Disney’s 3-D Makeovers

According to Variety, Disney is going to be remastering the classic movie and childhood, Beauty and the Beast in 3-D format. This process takes about nine months to complete, so the new version will be released in 2010. The production team consists of many of the original filmmakers, who will be going back to the original animation files which have been archived away for seventeen years.

“By using the separate background, effects and character animation elements, we’re able to come up with a fun and unique 3-D experience for existing and new fans of the film,” said producer Don Hahn.

It will be interesting to see the response to the re-rendering of the classic tale of Belle and the Beast into this new and exciting format. Yet for some, the makeover will be a bittersweet reality that the 3-D version may be the only format some little children will ever see, especially since Disney plans to release about 8 3-D re-rendered films in the next two years.

Beauty and the Beast dance under the stars.

22 Screenwriting Tips

On the Cyber Screenwriter blog, one of the weekend posts was titled “22 Ways to Improve Your Screenwriting”. Since we had just learned the basics of screenwriting today, and a little bit about related jobs and internships, I thought this article would be pretty relevant. 

The article begins by giving an interesting statistic that the odds of a screenwriter selling a script are close to 1 in 5,000. Then it goes on to say that chances could be improved by taking advantages of presented opportunities.

The advice was practical, and included things like “write every day”, or “take an acting class”, and “write the same scene a completely different way”. The article ends with the reminder that a 1% improvement every day is a 365% improvement over the next year.

Pitching the Script – Variety Article

Step one, write the script. Step two, pitch it.

Variety writer Andrew Stewart in an article entitled ‘Pitch Me’ Panel Pushes the Script said, “It all starts with a good script.” In order to begin the production process, one must first write a script that producers and directors want to buy. But then the hardest part lies within pitching the script to directors and producers. Similar to an interview, producers don’t want to hear a rehearsed speech void of emotion and passion. They are interested in hearing the story in a way that makes you seem at ease, therefore putting them at ease. They want to see that you’re confident but not over confident. It’s a hard balance to find, but once you do, great things are bound to happen.

“Cars 2″ to recast Paul Newman character

Walt Disney Animation creative head John Lasseter recently told MTV News that the late Paul Newman was unable to record his voice for his Cars character Doc Hudson for the sequal to the hit Pixar film.

Cars 2, which was slated for a summer 2012 release, was recently pushed up to summer 2011. Now, Disney must decide whether to recast Newman’s role or to completely write Doc Hudson’s character out of the script.

Newman

Interestingly, Disney is considering doing what it did in Toy Story 3. When the late Jim Varney’s character fell into the same situation, the company found Varney’s friend who had a very similar voice.

It seems to be that though Disney doesn’t want to tarnish the association with Paul Newman and his character Doc, the company realizes that the character is a commodity to the Cars franchise and to the film’s overall quality. Newman, a veteran actor and award winner, brought to the film the experience and charisma that appeals to the audience.

Taylor Swift Speeds to Top of Charts- Variety Magazine

The second album from Taylor Swift, “Fearless“, has posted the biggest sales week for any country album this year. Swift is a strong artist who truly captures the cry of most adolescents’ hearts with songs such as “Love Story” and “Should’ve Said No.” Swift’s album sold 592,000 copies as of Sunday, the end of the week. This is the largest turnout since The Eagles album ”Long Road out of Eden” sold 711,000 a year ago. Dropping from the top spot was Now Thats What I Call Music Volume 29, selling only 172,000 albums. Swift, 18, should only grow as an artist and song writer as she matures and learns from other experiences in her life.

“‘Beauty’ gets 3-D makeover” — Variety Magazine

The article entitled “‘Beauty’ gets 3-D makeover” discusses that the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” will be revamped with 3-D pictures. The new version of the film will be released in 2010. The original production crew will oversee the project that will take about nine months to complete. This movie is only one of many that will be re-rendered using the new 3-D technology, that includes using the same characters with improved backgrounds. Between now and 2010, “Alice in Wonderland,” “A Christmas Carole,” and “Toy Story,” among others, will be changed.

Reunited Once Again

Disney and Imax are joining forces once again for the holiday season. There is not a better holiday film to showcase in the Imax theaters than the classic story of “A Christmas Carol.”  Robert Zemeckis has re-created this movie starring Jim Carrey. He has taken an old holdiday classic and reinvented it with a modern spin.  The last time Disney and Imax teamed up was for the release of the movie “Fantasia 2000.” “A Christmas Carol” will open on November 9, 2009. The novelty of the 3-D format will make this movie a real holiday star next year.