Toon Talk - May 9, 2001

Toon Talk
Page 3 of 3

Animation:

The Animation Process: Learn about the three kinds of animation needed to produce a completed film:

  • Character, or rough, animation is handled by the character lead and his/her team. They are the actors behind the pencils who draw the characters.
  • Clean-up animators take the rough pencil drawings and, as their job title states, clean them up into a uniform look for the final product.
  • Special effects animators handle every thing that moves in the film that is not a character. For example: rain, smoke, fire, shadows and props.

(Included in The Studio Groove.)

Character Animation:

  • Character Voices: Included in the standard DVD. (See Part 1.)
  • Background to Rough Animation Comparison: Included in The Animation Groove.

Character Design:
Each character has there own section, with Animation Tests for the four main characters. See early rough animation for Kuzco that shows a more realistic look for him in llama form (albeit wearing a crown) and with buck teeth and spiky hair in human form.

In the Character Design Galleries, see early concept drawings and sketches showing the evolution of all the characters, from the Emperor down to his lowly servants. See how at one point Pacha looked like Marlon Brando in a muumuu and how Kronk, at different stages of development, vaguely resembled Fabio and The Rock.

The most illuminating section is for the miscellaneous characters, where one can see characters that never made it to the final film, including the intriguing "Naked Guy and the Peacock."

Also note what one of Mudka's Meat Hut waitresses has on her platter ... grilled flounder must be today's special.

You can also see the progression of these designs through the ever changing title on the production sheets: Kingdom of the Sun, Kingdom in the Sun, The New Kingdom and finally The Emperor's New Groove.

Clean-up Animation:

  • Rough Animation to Clean-up Animation Comparison: Included in The Animation Groove.
  • Character Model Sheets: Yet another gallery, this one displaying the final character model sheets for the four main characters. Model sheets are used by the clean-up animators to retain continuity for the characters, so that they look the same throughout the entire film.
  • CGI Props: Included in the standard DVD. (See Part 1.)
  • Animation Production Progression: Again using the dinner scene as an example, viewers can use the 'angle' button on their remotes to toggle through the progression of the animation, from story reel to rough animation to clean-up animation to the final scene and back again. This is a nifty way to see how how all the different stages of animation come together.

Putting It All Together:

  • Ink and Paint Compositing : The Ink and Paint Department used to actually use ink and paint to hand color each individual animation cel. Now it is done on computers as explained here. (Included in The Studio Groove.)
  • Clean-up Animation to Ink and Paint Comparison: Included in The Animation Groove.
  • Color Models: Yes, another gallery, this one includes five color models showing the final color schemes for Kuzco, Kuzco Llama, Pacha, Yzma and Kronk. Again, uniformity is the objective here.

Music and Sound:

  • Creating the Music and Sound Effects: This is the final step: after all the cleaned-up animation has been colored and combined with the background paintings and is all composited in the computer, a 35 mm print of the film is made and is ready to have the dialogue, music and sound effects added. This is done in the sound studio where it is all orchestrated to create the best mix of the three sound elements.
  • Sting Music Video: "My Funny Friend and Me": Included on the standard DVD. (See Part 1.)
  • Mixing Demonstration: Using a scene from the movie (no, not the dinner scene again ... this time it's the rope bridge scene), you can isolate the dialogue, sound effect and music tracks or combine them in any way you choose by using your remote.

Publicity:

  • Trailers and TV Spots: Includes the two theatrical trailers and three TV commercials for The Emperor's New Groove.
  • Posters/Ad Campaign: A gallery of the poster art and newspaper ads for the initial theatrical release of The Emperor's New Groove.

The first retail shipments of both the standard and deluxe editions of The Emperor's New Groove come packaged with the free CD-ROM game "Search for the Journal," based on the upcoming Walt Disney Picture Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

All in all, The Ultimate Groove is a fine, although at times overwhelming, presentation of the creation of a Disney animated film.

Toon Talk Grade: B+

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-- Kirby C. Holt

Kirby is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. A frequent contributer to the LaughingPlace.com Discussion Boards, he currently resides near one of the Happiest Places on Earth: Orlando, Florida.

Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.

The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

-- Posted May 9, 2001

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