It's Pixar. It's Brad Bird. It's a 93% overall on Rotten Tomatoes. What are you waiting for?
Can rats scamper? I would imagine everything can scamper, with the exception of maybe an elephant, but I'm pretty sure rats can scamper for sure.
Go see the film.
As everyone knows by now, Pixar's "Ratatouille" hits theaters this Friday.
With the exception of "Shrek the Third," which happens to be part of a very successful franchise and "Happy Feet" which performed better than anyone could have predicted, the recent crop of CG Films, for the most part have performed pretty softly at the box office.
TMNT - $54 million
Surf's Up - $50 million
Flushed Away - $64 million
Happily N'Ever After - $15 million
Meet the Robinsons - $96 million
While I would call "Robinsons" a hit, the others have not come close to performing at the levels of previous 3D releases. "Surf's Up" has only generated $50 million so far, and will probably stall out at around $65 million, despite it receiving a %77 overall on Rotten Tomatoes. Compare that to a film like "Madagascar," which sits at a %55 review-wise, and yet generated $194 million at the box office a mere two years ago.
There are other examples as well, but the point to all of this is that it's going to be interesting to see if the Pixar name will draw enough people back to CG to make it the same level of hit that previous Pixar films have been. Obviously films like "Shrek the Third" and "Happy Feet" proved that audiences aren't totally fed up with CG films, but films like "Surf's Up!" show that you can have a quality product and it's still not a safe bet to be a hit.
"Ratatouille's" overall score on Rotten Tomatoes, one day before release, is a 92% and so quality isn't a question (was it ever?). So if the film comes out and does well, then where do studios go from here? In other words, if "Ratatouille" performs well, then it will prove that talking animal pictures can still find an audience. Yet if we've already established that "Surf's Up!" scored well and yet didn't perform at the level expected, then what kept people from seeing that film?
My hope is that all of this will push studios to try new things, but my fear is that it will do the opposite and force them to reduce picture output and always look to the safe bet.
See you in the "Ratatouille" line this weekend.
Box Office Numbers Gathered from Box Office Mojo
Rotten Tomatoes
Official Pixar Site
Make now has 3 episodes up of their "Glumpers" series.
Each "episode" is quite short, but they're still a lot of fun to watch. So swing on over and have a look, once you're done reading what Paris did on her second day as a free person.
The Official Glumpers Site
While I'm not a fan of Michael Bay's new Transformers designs, I am a fan of Blur, so below is a video link where members of the Blur staff talk about creating cutscenes for the TF game.
Again, I happen to think that Bay (or whoever on his crew was responsible) redsigned the Transformers so poorly that I have a hard time differentiating between whether I'm looking at a face, foot or butthole, and yet I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Blur's creation process.
Blur's TF Cutscenes Making Of
Blur Studio
Another great find from Upcoming Pixar:
I know this one isn't related directly to 3D, but Dave from Creature Box has posted the following awesome "Incredibles" piece.
If you aren't sure what Creature Box is, then I consider you a lost soul, searching the netherworld for eternity, or until you type in creaturebox.com to your web browser of choice.
Go now... lost soul.
Creature Box
My post on a possible "Incredibles" sequel was pretty much cut and dry, so I thought I'd follow up with one to let everyone know that Pixar may possibly probably not be releasing all of their short films on DVD.
According to Upcoming Pixar:
Film Ick points out that The Disney Enquirer has discovered that Disney has recently registered the domains, PixarShorts.com and DisneyPixarShorts.com. This seems to indicate that a DVD of Pixar short films is on its way.
The article then goes on to say that this isn't the first time such a DVD has been rumoured, but my hope is that it actually happens this time. Not only have I never seen lifted, but I think it would be great to have all of the shorts together in one convenient place.
Just like my underwear drawer.
Get it?
I'll be here all week.
More info, and far fewer lame jokes, after the jump.
Upcoming Pixar's Info on Pixar's Short Film DVD
Brad Bird told ComingSoon that he may definitely possibly do an "Incredibles" sequel for sure if he decides he'll do it.
"I do if I can come up with a story that is as good or better than the first one. If I can come up with a "Toy Story 2" with "The Incredibles," then I would do it in a second. I have pieces that I think are good, but I don't have them all together."
So everyone (myself included) should get excited right now, since we're probably totally maybe probably not going to get a sequel to the best animated film of all time.
ComingSoon's Chat with Brad Bird
UPDATE: Well I'm back from hanging out with Britney and visiting Paris in jail, but it just happens to be a slow news day. I'll post as I find stuff.
I'll be out Thursday and Friday, as I'm making a trip down to L.A. for a motion capture session with my company. Now before you all grab your pitchforks and start coming after me for even typing the term "mocap," let me assure you that I'll do everything in my power to let everyone know how much better keyed animation is the whole time I'm there.
Look for updates to kick back in around Saturday.
Ultimate Disney has released a press... uh... release about "Meet the Robinsons," including bonus details and cover art.
According to the release, bonus features include:
- Deleted Scenes - Find out what scenes got cut and why with fascinating on-camera explanations by the director.
- Keep Moving Forward: Inventions that Shaped the World - Meet real life inventors and visionary thinkers (including Walt Disney, himself) who changed the world and our lives forever.
- Music Videos.
- Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game – Lewis’ new invention organizes his enormous family tree so he can keep track of his family to be. Unfortunately, like most prototypes there are some bugs that haven’t been worked out and it may self-destruct! Help him before his family is erased forever.
- Inventing the Robinsons – Follow the development of the film from William Joyce’s original creations through the animation process and production.
- Audio Commentary by Director Stephen Anderson (with a special guest appearance)
For a bunch of additional info, including more on the bonus features, hit the link below.
Meet the Robinsons DVD Press Release
I'm not sure if anyone remembers "The 10 Second Club" or not, but it was basically a monthly animation exercise where folks posted animations based on a monthly audio clip provided by the site, and then members voted on the best one. It was a great site, and many were sad to see it go. However, thanks to some awesome alumni of the Animation Mentor School, there is now a a brand new animation club, and as the logo says, "This one goes to eleven."
I encourage all of you who may be professional animators, aspiring animators, or just fans of animation to swing by and have a look. I just signed up today, so you may just see my stuff on there in the near future.
Of course... you may also seem some good stuff too.
The 11 Second Club
Some really nice concept art pieces from Pixar's upcoming "Ratatouille" have been posted over at CanMag.
It really is amazing to look through the images and see how close they are to the film. I wonder if these were created before or after the character models had been created, or if the modelers were actually able to match the drawings that closely. I know it's possible, especially for the skilled modelers at Pixar, I'm just curious as to which came first.
Check out the article to see more concept pieces and get nice little tidbits about the film such as this:
To create a realistic looking compost pile, artists photographed and researched the way real produce rots. Fifteen different kinds of produce were left to rot and then photographed, such as apples, berries, bananas, mushrooms, oranges, broccoli and lettuce.
Sounds like my kitchen.
CanMag's Ratatouille Concept Art Page
I'm always blown away when one person can pull off a short of this quality:
UPDATED: The trailer is now up on Apple's site.
WALL-E Teaser Trailer
While I'm sure it will probably wind up being sandwiched squarely between a story about Paris Hilton not getting to have glitter fingernail polish while in jail and one about Brad Pitt's dog pooping during a recent walk, it may still be worth it to tune into "Entertainment Tonight!" tonight to see a teaser for Pixar's upcoming "WALL-E" film.
According to Animator, Victor Navone's blog:
Tune in to Entertainment Tonight at 7:30pm PDT for a first look at the teaser trailer for Pixar's 2008 feature, "WALL-E". It's on KRON Channel 4 in the Bay Area. Check your local listings. You'll get a little taste of what I've been working on for the past year or so. Sorry for the late notice, I just found out about this myself!
Victor's Blog
Remy, star of Pixar's upcoming "Ratatouille" is now in a spot to help educate consumers on conserving electricity, as part of a promotion between Disney and the Department of Energy.
The Department of Energy has teamed up with Disney to bring you an energy-saving message featuring a rat named Remy and other characters from Disney Pixar's new film, Ratatouille. Watch the ad below to learn how you can make the switch today!
Look for next weeks spot in which Mickey Mouse shows you that flushing your toilet every other time you use it, rather than every time, can keep the Earth from imploding.
Ratatouille and Department of Energy Spot
Upcoming Pixar
If you haven't made plans for the weekend yet, I highly suggest you give some thought to catching "Surf's Up!"
Not only is the film a feast for the eyes, but it's also very well written. If you like Aardman's "Creature Comforts" series, or if you enjoy mockumentaries like "Spinal Tap" and "Best In Show," then you really can't go wrong with "Surf's Up."
So load up the station wagon, hide some cheap candy in your pants, and go watch one of the best animated flicks to come down the tube in some time.
If you don't like the film, I'll eat a bottle of surf board wax.
Gnarly.
Another fine short film has hit the interwebs in the form of "Insight" by Salvador Simo.
While somewhat predictable, the film is still quite charming and well animated. I will say that the little girl's giant eyes sort of freaked me out, and I think the homeless woman keeps her alley really clean.
Insight Short Film
Salvador Simo's Website
A nice, and somewhat creepy, short film called "Cycle."
Created by Guy Bar'Ely, the film is well animated, and has a great overall look and mood. I especially like how Guy (a current New York resident) captured the look and feel of the NY Subway, right down to the orange and yellow seats.
I can almost smell the urine.
Cycle Short Film
Guy Bar'Ely's Website
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Lots and lots of updates to AWN's exclusive behind the scenes site of Sony's "Surf's Up!"
The site now has interviews up with everyone including the Producer, Director, Visual FX Team Members, Cast and Wave Technology Gurus.
It's an interesting read for sure, especially the piece on wave technology that shows how the artists created the amazing water that is seen in the film.
Worth a glance.
AWN's Surf's Up Site
Dreamworks' "Kung Fu Panda" now has a website up and running, though outside of a cast, and this one image, there isn't much to look at yet.
According to the site, the film is set to star: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane, David Cross, Seth Rogen, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Hong, and Randall Duk Kim
This looks to be a really solid cast, and I'm hoping the film lives up to the normal Dreamworks standards. If you'd like to go to the site and check out the same things I just posted in a different font and with a black background, hit the link below.
Official Kung Fu Panda Website
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Variety has a few more nuggets on Pixar's "Up," including the tiny concept art snippet below.
The Disney-owned toon studio's release that year will be "Up," about a 70-year-old man who teams with a wilderness ranger to fight beasts and villains.
"Monsters, Inc." director Pete Docter is helming.
I just watched "Monsters, Inc." last night, so I'm pretty sure I've pretty much already seen "Up," and it was good.
I'm pretty awesome.
More Info on Pixar's Up from Variety
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Sony's "Surf's Up" finished it's opening weekend in a respectable 4th place, behind a couple of huge summer blockbusters and a surprise comedy.
The film made $18 million dollars, being beat out by "Knocked Up," "Pirates 3," and "Ocean's Thirteen."
As far as an opening weekend for a CG film goes, "Surf's Up" had to be somewhat of a disappointment to Sony. Despite strong reviews, the film's opening was dwarfed by CG recent CG film openings like "Shrek the Third's" $122 million dollar opening and even "Happy Feet's" $42 million. Even when compared to Sony's previous CG Animated film, "Open Season," which made $24 million opening weekend, "Surf's Up!" just did not perform at the same level.
Was it the fact that moviegoers are still gunshy of CG after the avalanche of CG films last summer? Did they get their fill of penguins with "Happy Feet"? Is it because there are so many big blockbuster films at theaters right now? Was this seen as "another anthropomorphic animal film"?
To be honest, it's probably a combination of all of them, but it wasn't due to poor reviews. The film is actually doing quite well in that department.
I had a chance to see the film, and as much as I enjoyed it, I doubt the numbers are going up from here via word of mouth. In the crowded theater I was in, most of the kids were talking and running up and down the isles within the first 45 minutes. The adults generally seemed to enjoy it, and the visuals were nothing short of stunning, but kids seemed to get bored with it quickly. "Surfs Up!" has a very laid back vibe to it, much like a surfer, and it just didn't seem to hold the attention of the little ones.
It's really a shame, because I think "Open Season" and "Surf's Up" were actually both great films, and yet if Sony's animated flicks keep underperforming, it may be a short-lived venture.
Discuss this post on the BP Forums!
A week or so back, I set up a forum here on Bleeding Pixels.
Now normally I don't ask much from the readers of this blog. Actually I don't really ask anything, other than you putting up with one of my crappy animations from time to time. That being said, I'm asking now that you please take advantage of the forums.
I know there are industry people who read this, as well as people passionate about breaking into the industry. If we could get some good discussions going in the forums, I think it would be a great way to share knowledge across the board.
Not only that, but if you have yet to visit the forums, you'll find that there are also places to discuss Music, Movies, 2D Art, and lots of other topics. So don't feel like you have to just talk shop, in terms of 3D Animation.
The one thing I ask above all else is this: Take a quick 5 minutes to register. I'm not asking that you post anything, but if you just register now, you might see something that catches your fancy that you can post on later, and registering now will save you the trouble then.
Again, I hope you take advantage of them. Networking is always a good things, and forums such as these are one of the best places to do that. At the same time, you may just make Bleeding Pixels an even better place to hang out.
Thank you.
The Bleeding Pixels Forums
A recent Time article, transcribed by the fine folks at Upcoming Pixar, has revealed details about Pixar's upcoming projects, including "Wal-E," "Up," and "Toy Story 3."
"Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson are preparing this "coming-of-old-age story" about a seventysomething guy who lives in a house that "looks like your grand-parents' house smelled." He befriends a clueless young Wilderness Ranger and gets into lots of alter kocker altercations. Says Pixar: "Our hero travels the globe, fights beasts and villains and eats dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon."
Frankly Pixar could ask me to buy a ticket to a theater where people come in and take a dump on my head, and I'd probably wind up doing it, so the above description doesn't matter to me, as I'll be there opening weekend either way.
Still, it's interesting to hear what they have planned.
Lots more info on "Wal-E," and "Toy Story 3" after the jump.
Upcoming Pixar's Time Pixar Article Info
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Man... I've really been looking forward to this one.
It looks like it was worth the wait, as the reviews rolling in are actually pretty good. The film currently sits at a 75% overall on Rotten Tomatoes, which is really high compared to some recent CG films. Not only that, but the Cream of the Crop score is an 81%.
So throw on some sunscreen and go see a penguin film that doesn't have the word "mocap" in it's description. Not only that, but for a brief 90 minutes or so, you probably won't hear a single fricking word about Paris Hilton.
You can't beat that with a stick.
Surf's Up Reviews On Rotten Tomatoes
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Dreamwork's latest ogre flick "Shrek the Third" moved into the top 5 of highest grossing CG Animated films following its weekend performance.
According to the list, via Box Office Mojo, "Shrek the Third" passed "Monsters Inc," "Toy Story 2" and "Cars" to take the number 5 spot on the list. Not only that, but it only needs to make $3 million more to pass "The Incredibles" and around $9 million more to pass up the original "Shrek."
No wonder the studio had no problem greenlighting a 4th installment.
The Entire CG Movie List Via Box Office Mojo
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According to DVD Active, "TMNT" will hit store shelves in all major formats on August 7th.
According to the site, no details on extras have been announced at this time, but I'm still pretty excited about picking this bad boy up. Like Jessica Simpson, the film was light on substance and heavy on visual beauty, but it was still a kick in the pants to watch.
I'd totally let Jessica Simpson kick me in the pants.
DVD Active's TMNT Details and Box Art
Discuss the TMNT Release on the BP Forums!
The first reviews of Sony's "Surf's Up!" have started to roll in and they're both good and bad.
The early consensus seems to be that the film is, for the most part, over the heads of most kids, except for the reviews that say kids will love it. However, most reviewers agree that the film is laugh out loud funny, other than the reviews that say it isn't funny at all.
In other words, the critics are all over the place on this one so far.
The film is sitting at a 67% overall on RT, and it will be interesting to see how that score changes as we inch closer to the release this Friday. I for one can't wait to see it, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much as the critically challenged "Open Season."
Surf's Up Reviews On Rotten Tomatoes
The Bleeding Pixels forums aren't exactly blazing right now, but I do hope you folks decide to use them. I think communities, such as forums, are a great place to meet new people and make connections of all kinds. Keep in mind that the BP forums aren't just about 3D either... there are spots for music, movies, TV, and lots of other topics. If you don't see a category that you'd really like, let me know and I'll get it added.
Now get over there and get to posting!
Discuss the Surf's Up First Reviews on the Bleeding Pixels Forums!
Here's a really nice little animation called "A Tale of Rock."
The latest "Ratatouille" podcast from Pixar and Disney is now up for viewing.
