Par : FrF.Kmeron, 09-07-2008 - 10:23
Tags : bbq - Cinema - Matt - pixar - Studio - wall e

Today is BBQ at the studio, for no special reasons except it just feels like summer. It’s important in the life of a studio to have moments like those, and also to know what the other studios are doing, in that case, today, it’s going to be the new Pixar, Wall-e.

Yeah, many of us in here dream about being able to go and work for Pixar… I’ve got to confess, in total honesty, that I’m not one of them. Not for the moment. Got still so much to learn, and I know that right now, going to Pixar or one of the major 3D companies couldn’t be as fun as being here. It’s always the same question, is it nicer to be in a big/ worldwide known company at a middle entry level where i’m just « an assistant/manager more », or being here, and really being into the project, make it going forward, being on a daily basis with the director, art director, and each and every one of the head of departments? I sign for being here, because I’d rather have fun in here, than moving somewhere else, and have less to do on my hands. So many of my friends tought it was a good idea to move to such or such firm in london or wherever, and now, they are just « the guy who cleans the job of another guy », that’s a shame

That’s probably why I’m happy to have this bbq here, it just reminds me how happy I am in my job, in my life, in Brussels, in this Studio, and working on this long feature, is just really nice. Not everyone here are realising how deadly this is, of course everything’s not perfect, but we’re on the edge of something good, something important, one step a time.. We have to look further than next year

This is definitely going to be a happy post, wouhou ^^ Because my co-workers are nice, and I just have faith, faith in the future, faith in what we’re doing, « Don’t stop me now, ’cause I’m having such a good time » how the song goes and then, at nite, came wall e… a damn good movie…

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D.I.R.E.C.T.I.V.E. : This is the wall-e Review :
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Why is Wall-e a good movie? Wall-e is the new Pixar movie. And it’s fullfilled with good intentions. Is the fact that I’m working into 3d long features makes me not being honest? hell yeah, of course, but it just doesn’t mean I cannot say how good a movie is when it’s such… an enchanted moment.

Previous to every Pixar Movie is a short feature. In here, it’s called Presto, and it’s just amazingly simple and efficace. That’s what’s so nice about those short features, that they have a technical level that seems so normal whereas, actually, it’s just… not. Presto, the wonderful magician, is going to do is final trick with the complicity of a white rabbit. And the rabbit almost makes it worth it all by himself.

In Pixar, everything is about overlap, good animation, awesome lighting, and a constant idea of allowing themselves with incredible simple ideas developped in long feature. In here, this short feature is just the beginning of an evening of pleasure and intense moments. 5mns, 5 small minutes, that are actually just the best it can be. The shave n’ haircut of the bunny is just way too good (to say the least), and the idea is just simple. What if, indeed, the supporting role was actually the main one? we can see some modelling that are just crazyingly good. The curtain is a good example, in some shots, of course, it’s not moving at all, maybe even a little bit too stiff, but.. c’mon.. when the bunny and the magicians get excited, we just realised that, yup, of course it’s a Pixar one and they are able to make it move as if it was real live curtain and not CGI… 5 mns of animation to the best, eventough, the 1st time I saw it, I thought that the bunny, in his « OMG.. do I really have to save him? » expression reminded me A LOT of the bunny in « Hoodwinked ».. But who really cares, we all know that cinema is about recycling ideas all and over again.. as the famous sentence says « in hollywood, no one wants to finish first », everything is a copy, of a copy, of a copy, no real challenge is really made… Pretty much the same in CG movies… gotta confess… and then arrived a little robot, on earth, compacting over and over a dead civilisation… and wall-e arrived.

Wall-e is the long feature from pixar that came out in the US last week (something like 60m$ 1st WK), and that just revolutionnised a world that kinda needed it. Pixar came « all in », and they easily won the poker championship. Pixar, it’s a long story… one small feature (Luxo), and everything became more, more, more beautiful, more funny, the audience knowing that a pixar is coming every year. But in the end, there’s a lot of reasons why this is not close to change. Some of the next project of Pixar are « Up »,  » the Bear and the Bow », « Toy Story 3″, and Toy Story 1 & 2 coming out in 3D/relief. That last point is even more complicated to explain how this is important, but let’s focus on Wall-e for the moment.

Here we are, on something we think is earth, yellowish, dusty, garbages, and a small robot with 2 sad eyes, 2 little catterpillar tracks, and a cube. it’s just a cube with 2 eyes and 2 hands, that just has one purpose in life, compacting all and over again on a daily basis, a routine is on the way, compacting, collecting stuff, having a little bit fun… living the life… (not havin’ a bud, watchin’ a game, but close…).

 He jusst t have a cockroach for befriend, and everything is running smoothly. He’s just like a human, doin’ his job, then coming back home, a little bit of entertainement, then going to sleep. Obviously the following morning, he’s just totally coming out of nowhere, just like when we all need the 1st coffee of the day (that’s a deadly sequence). Still no voices, still no dialogues, everything is known tough, everything is understable, for a grown up. And that’s why Wall-e is a brand new step forward in the 3D movies, it’s just not made for kids. Honest. It’s a grown up « let me tell u some stuff about what life could be » style of film.

We’re almost sorry when Wall-e meets Eve (what a name for a lady for someone that just never saw one, just love the idea). And as all of us, he’s just bad, but like.. bad.. about seducing her, showing that he wants to hold her hand.. and before u know it, ur just in love too with those 2 robots. Let’s not spoil the movie, would be a shame, because each and everyone of us can be amazed by the story of a small robot learning life and running after love (who doesn’t).

It’s for kids, there are some jokes, some situations just for them, mainly done through animation, but I will sign that this is a grown up CG movie. everything is running through the eyes of those robots, everything is not said and still understable, as long as you’ve got the « codes » of the « genre ». Hell yeah. Wall-e is a romantic comedy. and a damn good one. (and no, there’s no Hugh Grant in it, see, everything can happen). The character design is just incredible, after Cars that made cars talk, with a simple idea, the eyes? the lights…? not at all, the windshield of course! this is just the first thing that makes Pixar’s movies work, simple ideas, pushed to a 3D world that allow EVERYTHING. Why do not make a movie with really few dialogues lines? because we thought that animation was supposed to be about making jokes, if possible contemporary ones (some of the jokes in some movies will not be funny in 10 years or so, once again for the « Hoodwinked » one acting like « Punk’d », who will honestly remember in a generation?). so why cut to the chase and make it really like a real movie? with a script, that is just simple enough to work on his own, with comical situation that are not TV realted, maybe some cultural references (how they play with the music and some theme that we know ebfore the lyrics even starts), but, in the end, it’s really a standalone. and that’s probably why kids will not love it as Dreamworks Shrek (a 4 is on the way + « puss in boots ».. can u imagine?).

There are some really beautiful scene. Of course, it’s just technically working as close as perfect as it can be. Of course we do belive the sets are here, same for the characters, and that they are not computer generated, the compositing and lighting makes it totally worth it going to see it in theater. Animation of course is totally making the deal, Wall-e is just amazingly rigged, everything is moving (when it’s errr…. « walking »… u can see all the little details going with it… was probably just a nightmare to create….), and what is a box at the beginning, end up being a friend we don’t wanna leave in the theatre.

Wall -e is great, wall-e will not sold as many toys, a shame for Disney’s/Pixar, but a good thing for 3D movies. With a 2009 year that is going to be a pain, but like, a real PAIN, with 11 movies until next summer (more than 1 a month, can u imagine that?), 3D is not going to be at his best, that’s why so many studios are betting on sequels, of course, if we know the characters etc… we’ll have a fan base that will not make us loose money. That’s why wall-e is so good, because we believe that a love story between robots is possible, and moves us with feelings with some that are not even able to talk.

After taking the crush on an animated film that is talking more to adults than kids, (it’s a nice evolution in itself, gotta confess), the next revolution is relief. Not only because I’m working in a CG relief studio.. well… sort of… Our first long feature is coming out in the US in august, and the trailer is airing before every wall-e screening, and we’re launching the principle, of a movie made for and ONLY 3D projections. No one better tell me « what about Beowulf ».. As all the previous movies, beowulf was made in 2D then « converted » in 3D. As the director of my movies perfectly states, the 1st revolution in cinema was sound. everything changed that day. The way film are done, perceived, seen, understood, a total new cinema. I gotta say it’s pretty much the same idea about relief. It’s all about « being into the movies », and a good movie in 2D is not obviously a good one in 3D.

 Of course we have the « money shots » where something is coming out of the screen to make the audience react, but more than that, the way a cinema screen is no more a window onto an imaginary world, but how we are in this window, changes a little bit, changes everything. I deeply believe that this is the future for such movies, not only because it’s hardly difficult to pirate, but because cinema still has the power to astonish us, being an entertainement, it has to be impressive, nice, welcoming, and make u realise how sometimes u just can feel emotions just by looking at some robots on a screen.

One of the hugest romantic scene ever is in this movie. Without a words, just doubt, waiting moments, moving holds, everyone wondering what is going on, will it finish nicely or not? who knows. Since when haven’t u been in love with modern cinema? Since when haven’t u been moved deeply heart and soul by a movie, by 2 robots that can bearly speak to each other and nonetheless are one of the cuttest couple of the year? let me be in love again.

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D.I.R.E.C.T.I.V.E. : This is the end of the wall-e review.
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 And to finish, a nice video, the one from Matt dancing all over the world, not on a blue screen, is doing that since 2005. just a nice good idea, well edited, just love it, makes me wanna love everybody right now

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