Oh My God! Disney is really doing a great job with this project. It's really quite stunning. Actually I have Sir Spirograph to thank for today's update, because he got Sir Etch-A-Sketch twisting on his knobs. All I can say is Disney has a massive talent pool over there, I just hope the new sequences aren't too jokey. I want animation that takes my breath away, that makes me go "WOW!!!" and this little glimpses that Sir Etch-A-Sketch provided hit the spot.
So, Sir Spirograph threw the gauntlet at me huh? Well, never let it be said that we over here in the Cinderella Castle shy away from a challenge! Actually my little updates Harry have caused a bit of a stir here at the home office. I was drug into the "It's A Small World" ride 12 times for extensive questioning, but I wouldn't crack. The least they could do is take me on the Nautilus, can't believe they are getting rid of the ride. Ever since I was a wee little squire I've spent my weekends at Disneyland and always dreamed of joining James Mason, Peter Lorre and Kirk Douglas on Nemo's masterpiece. Personally I think they are going to retool the ride to fit in with their ATLANTIS film. They could have just gone ahead and announced that right out, couldn't they? I'll ask around the publicity room here, see what I can find out.
I can't believe that weasel at Warner Animation demanded that I surface with FANTASIA 2000 images. That's not too secret, we've been taking this stuff around to recruit talent for about 8 months now, but I guess most of you haven't seen this stuff. A lot of people are going on and on about the WHALES sequence, and while it is beautiful, I prefer the Soldier and the Ballerina sequence.
This sequence is beautiful. It feels more like exquisite animated watercolors than traditional animation, but there are some rats that feel a bit NIMH-ish, if you catch my drift. But it is completely completed.
I catch myself humming the tune to this all day long sometimes, and I often am told to be quiet, but generally I pay them no mind, hey I need my ongoing soundtrack for life. This sequence is very elegant and perfectly timed to the music. You'll get a big kick out of it.
The art of this sequence is nothing though in comparison to the Mother Nature/Pheonix one. This is the one that is meant to be the replacement for NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN, well technically you shouldn't think of any of these as being a replacement for any sequence. But rather it is more like a new sequence. I know that we advertising guys are worried about how to handle the missing sequences, since inevitably there will be those out there that feel Disney's round ears have turned to horns. None of the artist I've talked to are considering their work as better than say Tytla's, instead they feel haunted by that greatness and are striving to produce their personal best work.
The whole Mother Nature part of this story is pretty, but for some it will be "ho hum", but the further this sequence goes the more you get drawn into it. I'm eagerly anticipating see this sequence in it's entirity
And then the Pheonix itself, wow. As you can see with the finished cel setup I sent you, this sequence will be a tour de force. A real show-stopper. At least that is the plan. It will be interesting to observe how this plays to a test audience, soon as those numbers hit my office, they're yours. I think some people are going to go absolutely bonkers for this.
However, it is my feeling that everyone's favorite new sequence will be the Donald Duck & Noah's Arc. It is just the most commercially viable sequence, while still being a stunning piece of work. It is going to be so much fun watching the audience react to this stuff. Everyone here believes in this project 110%
Harry, that's about it this time. Oh, there's also a Flamingo sequence, but personally I think Disney is wanting to take over the tacky pink flamingo yard decoration industry. These damn flamingos will be everywhere. I can just see women tatooing them to their shoulders, and the ceramic set of 6. I'll spare you the image Harry, you deserve some sleep. By the way, I miss the old site.
