Sunday, March 7, 2010

Disneyland Paris " New Generation Festival " TV Ad



Disneyland Paris did a nice TV ad for the upcoming New Generation Festival. I remind you that the year-long new generation festival will kick off 2 April and will continue through March 2011 with character experiences in both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios. Princess Tiana to Buzz Lightyear, Remy, Stitch and Sulley, all the newest generation of Disney’s Characters arrives in shows and parades and next Summer, the all-new Toy Story Playland premieres at Walt Disney Studios with three interactive attractions inspired from Toy Story.



Putting the newest stars in the spotlight, Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from Princess and the Frog will join the “Disney’s Once Upon a Dream Parade” in Disneyland Park, and Ratatouille characters Remy and Emile ride in an all-new car during the “Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars” cavalcade at Walt Disney Studios. Mickey Mouse is also part of the festivities, dancing and singing daily with the new generation characters in an extravaganza “Disney showtime spectacular” on Central Plaza Stage in Disneyland Park, while Minnie will be on board the “Disney All Stars Express”.



At certain times in the Walt Disney Studios, everyone will get permission to be as loud as monster-possible, and screams will fill the air several times daily at “Monsters Inc. Scream Academy” where Sulley will encourage guests to break the decibel meter.

At the new Toy Story Playland at Walt Disney Studios, Buzz Lightyear will invite guests into Andy’s “back yard” to be shrunk to the scale of toys on an enormous playground, with plenty of interactive fun and photo opportunities.

Toy Story Playland includes three all-new attractions:
• Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, simulating a dive from the sky with Andy’s Green Army Men
• the family-friendly Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, a whimsical coaster attraction
• RC Racer, featuring a 25-meter half pipe on a U-shaped race circuit.



The TV Ad include in live action 2D animation from WDA as well as 3D animation from Pixar Studios. We can see not only characters from the "new generation" - pictures above - but also some from the old one meeting "new" characters like Cinderella and Lighting McQueen...





...or a fun sequence with Sulley landing in parachute inside Snow White and Seven Dwarfs cottage right when the witch is arriving...





Interesting too is the making of the movie. Directed by Motion Theory Studios at Hollywood, more than 100 extras were part of the shooting and 30 different animations either from Walt Disney Animation or Pixar were done for the Ad.

Matthew Cullen, the director, shoot essentially at the Disneyland Resort in California with some shots of DLP digitally integrated. On the picture below the crew is filming on DCA Hollywood Boulevard...





...but other scenes were filmed inside like the shots with the RC Racer.



The result is quite fun, if not odd, as what we can see of the DLP parks in the TV Ad is a mix of shots of Disneyland in Anaheim with DLP castle! (picture below) In two words, it shows a park which doesn't exist! Also, if you look at the top picture of this article you'll see that Toy Story Playland rides are not at the Walt Disney Studios where they are currently built but at the Disneyland Paris park!



As i suppose you're now curious to see this TV Ad, here it is, and let me know in the comments what you think about it!




Part two of this article about DLP New Generation is now online HERE.

Don't forget to check my Dsneyland Paris book offer below, it's a fantastic book, you'll love it!


Thanks to leave a comment or discuss this article on D&M english forum on Mice Chat

Pictures and video: copyright Disney - Disneyland Paris

Looking for a great Disney book ? Then, the Disneyland Paris book is the perfect gift for any Disney fan !



If you're looking for a great gift to offer to anyone you love - including you! - my "Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality" book with its 320 pages and 750 pictures - including 250 renderings from Walt Disney Imagineering - would be a GREAT gift for any Disney fan!

I still have copies of the book, and, as i am one of the two authors of the book, each copy will be sign specially for you or anyone you wish. Of course, don't forget to tell me the name to whom you wish i dedicate the book.

An important note before i go further: If you're not in a rush to get the book, choose the flat shipping option (also indicated below) which usually takes between 3 to 6 weeks delivery (depending if you're living in Europe or in the U.S) and is also much less expensive.

And now, here is a description of the book and everything you need to know to order one of the last signed copy of this beautiful book. Please note that NO re-printing of the book is scheduled, and these last available copies may be the REAL last one!


IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE ENGLISH EDITION OF THE BOOK WITH THE TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Price for one copy of the english updated edition is 87 Euros

About the shipping:

IF YOU'RE NOT IN A HURRY TO GET THE BOOK: Flat shipping (4-5 weeks delivery) is 15 euros.

IF YOU'RE IN A HURRY TO GET THE BOOK: Air-mail shipping (3 weeks delivery) is 25 Euros.

If you have a Paypal account you can proceed to the payment by paypal - paypal payment including your choice of shipping must be sent to the email adress: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr

Important: Note that the price is in Euros, not in U.S $, so you have to choose the "euro" currency when you do the paypal payment.

If you don't have a Paypal account, a bank wire transfert is possible, just let me know.

And, of course, thanks to confirm me your order and payment AND the shipping adress by email at the email adress: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr


PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR NOW I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE COPIES OF THE FRENCH EDITION, SORRY. IF YOU STILL WISH A FRENCH COPY? PLEASE LET ME KNOW? I'LL TRY TO FIND A COPY FOR YOU.

As i am the one who designed the book, i'm not really at the good place to send compliments about it, but if you are a reader who already own the book, please leave a comment at the end of the article to let other readers know what you think about it.
Previous comments can be read at the bottom of this page where the article below was previously posted.

So, here is a little description of the book, now - See below some pictures of the book pages - click on each of them to see the photo-montage pictures in big size.



The book is a gorgeous "coffee table book" with 320 pages and 750 pictures - of which 500 are park and attractions photos and 250 are Walt Disney Imagineering renderings!

The size is 9 x 12 inches, all pages are in color and it's hardbound with a glossy dust jacket. The text (by Disney historian Didier Ghez), was written after more than 75 interviews he conducted with all the Imagineers who created the park. He goes into just about everything you wanted to know about this unique place that many describe as the best "Magic Kingdom" ever created by WDI.

It took five years to create the book, but it was worth all the time we spent on it, and the book looks just as good as we had hoped for at the beginning - in fact Imagineer Bruce Gordon told us that it was "probably the best book ever done on a Disney theme park". Coming from Bruce who did with David Mumford the great "Disneyland, The Nickel Tour" book, it was more than a compliment.

The first chapter about Main Street has 52 pages and introduces the reader to the "legend" of Main Street, USA. You'll learn all about the Disneyland Paris Railroad, the unique "Discovery" and "Liberty" Arcades; find out about the architecture, the restaurants (like "Walt's," a tribute to Walt Disney, but also inspired by Club 33 in Anaheim) and the shops; with dozens of photos, renderings, models, and reproduced for the first time here, all the "cities of the future" posters located in "Discovery Arcade."



The second chapter on Frontierland discusses the park's western side with extensive sections about its major attractions, "Big Thunder Mountain" and "Phantom Manor." In fact the book has the longest sections ever put together in a book on all the major attractions. The Pirates of Caribbean section in the Adventureland chapter is 26 pages, Phantom Manor has 16 pages devoted to it, as does Space Mountain, it's a small world, etc. The photo material was so great that we kept adding more pages to the book, which was supposed to have only 240 pages when we started... we ended up with 320 upon completion!



The Frontierland chapter also covers the Mark Twain, the River Rogue Keelboats, Fort Comstock, all the restaurants, the shops and Cottonwood Creek Ranch.and featuring stunning photos of Disneyland Paris from the air by Yann Arthus Bertrand, author of The Earth from Above that make spectacular "double-pages," and allow the reader to discover the park from a whole different angle.



The Adventureland chapter is even more interesting, as many elements of the land exist only in Paris - such as the Bazaar and Aladdin to Africa and the ex-"Explorer's Club." Plus there's a long section about "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril," "Adventure Isle" and "The Swiss Robinson Treehouse" and, of course, "Pirates of Caribbean" the land's major attraction and featuring its amazing Audio-Animatronics! All in all there are 56 full pages about Adventureland, and as in the previous chapters, there are dozens of photos, lots of concept art, and many shots of Imagineers at work. There's even a great bonus here, with the Marc Davis artwork for "Pirates" also included.



56 full pages are also dedicated to Fantasyland. There's an extensive look at Sleeping Beauty Castle, sections on all the dark rides (Snow White, Peter Pan and Pinocchio), as well as a look at "Alice's Curious Labyrinth," the "Mad Hatter's Tea Cups," "Storybookland," and "Casey Jr." There are even 14 pages about "it's a small world" with stunning photos of nearly all the scenes in it. Here the reader can discover a new attraction that exists only at Disneyland Paris, with a great view from above of Alice's Labyrinth.

Discoveryland also gets 52 pages of special treatment, with sections on the Visionarium, the Nautilus, Star Tours, Space Mountain, and everything you wanted to know about the other attractions in this land – Autopia and Orbitron. In fact the Nautilus chapter takes you on a visit with photos of every room of this detailed walk-through and two double page photo spreads, one which makes you feel you're inside Captain Nemo's grand salon, and the other showing you a unique view of Discoveyland featuring the Nautilus and Space Mountain in a kind of "CinemaScope" view.



When the book was released in early 2002, the Walt Disney Studios didn't exist, so you won't see them in the book. But there's still one last chapter about the hotels of the park, and Disney Village too, with the great Buffalo Bill Wild West show that entertains hundreds each evening.

And because every day in a Magic Kingdom should end with a parade and fireworks, we have the Main Street Electrical Parade that close the book, with an Herb Ryman gorgeous painting!



Pictures: copyright Disney

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Making-of



If you've seen Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland this week-end you're may be curious to know how it was done. Well, although it don't look like when you watch the movie, most of the film was shoot inside using green screen, motion capture, etc...except, of course the opening and end sequence in the "real world". All Wonderland seems to be a CGI creation, not to mention of course the CGI animation for the creatures.



The video below will show you more but if you haven't seen the movie yet it may be a good idea to watch this making-of only when you will come back from the theatre.



And in this next video from the Wired web site Tim and some of the actors explains the creation process.



Screen Captures and Videos: copyright Disney, Wired.
Editor's Note: DO NOT MISS the two videos of today's Innoventions article, what you will see is amazing...and probably the future! And on the first video you can even choose subtitles in your own language!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

D&M Innoventions : Pranav Mistry brings us the Future



D&M Innoventions series are each week-end on Disney and more and the goal is to introduce some amazing technologies. If you like Epcot, Tomorrowland and the spirit of the Future, then this article is for you!

I've always thought that a lot of geniuses will come from India and the video embedded today brings a perfect proof. Don't go away as not only you will discover the future and a amazing technology but also a real genius: Pranav Mistry.

Pranav Mistry is born in 1981 in Palanpur, India. He is a young research assistant and a PhD candidate at Massachusets Institute of Technology Media Lab and most of all the inventor of "SixthSense". A lot of modern inventions came from the MIT, and this one is fantastic. Pranav Mistry is passionate about integrating the world of information with our real world interactions. Among some of his previous work, Pranav has made intelligent sticky notes that can be searched, located and can send reminders and messages; a pen that can draw in 3D; and a public map that can act as Google of physical world. His latest invention, Sixth Sense, has been awarded 2009 Invention Award by Popular Science. Pranav Mistry also won Young Innovator Award TR35 by Technology Review and has been called "one of the two or three, best inventors in the world right now".



So, what did he invented? Pranav will explain it to you better than i can do on the video below but, basically, here it is: Right now, you're reading this article on my site, i.e you are on internet. Which means that YOU are coming to the virtual world. Well, Pranav Mistry invented a way to have the "virtual world" coming into our "physical world", i.e exactly the contrary. And, as he did it using things which are already existing we won't have to wait twenty years before it arrives in our reality, it can be done right NOW! And here is the best: all what you will see on this video from a TED conference - if you take the time to look at it, which i hope - can be done for a cost amazingly cheap, not more than $500, i think.

It's not every day that we discover a true genius, and Pranav Mistry is one of them. And the beauty of it is that everything looks so simple...

Below, the 13 min TED video and good news for my non-english readers as you can choose to watch it with subtitles and have the choice of 14 different languages!




And it seems that Pranav opened the way for others researchers as you will see with the next video showing the Skinput system created by Chris Harrison of Carnegie Mellon University and Dan Morris and Desney Tan of the Microsoft's research lab in Redmond. The system is a marriage of two technologies: the ability to detect the ultralow-frequency sound produced by tapping the skin with a finger, and the microchip-sized "pico" projectors now found in some cellphones.

And all this for doing what, you ask? Well, to put it simply, in a near future instead to dial a phone number on your mobile phone you'll be able to do it directly on your hand - and, yes, without holding any mobile phone! Even better, the system will allow to choose options just by tapping your forearm as this one could become part of a skin-based interface that effectively turns your body into a touchscreen!

Have a look below at this other video to be amazed once again!



Video: copyright TED, Skinput

You have a very important appointment this week-end...



Alice's White Rabbit reminds you that you have a very important appointment this week-end! If you live in a country where Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is now released don't forget to go see it - and in 3D! You'll find my review of the film below, and thanks to let us know in the comments if you've liked it or not!

You have also another appointment tomorrow with the D&M Innovations series and don't miss the upcoming article as it will show you nothing less than the future!

And if you live in Singapore or South East Asia your important "appointment" is on March 18 at 8.28 am as it's now official: Universal Studios Singapore will open on that date! Tickets will be on sale from March 10 and of course this time the rides will be fully operationals, except probably the Madagascar flume ride.

Picture: copyright Disney

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland Review - with Hi-Res Pictures



I was invited last Tuesday to the press screening of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and i loved it! The movie is released today in the U.S as well as in the UK and Ireland, is already released in Germany and will be released in France March 24.

One of the most important thing when you go to watch a movie is probably to have the right mental image, i.e to don't await of it something that doesn't exist. As all of you are Disney fans who probably have seen the Disney animated there is a danger to compare this new live version to the 1951 version, which obviously would be a big mistake. Also, if you've read Lewis Caroll's books - "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" - you have to know that more than a strict adaptation of Caroll's books the movie was done from an original script written by Linda Woolverton.



So, let's put it this way: no, Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland is not a "candy" adaptation of Lewis Caroll's famous tale. However, Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland is a world where Imagination "have the power" and it's totally the case in Burton's movie. The "spirit" of Alice in Wonderland is there and it's all what matters. And yes, you will find back all Alice's famous characters whether it is the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Blue Caterpillar, the Cheschire cat, the Red Queen, etc... and all of them are just as odd, crazy, lunatic as they were in the Disney animated or, more simply, in the original tale.



BUT, as it is a Tim Burton's movie, Alice's "Wonderland" is also a place that can be uncertain, dangerous, although not nightmarish. Which on a certain point of view is logical as there is no reason why a world with such mad characters would be reassuring, right? However, the movie is not too "dark" and have a lot of funny scenes so if you have young children who are at least seven years old you can bring them to watch Alice in Wonderland, they will probably love it.



The other important thing to know, and it's not really a spoiler, is that it's more a "Return to Wonderland" as Alice, now almost 20 years old and on the point to get married with a young British lord - that's the opening sequence - went previously to Wonderland when she was seven. Although she don't remember it really, since her first trip she regularly had nightmares, and it's fair to say that her subconscious is still impregnate of all the strange characters she met when she was a child... Until this fateful day on which Alice, once again, will fall inside the tree hole and will be back to Wonderland.



I don't want to tell you more about the story line itself to don't spoil anything but what i can say is that technically and artistically speaking the movie is gorgeous. Wonderland looks really like a place out-of-this-world with giant mushrooms and flowers which can talk but also amazing creatures - all CGI animation is perfect, special award for the white rabbit, although all of them whether it is the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Blue Caterpillar, The Dodo Bird or the Jabberwocky are really great.



The casting, too, is perfect. Johnny Depp is playing the Mad Hatter with all his genius and probably nobody else could have played it so well. The young Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice have the right ingenuousness and Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway respectively playing the red and white queen are very good too. Interesting to note also the "voices" of talented actors like Alan Rickman - the voice of the Blue Caterpillar - or the great Christopher Lee - the voice of the frightening Jabberwocky.



The movie is released in 3D and what a great 3D! Generally in live action movies they use the 3D to give more dephts or an immersive feeling - this was the case with James Cameron's Avatar - but they try to avoid "pop-up" effects. One of the reason is that directors try to avoid that the movie looks like a theme park attraction. But here, in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland it's not the case: the 3D is used to give more depths but you will also enjoy some great pop-up effects all done elegantly and with a perfect timing.



I, personally, think that "Alice" should be very successful at the box-office - not as Avatar, of course, but Avatar is the "exception that confirms the rule" - and i'm pretty sure that children of all ages will love it. So, if you live in the U.S, in the U.K, in Ireland or Germany go to see Alice this week-end - and in 3D! - as for all the reasons explained above Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is an extremely enjoyable movie. And to tell the truth, i loved it so much that when the end credits appeared i already wanted to see it again!

Let us know in the comments if you've liked it or not!

All pictures: copyright Disney

D&M Exclusive : Universal Studios Singapore Lagoon Fireworks Test Video



Two hours ago tonight Universal Studios Singapore did a fireworks test. This is the fireworks that guests will see at night over the USS Lagoon. Of course, tonight the park is not open yet but it's now official: Universal Studios Singapore will open March 18 at 8.30 am! For now, the fireworks test was for USS cast members only but Disney and more already have the video showing a part of the fireworks!

From what i've been told the fireworks is very good, just as good as Epcot's Reflections of Earth. It looks pretty spectacular, the music sounds great, and the fireworks last 7 minutes. On the video below, 1 min and 40 seconds of it. Enjoy!


Wednesday, March 3, 2010

First Tangled "Rapunzel" Teaser



Disney released two days ago a first Tangled "Rapunzel" teaser, and the least we can say is that it's really a "teaser", i.e it don't shows a lot of the movie and you won't see any characters. I remind you that Disney changed recently the movie title, now called Tangled, instead of Rapunzel.




But if we want to watch a few seconds of animation of the Rapunzel character we have to go on the WorstPreviews web site which have this very short clip which may have been done quite a while ago.




Always on the WorstPreviews web site but much more interesting this work in progress of the trailer - and don't ask me how they've got it...




Tangled is supposed to be released in the U.S in November 2010.

Picture and videos: copyright Walt Disney Animations.

Great WDI Imagineer Tim Delaney Interviews



The Season Pass web site posted last monday a fantastic podcast interview of Imagineer Tim Delaney. As a matter of fact this is part two of Tim's interview and Tim who was show producer of Disneyland Paris Discoveryland have great stories about its making. This great podcast interview last 1h30min and i strongly recommand it to you.

In the part one HERE, just as great, Tim talks about his work on EPCOT & Living Seas!

To tell the truth, i've discovered today The Season Pass web site - thanks to one of my reader's comment - and they have a LOT of great podcast interviews of WDI Imagineers. Recently they've interviewed Imagineers Rick Rothschild, Chris Brown, Darrin Hughes, Barry Braverman, Jerry Rees or Composer and Disney Legend Alan Menken. The podcast page is HERE and you can even subscribe and download all interviews for free on ITunes HERE.

Don't miss these definitely great interviews!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Captain EO in 3D, right now, on your computer screen !



I usually post an artwork article on wednesday, and it's the case today. But for the first time on Disney and more this one is in 3D! Back in August 1987, almost 23 years ago, Eclipse Comics published an amazing Captain EO 3D comic book souvenir edition. As a matter of fact the comic book was published in two sizes, the normal comic book size and a big A3 size which is of course the most collectible one. In both cases the cover was Captain EO's famous artwork from Imagineer Tim Delaney.

The story line is not only exactly the same than the attraction, but all text, dialogs, are the same one that lucky Californians can hear again inside Disneyland's Tomorrowland theater. All the 30 pages of drawings were done by comic book artist Tom Yeates and of course reproduce all the scenes of the 3D movie.

I have to thanks my friend Daniel who is not only the owner of a perfect copy of the 1987 comic book but also of Tom Yeates original art, the page 21. Right now Daniel put this rare one-of-a-kind original art on sale on ebay and it's a unique chance to own this rare Captain EO collectible art. If you're interested, the auction page on ebay is HERE and here below is a picture of the 24" x 17.52" original art, a pretty big size. The buyer will also get this rare Captain EO souvenir edition - the A3 size - which include two pairs of 3D glasses.



But, as it's really a one-of-a-kind which means that only one of you will get the original art, here is for everyone the 30 pages of the Captain EO souvenir edition and yes, they are in 3D. All what you need is a red and blue 3D glasses like the one below, whether the one you have are in cardboard or plastic. If you have some at your home, it's time to find them to enjoy the 3D article on your computer screen. And believe me, the 3D effect is great!



If you want to make the reading even more enjoyable here is how to do: open a new window of your internet browser and go on Youtube to find a video of the movie. You have some good one, in two parts, HERE and HERE. Just launch part one, put the sound, and then come back to this window so when you will read the 3D comic book pages you will have the sound too! The two Youtube links are for the 3D video version but unfortunately, even with glasses, the 3D effect is not as good as in the attraction.

Okay, there we go, and below are all the 30 pages exactly as you can read them in the comic book. As usual, click on each image to see it in big size and once on the picture page click again on it to have it even bigger. It's time to put on your 3D glasses, and enjoy!


































Thanks to leave a comment or discuss this article on D&M english forum on Mice Chat

Pictures: copyright Eclipse Comics, Walt Disney Company 1987.