Toy Story 4

Today Bob Iger announced that in 2017 Disney and Pixar will release Toy Story 4. Just that sentence gives me a bad taste in my mouth because Toy Story 3 ended the trilogy and my childhood so 
perfectly. After the announcement there was an outcry online about ruining the story that the three films completed. The director John Lassester who directed the original made it very clear that the decision to make the film wasn't about money but was instead just a great idea. 

          “We love these characters so much; they are like family to us. We don’t want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what’s gone before. ‘Toy Story 3’ ended Woody and Buzz’s story with Andy so perfectly that for a long time, we never even talked about doing another ‘Toy Story’ movie. But when Andrew, Pete, Lee and I came up with this new idea, I just could not stop thinking about it. It was so exciting to me, I knew we had to make this movie—and I wanted to direct it myself.” 

I'm not the type of person who will rule out any film or idea until I see it. Yes it's still annoying that they are changing the trilogy but just like Star Wars, the more films the better. They have built this wonderful universe and I trust that they will honor all the previous installments. I can't wait to see what Buzz, Woody, and the gang are up to and where their next adventure will take them!

Paperman

Another Disney related post... sorry guys.

I had the pleasure of watching Paperman today. I had heard awesome things about it and finally got the chance to sit down and enjoy it.   Paperman is a short, black and white animated Disney film.

I appreciated this film for a ton of reasons.  First of all, I really took time to appreciate how the black and white shading of the film affected how the story was told, since our first project is being shot in black and white.  It really added a "classic" aspect to the film.   It helped stray away from when the story took place.  With the exception of some telephones that were a little "old fashioned", it was difficult to tell when the story took place.  Everyone was dressed in business/work attire, which also remains relatively the same among generations.  

Next thing I noticed was the use of many different aspect ratios we discussed in class.  I noticed a lot of the "Golden Ratio" being put to use.  A lot of the shots were very aesthetically pleasing.  Since this is animated, the animator has true control over where everything is placed.  One of the first shots in the filmed shows aspect ratios... 

See?

And probably the thing I appreciated most about this- the relationship between Paperman and Mickey The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  I liked how there was a relationship in the sense that there was life given to inanimate objects.  It was definitely cool to see a reference to an old Disney film. 

Lastly, the amount of characterization to a person who isn't even real.  I never stop being amazed at how characters that are animated touch my heart so close.  This film tells a compelling story, without dialogue, but through emotions of animated characters. 

Needless to say- I really enjoyed Paperman. Job well done.