animation Archives

Bambi: Walt Disney Signature Collection And Special Offer

June 6, 2017 by Momstart 3 Comments

We received a copy of Bambi The Signature Collection to facilitate this review.

Bambi is now available on BLU-RAY + DVD and Digital HD and I’m happy to be adding it to our Disney Movies Anywhere collection with that Digital HD code.

What is so special about this release? It’s a celebration of Bambi’s 75th anniversary. Can you believe that the movie has been out that long and that we had the opportunity to interview Bambi and Thumper. They were amazing to talk to with so many stories to share with us.

With every new release Disney finds more footage to add as extras. The Bambi Signature Collection includes all-new bonus material including recordings of Walt Disney. On these recordings he is discussing the production of Bambi, deleted scenes and much more.

I love watching all the extras on these classic Disney animated films that I grew up watching.

Because we are so excited about celebrating with Disney we made a Clover Cake.

You should be sure to go and check it out.

Bonus Material (Bluray & Digital HD) Includes:

Brand New:

The Bambi Effect – “Bambi” was full of innovations for its time. Let’s take a look at how those past innovations affected future Disney animated titles all the way up to today
Studio Stories: “Bambi” – Recordings of Walt Disney. Listen in on intimate moments where he discussed the challenges, pitfalls and triumphs during the production of “Bambi.”
Deleted Scene: Bambi’s Ice And Snow – Bambi coaxes Thumper and his brothers and sister to come play on the ice during the first snow.
Bambi Fawn Facts – Think you know everything there is to know about Bambi and his forest companions? Well, it’s time to discover some fun real-life facts about the creatures that live in the forest he calls home.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: “Africa Before Dark” – Oswald Short
Celebrating Tyrus Wong (Digital Exclusive) – A Heartfelt look at the man who played a key role in the success of “Bambi.” Much like Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle, Tyrus Wong had a unique signature style all to his own. The Soft Water-colored backgrounds and beautiful palettes in “Bambi” were inspired by Tyrus’ concept art paintings.

Classic:

Deleted Scenes – Two Leaves, Bambi Stuck on a Reed, Winter Grass, Twitterpated
The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born
Trick of the Trade (Excerpt)
Inside The Disney Archives
The Old Mill: Animated Short
Original Theatrical Trailer
The Golden Age

*Digital Bonus Offerings May Very by Retailer

DISNEY MOVIE REWARDS BONUS: If you have Disney Movie Rewards and purchase Bambi you have the option to buy this special tank top featuring the Paul Felix art inspired by BAMBI here! Ends July 31!

We hope you enjoy this new copy copy of Bambi in your home today!

The Journey Of a Movie: Disney’s Planes Fire & Rescue

June 20, 2014 by Momstart 4 Comments

Why is Disney so successful with their movies? They start with a very good story. Then they do all the research about every aspect of their story and then they combine the two and translate that into animation. Last month, I sat down with Jeff Howard (co-writer) and Paul Gerrard (Director, Creative Development) to learn about the research that went into Planes Fire and Rescue.

To fully make a movie about forest fires and the people that put them out they had to actually go out and talk to them. Jeff and Paul actually traveled to Yosemite Park and Yellowstone Park, meeting with park rangers in order to make the park as realistic for the film as possible. While watching Planes: Fire & Rescue, you will see some familiar sites with any knowledge of either park. The Grand Fusel Lodge was inspired by Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. Disney personnel actually went to Old Faithful Inn and did on-site research. There are many similar characteristics in the film.

They learned so much from these locations. CAL Fire was also a big resource for the film makers. They fight about 5,600 fires per year. So of course they were able to help Disney make sure they were using real words and phrases that fire fighters actually use. Jeff and Paul also participated in actual water drops on some fires. They even went as far as spending time with smoke jumpers for the US Forces!

People called dispatchers have to check constantly on lighting strikes and find out if any fires were started. So of course Disney put one in Planes Fire and Rescue.

Aerial firefighting planes can hold up to 16,000 gallons of water and can fill up in 12 seconds by skimming lakes, reservoirs and large rivers. Which I think is very impressive. The planes in Planes Fire and Rescue are based on actual planes used to fight fires, and Planes like Dusty were actually used to fight fires a long time ago!

Follow Along Socially:

“Like” Disney’s PLANES FIRE AND RESCUE on Facebook

“Follow” Disney’s PLANES FIRE AND RESCUE on Twitter

Visit the website

Disney’s PLANES FIRE AND RESCUE flies into theatres everywhere on July 18th!

Learning Frozen Piano Music In Honor of Disney’s Frozen on Blu-ray Combo Pack

March 19, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Yesterday Disney’s Frozen on Blu-ray Combo Pack was released and I saw that A lot of people must have pre-ordered it or went right out to the stores to get it. ALL Over Facebook everyone had a picture of their DVD, or at least that’s what Facebook chose to show me.

Well, this might make you laugh, but we found someone that knew nothing about the movie. He had a baby last year so his life has been quite busy and it’s understandable that he missed it. Zoe told her piano teacher that she wanted to play music from the movie Frozen. He said, ok, I’ll find the book for you and we’ll work on it. He bought the book and we missed last week’s lesson so it sat in his office all week and EVERY SINGLE student he had wanted to play “Let It Go”. I’m not surprised but he was. Then Zoe explained the whole movie to him. As soon as we got home I had to sit down at the piano and try to play it too. I can’t say this out loud to Zoe but IT”S HARD! She’ll get it before me.

Winner of the 2013 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Let It Go”), this wondrous tale of a young girl trying to save a kingdom trapped in eternal winter arrives just in time for spring and features even more adventure, more extras, and more Olaf!

In “Frozen,” fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey — teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven — to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

“Frozen” features the heartwarming voice talents of Kristen Bell (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Hit & Run,” Showtime’s “House of Lies,” Broadway’s “The Crucible”) as Anna; Idina Menzel (Broadway’s “Wicked” and “Rent,” “Enchanted”) as Elsa; Jonathan Groff (2013 Sundance Film Festival’s “C.O.G,” “Taking Woodstock,” Fox’s “Glee,” Broadway’s “Spring Awakening”) as mountain man Kristoff; Josh Gad (“The Internship,” “Love & Other Drugs,” Broadway’s “The Book of Mormon”) as the lovable snowman Olaf; Santino Fontana (Broadway’s “Cinderella,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Billy Elliot”) as Hans; Alan Tudyk (King Candy in “Wreck-It Ralph,” “42”) as the Duke of Weselton; Ciarán Hinds (“Game of Thrones”) as Pabbie & Chris Williams (“Bolt”) as Oaken

Bonus Materials Overview for These Products:

HD Digital*

Disney Movies Anywhere

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (BD + DVD + Digital Copy)

Includes:

· The Making Of Frozen

· D’frosted: Disney’s Journey From Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen

· 4 Deleted Scenes with introduction by Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee

· Original Theatrical Short – “Get A Horse!”

· “Let It Go” Music Videos by Demi Lovato, Martina Stoessel & Marsha Milan Londoh

· Frozen Teaser Trailer

"Let It Go" Multi-Language Sequence Frozen & Sing-Along Version of Disney’s FROZEN In Theaters

January 23, 2014 by Momstart 1 Comment

With FROZEN still playing in theatres everywhere, hear "Let It Go" in 25 different languages in the new multi-language sequence that is now available. You have to check this out because it is so amazing!

And if that wasn’t enough they created a special sing along version for theaters. “Frozen” audiences are invited to join the act—literally—as more than 1000 theaters nationwide introduce an all-new sing-along version of Disney’s Oscar®-nominated, Golden Globe®-winning big-screen adventure beginning Jan. 31, 2014.

“‘Frozen’ fans have embraced the film’s original songs and its soundtrack with such passion—there are countless YouTube videos from people singing songs like ‘Let It Go’—we decided to create a version that would celebrate that enthusiasm,” said Dave Hollis, executive vice president, theatrical distribution, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s a great opportunity for families to get together and have some fun with these songs.”

According to Hollis, on-screen lyrics and a magical bouncing snowflake will accompany select showings; moviegoers can check local listings for showtimes and theaters. The duration of the sing-along run will vary by theater.

Disney’s “Frozen” received two Oscar® nominations, including best animated feature and best original song (“Let It Go”). Named best animated film by more than a dozen critics associations, the film won a Golden Globe® for best animated feature, two Critics Choice Movie Awards, including best animated feature and best song (“Let It Go”), and a Producers Guild of America Award for outstanding animated feature.

I’m Olaf in Disney’s Frozen And I LOVE Summer #DisneyFrozenEvent

December 4, 2013 by Momstart 1 Comment

One of my favorite things to do when I’m over at Disney Animation Studios is to do voice overs for characters in the movies. This time for Disney’s new movie Frozen we did the voice for Olaf. I think I’m getting pretty good at doing voice overs but not so much when it comes to singing a song that I’ve never heard before. Why don’t you check out my two videos and let me know what you think?

Here I am as Olaf when Anna and Hans meet Olaf Here I am as Olaf Singing In Summer

The Animation Behind Monsters University #MonstersUEvent

May 6, 2013 by Momstart 4 Comments

One subject that I’m very interested in is art and animation so while I attend Monster’s University I took extra notes when it came to the animation department. My class schedule was quite intense with a morning full of classes. I took English 101, Sociology 203, Anthropology 152, Dramatic Arts and Physics and there was a little art and science in all of them.

ENGLISH 101: How to Tell a Great Story

Learn about the story process and how to draw a character from MU.
Instructor: Kelsey Mann (Story Supervisor)

At Pixar when they create a movie like Monsters University it’s all about the story. They don’t move at all until there is a story and it took a while to get to this story line because in Monsters Incorporated Mike talks about how he’s known Sully since Kindergarten but you’ll find that fact changed. They decided that they had a stronger story by having them meet in college. Which is why Monsters University takes place where it does and the story is what it is. Then we learned how to draw Mike. There is still research involved as well, with the story taking place at a college they had to visit many different colleges. So Story moves into Sociology and Anthropology and Dramatic Arts and Physics that hardest part of all.

SOCIOLOGY 203: The Deconstruction of a Character

Learn about the design of college-age Mike & Sulley, and creation & design of new characters in the film.
Instructors: Ricky Nierva (Production Designer), Jason Deamer (Character Art Director) & Daniela Strijleva (Character Designer)

So you have a story, and with every good story you have to have characters. However, we know Mike, Sully, and Randall as adults. (yep Randall makes an appearance in Monsters University) The animators had to take years off the characters and faced a quandary. How do you make a blue hairy monster and a green eye ball look younger?

It takes trial and error and lots of it. Plus you have to be willing to take criticism. I’m not sure I could work at Pixar because I have a hard time when people ask me to change my writing. The animators at Pixar are amazing and I feel they did a fantastic job making a young Sully and Mike. Here is an early concept of Sully young:

ANTHROPOLOGY 152: Monsterizing the World

Learn about creating and “monsterizing” the world of MU.
Instructors: Dice Tsutsumi (Shading/Lighting Art Director) & Robert Kondo (Sets Art Director)

We have monsters in Monsters University and well monsters live in a monster world. What should a monster world look like, I mean should it look like our world or not? The animators at Pixar decided that the world should look like a monster world and they used the monstrous theme in all the buildings and trees and in all the details. I love watching and learning about all of the details and seeing them come together on the big screen.

DRAMATIC ARTS: Bringing a Character to Life

Learn how the animation process works, and view an animation demo on a linux machine.
Instructor: Scott Clark (Supervising Animator)

My favorite class the animation of a character. I’ve taken this class before and loved it both times. Pixar and Disney both have amazing ways to manipulate art from drawing by hand then directly on the computer and then using vectors and paths and being able to move each limb, it’s AH-mazing.

PHYSICS 250: Global Illumination

View a presentation on the use of Global Illumination in MU and The Blue Umbrella.
Instructors: Jean-Claude (JC) Kalache (DP-Lighting), Sanjay Bakshi (Supervising Technical Director) & Christine Waggoner (Simulation Supervisor)

Physics was by far the hardest class but if you think about it you can’t create a 3D world without it. Lighting and the math of art is the only way to give it dimension. Giving an object a shadow provides a direction of light and it’s hard to describe without pictures but they have to consider so many directions for the light including all of the ways light bounces off of objects and then changes directions. Have you ever considered how many different light sources there are? Let’s take the sun, it hits a mirror, then it reflects, it reflect again off of a piece of metal but which way does it bounce? It depends on the shape of the metal and the angle the piece of metal exists in it’s plane. Art and animation and 3D is a complex world so if you want to go down this line of education you need to stay in school

Nintendo DS DreamWorks Animation The Croods Prehistoric Party

April 6, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We saw the movie The Croods and my kids loved it, now we can play the video game too. That is, as soon as I find our Nintendo DS. DreamWorks Animation created the first family and now you can help them live their adventures by taking them on a road trip in The Croods Prehistoric Party.

Get your mini-game on with the first modern family in D3Publisher’s The Croods: Prehistoric Party, now available in stores for the Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and DS! Based on DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming animated film, The Croods.

The Croods: Prehistoric Party brings you the lovable prehistoric family as they travel on a hilarious adventure through 30 unique and addictive party-style mini-games. Gamers will be able to explore spectacular landscapes in a new world filled with never-before-seen creatures as you battle your friends and family with up to four-player multiplayer for Nintendo’s Wii U and Wii system (single player for handheld systems).

Join the world’s first family on their first ever road trip in the The Croods: Prehistoric Party!, as you play as one of the lovable Croods family on a hilarious adventure through a ton of unique and addictive party-style mini-games. With up to four player multiplayer for Nintendo’s Wii U and Wii systems (single player for handhelds), explore spectacular landscapes in an incredible new world filled with never-before-seen creatures as you battle your friends and family in this awesome adventure.

Play as One of Your Favorite Croods Characters from the Film – Play as one of the lovable Croods family members from DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature film, The Croods, including Grug, Ugga, Eep, Thunk, Sandy, Gran and Guy.

Conquer 30 Mini-games on a Hilarious Journey – Compete or cooperate with players in comical games like Cave Painter, Banana Brawl, Punch Monkey Boxing, and Egg Ball!
- FISH SHOE SHUFFLE– Match the buttons displayed to shuffle across the coral. First to finish wins!
Step Into Spectacular Croodaceous Environments – Explore amazing new worlds and discover tons of bonus items such as fi re and ladders to use in play and to unlock new games.

Play With Bizarre Croodacious Creatures – Never-before-seen creatures act as hazards, vehicles, pets, allies and more throughout the entire game.
Four Player Multiplayer Mayhem – Play as any character and survive a host of challenges in the ultimate mix of friendly fun and prehistoric partying!

Coming To Theaters This July from DreamWorks Animation – Turbo!

March 13, 2013 by Momstart 4 Comments

Coming This July from DreamWorks Animation – Turbo!

By: Ashley

For those of you who don’t know, I have a little boy who will be turning 3 in June. He, along with TONS of other boys, loves to go fast. He runs, races, zips, zags, and speeds around our house inside and out. He hasn’t been to see a movie in a theater yet but, I’m thinking this summer, once he’s turned 3, he will be ready. After seeing a few sneak peeks at DreamWorks Animation summer film, Turbo, I think that might be the right movie to try!

What is Turbo? Turbo is a little story about a sweet little garden snail. I know, I know. A movie about a snail, one of the slowest creatures ever, named Turbo. It doesn’t make sense. Once you find out that this little snail goes through a pretty spectacular transformation leaving him with special super speed power, then it starts to sound like a good story!

This is another star studded cast including Ryan Reynolds (Turbo) and Paul Giamatti (Chet) lead the way with other big names like Maya Rudolph, Ken Jeong, Luis Guzman, Samuel L. Jackson, and even Snoop Dogg adding more to this dynamic cast.

Turbo is on track to hit theaters July 2013.

A big thank you to 20^th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation for inviting us to The Croods Parent Blogger Summit where I saw a sneak peek of Turbo.

About Ashley – Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her@Momicles2010.

Behind the Movie The Croods: Creating The Storyboards

March 7, 2013 by Momstart 5 Comments

Creating The Croods – The Storyboards Behind the Scenes

By: Ashley

The Croods will be crashing into theatres in just a few weeks, which makes this the perfect time to share some behind the scenes animation info with you. When I visited DreamWorks, I was actually able to meet some of the character teams that worked on creating the Croods family. Hearing how committed, dedicated and loyal the developers are to the story and the characters definitely explains why the animation is so real and lifelike!

Meet Steve MacLeod. Steve was a guest story artist on The Croods for the past 5 years! He actually started as a trainee with the DreamWorks education system, and now , his name is in the credits. A great tribute to DreamWorks, and also a glimpse into how long it actually takes to make an animated feature film. Writer/Director Chris Sanders added, “That’s the shocking truth of how long it takes to make these. If you have a child at the beginning, they will be going to the premier.”

(Check out Steve and some of his storyboarding.)

So where did the ideas for the actual Croods family come from? The designers on the film, looked back at cave paintings for inspiration on character creation. When they noticed that all of the primitive people seemed to have a certain shape, it was determined that the Croods would be a big, athletic bunch. “…we always were looking at beach volleyball players and downhill skiers and ust people that were athletic and for the whole family because we wanted it to feel real…that they could actually do what we were making them do, “ Kirk DeMicco (Director of TheCroods) added.

Chris Sanders sharing some of the early stages from The Croods storyboards with eager bloggers.

A rough world is definitely one way to describe the intense conditions that the DreamWorks crew created for The Croods. The opening scenes of the movie immediately set the tone of a rugged, tough, primitive world that The Croods call home. In a hunt for breakfast, you see how primitive the terrain and the family really is. Sanders added, “One of the reasons we wanted that in the film from the very beginning was we wanted to really set the dials as far as how tough are these people, how fast are they.” Knowing that the storyboards for this scene were shorthand labeled “Breakfast is a full contact sport” lets you know exactly how tough everyone and everything in these opening scenes really are! Add to that an amazing score including the USC Marching Band, and you’ve basically got a close up view of caveman family football for food!

The Croods having a little down time… obviously NOT during their full contact breakfast.

So what is the storyboarding process like? For The Croods, it started with Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco writing the script. From there, it weren’t on to stroyboards. He artists really adjust the story as they go to really begin bringing things to life. After reading the script, and meeting with the directors to get special notes on a particular scene, the artists get to work. Using EXTREMELY rough drawings, they will then pitch a set of storyboards, get more notes, and go back to the drawing board – literally. After a vicious cycle of revising, editing, re-working, and pitching again, and again, they’ll send it off to editorial to start adding the rough sound. SO COOL!

Some shots of storyboards from The Croods.

Like I said before, knowing how closely the animators, artists, and really the entire DreamWorks team work with a film before it’s released… it comes as no surprise that The Croods made me laugh, cry, and hold my breath more than a couple of times! I can’t wait to see it hit theaters March 22!

The Croods smashes into theaters March 22.

Link Up!

Visit the official website

Like The Croods on Facebook

Follow @DWAnimation on Twitter #TheCroods

Re-pin great DIY tutorials, printables & more from The Croods on Pinterest!

A big thank you to 20^th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation for inviting us to The Croods Parent Blogger Summit.

Wreck-It Ralph Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray, 3D, DVD & Digital Copy

March 2, 2013 by Momstart 1 Comment

How can I say anything but it’s so awesome and about time Wreck-It Ralph came home to my Blu-ray player in the house, my DVD player in my van and my tablet with Digital Download. I mean, we’ve been waiting for this since we watched it in the theater. I love Wreck-It Ralph and so do my kids and my friends and my husband and his co-workers. He told me the other day that whenever he wears his Wreck-It Ralph t-shirt his co-workers always comment saying “I Love that movie”. I would even venture to say there are a lot of Microsoft employees that have this on pre-order at Amazon already. This is going to be the movie the kids watch in the van for MONTHS!!!

From Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Wreck-It Ralph” takes viewers on a hilarious journey. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has played the bad guy in his popular video game. In a bold move, he embarks on an action-packed adventure and sets out to prove to everyone that he is a true hero with a big heart. As he explores exciting new worlds, he teams up with some unlikely new friends including feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman). The film is directed by Emmy^®-winner Rich Moore.

Featuring an all-star voice cast including Jack McBrayer as the voice of Fix It Felix, Jr. and Jane Lynch as the voice of Sgt. Calhoun, plus breakthrough bonus features that take viewers even deeper into the world of video games, Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” has something for every player. Over an hour of all-new bonus material is featured on the Digital and Blu-ray Combo Pack, including deleted and alternate scenes, the theatrical short “Paperman,” plus much more.

Bonus Materials Overview for These Products:

HD Digital

SD Digital

4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray +DVD + Digital Copy)

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray +DVD)

Includes:

· Bit by Bit: Creating the Worlds of “Wreck-It Ralph” – Fans of the film will get a look at five new worlds created for “Wreck-It Ralph.” The short takes viewers into Game Central Station with the artists who brought Sugar Rush, Hero’s Duty and Fix It Felix Jr. to life.

· Alternate & Deleted Scenes – Four separate scenes are highlighted with an introduction and optional audio commentary from director Rich Moore.

· Video Game Commercials – Viewers can check out the commercials created for the video games featured in the film – Fix It Felix Jr., Sugar Rush, Hero’s Duty and Fix It Felix Hammer.

· “Paperman” – This animated short film played in theaters before “Wreck It Ralph.” It tells the story of a young man in an office who sees the girl of his dreams in a skyscraper window across the street. But how can he get her attention?

Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Materials

Includes:

· Disney Intermission: The Gamer’s Guide to “Wreck-It-Ralph” – When the film is paused, host Chris Hardwick appears on screen to guide viewers through a series of 10 video segments offering an inside look at the many video game references, Disney references and other hidden surprises featured in the film.

I’m going to Wreck-It

We received a sample from Disney