We're in the running
We just had our (bad) champagne toast -- Shrek2 has been nominated for best animated feature! Surprisingly (at least to me) so has Shark Tale. Of course, The Incredibles took the other nomination, and they're going to be tough for us to beat. Still, we can hope.
Personally, I'd vote for Shrek and not just because I had a hand in making it. Sure, the story is a pretty thin plot, although original, and is basically just netting to hang all of the gags off of. But you have to admit, the backgrounds, effects, and animation are just beautiful. There are scenes in there I never get tired of watching -- Puss hacking up a hairball, the whole sequence with Shrek and Donkey drinking the potion (the rain, cloud, and mushroom effects are just beautiful), and more.
Incredibles on the other hand is going for the "Golden Age" look and so is a little more stark visually. I also think they have a stronger story and, more importantly for the awards, it isn't a sequel. However, I have problems with the inconsistent animation styles. In one scene the characters look like they are made of plastic (especially the hair), the next they look like flesh. Some scenes the faces look like they were carved with sharp edges, the next they are soft and rounded. I also don't see any subtlety in the film -- for example the shop signs in the background of the street scenes in Shrek2.
Oh well, we'll find out who wins in a matter of weeks. And I'm sure there will be a massive effort around here to throw something together for the awards (like Shrek and Donkey's acceptance speech last time) that will drive us all nuts.
Back to work for now -- and off to see a screening of our next film in a little over an hour! :)
Personally, I'd vote for Shrek and not just because I had a hand in making it. Sure, the story is a pretty thin plot, although original, and is basically just netting to hang all of the gags off of. But you have to admit, the backgrounds, effects, and animation are just beautiful. There are scenes in there I never get tired of watching -- Puss hacking up a hairball, the whole sequence with Shrek and Donkey drinking the potion (the rain, cloud, and mushroom effects are just beautiful), and more.
Incredibles on the other hand is going for the "Golden Age" look and so is a little more stark visually. I also think they have a stronger story and, more importantly for the awards, it isn't a sequel. However, I have problems with the inconsistent animation styles. In one scene the characters look like they are made of plastic (especially the hair), the next they look like flesh. Some scenes the faces look like they were carved with sharp edges, the next they are soft and rounded. I also don't see any subtlety in the film -- for example the shop signs in the background of the street scenes in Shrek2.
Oh well, we'll find out who wins in a matter of weeks. And I'm sure there will be a massive effort around here to throw something together for the awards (like Shrek and Donkey's acceptance speech last time) that will drive us all nuts.
Back to work for now -- and off to see a screening of our next film in a little over an hour! :)