Between Books - The CG Story: Computer Generated Animation and Special Effects

The CG Story: Computer Generated Animation and Special Effects by animation historian Christopher Finch is a comprehensive history of computer generated animation that presents the history of this now common application of computer technology from it's origins to its maturity today.  Finch documents early attempts by computer pioneers to use their computing power to create images.  He then outlines how these early images lead to very early computer animation by pioneers like Ed Catmull which would eventually lead to a dream to create an entire animated feature with computing power.  The author outlines the evolution of that dream within Pixar which eventually lead to the creation of Toy Story.  This is followed by a discussion of computer animated features and how they evolved the art and the growing use of computer generated special effects in live action films.  Finch's words are illustrated by 350 images, primarily showing the results that programmers and artists generated.

The CG Story is a big big book.  It is over-sized, and though I tried, it is not really a book you snuggle to in bed.  The size allows the illustrations to be gorgeously displayed.  There is no squinting for a reader in reviewing and appreciating the images.  My only real complaint of the book is some images are turned on their side, and the size and weight of the book really does not allow a quick orientation change.  But honestly that is a very small complaint.

Finch's text is well researched and has clarity.  Especially in the early portions of the book there are a lot of technical concepts and words that could intimidate a non-specialist if handled incorrectly.  However, I was able to keep pace with the text and never felt like I was missing out on content.  If asked for a history of computer generated animation, that went beyond Pixar, I could see myself recommending this text in a heartbeat.

For me the real star of The CG Story was the discussions of character animation.  And Finch gave me much to think about.  His comparison of Toy Story to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs helped me see Pixar's new film in a new way.  Finch notes how for both the Disney and Pixar animators working on their first full-length project they were pioneers into a unknown world.  And I enjoyed the use of Glen Keane's comparison between Disney (Once upon a time) and Pixar (Wouldn't it be cool if) story approaches.  That small included quote really made me see the two studios in a different way, and I wonder how those approaches will continue to bleed into each other with movies like Brave and Wreck-It-Ralph.  Finch's discussion of animated features includes nearly every important feature including key international releases.  Though Mars Needs Moms did not make the cut.  Of course that is really not a bad thing!

As a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I was excited to see the inclusion of special effects.  Though I was shocked to find out that Hellicarriers were not real, I loved a peak into these computer generated specials effects along with an understanding of their costs.  I did not fully grasp the complicated system of computer generated special effects, with most movies contracting to numerous houses and even having competitors work on effects for the same frame.  And I appreciated Finch's discussion between directors who rely heavily on computer generated effects and those that prefer the "weight" of a practical effect. 

The CG Story by Christopher Finch details the evolution of the idea of using computer generated images in theatrical releases.  The text outlines key moments, like the growth of Pixar, in both character animation and live action special effects.  And that history is punctuated by the gorgeous color images used extensively in the book!



Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Dreaming Disney - Writing Walt Disney World

Full disclosure: I stole this idea from the Couponing to Disney blog.  The Between Wife found a link to the original Couponing to Disney post on Pinterest.  And the minute I heard about the idea, I knew it was a Dreaming Disney concept.

Betweenlanders you need you to know that you can write Disney characters at the Walt Disney World Resort and get a response.  At one time, the response you received included an autographed photo of the character you sent the letter to.  But Couponing to Disney also noted this had changed.  And I needed to verify for myself and you the actual experience of writing to your favorite character at Walt Disney World. 

Earlier this summer I had a great opportunity to try this experiment out with four Betweenland children forced to spend time with me.  I worked with each kiddo to select a character, print off a picture which they colored, and write a letter to the character.  This process itself was pretty easy except some of the youth changed their minds several times to who they wanted to write.

Their targets were the following:

·         Between Kid 1 who is the youngest always chose Lightening McQueen, which was a relief since it led to the least amount of work for me.

·         Between Kid 2 wavered a lot.  The kiddo chose Tinker Bell, then shifted to Merida, and then went back to Tinker Bell, and then finally got completely bored!

·         Between Tween 1 started with Rapunzel, changed to Merida and then chose the Mad Hatter which is a character which fits this kiddo better than the other choices.

·         Between Tween 2 is the oldest and shifted only once starting with Tiana and then choosing Mulan, which like the other tween was a better fit for this youth.

Our Letters

I packaged up the photos and letters and asked what will you get? 

Between these four Between Kids there are two addresses in two different states.  So I was also interested in the timing of the responses they would receive. 

Between Kid 1 received a postcard of Mickey and Friends with a message from the Big Cheese.  Between Kid 1 was thrilled and is currently keeping the postcard alongside some other special items, including family pictures from past Disney vacations (man I love this kid).

The Mickey Postcard

 Between Tween 1 received a postcard from the Disney Princesses with a special message from Cinderella.  The Tween was not thrilled.  It was okay to receive a message from Cinderella, but what was really wanted was a card or message from the Mad Hatter.  The Tween has moved somewhat away from princesses and the Hatter is a bigger impact character in the Tween’s life.

The Princess Postcard

These two kids received a response in around two weeks.  Between Kid 2 and Between Tween 2 are still awaiting a response months later.  I actually felt like I had to have made an error in addressing the letters since they both live at the same home and it seemed odd that one address would get responses and another would not.  I have since confirmed the address, but I am still convinced there was a user error on my part. 

So here are my lessons learned from this experiment.

1)     Spending time with kids you like, even if indecisive, is very fun.  Don’t forget it!

2)      If you are a girl writing a character at the Walt Disney World Resort you are probably getting a princess postcard.  And if you are a boy you are probably getting a response from Mickey and his friends.  I am assuming that there is some variation and maybe if a boy wrote to Cinderella he might get the princess postcard.

3)     Kids love getting mail.

The book is closed on the Walt Disney World writing experiment.  The Between Kids have not asked to write again.  But I wonder about what happens if they write that west coast park? 

Goofy Gadgets - Temple Run: Brave

My niece asked for my iPad.  She’s adorable and I find it difficult to say no to her.  Then I discovered that this youngster knew how to download apps onto it and I now had a copy of Temple Run, which was luckily free for me to enjoy.  I asked her what she knew about it after she started to play.  All she knew for sure was all the kids were playing it at school so it had to be good.

Temple Run is pretty simple.  You are a treasure hunter running through a temple attempting to escape a hoard of apes trying to capture you.  As you run you have to jump over obstacles like tree stumps and gaps in the ground.  You pick up coins as you run which you can use to pay for strengthened power ups which could boost you ahead or earn you more coins.  You can also use coins to buy new treasure hunters to run with.  The game gets more difficult as you run.  And you always will be caught or fall.

So, I was finding Temple Run a minor distraction, which I picked it up several times.  But then one day the Between Tween, with mom’s permission, paid the 99 cents to download Temple Run: Brave, inspired by the Disney Pixar movie Brave.  And then my time spent on this game concept escalated!

Screenshot from Temple Run: Brave

In Temple Run: Brave you are Merida running away from the bear Mordu through an ancient ruin.  The game play is basically the same though they have added an archery challenge.  Occasionally a number of targets will come up with hitting with an arrow will get the player more coins!  All one has to do to hit the target is tap the side of the screen the target is on before you pass it.  And as you earn coins you can buy additional outfits for Merida.

Temple Run: Brave now with archery!

I find the game play very easy.  In fact I find it easier than the original.  Merida moves to the right and left of the path fairly easily, where in Temple Run it feels harder to move the runner on the path. 

The only issue I have found is Merida when you switch costumes is sometimes pointed the wrong way.  So she might be running straight but facing in another direction.  And this looks really really odd. 

Overall, I really enjoy Temple Run: Brave and I have played it for weeks.  If anything I have moved to Temple Run more and more because the Disney version has made it easier for me to play.  But I still come back because I enjoy the archery element.  I highly recommend you download Temple Run: Brave for your iPad or iPod. 

Mousey Movie Review - Brave

I admit it, I doubted.  I thought that families would flock to the opening of Disney Pixar’s Brave, but I still did not think that it would beat out the patriotic vampire slaying crowd.  Could I have been more wrong?  Yeah, 13 consecutive number one openings for Pixar!  And domestically and internationally Brave earned $80 million in box office.  Meanwhile Vampire Moments with Mr. Lincoln crawled to $16.5 million, coming in behind two family films.  Pixar, why do I doubt?

The movie itself is solid overall.  The story of Princess Merida and her search to keep her freedom will score high with the family crowd with its message of unifying family strife.  Personally, I enjoyed Brave, but I have to admit it did not crack my Pixar top five.  Of course that is a pretty big chore with Up, Monsters, Inc., and the Toy Story trilogy being pretty tough to unseat.  Visually the movie is impressive, but at this point we come to expect that from a Pixar production.  The Between Kids were divided.  The youngest did not see talking toys or cars and was pretty meh in reaction.  Maybe the movie was too real for his tastes.  The older Between Kid loved it.   But the older kiddo has more refined tastes.  Here are my overall hopefully non-spoiler thoughts on the Mousey Brave.

·    The Captain’s Seat:  Mark Andrews is the director who completed Brave.  For many Andrews may seem like an unknown but his Pixar resume is impressive.  He directed the highly enjoyable short “One Many Band”, was head of story for The Incredibles, story supervisor for Ratatouille, did some storyboarding for Cars and contributed (cough cough) to Pixar’s live action adventure John Carter earning screenplay and second unit director credits.  Andrews may be the next up and coming Pixar director and I am sure that executive producers John Lasseter, Peter Doctor, and Andrew Stanton felt very comfortable with him in the director’s chair.  And I think it’s a bet that paid off.

·    The Princess: Pixar has officially added their princess to the Disney Princess Pantheon.  And her strong willed attitude will probably help her fit in with Belle and Rapunzel.  But they may be shocked to find out that for Merida her solution to life’s problems is not something that can be solved with marriage, but something she is willing to fight for herself.

·     Skin Flick:  There is a ton of nakedness in Brave.  Okay, two scenes with a third hinting at it.  Luckily it is all good-natured innocent man flesh.  But I can remember when the debate around Beauty and the Beast was there too much cleavage!  I would say Pixar has jumped ahead of that debate.

·    The King: Billy Connolly voices Merida’s father King Fergus.  Connolly is perfect as this Scottish monarch and sometimes I forgot that the animated figure is not Connolly’s real image.  Connolly is not new to Disney animation having narrated the 2011 short “The Ballad of Nessie.” 

·     Clear Cool Water:  Pixar is really amazing.  For Finding Nemo they had to learn how to animate water and lots of it.  They did so good that they had to actually cartoon the water up so the audience would not believe it was real.  The water in Brave is so brilliant and realistic I was struck by it.  I felt like I could reach out, fill up a glass and have myself a cool refreshing drink.  Both Brave and Brother Bear have scenes in which a bear or bears fish in a river.  They cannot even be compared because the style in Brave could easily be part of our world.  Okay, I am weird and have heard others mock me when telling them this impression, so you may be ignoring the water in your viewing. 

·    Wooden Toys: In the witch’s shack you have to watch carefully because not every item is a bear amongst her wares.  Pixar fans will be pleased with one of the other items in her collection.  Likewise, listen carefully when the clan leaders arrive at King Fergus’ castle.  Though I did not catch an A113, Pixar has made at least two streaks extend to 13!  (If you found a A113, let us know in the comments.)

·     Magic: Merida wants to change her fate and the mind of her mother.  To do this she turns to magic.  Like my current favorite ABC show Once Upon a Time we get an important theme about magic, it comes with a price.  When Merida talks to the witch about the spell, the witch’s responses give hints that there are no shortcuts without penalty a fact all of us have learned faithfully on Sunday evenings.

Betweenlanders will surely be supporting Brave in the coming months.  Though, it has not broken into my Pixar top five, I am sure that it will be seen several times in the Between Family over the next few years on home video.  And I am sure if given the chance the Between Kid would love to meet Merida alongside her fellow Disney princesses.  But it does not come close to unseating Up in my heart.  But I hear plenty of love for Brave from the Disney community.     

Congratulations Pixar, you have a cowboy, an astronaut and now a princess. 

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