek: Voyager, the animated series Godzilla, and Earth: Final Conflict, is joined by co-director Daniel St. Pierre (co-director, Everyone’s Hero; production designer, A Shark’s Tale; art director, Tarzan), space scientists, and key cast members. The panel will offer new work-in-progress clips and an in-depth exploration of the science behind the film. Ballroom 20

12:00-1:00: Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes — Join legendary Disney Animation producer Don Hahn, famed Disney animator Glen Keane, creator of Aladdin’s Genie Eric Goldberg, director/teacher/animator Tom Sito, and Masked Avenger Studios owner and sculptor Ruben Procopio for a discussion of the life and influence of Disney mentor, trainer, and artist Walt Stanchfield. Room 32AB

12:30-1:30: Hasbro: Transformers 2 — Want to see what’s new with Transformers? Hasbro’s design and marketing teams — Aaron Archer (Hasbro Brand IP Development), Jared Wade and Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro Design), and Michael Ballog and Matt Proulx (Hasbro Marketing) — present all the latest toys from the new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen line. Get a sneak peek into what Hasbro is doing to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Transformers in 2010! Room 7AB

12:45-1:45: Disney: Stan Lee’s Time Jumper — Don’t miss Stan Lee and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment as they present a special sneak peek of their new digital motion comic series, Time Jumper. Comic book legend Stan Lee is joined by Natasha Henstridge (one of the character voices in Time Jumper), Omar Ponce (writer), and Anthony Diecidue (artist) for a Q&A session. Room 6BCF

12:45-2:00: 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar — In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie-going experience. Hall H

1:00-2:00: Spotlight on Kevin Eastman — TMNJ co-creator Kevin Eastman not only reflects on his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle years (with a preview of his Comic-Con exclusive 25th Anniversary hardcover collection of favorite TMNT stories!) but also shares sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes teasers or trailers for his upcoming animated film projects — War of The Worlds: Goliath! and Underwhere — and introduces the new Tor Books Novel line Heavy Metal Pulp and the in-development Biz and Buzz animated series. Last but not least, Kevin will give you an update on the new David Fincher/James Cameron–produced Heavy Metal film! Room 5AB

1:00-2:00: Comics Arts Conference Session #3: Nell Brinkley and the Brinkley Girls — Trina Robbins, comics creator, historian, and author of the recent book, The Brinkley Girls, presents insights into the work and personal history of Nell Brinkley. Brinkley was once one of the most well-known cartoonists in America, and her creations — the beautiful Brinkley Girls — appeared everywhere from the Sunday comics to the Ziegfeld Follies. Room 30AB

1:30-2:30: LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary — Ten years ago, in a galaxy not far away, LEGO and Star Wars came together! Find out how such an amazing partnership was formed from Jonathan Rinzler (executive editor, Lucasfilm) and Rob Johnson (art director, The LEGO Group), while Simon Beecroft (author and publishing manager, DK Publishing) doles out all sorts of information on the upcoming LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary. Collectors and fans won’t want to miss the unveiling of the exclusive LEGO Star Wars minifigure that will be released with the book on October 10th. The first 50 attendees will receive DK swag and be entered to win a LEGO Star Wars set and a free copy of LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary upon its release. Room 8

2:00-3:00: Sony Pictures Animation: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs — In 2009, Columbia Pictures’ and Sony Pictures Animation’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will be the most delicious event since macaroni met cheese. Inspired by the classic children’s book, the film focuses on a town where food begins to fall from the sky like rain. Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) is the voice of Flint Lockwood, a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone’s life. Anna Faris (The House Bunny) takes on the role of Sam Sparks, a weathergirl covering the phenomenon, who hides her intelligence behind a perky exterior. James Caan plays Tim Lockwood, Flint’s technophobic father. SNL’s Andy Samberg plays Brent, the town bully who has plagued Flint since childhood. Bruce Campbell plays Mayor Shelbourne, who figures out that Flint’s invention can put the town and, more importantly, himself on the map; and Mr. T plays the by-the-rules town cop, Earl Devereaux. Bobb’e J. Thompson (Role Models) is Carl Devereaux, Earl’s son. Appearing in person: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Bobb’e J. Thompson, and directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Room 6BCF

2:15-3:15: Summit Entertainment — Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage of some of its upcoming major film releases! ...
Astro Boy! — A classic superhero origin story set in a futuristic world, Astro Boy is an all-new, CG-animated feature film about a young robot with incredible powers and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny. Join Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell as they premiere the final trailer for Astro Boy before it’s in theaters.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon — Summit Entertainment is proud to present the panel for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the highly anticipated sequel to last year’s box office smash, Twilight. Surprise members of the cast will answer your questions about the second film in the series, and debut never-before-seen footage from the new film. Hall H

3:15-4:15: Capcom 2009 Lineup — Capcom’s premiere producers present sneak peeks at the most anticipated games of the year. Featuring Jun Takeuchi (Lost Planet 2), Morgan Gray (Dark Void), Daryl Allison (Spyborgs), Motohide Eshiro (Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth), and Masachika Kawata (Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles) and moderated by Capcom-Unity.com’s Seth Killian. See exclusive gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes making-of features, followed by a Q&A session! Room 6BCF

4:15-5:15: Cartoon Network: Chowder! The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack! Adventure Time with Finn and Jake! — This panel celebrates three of the best comedies from Cartoon Network Studios. First up is a sweet treat with Chowder, including special guests C. H. Greenblatt (creator) and Tara Strong (voice of Truffles). Then set sail with The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and creator Thurop Van Orman (voice of Flapjack) and Steve Little (writer, voice of fan favorite Dr. Barber). Finally, hold onto your seats for a sneak peek of the new series Adventure Time with Finn and Jake with creator Pendelton Ward. It’s algebraic! Room 6A

4:45-5:15: Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus — Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of both Comic-Con and Monty Python, we welcome the sole American Python, the great animator and director Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, Brazil, 12 Monkeys) to introduce you to his new film starring Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, and Lily Cole. Dr. Parnassus is a fabulous anachronism touring the streets of modern-day London in a horse-drawn carnival wagon accompanied by his beautiful daughter, devoted dwarf, and neophyte barker. On stage, Parnassus plays a holy man whose Imaginarium can realize the innermost fantasies of all who dare to enter. Backstage, he is a drunkard, a gambler who, centuries ago, lost a wager with the Devil and must now pony up with his daughter once she turns 16…tomorrow. Yet there may still be hope for the Doctor and Valentina in the person of Tony, a well-dressed amnesic they rescue from a perilous fate and invite into their world of unrelenting magic and possibility. Hall H

5:45-6:45: Spotlight on John Kricfalusi — He’s the wild man of animation — the groundbreaking genius behind Ren & Stimpy and The Ripping Friends, whose creations have become inspiration for practically every animated show on TV today. John Kricfalusi (AKA John K) is a Comic-Con special guest, and in this Spotlight event, he’ll talk about his career in animation and what’s coming next. Room 6BCF

7:00-8:00: Comedy Central’s Drawn Together Movie Roundtable — Join co-creators Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser, and stars Foxxy Love, Cree Summer (Transformers: Animated) and Wooldoor Sockbat/The Jew Producer, James Arnold Taylor (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as they discuss The Drawn Together Movie and host a roundtable discussion on the politics of religion in the workplace and where to get a decent sandwich. Room 6BCF

8:00-10:00: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog — The California Browncoats host a screening of the original three acts, followed immediately by Commentary! The Musical. See why Joss Whedon’s (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) first foray into webisodic “television” was the talk of the town with critics and fans alike in 2008. Be prepared for a night of singing and surprises hosted by the fans who know what you like best. Dr. Horrible stars Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly), and Felicia Day (The Guild), and is written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon (Dollhouse), Zack Whedon (Fringe), and Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse). Room 6A

Click here for more of the schedule:
http://www.buzzine.com/2009/07/comic-con-09-highlights/


Enjoy!

Mickey Mouse in Brave Little Tailor (1938)

When a giant threatens the land, the cityfolk mistake Mickey's boast of killing seven flies with one blow to be giants. He is then forced to fight the giant for real.

mickey mouse in giant land

Classic

I'm a Pervert!

Friend of the empire Super Ed is doing music videos now, and they're hilarious! Check out this one and his others!

- TAE

Michael Jackson - Captain Eo part 2 of 2 ( FULL VERSION )

The Full version of this 1986 short film, including the song We Are Here To Change The World

Enjoy!

Michael Jackson - Captain Eo part 1 of 2 ( FULL VERSION )

The full version of this 1986 short film, including the song We Here To Change The World

Enjoy!

- TAE

WU vs BIGDADDY pivot

We helped Glitch get started with Pivot. This is a good first test!

- TAE

Pretty Good Friends (Music Video #3)

What's your favorite part?


CREDITS:

Main vocals: Rogs (Nick Rogstad)

Backup vocals and guitar: OTizzle (Owen Thompson)

Guy in background: Ed 'word' Price

Shot by: MattyO
http://youtube.com/MattyOBrien1


MUSIC VIDEO SERIES:

This is part 3 in our music video series (not counting the two sweet OTizzle arrangements).

Bucket Full of Cheese (Music Video #1):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YEShg_kigmc

Search Rap (Music Video #2):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IjiPaNQaBYQ



LYRICS:

Oh we're pretty good friends,
It's not like I would loan you money;
pretty good friends,
I don't actually know your last name;
pretty good friends,
Sometimes I'm not laughing with you
pretty good friends,
You smile way too much (x3)

But we're still pretty good friends,
I never really liked your cooking;
pretty good friends,
I threw away that christmas present;
pretty good friends,
You really oughta take that dress back
pretty good friends
You still smile way too much (x3)

Listen girl, I don't exactly remember when we met,
but we've hung out several times, and we've been through a lot together
Like remember that time when you wanted a hug, and I said I wasn't really into hugging, but what I really meant was that I wasn't into hugging YOU.

Girl, we're not just friends, we're not just good friends...
...we're pretty good friends.

RYAN (Entire Film)

Academy Award winner of 2005. And Weirdtastic!

2005 OSCAR for Best Short Animation

Ryan is based on the life of Ryan Larkin, a Canadian animator who, 30 years ago, produced some of the most influential animated films of his time. In the film, we hear the voices of prominent animators and artists discussing Ryan's work, and from waitresses, mission-house caretakers and homeless people who make up Ryan's life. These voices speak through strange, twisted, and disembodied, computer-generated characters--which combine to reflect the film's creator, Chris Landreth. In the words of Anais Nin, "We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are."

Some strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Partly Cloudy ™ Pixar

Should be this year's Oscar winner for animated short.

- TAE

Sheep Worrier

Another hilarious animation from Craig.

- TAE

glowing animated flash boxes in colour

Messing about with the glow/opacity elements of flash.

=========================

Cool. This could be used in some fantastic ways!

- TAE

SILLY BANANA

Nice little test from animaxy.

- TAE

Saturday Morning Watchmen

Classic cartoon intro ripped from an old VHS, enjoy!!

Harry: "I'm kidding, I made it. Please stop messaging me asking if it's real!!"

Lyrics:

Strong together, united forever
They're the best of friends

But when troubles about, you'd best watch out
For the Watchmen!

Nite Owl is their leader
And he loves to party down

Rorschach's friends to the animals...

"Yeah, when he's not clowning around"

"I'm nutty!"

Beat up some thugs, say no to drugs
Be in bed by 10

But if troubles about, you'd best watch out
For the Watchmen!

Silk Spectres a sensation
You should really never miss

The Comedian's her biggest fan now...

"If I could only get that kiss!"

Ozy and Bubastis - a couple o'
Crimesolving superstars

Jon can give you cancer
and he'll turn into a car


Strong together, united forever
Come and meet your friends

Have no fear, times up, times here
For the Watchmen!

WATCH OUT!

Nintendo Wii & Porter's Three Strategies

Nintendo Wii did not come out first in this current console generation. It came out after the Xbox 360, but before the Playstation 3. Because it came out before the Playstation 3, it did have an additional advantage. However, the Wii surpassed the 360's sales even though Xbox 360 was the first mover of the console generation.

Second, Nintendo Wii had price leadership. The system was the least expensive to make and then sold for lowest price. As a result, the system was more accessible to more people. Nintendo has always been the cost leader, and this time that advantage really helped the Wii take off in sales.

Third, Nintendo Wii drove differentiation and market segmentation together simultaneously. They innovated with new controllers that included motion control, the nunchucks, using the remote as a pointer device, a wireless, motioin-control steering wheel, a wireless light gun, and a balance board. They also then used those innovative hardware devices to release innovative supporting games such as Wii Play, Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Wii Music (among many others). They also released innovative games like Brain Age that actually improve your mental abilities.

Because all these games targeted non-gamers, their advertising also targeted non-gamers and casual gamers. As a result, many people bought the Wii and played it who would have never played it otherwise, including grandmas, young children, and a lot more women.

================================================

Of the three strategies (Cost Leadership, Differentiation Strategy, and Segmentation Strategy), which do I think works the best? Ultimately, I agree with all three strategies, so I think if you can combine them then you're pretty much on top. My favorite example is Wii (see more details in my Wii post above). Wii managed to nail cost leadership, differentiation, and segmentation. They have the cheapest system, it is very different from the Xbox 360 and PS3, and they are marketing to new people (adding grandparents, parents, and a lot more women).

That said, I think the most important variable is differentiation. There are shampoos and deoderants that get released where the only difference is the price or the marketing/branding. However, The biggest success can be the differentiation in the product. Wii is more well known for the fact that the motion controls and the games that support them open up new customers and make the fans drool... than they are known for having the cheapest systems or for their commercials and branding.


- TAE

Up Discussion (Spoilers)

The movie so far has done better than Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall-E did at this point.




It seems odd. It seems like the story was stitched together: “Let’s have an old man who flies his house away. How did he get to want to do that all of a sudden? We’ll give him a rich history and the current motivation that he’s about to lose his house and that the house is his whole life. Good. Now, who are his partners on this road trip? It would be a good contrast to get a kid in there. How do we get the kid in there? Let’s have a boy scout kid who’s trying to help him cross the street, so to speak. The kid’s trying to earn a badge. Now let’s get some weird partners in there. The back story now is that the old man and his late wife wanted to chase after an adventurer. So what are some weird characters the adventurer could have? Well, the adventurer could be chasing a giant monster, no a bird monster! That will be one of the friends. Then let’s also have a dog. The old man needs a dog. It would be funny if the dog could talk. How do we get a talking dog in there? What if the adventurer had an army of dogs, invented dog collars that could make them talk, and one of the members of the army becomes a friend and partner along the quest? That’s it! We’ve got a movie!”

Why is the adventurer an inventor of dog speech technology? Why is the adventurer (Charles Muntz) in such good health (if Carl is supposed to be 78, that would put the adventurer at about 103).

It’s actually slightly realistic because of that stitched-together quality; life never makes a ton of sense, and it kind of gets hashed together as you go. For example, your best friend might be someone you accidentally bumped into at a grocery store (true story that I know of). So in that way, it is more interesting that you’re left with this hodge podge of characters that are all slightly related but not completely. For example, the old man Carl, is an old fan of the adventurer, who is after the bird and employs the dog, and a boy scout is along for the ride. Not too random, but still pretty darn random.

Now contrast that with the more “normal” story. I don’t know what they’d do with the old man, but if you were to flip it and try to think of the proper nemesis to the old adventurer, you wouldn’t think up some old man who used to be a fan, grew up wanting to pursue it, had his wife die, and then escaped in his house only to stumble upon the adventurer. That’s not a compelling nemesis. I’d expect some other counter adventurer who sets out to set the other one (Muntz) right. Sort of a battle between legendary adventurers. You could do a lot more with that, and you wouldn’t feel like your character is always a victim of circumstance, being forced to act upon the randomness that life threw at him.

What do you think? Disagree?

In other words, this is an interesting story and a shoe-in for the Oscar for Animated Film (Pete Doctor lost his last opportunity when Shrek beat out Monster’s Inc.) because the story is off-beat and the emotions are well-crafted, but I think it could have garnered twice the sales if it “sold out” a bit more like Finding Nemo and Incredibles did. Those films matched the story to the environment instead of stitching together a road trip with random characters and odd quests.

But to counter that thought, Up is on its way to becoming Pixar’s #3 animated film (behind Finding Nemo and Incredibles) or #5 if you consider inflation (also behind Toy Story 2 and Monster’s Inc.). So either people like it or they were desperate for a Pixar movie that wasn’t about a car, rat, or robot. One of those. =^)


Still though, I think it would have been more entertaining to me and would have done better if they concentrated on the adventurer story instead of the random circumstances of the old man.

- TAE

Will Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat be removed from Disney Hollywood Studios?

From WDWMAGIC:



As part of today's 20th birthday event at the Studios, guests got to hear from senior members of Imagineering, including Bob Weis. (Bob was one of the key imagineers who originally created the studios). Most interestingly, he showed a photo looking along Hollywood Blvd towards the Chinese Theater prior to the hat install. He made comment that this view can't be had now, but MAY be had again in the future (sorry don't have the exact quote, no recording was allowed). This was met with huge applause from the gathered crowd, and lots of laughs from all three of the Imagineers. Bob in particular had the look of knowing something we don't. The hat was brought up a couple of times, and again, all three Imagineers laughed about it, and seemed to fully understand how it's not particularly liked by the fans. It may well be that too much is being read into this, but certainly today you could walk away with the impression that the hat is going to be removed.


==================================

Enjoy!

- TAE

Disney park opening in Maryland?

http://dc.citybizlist.com/yourcitybiznews/detail.aspx?id=48916

"As we began identifying possible locations to grow our business, the Washington, DC area immediately jumped to the top of the list," said Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "National Harbor offers an array of entertaining activities for regional visitors, but it is also a family-friendly base camp, from which visitors from around the world can explore the stirring sights and inspirational stories of our nation's capital. We believe National Harbor has the unique opportunity to offer a new level of family-friendly hospitality."

Disney purchased the Maryland property from the Peterson Companies for $11 million.

===================================

I wonder if this is another Disney Vacation Club resort, like the one in Hawaii.

Enjoy!

- TAE

Disney News: Spoodles out, Cat Cora in!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Chef Cat Cora and Disney are joining together to open an exciting new family dining restaurant at Disney's BoardWalk Resort. Kouzzina by Cat Cora will feature a menu of Mediterranean-style cuisine that pays tribute to the chef's Greek roots.

The restaurant, to be owned and operated by Disney, is scheduled to open by fall 2009 in the space currently occupied by Spoodles.

"I am pleased to welcome Cat Cora and her engaging new concept for Kouzzina to the Walt Disney World Resort," said Jay Rasulo, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "This collaboration between Cat and Disney represents a significant step in our ongoing commitment to offer unique culinary experiences and choices for our guests."

As a Mississippi native born to a family of Greek restaurateurs, Cora grew up immersed in two different and flavorful cultures, and has taken from that unique background the kitchen "know-how" handed down through generations. The cuisine at Kouzzina (Greek for "kitchen" and pronounced "koo-zee-nah") will showcase Mediterranean cuisine and Chef Cora's philosophy to create simple yet sensational meals.

Cora said that the new restaurant will feature "time-honored recipes passed down from my ancestors, as well as my favorite Greek and Mediterranean dishes that my family loves."

She began working with Disney in 2008 by creating a Disney Video on Demand series to showcase ways to help families develop more healthy eating habits. "I'm extremely excited about this latest extension of my relationship with Disney," she said. "Together, we're going to develop a truly amazing contemporary Mediterranean restaurant."

The first and only female Iron Chef on Food Network's hit show "Iron Chef America," Cora is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She also is Executive Chef for Bon Appetit magazine. In addition to hosting the instructional cooking demonstrations for Disney Video on Demand, Cora has been a featured chef at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and at Disney's California Food & Wine Festival at Disneyland Resort.




From:
http://www.wdwmagic.com/Dining/Kouzzina.htm


- TAE

Mickey Mouse Died

Wayne Allwine the voice of Mickey Mouse for the last 32 years has passed away.

You can read the article here:

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=410370&gt1=28103

Disney Christmas Carol Train Tour

July 3-5 at King Street Station

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/#/map/seattle

Princess and the Frog Trailer

Disney's back!

The full trailer for Disney's "The Princess and the Frog". This trailer aired during "Wizards of Waverly Place" on disney channel on May 9, 2009.

Enjoy!

- TAE

Preview of Pixar's "Partly Cloudy" short (to be shown before "Up")

Pixar’s got a new short (that I presume will be shown before “Up”) called “Partly Cloudy.” It’s about storks delivering babies (so far). Pixar is starting to get into the old Silly Symphony type of content, which is very interesting.


Pixar’s “Partly Cloudy”
Though it’s only a brief clip, get a peek at their latest animated short, Pixar's Partle Cloudy and Up . This AWNtv ‘site also has clips from Pixar’s “UP” as well.

http://www.awntv.com/playlist/a-peek-at-pixar/partly-cloudy-clip/


Also in the playlist on the right (which will start automatically, or you can click ones you want to watch), are the Upisodes (a bunch of gag shorts featuring the Up guys).

Enjoy!

- TAE

Timing for Animation

Click the link to read this book (the first 24 pages are online):

Timing for Animation

Written by two internationally acclaimed animators, this classic text teaches you all you need to know about the art of timing and its importance in the animated film.




John Lasseter wrote the Foreward. It's all about how timing is so important with animation.

Enjoy!

- TAE