From: rivers@mdnite.enet.dec.com (Kim Rivers)
Subject: Re: Disney's "New Look": How?
Reply-To: rivers@mdnite.enet.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 20:47:06 GMT


In article <1jhc59INNi1n@network.ucsd.edu>, rcook@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Robert Cook) writes:

>I guess this is based on individual perception, but the smoothness
>is about the same to me.  In fact, only recently has Disney been
>able to come close to the older features in terms of technical
>quality in their character animation, IMHO.

I tend to agree.  All the big screen features, to the best of my recollection,
have incredibly smooth animation.  Even less 'fancy' features such as the
Jungle Book, Robin Hood, etc.  (my only bitch about the Jungle Book is that
they clearly reused sequences, especially with regards to Bagheera running
along.)


>   4) Very realistic scenes.  (e.g. "flying" through the flowers in the
>      beginning of Rescuers Down Under, the ballroom in Beauty and the
>      Beast, flying through the caverns in the beginning of Aladdin.)

>>Better than realistic--they are exaggerated in a surreal way.  Once
>>again, computers are very helpful, I'll have to agree.

I'm not sure if I agree with Mr. Cook, but I'd like to throw in my two cents
about the use of computer generated backgrounds.  I find it distracting when
the background is more 'real' than the animation.  I will readily admit that he
ballroom in Beauty and the Beast was fantasic to look at, but it bothers my
sense of reality, if you will, because the sheer realism of the ballroom made
the two characters dancing around look excruciatingly like animated cartoons. 
Of course, they *were*, but in the context of the animated cartoon backgrounds,
they did not stand out.  In the ballroom, it was distracting.  To me. 
(obviously)

The same goes for Aladdin's trip through the Cave of Wonders.  Firstly, I
didn't find the flight on the carpet particularly exciting or 'real' and the
single color/obviously computer generated tunnels zinging by probably helped
ruin the intended effect.   The tunnels neither looked fitting for the movie,
nor particularly like real life cave tunnels (whereas BnB's ballroom at least
looked like a real life ballroom).  The whole scene fairly screamed to me, "You
are watching a cartoon, and those are computer-generated tunnels."  I, at
least, don't wish to be reminded that I'm watching a cartoon when I'm watching
a cartoon, if that makes any sense.  

Now, the talking Cave of Wonders (the cat), was probably computer generated,
but looked sufficiently like the rest of the backrounds and the general
animation that it 'fit'.


Again, my two cents.  Your mileage may vary.  

--
Dr. Midnight
alias Kim Rivers (rivers@mdnite.enet.dec.com)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+    The opinions expressed above are mine and should not be taken to      +
+     represent those of my employer, Digital Equipment Corporation        +
+ -------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+ "The secret of the universe is a nectarine?"                             +
+ "Sublime, isn't it?"    -- from the book, "Q in-law" by Peter David      + 
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