*** Official THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Discussion Thread

*** Official THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Discussion Thread

Unfortunately, I'm nowhere near the limited release locations (NY and LA). It looks like a typical stamped out, formulaic, Disney Princess musical; however, I'll still go to see it since it has been too long since a well animated 2D feature has been theatrically released. IMO, properly done CGI features look great, but the expressiveness of pencil drawn characters still can't be matched. Looking at the trailers for this one, the biggest thing that mars it is it looks like extensive CGI backgrounds were used. If they are going to claim a return to "hand-drawn" animation then they should make sure it really is hand drawn: that includes backgrounds. 

*** Official THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Discussion Thread

It says a lot about Lassiter that he's in charge of hand-drawn 2D animation.  He's not just a cgi artist, he's an animation artist.

That video on the link mentions doing rough and clean up animation on paper.  Is the final animation being hand painted on cells?  They could be hand  painting on a computer.  I hope they've gone all the way back to cells.  And I'm a huge Pixar cgi fan.

*** Official THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Discussion Thread

I thought they didn't use paper anymore? That they have gone to drawing on tablets only? Anyway, if that's not the case, the drawings would still be scanned into the computer. No cells are being used anymore.

*** Official THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Discussion Thread

I'm pretty sure there are no cels used for this film. I don't think cel animation has been used in years for feature animation.

*** Official THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Discussion Thread

They have been doing ink and paint digitally since Beauty and the Beast.

This has not stopped Disney from selling overpriced limited edition replica "cels" though.

*** Official THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Discussion Thread

When I was a kid, I saw cells being sold in Mainstreet in Disneyland.  I had one, it wasn't from a notable film, I think a Donald Duck short.  There was an alligator in the cell with Donald.  Of course, I don't have that anymore.  That link showed a video and you saw the animators drawing on paper and flipping back and forth between pages to proof them.

Yep, my next door neighbor in the 80's had a couple Lady and the Tramp cels they bought there in the '60's. They were still in the original frames with the stamp of the "Disney art corner."

Real production cels were considered mostly clutter taking up space in the vaults back then, and being sold off as cheap souvenirs.

except for a whole lot of 'em that were "washed" and re-used in later features.  I think if you had some from Snow Whiteyou might be able to make a small fortune off of them..

Leo

I've read they did do that during the war when raw materials were in short supply. I don't know if it's any more true than the story of animators taking slides down a hall lined with Dumbo cels after the movie was done!

Snow White cels were actually sold to the public shortly after the film came out. More than a few are still around.

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Crawdaddy

It's interesting to me that Lassiter was in charge of this movie since part of the original mission of Pixar was to create animated features that were not Broadway musicals, a format that was contrary to what he wanted to accomplish with animation.  As a result of his smashing success, he's now in charge of the exact thing that he disdained.

BTW, anyone else notice the gaping plot hole towards the end of the moive?

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) BTW, what the hell ethnicity is Naveen?

That's because too many people think Disney movies have to include songs. Most fans want it, so the board of directors give it to them. The problem is, most people also don't want the Disney movies to become formulaic, so there's really no real solution. I personally am getting a bit tired of always the Disney princesses and the necessity to make it a musical. It's like all they can do, and I know that's not the case. But I guess it's necessary to make a return to 2D animation, do something you've proven to be good at. I just hope that they will do something different with Rapunzel, although Alan Menken is writing the songs, so I doubt it.

I think people are so in love with the idea of hand drawn animation that they're willing to put up with the shop worn plots, cloned characters, and mediocre songs found in The Princess and the Frog.  I keep reading that hand drawn animation "is back", which makes me think, "do people think Ponyo is CGI?"  Ponyo shows that hand drawn animation needn't be a musical, and you don't have to tread that well worn path to create an animated film.  Yes, it's easier to market a "Disney musical" and a "Disney Princess".  But isn't that just a matter of Disney conceding that the film is just an exercise in marketing?  Because to me, that's really all I got from it.