Paperman Concept Art Images

Here's some concept art images from the new Disney short PAPERMAN that will be attached to WRECK-IT RALPH:

Click any image to view it larger.

"PAPERMAN" GEORGE concept art. ©2012 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Ice Age: Continental Drift Movie Standee

BRAVE Music Announcement

SOUNDS OF THE HIGHLANDS

Disney•Pixar’s “Brave” Transports Moviegoers to

Ancient Scotland with Oscar®-Nominated Composer Patrick Doyle,

Plus Performers Julie Fowlis and Birdy [with Mumford & Sons]

BURBANK, Calif. (May 21, 2012) – Disney•Pixar’s epic fantasy adventure “Brave” harnesses the magic of ancient Scotland, weaving the rich natural setting throughout the story and bringing it to life with sophisticated filmmaking and extraordinary performances. But it’s the music of “Brave” that ties it all together, elevating the authenticity with a fresh and contemporary approach to Oscar®-nominated composer Patrick Doyle’s score, as well as two original songs performed by lauded Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis. A third original song plays during the film’s epilogue and is performed by UK singing sensation Birdy with British folk rock band Mumford & Sons. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and produced by Katherine Sarafian, “Brave” hits theatres on June 22, 2012. The film’s soundtrack from Walt Disney Records will be available June 19, 2012.

“The music of ‘Brave’ supports the story, bolstering this epic journey with Merida,” said Andrews. “The music really sets the tone for the film and underscores the time period. We wanted to capture this ancient feel of Scotland and the music really adds another layer of authenticity.”

THE SCORE

Scottish-born Patrick Doyle, only the fourth composer to write a score for a Pixar film, used a variety of native Scottish instruments such as bagpipes, solo fiddle, Celtic harps, flutes and the bodhran. To give the score a contemporary and fresh feel he included original bespoke electronic sounds and electronically treated dulcimer and cimbalom. “I employed many classic Scottish dance rhythms such as reels, jigs and strathspeys, which not only serve the action but keep it authentic,” said Doyle. “I particularly loved composing the Gaelic lament ‘Noble Maiden Fair’ with my son Patrick Neil, sung so beautifully by Emma [Thompson] and Peigi [Barker].”

ORIGINAL SONGS

Two new songs performed by acclaimed Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis are among the film’s musical highlights. “Touch the Sky,” with music by Pixar’s own Alex Mandel and lyrics by Mandel and director Mark Andrews, accompanies Merida’s liberating and exhilarating ride through the forest when she is able to escape the confines of castle life. The song “Into the Open Air,” with music and lyrics by Mandel, is heard later in the film during a special moment between mother and daughter. “If ever we imagined a singing voice for Merida—the beauty, the clarity, the directness and honesty—Julie embodies that and she’s fantastic,” said producer Katherine Sarafian.

Added Fowlis, “It was great to be invited to record and perform on the soundtrack to ‘Brave’ and particularly to sing the songs which represent the feisty, female lead Merida. I so enjoyed the challenge of adding a dimension of acting to my singing in order to bring Merida’s character and inner feelings to life through song.”

“Learn Me Right” is an original song performed by Birdy, whose self-titled album has been awarded Gold and Platinum status in UK and Europe respectively, and the Grammy®-nominated British folk rock group Mumford & Sons, who also wrote, arranged and produced the track. “It’s quite fun doing a song for a movie rather than for an album,” said Marcus Mumford. “We liked the idea of having an orchestra in the background and having a girl like Birdy sing—it’s been quite liberating.” Added Birdy, “I love it because it tells a story. Although it has a lot of emotion, it’s also very upbeat and you want to dance to it, which is why it works so well.”

“‘Learn Me Right’ is an amazing song,” said Sarafian. “I feel something every time I hear it. Mumford & Sons sketched out a piece that would do justice to the culminating moment of the movie, underscoring the emotion, heart and the lessons learned between mother and daughter. They really found that moment of truth in the story we were trying to tell and it takes the movie to a new level at the end.”

The “Brave” soundtrack will be available wherever music is sold on June 19, 2012. The track list follows:

1.    “Touch the Sky” Performed by Julie Fowlis

2.    “Into the Open Air” Performed by Julie Fowlis

3.    “Learn Me Right” Performed by Birdy [with Mumford & Sons]

4.    “Fate and Destiny” Score

5.    “The Games” Score

6.    “I Am Merida” Score

7.    “Remember to Smile” Score

8.    “Merida Rides Away” Score

9.    “The Witch’s Cottage” Score

10.  “Song of Mor’du” Performed by Billy Connolly and Cast

11.  “Through the Castle” Score

12.  “Legends Are Lessons” Score

13.  “Show Us the Way” Score

14.  “Mum Goes Wild” Score

15.  “In Her Heart” Score

16.  “Noble Maiden Fair” (A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal) Performed by Emma Thompson and Peigi Barker

17.  “Not Now!” Score

18.  “Get the Key” Score

19.  “We’ve Both Changed” Score

“Merida’s Home” Score

Ratatouille's Ratatouille

Here's another intriguing food/animation mashup. There is a restaurant near me called 50 Forks that is run by the culinary arts students of the Art Institute of California. Running all aspects of the restaurant, including menu creations and food preparation, is part of the students' course work, so the menu changes every semester. For their Spring Term 2012 dinner menu I noticed on their Facebook page that they had an item called "Ratatouille's Ratatouille." I immediately wondered if it was a version of the classic French dish prepared in one of the ways shown in the Disney•Pixar film Ratatouille. When I made it to the restaurant yesterday I found out that it indeed was and here is a picture of it:

It is not an exact recreation of the version shown at the end of the movie (seen below), the fancy plated dish that demanding food critic Anton Ego is served that emotionally reverts him to his memories as a small boy in rural France, but it is pretty close and the fact that they even made a deliberate effort to recreate a dish from an animated film did not go unappreciated by this food/animation fan. It was especially cool since I had eaten before at a recreation of Gusteau's when I attended the Cars/Ratatouille Blu-Ray release event several years ago (full flickr photo album here and several of my Ratatouille based entries at Animated Views: here, here, here and here).

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UPDATE (February 3, 2014): Foodbeast has just reported that Disneyland Paris will get a ‘Ratatouille’-themed ride and restaurant. And... an update.

Brave Movie Standees