Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich recently tweeted that he was editing the new Pixar film at 36,000 feet.
He then posted the following picture to prove it.
Tech savvy readers might like to note that he appears to be using Avid Media Composer on a MacBook Pro.
[Via Matt]
Up (Disney): The latest animated film from Pixar continues their extraordinary run of success with a superbly crafted odd-couple adventure which deservedly reaped huge critical acclaim and box office success.
Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) is a widowed ex-balloon salesman who, at the age of 78 and threatened with eviction, decides to go on an adventure by tying hundreds of balloons to his house and flying off to South America.
When he discovers mid-flight that a persistent young Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai) is on board, they embark on a journey which takes them to the jungle, where they encounter various creatures and a mysterious explorer (Christopher Plummer) from the past.
Pixar have become so good at feature length animation that it’s easy to take their brilliance for granted: the visuals are vibrant, imaginative and beautifully rendered; the characters are wonderfully crafted – from the contrasting leads to the supporting cast of exotic birds and talking dogs – and the expert pacing makes the 89-minute running time fly by.
Directed by Pete Docter, who was also behind ‘Monsters, Inc.’ (2001) as well as co-writing ‘Toy Story’ (1995) and ‘WALL-E’ (2008), it is the second highest grossing Pixar film (after Finding Nemo).
Much of the appeal was almost certainly cross-generational, with much of the comedy coming from the clash between grumpy old Carl and the naively innocent Russell.
The use of colour, from the balloons to the creatures and plants in the jungle, is as good as any Pixar film and gave it a captivating quality well suited both to 3D in the cinema and Blu-ray in the home.
The physical comedy, especially scenes involving a bird named Kevin and a talking golden retriever called Dug, is also a real treat, providing a lot of laughs and charm.
There is also a wordless sequence near the beginning which is among the most perfect I’ve ever seen in a mainstream film: over just five minutes, a whole marriage is portrayed with incredible economy and deep reserves of emotion.
Michael Giacchino’s score is his best yet for Pixar, with the melodies and instrumentation managing to complement the energetic set pieces and quieter moments with considerable skill and class.
If I had one complaint, it would be that when the film enters into the final act, it evokes a feeling of deja vu with the action seeming a little formulaic (e.g. characters fighting, getting out of scrapes in the nick of time).
The transfer for the Blu-ray is also a marvel to behold. Animated films benefit from coming from a digital source, which means unlike some of their celluloid counterparts, there is no digital noise, grain or flaws to speak of.
Gary Tooze at DVD Beaver has posted some screen grabs here.
Disney are releasing it on DVD and Blu-ray in the following packages:
DVD Deluxe
Blu-ray Disc One
Blu-ray Disc Two
> Buy Up at Amazon UK on DVD or Blu-ray
> IMDb Entry
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Disney and Pixar have flown a balloon under Tower Bridge in London ahead of the release of Up, which is out at UK cinemas next Friday.
Pixar recently arranged a home screening of their latest film Up for a 10 year old girl dying of a terminal illness.
Back in 2005, Colby Curtin was diagnosed with vascular cancer and her condition had worsened in recent months to the point that she only had days to live.
After seeing a preview at a cinema back in April, she was keen to see Up, which is about an old man who flies to South America in a floating house suspended from helium balloons.
However, by early June her condition had deteriorated to such an extent that she couldn’t leave the house.
Her mother Lisa feared that she would never get to see the film and it was at this point that a family friend named Terrell Orum started cold calling Pixar and Disney to see if anyone could help them.
After eventually getting through to Pixar, the company agreed to send an employee to Colby’s house the next day with a special DVD of ‘Up’.
When he arrived, the group gathered around for a special screening, although because of Colby’s condition her mother had to describe the events on the screen.
The employee left after the film had finished, taking the DVD with him.
Colby passed away later that evening at 9:20 p.m, just seven hours after seeing the film.
The Orange County Register reported on how thankful Colby’s mother was about the special screening:
With her daughter’s vigil planned for Friday, Lisa Curtin reflected about how grateful she is that Pixar – and “Up” – were a part of her only child’s last day.
“When I watched it, I had really no idea about the content of the theme of the movie,” said Curtin, 46. “I just know that word ‘Up’ and all of the balloons and I swear to you, for me it meant that (Colby) was going to go up. Up to heaven.”
Pixar officials declined to comment on the story or name the employees involved.
A remarkable story, which shows what a class act Pixar are, on a personal and professional level.
> Read the full story at the Orange County Register
> Find out more about Pixar and Up at Wikipedia
