Sea Of Waking Dreams

Wanderings & Meanderings: Fine Art Photography by Kushal Ruia

2009-01-17T22:31:00.004-05:00

Join up here: http://artist.to/kushalruia/
For Fine Art Prints/Greeting Cards :http://kushalruia.imagekind.com

A selection of fine art photography from 2008

See The PIctures,Read The Story And If You Like, VOTE!

2008-12-10T10:53:00.002-05:00

My first attempt at writing for a magazine. Last week I was at the peace march in Bombay in regards to the terror attacks on 26/11.
Took a few pics and have put together a photo essay.Check it out, and if u like it please VOTE a "Yes".
Thanks!

In Print!

2008-12-04T01:20:00.007-05:00

Excited excited excited! I never thought i would end up being a published photographer when i bought my first DSLR camera a year ago! Could be beginner's luck, but here I am with my first ever picture to be printed in a photography magazine.

Am printed in Issue 19 of JPG Mag,under the theme of Faith.You can browse the entire issue online by clicking on the page showing my pic ("Holy Shiv",the hermit with the Shiva frames in the background).
My pic appears on page#35.

You will also find there the links to see all the dazzling pics printed in the issue along with how u can purchase a hard copy or subscribe to this awesome visual publication.

(All the pics look even more spectacular in print)

The picture by itself is....

Sneak Peak Featurette for "Coraline"

2008-08-12T15:38:00.000-04:00

Teaser For Disney's "The Princess & The Frog"

2008-07-31T08:42:00.001-04:00

This was a pleasant surprise! The movie is more than a year away, and they have a teaser out already! Needless to say...am totally excited about this return to hand drawn animation.Fingers crossed for its commercial success..as for the teaser..i love it!

"Kung Fu Panda" 2D Opening Sequence

2008-06-15T17:56:00.004-04:00

Gotta love this! Even the end credits were so much fun!

'Kung Fu Panda' Exclusive Video: Opening Dream Sequence

Chasing Thunderstorms

2008-06-11T18:20:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday,I went on a little adventure chasing a thunderstorm.I was hoping to catch a lightning, unfortunately, that did not happen.However i did end up with some sights that i had never before seen, and will probably never seen again.
A rainbow...and how!

Another panorama i shot.However does not stitch up too well...but does give a complete picture of the view in front of me!

A "Wall-E" Sneak Peak

2008-06-09T18:18:00.000-04:00

Animator's Survival Kit Trailer

2008-06-05T16:39:00.004-04:00

I guess this is trailer for the DVD version of Richard William's book maybe. I LOVE it!
I would get the DVD too, it was really interesting attending the class in school.
Now if only get the DVD signed like the book!:)

Pic Of The Day: "Clandestine Conclave"

2008-05-27T09:08:00.000-04:00

My First Ever HDR Image

2008-05-21T22:28:00.002-04:00

Been meaning to try out HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the longest time.At first i had no idea why what made an HDR image look so surreal. When i found out, it seemed like insane amount of work and time for just ONE picture.
Anyways...here i am..with my First HDR. It's kinda scary, it might be difficult going back to the normal single exposure photography!

Sunset Romance

2008-05-07T14:00:00.001-04:00

Sunset Romance
Originally uploaded by the_anim8r

Taken last weekend from the Toronto Island.

UV: "Eggspression"

2008-04-28T09:35:00.001-04:00

I just realized i have quite a few unposted clips of my animation from Urban Vermin...so here is one more...

The End Of An Era: RIP Ollie Johnston (1912-2008)

2008-04-15T09:23:00.006-04:00

"The Jungle Book" was a landmark movie in many ways. It was the last movie that was in production under Walt, and was finished and released after his death.The future of Disney Animation rested on the success or failure of that movie.

It was also the pinnacle of Ollie Johnston's and Frank Thomas' work as character animators.They took Mowgli and Balloo where no animated character had gone before.
And one more thing...it was the first movie I remember seeing in the theaters as a child at the age of around 5-6.

You would understand when I say that the world has a little less magic today.

Very rarely am I so inspired by people whom i don't really know personally.Who are not my family & friends.There are very few exceptions, and Ollie Johnston was one of them.
To say he was a legend, is an understatement.It's like growing up in the times of Picasso /Da Vinchi or Michaelangelo...who's works and lives would give birth to an art-form that you spend your inspire you to pursue their arts to begin with.

So how does one express the feeling of passing away of such a master/pioneer.This isn't a new feeling for me because in the last decade we have witnessed the demise of some of the greatest minds and pioneers in the art of animation (arguably the last TRUE art form to be born).But the passing of Ollie is a lot worse.Why? Because he was the last one.We are done here. The dinosaurs are finally extinct.He was last of the legendary Nine Old Men.There are simply no more.

Don't get me wrong, there are geniuses out there..but everyone at the end of the are just students of the generation that Ollie represented.
Walt Disney along with his brilliant animators created the animation and elevated it to the art form that it is today.

Here is a 3 part "Disney Family Album" featuring Ollie Johnston.

Ollie's personal contributions are not limited to the work he did for the big screen. He with his equal partner in crime ,Frank Thomas (who expired a few years earlier), found ways to share their wealth of knowledge and wisdom through various formats.A must for any fan/admirer of the arts in general and animation in particular.

One of the best documentaries ever, something that inspires me every time I see it ( I see it at least 2-3 times a year), Frank & Ollie
The bible of animation.If there is only ONE book you ever need to understand animation , it would be this one. Aptly titled, The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation

Though I never had the opportunity to meet him or any of them personally, I feel honored to have lived in the same day and age as these masters.
Am very sad today , but I feel very thankful too because I JUST don't know what would I do without animation in my life. So,thanks Ollie for giving me my passion. You will be missed!

SNAP:"Through The Looking Glass"

2008-04-04T12:36:00.001-04:00

Through The Looking Glass
Originally uploaded by the_anim8r

Taken this week from Skypod, the very top of the CN Tower

WDCC:"Malevolent Magistrate"

2008-04-03T21:48:00.006-04:00

Frollo from makes his WDCC debut this year .Featured in his chair from the Festival of Fools as he sits and watches with condescension, the gypsy Esmeralda and the other festivities.This would have been a very challenging character to sculpt, with his bony face and wrinkled skin, but Patrick Romandy-Simmons , the sculptor has done commendable job!

Sarah @ One Night Live

2008-03-30T20:43:00.002-04:00

Been lazy about putting these up...here are a few of them...

World On Fire

Fallen

Ice Cream

One Night Live Concert

2008-03-17T10:33:00.007-04:00

Now that was a concert. I went primarily for my fav artist, Sarah McLachlan, but the presence of Bryan Adams, Jann Arden & Josh Groban did not hurt either.
Sarah sang TEN songs, including duets with Jann, Josh and Bryan!
Here r some pics i took:

My 2008 Oscars Predictions

2008-02-24T08:38:00.004-05:00

Its Oscar time! Here are my predictions.
In some cases, what i think SHOULD win, probably wont, but i will mention it anyws. If it does, i would be happy to loose the point!:)

1.Performance by an actor in a leading role
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"

2.Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"

3.Performance by an actress in a leading role
Julie Christie in "Away from Her"

4.Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There"

5.Best animated feature film of the year
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird

6.Achievement in art direction
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

7.Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" : Roger Deakins

8.Achievement in costume design
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne

9.Achievement in directing
WILL WIN:"No Country for Old Men" , Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
SHOULD WIN:"There Will Be Blood" , Paul Thomas Anderson

10.Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

11.Best documentary short subject
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley

12.Achievement in film editing
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes

13.Best foreign language film of the year
"The Counterfeiters" Austria

14.Achievement in makeup
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

15.Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
Cant decide between Atonement and Ratatouille...i would be happy with either.
But i think i will put my money on Atonement.Just because this will work as a consolation prize for the movie which wont really win anything else.

"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli

16.Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
It better be one of the 3 Alan menken/Stephen Schwrtz song. Which one? i dont think it matters but here it is:

SHOULD WIN:"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
WIll WIN:"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

17.Best motion picture of the year
Rataouille seriously deserved to be in this category this year. Its not the best unanimously best reviewed movie of the year for nothing.Specially if mediocre movies like Atonement and Juno can land a Best Pic Nomination.

So since Ratatouille or Sweeney Todd are not nominated...i think Blood was the best i saw...No Country lost my vote cause of the ending. But it has more "BUZZ"..so i think No country is more likely to win, but i am again put my money where my heart is...

"There Will Be Blood" A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

18.Best animated short film
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

19.Best live action short film
“At Night”

20.Achievement in sound editing
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

21.Achievement in sound mixing
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane

22.Achievement in visual effects
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier

23.Adapted screenplay
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

24.Original screenplay
WILL WIN:"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Written by Diablo Cody
SHOULD WIN:"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird

Another Year,Another Birthday!

2008-02-23T20:36:00.004-05:00

Its my blog's 2nd, my niece's 7th, and mine....umm...30!! hehe

Thnx for visiting my blog for all these years:)

Will be back tomorrow with my Oscar predictions!:)

Buy-n-Large Corporation's "Wall-E"

2008-02-04T09:40:00.001-05:00

WDCC: "Bewitching Beauty"

2008-02-03T10:06:00.000-05:00

Esmeralda has the honor of the first Leading Lady to be a part of my WDCC collection!Also in my humble opinions the most gorgeous Disney heroines..and thankfully not a "Princess"!
Kent Melton has done an amazing job with her face.She was so difficult to keep on model in the movie too..but this is awesome!

The piece is very aptly titled "Bewitching Beauty"...tough to do it justice in pics!

Times Square

2008-01-28T16:38:00.001-05:00

TimesSquare,NYC (Explore:#258)
Originally uploaded by the_anim8r

Shot this last week in NYC!

First Production Still From Disney's "The Princess And The Frog"

2008-01-14T08:41:00.001-05:00

December 2009 cannot come fast enough!

WDCC: "Tangled Up Romance"

2008-01-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

With this piece Roger and Anita make their WDCC debut.The piece by the Kent Melton captures their first meeting orchestrated by Pongo.Leading to a splash in the pond and a marriage!
This is my 3rd piece from 101 Dalmations, and after 2 amazing Cruella (1,2)pieces, am excited to have the other cast members represented in such a cool piece!

"Urban Vermin" Opening Credits

2008-01-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

Swarovski Tree

2008-01-04T11:57:00.001-05:00

Swarovski Tree
Originally uploaded by the_anim8r

"Urban Vermin" Debut Tomorrow

2007-12-31T18:28:00.000-05:00

Urban Vermin makes its debut on YTV tomorrow .
I did not work on tomorrow's episode (i started ep.03 onwards). Click on the logo above to see a clip!:-)

In Theatres:"Sweeney Todd"(Review)

2007-12-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

Burton's most satisfying film since i can remember.An adaption that actually works independently from the source material and has its own distinctive personality.
Visually,i got what i wanted.Very Burton-esque indeed.Depp very closely resembles the animated Victor he played in Burton's"Corpse Bride".Every frame is a beautiful painting.

What i find amazing is, using the
same characters,story, music, lyrics as the original Broadway show,Burton creates a mood and feel that is far more darker, edgier and more apt. And i think the credit for that also goes to the actors and their execution of the songs.Though the singing voices arnt as impressive as their Broadway counterparts, but it does not take away from the film.I guess actors singing is better then singers acting.

He has also done a great job of truncating and eliminating some songs, but i do wish he would have manged to keep "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" and "Kiss Me" in!
Specially since the former shows up in the score many a times anyways.
Its surely one of my favorite movies of the year!

"Lost" In 8 Mins!?

2007-12-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

To really get the most out of this amazing show,this is not an ideal approach,infact far from it!And a BIG "NO" in the books of any LOST-y!
BUT, here is a 8 MIN recap of the LOST so far...it does a fairly ok job..however, hopefully it will make people wanna see seasons 1,2 and 3 on DVD to really understand the whos, whats and whys of the show.(Before S4 starts in a month).
Enjoy!

70 Years-Still The Fairest Of Them All

2007-12-22T12:50:00.001-05:00

On the 70th Anniversary of "The One That Started It All".

"Lost" Returns!

2007-12-21T09:43:00.000-05:00

The coolest, best-est, smartest,awesome-est show ever on TV returns for the much anticipated 4th season on Jan31!
If u have NEVER seen "Lost" (u looser:-p), DO NOT watch this trailer, rent/buy the first 3 seasons and watch them first!Trust me, u wont regret it!

Autumn,Meet Winter

2007-12-17T09:45:00.001-05:00

Autumn,Meet Winter (Explored:459 on Dec 8, 2007)
Originally uploaded by the_anim8r

"Sweeney Todd" Opening Credits

2007-12-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

Love opening credits! Love Burton!Cant wait for the movie!

WDCC: "Devilish Diva"

2007-11-16T10:46:00.001-05:00

2007's Villains Series Release. Ursula from "The Little Mermaid".This is my first piece from the amazing animator/sculptor Ruben Procopio. I must say, seeing this piece in person is so much better than pictures.He has a very bold style of sculpting.The piece almost seems monolithic with awesome feel of mass, weight and fat.
The moment itself is gr8, and comes with very detailed vanity with a real mirror.

The Empire State Building Celebrates A Decade Of "The Lion King On Broadway"

2007-11-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

In celebration of the ten-year milestone, one New York City landmark will honor another! This weekend, the Empire State Building will be illuminated in honor of THE LION KING. This marks the first time that the famous tower has saluted a Broadway show. Over the next 12 months, many other exciting events will take place in New York City to celebrate THE LION KING's second triumphant decade on Broadway.

Ten years ago, THE LION KING roared onto Broadway and changed the theatre world forever. The landmark musical has been seen by 45 million guests in 63 cities across 11 countries and has received over 70 awards. The Broadway cast recording has sold over a million copies in North America. The show continues to be one of Broadway's most popular productions, thrilling audiences eight times a week in the heart of Times Square.

In Theatres:"Bee Movie"(Review)

2007-11-03T10:02:00.000-04:00

Barry the bee, suddenly decides to sue the human race for stealing their honey.Why?? Just cause he CAN! Not cause the bees are dying, or unemployed or suffering in any way. Maybe it would help if had a strong motive for doing so, other than the fact he had nothing better to do!?
And yes..in this movie Bees CAN sue humans! I know its cartoon and all, but i could believe a rat wanting to be chef, but i could not buy into this bee suing humans business.
Jerry Seinfeld(Barry the bee) and Rene Renée Zellweger's(human florist)character don't really have too much of a chemistry either.A very under developed relationship.And how many animated movies have John Goodman and Patrick Warburton been in, in the last decade? Anyone counting?Can we shake things up a bit?!?
The whole movie just seems to be a platform from which Jerry Seinfeld can keep doing his comedy routine at 3244 words per minute.
The animation is ok.The designs are far more appealing than resent Dreamworks movies.
Though again i don't get the reason why Dreamwork's animated worlds have to be SO humanized.
Why do bees need hairdos?glasses?ties?cars and stairs to move around (though they do kinda try and justify this last issue, but didn't work for me)?
Remy(Pixar's Rataouille) never wore sewer boots,Nemo(Pixar's Finding Nemo) & his dad used the EAC ocean currents to transport and NOT an EAC Walkway belt or escalator!!
I just wish Dreamworks would respect the integrity of the world they try to create to make it more believable.
The movie wasn't bad, but just ok.Yet another forgettable animated movie!I laughed a few times.Thats about it.The plot is pretty thin and silly and extremely in-consequential.

"Where You're The Fairest Of Them All":Dream Portrait Series by Annie Leibovitz

2007-11-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

I just learned about this series, and was blown away buy the production quality and the mood of the pics!Some really good casting too!
This is the latest edition to the other 5 pics from Disney Dream Portrait Series by acclaimed photographer,Annie Leibovitz!
It casts a gorgeous Rachel Weisz as "Snow White".

"Heima" Trailer

2007-10-30T13:01:00.000-04:00

Sigur Ros,One of my fav bands ever. Been a fan for 5 years now. Saw them in concert at Massey Hall last year!
They r insanely good Live.Infact,could not listen to the CDs after for a while!Just could not compare to the live performances.
They have a documentary coming out next month , about their music/tour with awesome performances from the tour too.
And i just found out that the documentary is directed by Dean DeBlois, Co-Director of "Lilo & Stitch" and fellow Sheridan graduate! Exciting!

Pic Of The Day:"Empty Curves"

2007-10-30T09:37:00.001-04:00

Empty Curves
Originally uploaded by the_anim8r

Trying to look for more shapes in my compositions now a days.

Disney+Yashraj= "Roadside Romeo"

2007-10-27T09:49:00.002-04:00

A few months back, Disney announced they partnering with major Bollywood production house,Yashraj films to produce Original Indian animated features under the Disney brand.Thus tapping into the LARGE untapped market of Indian animation catering to more Indian sensibilities!
"Roadside Romeo"the first production has the big bollywood voices and directed by child star turned writer/director, Jugal Hansraj.
A first look is up , and i must say..i was surprised.The animation isn't bad, though the facial animation leaves a lot to be desired, but the production standards seem miles ahead of the current state of Indian animated features (Hanuman etc)

Pic Of The Day:"Steps"

2007-10-26T21:10:00.001-04:00

Steps
Originally uploaded by the_anim8r

Taken at Hampi, INDIA. Its actually a water tank from a few hundred years back! cool stuff!

Pic Of The Day:"Fall Wall"

2007-10-25T16:09:00.001-04:00

Fall Wall, originally uploaded by the_anim8r.

Since am taking more pics now days more than anything else.Thought i'd share one a day here!
This i took at Mont Tremblant.

WDCC: "An Irresistible Lure"

2007-10-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

My sculpture buying has gone down...hence the lack of updates on that front.
But the good part is, thanks to my procrastination, i got to take pics of this one with the new SLR! So much fun!:-)
On with the piece. This is another super cool piece from Peter Pan(2 this year).This one is by Tim Brcukner.
When this was announced, I was taken aback by the choice of scene to translate to sculpture! But only after i really studied the scene, i saw it was oozing with character and story.

I like the fact that there is so much happening here.Each character has his own state of mind and emotion and they all are captured so beautifully!
This is just when Hook has captured Tiger Lilly in hopes to get her to reveal Pan's whereabouts.
Hook is confident,thinking he now has Pan, unaware of his nemesis following him(Croc).
Tiger Lilly, proud as ever, determined to not break or be intimidated.
Mr.Smee (my fav)...caught in the middle of this cold war...trying to mind his own business.
And last but not the least, the Croc,ever watchful, lurches on..cant wait to get Hook between his jaws!
A spectacular piece with tons of story telling!

Joined "JPG" Magazine!

2007-10-18T22:19:00.000-04:00

One submits pics...people see/vote...if people like it...it even gets published!
Unfortunately most of my good pics are taken from older Sony point & shoot cam...and those pics arnt large enough to submit! :-(
But now that i have my new Canon Rebel XTi DSLR, i can actually put in stuff!
So i thought...why not?
Oh well..here are a few that i entered in under the 3 themes they had.If u like...vote!
Thnx

TV :"Pushing Daisies"

2007-10-17T14:14:00.000-04:00

Happened to stumble upon this new show on TV.And i have to confess, i thoroughly enjoyed it!
Visually and aurally,it evokes a very Tim Burton /Danny Elfman kinda mood.The narrative style is very "James And The Giant Peach" meets "Amelie".
And the stories themselves are "Six Feet Under" meets a Who Dunnit? with comedy and caricature sprinkled all over it.
The show's about the adventures of a gifted pie-maker ,Ned who can bring dead people to life but not without consequences.
The show is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld & has a nice cast of relative newbies,including Kristin Chenowith from the Broadway hit musical "Wicked".

As u can tell it's an uncanny mix of ingredients that go on to bake this very very Fresh and Special Pie.(Excuse the analogy here but Pies are a central motif on the show):-)

Its fresh and a joy to watch.Its only 3 episodes old, so i suggest you catch up and get hooked on. You wont regret it!

If u in Canada u can see it online for free here:
http://broadband.ctv.ca/primetime/

Why Commercials Before Movies Is Worse Than Piracy

2007-10-17T14:13:00.001-04:00

Found this on Digg:
"I estimate the movie industry owes me $480 for uncompensated ad watching time out of the $456 million they made off pre-movie commercials. The principle for piracy and time theft is the same. Taking an asset (a movie, or your time) without providing the due compensation for taking that asset. So where do we start the class action lawsuit?"

read more | digg story

Beleive It Or Not!

2007-10-11T17:39:00.001-04:00

"WALL-E" Teaser Poster

2007-09-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

My favorite Pixar Teaser poster yet!

TIFF'07: "Nocturna" (Film Review)

2007-09-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

FINALLY saw this movie today at its North American Premiere at the Toronto Int.Film Festival! Long time in the making i guess...Amazing designs, very imaginative...was refreshing to see a 2D movie on the big screen after so long! The story was not too bad either, maybe a bit slow..but did not mind too much!
The highlight has to be the designs. Thumbs up!:-)

First Look:"The Little Mermaid" On Broadway

2007-09-01T11:23:00.000-04:00

First couple of pics from the try outs being held at Denver before the show is ready and moves to Broadway on November.
Looks promising! Can't wait!:)

Happy 60th!

2007-08-15T07:41:00.000-04:00

2 awesome videos of the Indian National anthem.The first being instrumental and the second, vocal.Both featuring some of India's legendary artists/musicians/composers/vocalists...form different states, castes, generations and musical genres!

But whats a great video without AR Rehman providing some cheeezz to go along with the great musical arrangements. The slow-mo shot of him over the rocks with his keyboard makes me wanna gag...

...but i love the nostalgia and the spirit both the videos capture! I miss home:-(
Happy Independence Day! :-)

Disneyland Paris 14th July/5th Anniv. Fireworks

2007-07-20T07:41:00.001-04:00

NO, i did not take this pic (Iwish)! but it was sooo beautiful i had to share it!

Untitled JJ Abrams Mystery Movie!

2007-07-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

Saw Transformers yest. More than the movie, am deeply intrigued by a new teaser trailer which played b4 it.
Its an untitled mystery movie by the creator of Alias, Lost and Mission Impossible 3, JJ Abrams.The trailer just gave the release date, "1-18-08" (unless thats the title too, or maybe is gonna be released untitled?)
It looked very interesting...i came back and tried to look it up...and found the following possibilities on IMDB.
People are guessing a Godzilla movie , "Cloverfield"? and also what I personally thought and wish for too...a "LOST" movie...
Its the same producer, Bad Robot Productions. then the monster sounds, and the movie release date which just when the 4th season of Lost starts!And there have been rumours and plans for a Lost movie going on for a while.
Or maybe its just wishful thinking.
Cant wait to learn more!
Here is a bootleg version of the teaser from Youtube. I am sure Paramount is gonna get it off soon enough...so watch it soon!

UPDATE: Its on at Apple in awesome Quicktime. HERE

In Theatres "Paris Je T'aime"

2007-07-08T11:05:00.000-04:00

I think the biggest selling point/distraction (however u may choose to look at it) would be the diversity of the talent involved in this production (both, on and behind the camera).

A collection 18 short films from an interesting mix of filmmakers. Representing their various visions of different kinds of love in different parts of Paris. All true to their own style of film making and story telling.
From camp horror and Wes Craven to a comical love story of mimes from Sylvian Chomet(Triplets Of Belville),from Gurinder Chadha to Gus Van Sant.
With an unexpected cast of actors that are fun to see, Natalie Portman, Catalina Sandino Moreno(Maria Full Of Grace),Bob Hoskins, Elijah Wood,Juliette Binoche,Steve Buscemi etc etc. Something for everyone.
I just wish they did not make a half hearted attempt to connect the stories, it wasn't even required to begin with. Quite the treat, and gotta love this poster!:-)

Read & Be Amused

2007-07-06T15:50:00.001-04:00

Poor Mrs.Potts Indeed

2007-06-30T09:34:00.000-04:00

LOL! Found this on The Disney Blog. It made me smile, so i thought i'd put it on. I feel bad for these poor actors at Disney World...but i guess its all a part of the charm! The audience didn't seem to mind as they gave an encouraging round of applause for Mrs.Potts.
:-)

"Ratatouille" Opens...

2007-06-29T07:50:00.000-04:00

Gone are the days when there use to be ONE animated movie a year(or less) from Disney, much like an event for which one (at least me) would wait a whole year.
Now animated features are quite common place. Though the art & technology improves, the story telling and ideas seem to just go down the drain.
So , ironically, its a very grim time for a fan of this incredible art form, in spite of the abundance of "Product".
Hence, u will understand my enthusiasm for this post and the release of this little film. Though i have already reviewed it, cant help but show my support for it and encourage everyone to buy an opening weekend ticket for this film ,simply cause it deserves it and the right message needs to be sent to suits, who lets face it, run this art form.
Don't worry, you don't have to take my word for it, here are but just a few of the unanimous rave reviews from respected critics (besides the glowing ones already being flashed everywhere by Time, Variety, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone etc)...

The film is being gushed over for its look (Chicago Tribune: “you have never seen a computer-animated feature with this sort of visual panache and detail”; Minneapolis Star Tribune: “I defy you to name another animated film so overflowing with superfluous beauty”), its story (Beaumont Review: “If rival studios ever adopted Pixar’s story process for their films, there would be no need for critics”; Associated Press: “Ratatouille is free of the kind of gratuitous pop-culture references that plague so many movies of the genre; it tells a story, it’s very much of our world but it never goes for the cheap, easy gag”), and especially its director (Slate: “Brad Bird’s best movie yet, and from the writer-director who made two of the best American animated features of the past decade… that’s something”; New York Magazine: “this puts him somewhere between Chuck Jones and Michelangelo”).

Animators As Voice Actors Too!

2007-06-26T07:50:00.001-04:00

WDCC: "DeVil On Wheels"

2007-06-22T07:52:00.000-04:00

I was overjoyed when i located this rare limited hand numbered 500 piece release from 2004, but then it turned out to be signed by Dusty Horner (one of my fav. sculptors), made me ecstatic!My FIRST signed piece ever!

Also,this makes Cruella DeVill the only character who features TWICE in my WDC Collection. This and "Its That DeVil Woman". But who can blame me?

This piece captures her frenzied driving when she is chasing the milk truck carrying all the dalmatians in the climax of the film.I think its cool that she isn't really seated in the car.This is a high speed chase in bad weather conditions, so she is flying off the seat as she tries to maintain her balance while very unsuccessfully trying to maintain control of the car.Holding on the steering wheel with so much passion and desperation! lol
Her huge fur coat flying like a cape as the car itself is falling apart and off balance on the snow/ice covered dirt road.
The good part about this piece is, if i ever mange to break a piece or whatever,it will only add to its authenticity. There are scratches on the car, the door is falling off the hinges, the metal bumper is out of shape etc etc.
Awesome!

Anyone Can Be An Animator!

2007-06-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

Hehe, saw this on Cartoon Brew...looks like fun. i wonder how elaborate can this technique get?

In Theatres: "Ratatouille" (Review)

2007-06-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

Just saw an advance preview screening of this new Pixar/Brad Bird movie...
In one word - "WOW"
In many ...MANY words-For me this will be a landmark film. not only does it represent Pixar's character animators at the top of their game, but it also marks the FIRST time (according to me) that character animation in CG is hitting the highs that the Nine Old Men did in the 50s and 60s at Disney...its really a gorgeous looking movie too with "heart" and a cool cool food critic voiced by Peter O'Toole (with his very apt, typewriter of death and coffin room) ,who has one of the most well written piece about Critics in general ,towards the end of the film.
The story is about achieving the "Impossible" dream, when everyone says u cant do it and about self doubt and conflict that probably every artist (and non-artist for that matter) goes through.
Though again, u have the Pixar formula with the whole buddy movie concept and what not...but i guess its amazing how they can make soooo many good movies by making variations of different degrees to the same concept!! i guess it goes to the credit...

And on a small but important side note, a personal request -
PIXAR , please,please ,oh please..stop using TV commercials/news programs to get the story/setup/ exposition established. I know it works really well, but its just too easy , and its really becoming my pet peeve against you cause you do it in EVERY movie(wherever u can justify a TV)...i mean come on, its old now, think of a new story telling device already,i know u can...PLEASE!

The end credits are very cool too and so is the short "Lifted" that plays before the movie!
Oh and i caught one in-joke..keep a lookout for a hidden cameo by Bon Voyage (the French bomber bad guy robbing the bank) from "The Incredibles"

Cant wait to see the movie again in 2 weeks on the opening weekend!

Disney/Pixar's "Up"?!?!

2007-06-08T06:54:00.000-04:00

A clue about the ever tight lipped Pixar's next production after Summer 2008's "Wall-E".

Buena Vista (the distribution arm of Pixar's parent company, Disney), has set a 12 June 2009 release date for an animated movie called "Up".
No other details known yet, in true Pixar tradition. The name too is obviously just a code or a part of the real title.
Its rumored to be directed either by:
-Pete Doctor(Monsters Inc.)
-Brenda Chapman (Co-Director of Dreamworks' "Prince Of Egypt" and brilliant Story Artist from Disney's"Beauty And The Beast"and others)
-Gary Rydstrom (Award winning Sound Director, getting into filmaking and the director of Pixar's latest short film "Lifted", to be seen attached with "Ratatouille" in 2 weeks!)

We probably wont hear any further details abot "Up" until Wall-E is out next summer.Just like we don't know much about Wall-E until the teaser debuts with Ratatouille (so excited for it,the best looking CG film yet, for me)this month.

So let the speculation begin...

WDCC: "A Loving Embrace"

2007-05-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

"The tearful cries of the awkward little duckling have been answered by a graceful mother swan.
The beautiful creature encircles the baby bird with her comforting wings- and for the first time, the "ugly" duckling knows that he is not ugly at all."(Thats from the WDCC Catalogue)..Siiiiigh!
lol
This is brand new first release from new "Silly Symphony Series", and is from the Oscar winning Silly Symphony short called "The Ugly Duckling".
I love the reeds and how the grey strokes of paint on the swan creates a very "2D" effect, much like the original art that inspired this piece.

A Rosy Picture...Or Two?

2007-05-27T09:24:00.000-04:00

Blatant Rip Off? Inspired? Homage?Nothing really like it??
Whatever be the case... i may be biased but i think the Original Beauty And The Beast poster from 2001 is far more elegant, with the silhouettes being more subtle ,giving dominance to the rose , a very important prop/symbol by itself in context of the film.

Beauty & The Beast :IMAX SpecialEditionin (2001 ReRelease Poster)

I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

In Theatres: "POTC3: At World's End" (Review)

2007-05-26T09:22:00.000-04:00

I could very well copy paste my review from last year for POTC 2 and it would quite apply to this one too(and that would not be a bad thing).
People have been going on about how long and complicated and confusing it is...though i can see why they would say that, it dont stop me form endorsing this film.
This one is deffinately darker and has some cool swashbuckling Sp FX as usual. I thought the escape from Davy Jones' Locker and the Maelstrom battle was quite creative and cool.

Now days when all franchises are being milked to death with one sequel after another,i think its not a bad when the worst critisizm for this 3rd installment in this very "Original" franchise is that it has way TOO many ideas which havnt been devloped to their best possibities.
Honestly am sick of seeing bad super hero movies and the sorts.They rely on the built in fan base for a big opening and special effects with no real idea/story at the core.Summer movies dont have to be like that.
SO u can understand my preference for a film with too many(though not fully capitalised on) ideas over the former.

The probelm (i feel)with the last 2 Pirate films seems to be that they were rushed.Rushed to meet release dates and much of the story evolved on the fly.
Though this Trilogy is now over, if there r to be more POTC movies, i hope the writers get the time to hammer out some really well thought out scripts.These 2 writers seem capable and creative enough in my opinion.
SO far they have created a coolworld with very interesting and fresh mythology /characters, & i coudl really see future POTC movies being really terrific adventure movies if done the right way!
In a nut shell,after investing in 2 Pirate movies, the concluding part was a promise well kept.I was entertained and was very satisfied with the resolution.
And yes..do stick around till the end of the End Credits, for a short scene which works as a very nice book-end to the very first scene of the very first POTC.Its really amazing how that 2 min shot alone, kinda makes it clear who the whole trilogy was about.
Perfect end to this 3 part story.

Lisa Gerrard, Live In Toronto

2007-05-22T23:10:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was a dream come true.I have wanted to see Lisa from the day i heard her for the first time.
She is not a very commercial/popular artist, so for those unaware...Lisa Gerrard used to be one half of a groundbreaking husband-wife band called "Dead Can Dance"(DCD).
After they split up, Lisa has continued having a great solo career with collabrative albums and doing scores for films (Gladiator with Hans Zimmer being the most popular).
I dont think i can compare her music or her voice to anything or any other artist that i am aware of.
Seeing her live was as fullfilliing, mezmerising and jaw dropping as i would have hoped(And having 2nd row seats wasnt too shabby either).
DCD used instruments and sounds from around the world spanning various ages and time periods with elaborate orchestartions.
Lisa predominantly used and continues to sing in gibberish,using her spectacular goose bump inducing voice as an instrument.
I know i am really plugging her here, but i think i owe it to her, She just makes me soooo happy!
So go discover her music, she has a new album out called "The Silver Tree" and also "The Best Of Lisa Gerrard", the former also has a few pieces from the DCD era.

Here are a couple of songs that she performed at the concert...the first is "Now We Are Free" ,which she wrote for Gladiator- and "Sanvean",one of my fav pieces by her.

**(I must appologise and warn about these clips.They have a very VERY annoying sound of me breathing at times. It seems the best view was near my eyes, and my nose happens to be in the same region and what can i say, seeing her perform 10 feet from u, it aint easy to breath normally.But its worth it, if u have slightly higher tolerance threshold)**

In Theatres: "Shrek The Third" (Review)

2007-05-21T11:22:00.000-04:00

Was not the biggest fan of the original Shrek,but it kinda grew on me over the years.Though i did think Shrek 2 was quite good. I dunno what i was xpecting from Shrek 3, but after hearing only bad things online and 43% freshness rating on RottenTomatoes, maybe i reduced my expectations.
So when i went to see it, i was pleasantly surprised.I found myself being quite entertained, and i did laugh more than just a couple of times.The designs were as ugly as Shrek stuff usually is, but had some very nice animation moments , like the Frog King dying sequence!
Am not sure if this movie "needed" to be made.Cuase Shrek 2 advanced the plot considerably from Shrek 1 but am not sure if 3 acheives the same in terms of Character deevlopment, their arcs etc etc.
All said and done, it was a fun 90min(or whatver its running time)
and it did not create any strong reactions in me (postive or negative) to write anymore about it.

And :Shrek 2 is still the best Shrek movie for me
:"Meet The Robinsons", Best Animated Movie of 2007...so far
: Of the 3 major 3-quels of the summer (Spidey3,Shrek3,Pirates3), Shrek 3 is in the lead...so far

WDCC: "Delicate Dance Of Winter"

2007-05-17T20:38:00.000-04:00

Finally , after months of searching, i got me one of these.
This is a numbered edition of ONLY 500 pieces , and hence ,is long gone and was tough to get my hand on.

Its by Kent Melton, and features the Frost Faries from The Nutcracker Suite of the 1940 Fanatsia.
The Frost Faries playfully are turning a lake into ice as a fallen autumn leaf begins to freeze over with icy goodness!

It simple but yet elegant in its delicacy and fetaures over 190 Swarovski Crystals.
Its a part of the grouping of the 3 pieces done in this series. This,"Delicate Dance Of Winter", "Celebration Of Spring", and a 3rd "Touch Of An Autumn Fairy", which i dont have...yet!
;-)

Loreena Mckennit LiveAt Massey Hall

2007-05-16T08:17:00.000-04:00

have always been a fan of her melodies and her choice of instruments and their orchestration, but nothing could prepare me for the amazingly rich concert that she put on. No less than 9 members to the band , and some real cool instruments from around the globe, including some that i did not even know existed, like Kanoun, Uillean Pipes, Bodhran,Oud etc etc..it was just too cool.
She covered most of her big numbers and from her new album An Ancient Muse. If u havnt, u must try her out, wont regret it.
Here are a couple of my fav tracks, though these both r more instrumental based.
Marco Polo and Santiago.

In Theatres: "Spider Man 3" (Review)

2007-05-13T10:24:00.000-04:00

I guess it must be summer! Its been a while since i had my intelligence insulted by a film.
With glaring plot wholes, boring, underdevloped characters SM3 really tests ur patience for the looooongest 2 1/2 hrs at the movies.
Specialy when the movie was being advertised as this explorations of this cool darker side of SM/Peter , inner conflict and all..and all u get is a shockingly ridiculous cheezzzy ,camp thing...u cant help but feel dissapointed.
Have nothing against cheezy, but if u gonna do it, do it well...like Moulin Rouge...its cheezy as hell but its a masterpiece!
Even the SpecialFx and stuff..nothing havnt seen before, a couple of scenes stood out, but other than that, way too many fast cuts with wrapped in an overload of sound effects,which leads me to think that even the director did not knwo what was happening in those shots.

Charcters seem so unmotivated, come and go , cry and do whatver they have to. It took 2 .5 hrs for the sand man charcter to say "i really did not want this" and he then just blows away!
after 2.5 hrs in hell, is that the climax/resolution i get??? come on!!
i dont even wanna talk about "Venom".. pretty dumb!
The film was struggling to find its style and the dumbest screenplay did not help.
I guess if Spidey 1 & 2 weren't good, i would not have been so disspointed with this movie.
A terrible waste of talent , time and money.

WDCC: "Spinning A Spellbinding Story"

2007-05-06T10:06:00.000-04:00

This is one HUGE piece! Its 12 inches high and 10 inches wide! (surely the heaviest piece i have seen or own).
This is the 4th piece in my collection by one my fav. sculptors, Dusty Horner, the same guy who did "Trust In Me" and "You So Totally Rock,Squirt!".
The 3 mesmerized mermaids on the(amazingly well sculpted) rock in the middle of the Mermaid Lagoon are focussed on Pan and his yarns. The way the characters are posed , ur eyes are immediately drawn to Pan and his hand pointing out at into the open space and kinda makes the world at large a part of the sculpture. Which i think is very apt, considering the moment captured here is about Peter and his adventures and stories out there, in lands and with people the mermaids from the Lagoon will never really experience themselves, but only through his stories.
Perfect!
:-)

In Theatres: "Meet The Robinsons" (Review)

2007-04-03T07:49:00.000-04:00

What? An animated movie about time travel and NO cute fuzzy bears, lions,penguins, fishes ,rats?No burping and other gass-y gags?An animated movie which is awesome but not buy PIXAR?
Obviously, such a movie cannot exist, right? WRONG!!!!!!

Meet The Robinsons was the most satisfying "DISNEY" movie since forever.Though its subject isnt really new, but it seems strangely fresh anyws!
It has a pretty complicated story line about time travel and a story set in the past present and the future.Such time lines are often very difficult to write for,But to the credit of the director and the story dept. they do so without making the ending be either obvious or contrived.
The story has heart, some cool villian animation a few really unexpected surprises, a spectacular and satisfying(which is just so rare in movies now days, animated or otherwise) ending, a fun soundtrack by the likes of Danny Elfman and Rufus Wainwright. What more can one ask for?

I liked it more than most rescent animated movies, even more than last years "Cars" which was my fav last year.
And the whole see it in "Disney Digital 3D" thing.I saw the movie in both formats. The normal and the 3d. And i have to say, 3D wins hands down.
The 3D really isnt used hear as a gimmick with things coming out at u every 33 seconds just cause they can. The 3D is used to just enhance the experience and used in a very natural way.Making the experience visually immersive.And it works amazingly well. Makes u wanna watch ALL movies like this (am sure thats gonna happen soon ,in 2 years tops).

And if u dont have enough reasons to go see it already, the 3D version plays a 1953 Donald Duck and Chip&Dale short called "Working For Peanuts" in 3D!!
OMG, traditional 2D animation looks sooooo gorgeous with those damn 3D glasses.Amazing flat multiplane-ing happening. VERY VERY cool!

I am glad to see Disney Feature Animation returning to form.So dont let a couple of bad character designs , ugly posters and misleading trailers hold u back. GO ahead and Meet The Robinsons TODAY!

WDCC: "It's That DeVil Woman"

2007-03-31T08:34:00.000-04:00

Am so behind with posting my newer sculptures.
Here is one i got way back in January.
Cruella De Vil , in bed, talking to the Baduns,discussing the previous nights Dognapping and hatching her villianous plan!

The detail in this sculpture is just INSANE!

And i thought my place was messy!

Disney/Pixar's "Ratatouille"-Animation Test

2007-03-23T06:31:00.000-04:00

Thnx to You Tube...Enjoy this before the "Disney Police" get it off...

Am so floored by the timing on this guy, so damn good!!!

A Birthday Comes But Once A Year...THANKFULLY!

2007-02-23T21:11:00.000-05:00

Its here! On time, as always. No, I don’t have a Peter Pan complex nor do I crave a sip from the Fountain of Youth or Eternal Life or what have you.

So what do I have against birthdays?
For me, a Birthday brings with it a lot of pressure. Any other day, one goes through life, questioning anything and everything (if u lucky enough), from the mundane to the philosophic to the physical to whatever ur twisted mind can think of.
But for whatever reason, the questions that haunt u on ur birthday just seem to be innumerous in quantity, insurmountable in scope and surely some of the toughest ones ever.

Like: What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Who really loves me? Who doesnt? How will it all ends? Whom do I love? Can I love? WHAT is love? Am I afraid of death? What is life? How long before I am let down again? Can I trust them? Can I trust myslef? Why all this mediocrity? When will the excuses stop? What is this all about? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Will this scar heal? Do scars really heal? Am I making the right choices? Are there really any choices? How can I make a difference? Is she still with me? What do I hope to achieve by putting all this on my blog? Who the f*@# cares? Etc etc..you get the point!:-)

Needless to say, most of these questions are pretty stupid, unimportant etc but that again is not the point.Is it??lol
And the beauty of it all is that like most questions, these too don’t really have answers.
But on any other day, u r more willing to accept that reality and move ahead and try to make the best of it and learn to ask better questions and hence answer the previous...

BUT BUT BUT...on the "BIRTHDAY",one does not have that luxury.Do they??

Come Birthday and suddenly there seems to be this deathly(no pun intended) pressure to actually ANSWER those questions already! The usual simple minded explanations that you usually give yourslef and so readilly accept,just wont work Today!
And obviously one cant answer them any better than they coudl have yesterday,

And so, hence , thus, it’s frustrating, annoying and sometimes depressing!
A simple enough logic,aint it?

SO do I hate birthdays?? Not really.
Cause there r many beautiful things about birthdays.Like, today is also the day my lovely niece, Anahita came into this world 6 years ago. And sometimes looking at her smile, hearing her wish u happy birthday and say how much she loves u...u begin to realize that maybe therein lie all the answers that u might possibly need...and more.

And yes, today also marks the First Anniversary of this blog of mine. Thanks to all who have visited and continue to do so and comment and read etc etc. I appreciate it. And I apologies for the drop in posts. Will try to change that!

So, do I hate birthdays???

NO, but I am thankful that it’s just once a year! :-)

WDCC: "Jack's Back"

2007-01-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

Finally, a sculpture from The Nightmare Before Christmas worthy of adding to my collection!
At 15 1/4", this sculpture by Patrick Romandy-Simmons is the tallest sculpture in the 15 year history of the Walt Disney Classics Collection.
At first sight many think the red to be blood, but those who know the film ,they will know ist the torn Santa costume as Jack is shot down and crash lands in a graveyard and decides to set things right!
:-)

The Line King Indeed

2007-01-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

Wow...guess what i ran into on YouTube!God bless YouTube...
See the late but gr8, Al Hirchfeld make an enitire piece right in front of our eyes...the process and all..damn cool!
His hand is more steady at the age of 98 than mine was when i was 18! lol
Anywho...me is just busy with starting my new job at C.O.R.E.,...Houdini is quite the challenge to get used to...but cant wait to get animating...i have some amazingly juicy villain(sp?) scenes assigned to me! yay!
So, enjoy this little treat for now!:-)

My Pics From Niagra

2006-12-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

Went to Niagra with a bunch of freinds yesterday! This is the first time i did the "Journey Behind The Falls" thingie, where u walk in a tunnel behind teh falls and all..it was quite the rush!(no pun intended).Will post a video clip soon.
Here r a few pics for now from the day and also the light illumination of the falls at night.:-)

Rockefeller Centre Lights Show

2006-12-16T11:48:00.000-05:00

This was after the tree lighting...was really nice :-)

Festive NYC

2006-12-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

I was in NYC last week...had the most amazing time ever.Saw shows on broadway(Les Miz and Marry Poppins),saw Enya and Sarah McLachlan in concert...spent a couple of days at the MET and MOMA...Treelighting etc etc.
Took some cool pics at all those events and of NYC getting ready for XMAS..but unfortunately lost a brand new 2GB Memory Card of my cam with ALL my pics...:-(
Depressing as it was, i have manged to salvage VERY few pics from the smaller chip i had...so here they are!

Original "Where The Wild Things Are" Tests

2006-12-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

Oooh! I just found a link to this awesome clip on the Disney Blog.
Had heard about this , but never seen it.
I think in the 80's, post Tron, and pre Lasserter's departure from Disney,he and Glen Keane got together to do some tests for Maurice Sendak's "Where The Wild Things Are".
This is long before the now scrapped Eric Goldberg take on the same for Universal.
Its very cool that someone put it up. The animation is pretty cool and so is the 3d camera. Though the shading /texturing is very dated. But i really like the way the 2d characters look and the way they move!

First Picture From My New Appt!

2006-11-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

It was a gorgeous full moon night ...a few nights back ...ok,QUITE a few nigts back!(i just got my pics off my cam today).

So here is downtown Toronto on a full moon night as seen from my balchony!:-)

WDCC: "Celebration Of Springl"

2006-11-24T17:14:00.000-05:00

Starring the Dewdrop Fairy from the Nutcracker Suite from the original Fanstasia(1940), comes "Celebration of Spring" by Kent Melton.
The Dewdrops are actual Swarovski Crystals!
I know,I know...it aint the time for anything "Spring" now , but the other piece in this series "Delicate Dance Of Winter" is VERY difficult to find...am working on it! :-)
This sculpture was fun taking pictures off. I need a tripod!

Alan Vs Randy & A Disney Princess Like We Have Never Seen Before?

2006-11-16T10:58:00.000-05:00

Many fans of the traditional Disney Animated Musical features rejoiced at the news that Disney is finally getting into 2D Animation again with "The Frog Princess".
One of the many reasons for the excitement for people like me was that the key filmmaking team behind this project was gonnna be the same as "The Little Mermaid" which bought about the last "Golden Age" of Animation.
It just seemed right and poetic, if u will...That once again the Directing team of Ron Clements & John Musker along with the amazing composer, Alan Menken would bring about this re-birth of the Classic Disney Musical. Cause these storytellers and Alan's music played a very important part in the success of all those disney musicals Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty & The Beast etc.

However, the news just broke this week that the new Animation head honcho and disney, John Lasseter (of Pixar), has decided to replace Alan Menken with Randy Newman and give him his Musical debut Randy Newman is no stranger to Pixar, he has been a staple composer for most of their movies and specially all of John's movies (Both the Toy Storys,Bug's Life, Cars).

This sent many Alan Menken fans into a fit of anger (including myself) with people already predicting Frog Princess to be doomed and the saying how John L. is gonna turn Disney into Pixar 2!

But on further discussion with a friend in Animation (who was equally disappointed with the switch),it led to him doing some investigations.
Which in turn led to quite an interesting discovery which might explain this move.

It SEEMS, The Frog Princess could be Disney's first African American princess, in a New Orleans-ish setting with a Jazz soundtrack and not a very theatrical soundtrack!
And that might explain the preference of Randy Newman over Alan Menken.
I can honestly say, IF this is a fact...am actually excited by this decision and its about time Disney shook things up in this direction!

Coupled by the fact that Alan Menken is swamped with so many projects for Disney already , with bringing Little Mermaid and Sister Act On Broadway , writing songs and scoring the 2d/Live Action hybrid "Enchanted" etc etc..it just might just be the best thing to have happened!

Am happy again...for now! :-)

Of Posters,Trailers, Accidents & Appartments!

2006-11-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

Here are posters for the 2 new movies coming from Disney/Pixar in 2007...both look so promising(the movies, not the posters)!

(Check out the cool new trailer for Meet The Robinsons by clicking on the poster)

And yes...i have not updated the blog since forever...with good reason though!
Was in a car accident 2 weeks or so ago...quite bad and traumatic..but everyone is alive & kicking , including myself...it coudl have been a LOT worse.
The gentleman at the other end was drunk and was handcuffed and arrested! Have a new found hatred for drunk drivers now! With a passion!

Anywho, moving on to better things..i found a great appt in Dtwn Toronto and have been busy with the moving in and settling in stuff. (It aint easy with an ailing back, thnx to all those who helped).

I have a great view of the city and the lake...will post some pics real soon! :-)

Books! Books!Books!

2006-10-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

(Click on the respective covers for a flash preview of the books)

This aint really a review but rather a sales pitch! I JUST got these books in the mail, so havn't really read them... but my immediate reaction to them was so strong I just had to get on and tell every Art/Animation/Film fan to do themsleves a favour and run out and grab these 2 books.
They are absolutely exploding with art and that too amazing art.Not a millimetere of a page is wasted.I have my share of Art Of...books, but not even the best Disney ones can compare to these 2 Sony Animation Art Of books. And if you thought Pixar made the best Art books nowdays, these will seriously make u reconsider.
Besides the art, they have cool guides, stickers, notes, journals, posters and all that stuff much on the lines of the Disney Keepsakes and Disney Treasures books by Robert Tieman.

These books actually justify these average movies by honouring the amazing art that went into them.It really does not matter wether u liked the movies or not, or if u prefer 2d/3d....JUST get the damn books! You SO wont regret it!

from The Art & Making of Monster House

from The Art of Open Season

WDCC: "I'm Losing To A Rug"

2006-10-04T17:35:00.000-04:00

Got this one a month or so back, but with the moving and all I did not get around to taking pictures until now.
This piece from "Aladdin" was realsed as a Numbered Limited Edition in 1997 and has the Genie stressing over loosing to Carpet which seems to be floating effortlessly at the other end of this amazingly well designed sclupture by Valerie Edwards (also an Imagineer).

"Nuit Blanche"2006

2006-10-01T12:03:00.000-04:00

Last night I made a brief visit to Nuit Blanche.For those who do not know, its a very cool event that happens only for ONE night in the year in Toronto from dusk till dawn. Where not only all the museums and art galleries are open all night for FREE but the streets, monuments are converted to pieces of art by artists from all over the place.
Practically the whole city is on the streets with their umberellas, fall jackets and walking shoes with an amazingly festive energy in the air.There are food and refreshment kiosks all over the city and the artworks sometime quirky, sometime mesmerising but always surprising!
From a video of grazing sheep on the exterior of a planetarium to a very cool landscape swamped with fog to create a visual striaght out of a Tim Burtom film!
Here are a few pics from last night. Cant wait to be well prepared and make the most of the Nuit Blanche next year!

Some Cool Poster Art !

2006-09-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

Soom real nice, dark ,moody ,poster art that i lliked over the last few weeks...!

In Theatres : "The Last Kiss" & "Scoop"(Review)

2006-09-20T13:41:00.000-04:00

After weeks of a dry spell at the cinemas, things are finally begining to pick up.Movies that actually make u wanna go check them out, some bad , some good but atleats have your interest.
So after a couple of disspointments (Hollywoodland, The Black Dahlia), i saw a couple of movies back to back which i really liked....The Last Kiss & Woody Allen's latest Scoop. Also since both the movies kinda-sorta fall in the same genre, thought i'd do a semi-common review.

Both these movies boast of no fancy special effects or fantastical settings and dramatic twists & turns. Very simple, linear charchter driven plots and with intresting screenplays.
Though they differ in tone, TLK (The Last Kiss, not to be confused with the Lion movie) is a bit more on the serious/mature side and Scoop being ur typical Woody Allen nutty comedy caper (quite the contrast to his last last year's Match Point ).

What i liked about the TLK was, though it fits into the cliche : guy having perfect life has a mid-life crisis, panicks and takes some worng turns...its really well written and the charcters and their motives are quite belivable.
The supporting cast also have their own issues to deal with & do it well.Great performances by all the major characters.I really liked Tom Wilkinson as the father in a very small but important role.People dont always make the right choices, and there are consequences, and the movie does not have to have a perfect ending.It was slick and honest. Highly recommended!

Scoop on the other hand is just a breeze to watch! It aint gonna alter the course of your life, but it will be a fun 90 mins. i cant seem to get enough of Woody Allen's sense of humour.People say its the same stuff every time, but i think if it aint broke, dont fix it!
Its silly, and it KNOWS its silly and just goes all out. It hilarious to just see his expressions as he does those magic tricks at the begining of the movie. I dont think that was meant to be funny, but he just makes me smile! I throughly enjoyed it, ist totally his movie, Hugh Jackman & Scarlet Johansen though good are over-shadowed by Woody Allen's presence.See it to relax and see how a non- lowbrow movie can make you laugh just as much!

"The Little Mermaid" Re-Union at El Capitan

2006-09-19T10:31:00.000-04:00

Part 1 of 5
Click HERE for rest

A couple of weeks back there was a re-union of some of the Cast & Crew of The Little Mermaid at the El Capitan, much like the one featured on the Aladdin Platinum Edition DVD.However this wont be on the forthcoming Little Mermaid DVD.
But we can still see it cuase someone put it up on You Tube in 5 parts.
Its features Glen Keane, Ron & John, Menken among others.Worth a watch for sure.
Cant wait for this (hopefully loaded) 2 disc DVD, its been looooong over due!:-)

Add the The Little Mermaid trailer to your site at www.LittleMermaidDVD.com

My Character Animation Demo Reel Aug'06

2006-08-31T09:41:00.000-04:00

So...all these years of hard work, all nighters,stress etc etc and all i have to show for it is this 2 min video clip!?!?
Just seems SOO wrong! lol
Anyws...here is my demo reel that i put togetehr in the last few days, this one is geared to show what i have done in a capacity of an animator(2d&3d) and animation director and story/character devpt. stuff that i have done.

End Of All Things School

2006-08-29T10:02:00.000-04:00

Finally, after 21 years of formal education, i think i am DONE! Its a strange feeling. Even though i have been out of school for a few years in between when i was working in the industry, its nice to know that i will never have to be a "Student" again.

Sorry about the lack of updates...been running around trying to put together a rushed demo reel and stuff...thankfully i had a descent response at the Industry Day, so also been going to various studios for interviews and such!
Hopefully would be employed soon....fingers crossed!
Will post more stuff real soon :-)

The Amazing Computer Animation Class of Jan'2006
Sheridan College

WDCC: "Mistress Of All Evil"

2006-08-20T12:22:00.000-04:00

Malefeciant, Marc Davis's most elegant designs and one of the most striking Villains ever is captured in her climatic element in this spectacular sculpture by Kent Melton.
Much of her designs "coolness" comes from the amazing use of her Black/purple gown throughout the film.The way it moves and the fiery shapes it makes.
And this sculpture does a wonderful job of capturing that same majesty as a very furious & frustrated Maleficiant casts a spell of thorns on Sleeping Beauty's Castle to prevent her evil spell from being broken!
This piece was sooo hard to find...its a piece from 1997 and was the first in the Villains Series. :-)

"Blvd.Efil"Premier Today

2006-08-18T11:55:00.000-04:00

Finally, its done!!!

It will be screened today at the Sheridan College Auditorium. Looking forward to seeing for the first time with an audience.
I know most of u are not local...but for whatevr its worth, woudl have loved to have u in the audience!
Here are some images of the look that i was experimenting with in the last few days...but i finally ended up taking it in a totally different direction(as per the Main Title).

"Blvd.Efil"Scene 11 Rough Animation

2006-08-04T04:50:00.000-04:00

YAY! I just warapped the animation last night! 10 days to go and have to come up with the look , enviorment, lighting, rendering etc etc!
This is the rough animation for the last scene i just finished...the camera is temp..not the final angles and moves.

"Blvd.Efil"Scene 07 Rough Animation

2006-08-02T20:05:00.000-04:00

To Touch or NOT To Touch....THAT..is the question!!
:-)

LAst 13 days..nearly done!!:-)

p.s The ribbon is hand animated not a Dynamic simulation or whatevr...and i guess it goes without saying, that by the end of this film i HATE ribbons!!

People & Places

2006-07-31T13:10:00.000-04:00

I took this pic last year in a small villiage in India. Something about the young & the old i find quite fascinating.

They both represent such contrasts in terms of what they represent & where they stand in life,but yet also so extremely similar at the same time !

2D Feature In Develpment At WDFA!!

2006-07-23T17:54:00.000-04:00

OKKKkkkkk....finally the news people like me have been dying to hear!...it seems its confirmed...there IS indeed a Definate 2D film project under development at WDFA.
And its being developed by (not so surprisingly) Ron Clements & John Musker.
And the project is..."The Frog Princess"!!!
Was hoping for (the now canned??!?)"The Snow Queen"to get the honour of bringing back the great Disney 2D Animation tradition, but hell...am not complaining,this will do just FIIIIINE!!
Yay! :-)