Informed Art - Comic-Con Revealed

Williams (l) and Howard talk Bolt.

Disney followed “Terminator Salvation” with its next two animated features from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar. Directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard took the stage to introduce the fans to 20 minutes of footage from “Bolt.” The first clip was an episode from the TV series that stars Bolt, voiced by John Travolta. In the episode, Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus) and Bolt fight Dr. Calico’s henchmen on a race to the airport. The action-packed sequence highlighted Bolt’s many TV powers, which includes a sonic bark. The extended sequence wasn’t finished, featuring animation in varying stages from storyboards to final renders. In the next clip, Bolt, who believes that the show he stars on is real, is tormented by the two cats on the series that know the series is fake. The cat voiced by Deidrich Bader stood out as a nice comic touch. The final sequence comes from later in the film when animal control has captured Bolt and his new companions Mittens the cat and Rhino the hamster. Bolt is beginning to understand that he doesn’t have superpowers, but feels that he still needs to try and be the hero. Williams did share the fact that the film has between 5-15 patents pending in regards to its new innovations in bringing a brushstroke look to CG animation.

Docter gives Pixar fans the first look at Up.

Next up was “Up” from Pixar. Director Pete Docter unveiled the first uncompleted footage from the highly anticipated film, which made the perfectionist very nervous to show. The lead character is unlike any Pixar has worked with before. Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) is a 78-year-old man, who sets off on an adventure to Venezuela in his house lifted by balloons. Docter told the audience that some of the animation legends that inspired the film included Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and storyman Joe Grant. Docter showed the audience the fantastical early sequence where Carl escapes from the orderlies that want to send him to an old folks’ home by taking to the skies. Docter revealed that Carl’s journey is to honor his wife Elle’s desire to travel the globe, a goal she didn’t get to fulfill before her death. Docter also showed another sequence from the film, featuring the character Russell, an overly eager scout who’s only missing his “helping the elderly” badge in his massive collection. The clip features Carl and Russell, tethered to the floating house, walking through the jungles of South America when someone needs to go to the bathroom. From the footage shown, this feature film is truly like nothing else the studio has ever done. And Docter said the greatest compliment that he receives about the film is that people really don’t know where they are going with it. He called “Up” the crowing achievement of his career. Pixar has also launched the “Up” website at www.disney.com/up for fans who missed Comic-Con to get a glimpse of the new film as well.