Friday, June 18, 2010

Disney's Animal Kingdom Original Artwork - Part Two



Here is the awaited part two of the Disney's Animal Kingdom original artwork article , and if you've missed the part one you can find it HERE. Above, a great artwork showing different elements of the park!

We're back in Asia and we begin by Expedition Everest artwork! Below, a beautiful Dan Goozee concept-art.



Next, another early concept by Chris Turner showing the Tibetan temple where the train goes through on the first lift.



The most famous of all Expedition Everest artwork, as it was the one chosen when the announcement was officially released.



Below, a Ray Spencer rendering showing the village of Serka Zong.



A rare rendering showing the beginning of the Expedition Everest ride.



This next one, an early concept by Chris Turner shows a never-realised scene, and all i can say is that i regret it as it looks really great!



Below, a beautiful painting by Joe Rhode of the yeti.



This Chris Turner concept shows a giant yeti. There is still a first encounter with the yeti and projection effect, but the size is smaller.



There is one more early concept for this ride scene with this Joe Rhode painting.



Just like in the part one, you will also find some pictures of the imagineers at work. Here a WDI imagineer is working on the tea train locomotive model.



A close shot on the locomotive itself.



It's time to move inside Dinoland, U.S.A and this first rendering is a Joe Rhode early concept for the Boneyard.



Here is another one by James Wong, closer to the final result. Note the coaster in the back. It was never build and should have been called "The Excavator"...



But i've found for you a rare rendering of it!



Next is an early concept by Chuck Ballew for Dino-Rama!



A "Triceratops Spin" concept by Victor Post...



...and another one by Jenna Goodman.



Below, a Dinoland entrance concept-art by Tom Gilleon.



Here is a rendering showing the entrance of the "Dinosaurs" ride - formerly known as "Countdown to Extinction".



This next painting was released as a postcard at the park's opening.



A rare rendering showing the ride vehicle and the dinosaur to be rescued.



The Carnotaurus attack is the climax scene of the ride.



These next three renderings are particularly interesting as they are showing scenes that were NOT realised. This first picture by Joe rhode seems to indicate that at one point the attraction was envisioned as a walk-through, or at least a part of the attraction.



And this velociraptor attack never happened too.



This next one shows a gorgeous scene that we can regret, and i have a story about it: In 1997 or so i was at WDI for a series of interviews and in the office of a an imagineer friend i saw this painting. I asked him if it was in relation with Animal Kingdom - not open yet at that time. He answered me that it was indeed for the "Countdown to extinction" attraction and that "we would be lucky if it looks like that at the end...". He was unfortunately right, and this leads me to the biggest problem with "Countdown to extinction" - now "Dinosaur": the cuts in the budget. Personally, i still like the attraction, and i quite liked it the first time i've ride it, but when you see this kind of concept and know how great it could have been, you really not in the mood to thanks the suits who were Disney executives at that time. One more Michael Eisner "mistake" - and i'm kind - that we still regret today.



The next picture shows a WDI imagineer at work on one of the dinosaurs that we can see in the first scene - it's the one "eating" a smaller dinosaur.



The two next one are showing imagineers at work on the Carnotaurus or programming the Audio-Animatronic.




Theater in the Wild is also in the area, and the next rendering was done for "Nemo, the Musical" show.



Now, there is a land that we all regret that it was never built: Beastly KIngdom. When Animal Kingdom opened, even the Beastly Kingdom land logo was at the entrance of the park and renderings of it were printed in the AK making of book. And then, we know what happened: this Beastly Kingdom project disappeared and chances to see it built one day are more than low. Thanks god, the artwork still exist, and here are some of them just to dream and see how good it could have been.

First, a bird-eye view of the whole land.



The castle, supposedly inhabited by a dragon...



The next artwork shows the labyrinth - the maze...



..and this is one of the mythical animals - a Griffin - that guests would have encounter.



The goal would have been to find the Unicorn, in a grotto at the end of the maze.




And a Fantasia flume ride wold have delight young children.



Let's not forget the dragon firing at the river cruise boats.



This Animal Kingdom article won't be perfect without some renderings of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Here are two of them showing the entrance and the lobby.




While we're here, i join two other renderings of the Disney Vacation Club Animal Kingdom Villas.




That's the end of this Animal Kingdom artwork article!


All artwork: copyright Disney - WED Enterprises.

Many thanks to Mark Taft for some of the renderings. I strongly suggest you to have a look on Mark's site Insights and Sounds, it's always interesting with rare pictures or renderings and Mark is posting new articles almost every day!

Some of the renderings are coming from the great "Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom" where you will learn all the WDI secrets in the making of the park. It's a "must" and you can find it on Amazon.com from only $3.87!



Some other pictures are coming from Jason Surrell's fantastic book "The Disney Mountains", full of WDI artwork. You can find it on Amazon.com from only $8.90 and it's also a "must"!


Thursday, June 17, 2010

Toy Story 3 Review



Toy Story 3 is released tomorrow in the U.S - and in July in Europe - and i had the pleasure to watch it last afternoon at Paris press screening. As i don't want to spoil the story-line i'll say just this: you will love it! Probably as much as i did as once again Pixar Animation Studios created a perfect movie.

Once again too the story-line is incredibly well written. You know this when you think back to the movie and search for a scene that could be wrong, and there is no one scene that i will delete as all scenes have a perfect reason to exist. The great thing is that when you think the characters will find a "way out" (in what's happening to them) there is always a new twist in the story. As i've said, the script is so well written that it's pretty hard to guess what will happen then.



It's the same with some of the new toys characters - who is good, who is a "villain"? lot of surprises that i didn't expect and that's a good point, really. It's also a movie full of nostalgia - what's happening to a young boy toys when he's not anymore in age to play with them? - and you'll have scenes with great emotion.

No need to say that the animation by Pixar animators is unbelievably perfect. The last scene is incredibly poetic. There is no doubt that Toy Story 3 is going to be highly successful at the B.O and undoubtedly one of the best film released this summer. One last word about 3D: all i can say is that you better don't expect 3D pop-up effects as there is none. The use of 3D is mostly to give depth and it was probably even more obvious in UP! than in TS3. So if you can't see it in 3D you won't lose a lot. Anyway, just let me know after you saw it but once again, whether you'll see it in 3D or 2D i'm sure you will love it!

I forgot to talk about Day and Night the short animated that you'll se before the movie. Well, Pixar did it again, Day and Night is a charming, funny, and perfectly animated short and it's probably the first short animated to have 2D AND 3D animation on the same image! You'll love it too!

For those of my readers who still have to wait for its release in their country here is a new movie clip which was released two days ago, showing the "escape" of Woody.




This other video is a best-of of five previously released clips.




There was also a L.A Premiere and here is the video showing Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and John Lasseter interviewed on the red carpet.




Pictures: copyright Disney-Pixar

Videos: copyright Disney-Pixar, Associated Press

Monday, June 14, 2010

Blue Sky Cellar Update : Little Mermaid ride, Goofy's Sky School, and more - High-Res Pictures



Disney's California Adventure's Blue Sky Cellar had a major update last friday and we're going to have a look at it in details thanks to special guest photographer Matt "2DieFR" whom i thanks a lot for his great pictures. It's a huge article with more than 60 photos and i'm sure you will join me to thanks Matt.

Lot of new renderings, blueprints, models, in this new Blue Sky Cellar update and we begin with the Red Car Trolley and will end with all about the awaited Little Mermaid ride. As usual each image is in high-res so click on each to explore them in details.

















While we are in the area, let's stay there and let's have a look to some new Cars Land renderings.







Let's move now to Paradise Pier to learn more about the Goofy's Sky School attraction.

















There is more about Paradise Pier development!













And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we're going to have a closer look to the one you're all waiting for, the Little Mermaid attraction!















The design of Little Mermaid building architecture and the blueprint of the ride are revealed!













The vehicles models are also displayed, here is some close-up pictures.









But the one you're really want to have a look at is the attraction model, right? Here is plenty of pictures of it, on every angle. I've tried to put the pictures in the right order of the scenes, and i hope i'm right!































There is also a new movie at Blue Sky Cellar's screening room and as usual it's a very interesting one. You'll see WDI Imagineers at work on the different projects, including the Little Mermaid ride and it's an exclusive look inside Imagineering. MintCrocodile shot a video of it - as usual his video is the best - and here it is below. Matt also shot some pictures during the screening and you'll find them after the video.

















Hope you enjoyed this long Imagineering article and see you soon for more great updates!

All pictures: copyright 2DieFR whom i thanks a lot!

Youtube Video: copyright MintCrocodile. More great videos by MintCrocodile available on his Youtube channel HERE.