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.

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

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

New Clips from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

In one week the highly awaited Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will be released in theatres and Disney put on line yesterday - day of the London Royal Premiere - new clips from the movie. No need to say that if you want to prevent any spoilers it's better that you don't watch them. But for those of you who don't mind to have a look, here we go. Note that all pictures are in high-res except the one above.



In this first clip, a great encounter between Alice and the Cheschire cat.






In this next clip the White Queen play by Anne Hathaway prepares a magic potion for Alice.







In the clip below, the Red Queen play by Helena Bonham Carter in a scene called "Off with his head" - and no, she's not talking about Alice head.







This next one shows the famous sequence of "The Tea Party". Although it's typically Burton's atmosphere, it looks great, so don't miss it!







I'm reposting the clip with the white rabbit posted early this week, so you'll have all of them on the same page.




This last video is not really a movie clip although you'll see many scenes from it. It's more a featurette with some of the actors, including Johnny Depp talking about the film itself.





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

Pictures and videos: copyright Disney

Johnny Depp on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and First Clip from the Movie !

In an interesting interview on comingsoon.net Johnny Depp talks about his character in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland:

Q: When he came to you and said the Mad Hatter what was your reaction to that?

Depp: Well, I mean to be honest he could've said Alice and I would've said [yes]. I would've done whatever character Tim wanted, but yeah, certainly the fact that it was the Mad Hatter was a bonus. It was because of the great challenge to try and find this guy and not to just sort of be rubber ball heaved into an empty room and watch it bounce all over the place. So to find that part of that character but also a little more history or gravity to the guy.

Q: There's kind of a tragic nature to the Mad Hatter's background in this, too, that I've never seen before in an "Alice in Wonderland." Can you talk about that?

Depp: Well, I think that part of it, there's the whole Hatter's dilemma really, which is where the term 'mad as a hatter' came from; the amount of mercury that they used in the glue to make the hats and everything was damaging. So in terms of The Hatter, looking at him from that perspective, it's this guy who's, yeah, literally damaged goods. He's physically damaged. He's emotionally a little obtuse. It was kind of taking that and deciding that he should be as opposed to just this hyper and nutty guy, he should explore all sides of the personality at an extreme level. So he could go from one second being very highfalutin and with a lot of levity and then straight into some kind of dangerous potential rage and then tragedy. So, yeah, it was interesting. Trying to map it out was really interesting.

In the interview Captain Jack talk about other projects - including his next movie with Angelina Jolie! - but also have some words about next Pirates of Caribbean movie and what happened when Dick Cook left the Walt Disney Studios:

Q: Johnny, we heard that there's not going to be any Keira Knightley or Orlando Bloom in the next "Pirates." Is it going to be more Jack Sparrow front and center?

Depp: Yeah, there's no Keira or Orlando in there. I don't know. I don't think we'd ever throw too much Jack Sparrow in there. It'll be everybody.

Q: You were sort of wavering a little after Dick Cook left. Have you regained your confidence about it or what reassured you?

Depp: One thing that I found very reassuring was a very good conversation with Dick Cook who is someone I admire greatly. That helped a lot. Also, knowing that we're coming at it from a different angle at this point. [Director] Rob Marshall and a totally new take and a new story.

Q: What did Dick Cook say after he left?

Depp: Oh, I mean he was just a perfect gentleman about the entire thing.

You can read Johnny's full interview on comingsoon.net HERE



Disney has also released a first clip from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and probably more clips should arrive soon. In the meantime,enjoy this first one, below!




Pictures and Video: copyright Disney

Interview: copyright comingsoon.net

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland second trailer

While Disney and more was in Christmas break a new Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland trailer was released. If you've not seen it yet, there is plenty of new shots of the movie in it, and here it is below.