Disney Pixar Discussion

[estefan]

Mr. Ross has also played a significant role in the rise of the Jonas Brothers.

Okay, I officially hate this person now.

I've felt this for a while and while Iger is doing a great job when it comes to the animation branch of Disney, me thinks he seems set on turning the Company into one squarely aimed at tweens. Say what you will about Michael Eisner (who wasn't all that great, either), but at least he understood Walt Disney's philosophy of making the Company aimed at all ages, not simply one demographic.

[Josh]

If Ross does 'Disney Channel-ize' Walt Disney Pictures, the division wouldn't be much different. The best-reviewed and most profitable films to come from Walt Disney Pictures during the past year are High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Hannah Montana: The Movie. Ross being Chairman may simply mean we'll be getting Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny with a Chance films instead of More Bedtimes Stories and Return of the Apple Dumpling Gang.

[Bill1978]

I admit I'm fairly clueless about the managerial side of the entertainment business, but if Rich Ross' claim to fame is creating the Jonas Brothers, than I don't hold much hope for a turn around of the current way Disney is exploring the world of entertainment. My main interest in Disney has been it's animation branch and in particular its soundtracks. Over the past few years I've noticed that the music that is being used to promote a movie is very RadioDisney friendly which means that it alientates a good deal of people who don't want to listen to kiddies music.

I remember the 80s Disney ws always known as producing kid pics. With the evolution of its animation department into producing quality family films that adults could attend by themselves I felt Disney began to grow up again and suddenly any movie with the name Disney wasn't automatically tarnished with the kiddies brush. But lately I've felt Disney has been going backwards and they are returning to the reputation of producing kiddies films again. This Ross fellow doesn't sound like he would be interested in producing mature kinda movies.

Anyway I've said my bit, so I'll return to lurking in this thread, as I'm sure I've made no sense in my rambles.

[Ben]

If Ross does 'Disney Channel-ize' Walt Disney Pictures, the division wouldn't be much different.

Yes...and that's precisely the problem!

Another is that Hollywood is out of ideas, period. That's why we only do get sequels, remakes, reboots, reimaginings... It's not just at Disney where this trend has set in. They've been doing what they know will sell, and at the moment it's tween musicals and the like.

But Dick Cook knew much more than that and, when the tide eventually turns away and there's a demand for the more mature family films that ironically Cook has laid the groundwork for, the question is does this new guy Ross actually know anything <I>other</I> than tween musicals and comedies?

And, when he's really pushed at that point, is he going to do any different than Return Of The Apple Dumpling Gang anyway?

[Josh]

On January 24, 2010, the Producers Guild of America will honor John Lasseter with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award.

John Lasseter is a uniquely talented producer with the rare combination of technical ingenuity and creative vision. He’s a wonderful storyteller, consistently displaying extraordinary skill, humanity and grace. John's work with both Pixar and Disney has raised the bar for producers in live-action films as well as in animation, and we’re excited to be honoring him with the Selznick Award this year.

Further details of this announcement may be found at Awards Daily.

[eddievalient]

Well, he deserves it. If anyone can claim to be the modern Walt Disney, it's John Lasseter.

[Ben]

No. No it's not.

Walt Disney was and did so much more than Mr Lasseter, groundbreaker and talented in his own right. But he's no Walt Disney. No one is or ever could be.

[OriginalGagBonkers]

Walt inspired anyone to do animation back in the day, at least people who like lassester's stuff would like this. I personally think nobody and I mean nobody can beat Disney.

[James]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... AD9EDEI480

To further cut costs at its movie studio, The Walt Disney Co. said Friday that it will shut a San Francisco-area facility used to capture the performance of Jim Carrey for his digitally animated character, Scrooge, in "A Christmas Carol."...

Before it closes, the complex will continue to be used by Zemeckis and his team to complete production of "Mars Needs Moms!," a 3-D movie set for release in March 2011...

Disney said it hoped to come to a new long-term production deal with Zemeckis and his ImageMovers partners, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, including one for a future project called "Yellow Submarine."...

[EricJ]

I believe the operative expression, Disney, is "...TOLD ya.

In its defense, Zemeckis had finally been on the edge of finding mo-cap's niche with Christmas Carol, and that two or three more films, and it might have even found an identity of its own, albeit one not in demand by other studios--
In the shortrun, however, it's far more rewarding to simply say "WOOHOO!!...Our long national nightmare is over!--Hail Dorothy, the Wicked Witch is dead! "

[Macaluso]

Good. Motion capture is ugly as crap

[Whippet Angel]

Disney said it hoped to come to a new long-term production deal with Zemeckis and his ImageMovers partners, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey

Eh, just because this studio is closing, that doesn't mean the ugly zombie-like films will go away entirely.

[EricJ]

No, we've still got the Martian movie next spring, and he'll still probably wander far and wide for money to finish Yellow Submarine as an indie, it'll just take five years longer...

But it's created a stink that's finally made studios think about whether the audience actually WANTS Mo-cap as its own separate art-form (as opposed to a tool to create blue aliens next to live actors), and if we're lucky, whether we ever wanted it at all.
That was an idea that wasn't being discussed back when studio suits were ooh'ing and aah'ing over how neato "Beowulf" looked, or amazed over how much money Polar was making in the 3-D theaters, but they're sure talking about it now.

Zemeckis had always been faulty goods, but up till now, he had never officially become damaged goods. To do that, you need damage...Can't do it without breaking some eggs, and all that.

[American_dog_2008]

What!?

[Randall]

Good. Motion capture is ugly as crap

Avatar. King Kong. Gollum in Lord of the Rings. All not crap-looking.

It's all in how the tool is used.

Now, if you had said "Robert Zemeckis' motion capture...," then you might have a point. Though, even then Monster House was pretty decent.