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Post by Leanne on Feb 6, 2012 1:25:58 GMT -5
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Post by trinity on Feb 21, 2012 9:07:20 GMT -5
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duchovlet
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Post by duchovlet on Feb 21, 2012 9:21:27 GMT -5
My niece keeps telling me she has seen the commercials. I have yet to see one on TV Guess I need to watch Nickelodean, Cartoon Network and Disney channesl some more. LOL But at least I've done a good job building her up to see it. Been doing that for over a year.
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Post by trinity on Feb 22, 2012 9:47:06 GMT -5
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betinad
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Post by betinad on Feb 22, 2012 17:54:18 GMT -5
New movie poster Disney-Pixar has released a new poster for their upcoming animated film, Brave. The story is Pixar’s first fairy tale and revolves around a young princess (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) in the Scottish Highlands who defies an age-old custom, inadvertently unleashing chaos and fury in the kingdom. Brave is also the studio’s first film with a female protagonist. I’m loving the film’s art design and the new poster does a great job of highlighting it. Hit the jump to check out the poster. The film also features the voices of Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Julie Walters. Brave opens in 3D on June 22nd. A new trailer goes online tomorrow. Poster via Apple.
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betinad
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Post by betinad on Feb 23, 2012 4:11:34 GMT -5
New trailer
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4EZULqhP2E&feature=youtube_gdata_player [/youtube]
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betinad
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Post by betinad on Feb 24, 2012 14:03:43 GMT -5
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Post by betinad on Feb 28, 2012 10:15:50 GMT -5
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Post by betinad on Mar 1, 2012 21:03:32 GMT -5
Walt Disney, VisitScotland to Unite Overseas to Fire Up Celtic Passions for Launch of 'Brave'
The marketing pact for film starring the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Craig Ferguson is one of the biggest ever struck with an individual country’s tourism body. LONDON – The Walt Disney Co. has sealed a wide-ranging marketing campaign pact with Scotland’s tourism promotional organization as it prepares to roll out the Disney/Pixar movie Brave internationally. The film is set in the Scottish Highlands and features a voice cast that reads like a hoots hoot of Scottish stars including Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson, the Scot who took U.S. citizenship and hosts The Late Late Show in the U.S. VisitScotland claims the marketing hook-up marks the first time Disney has teamed up on this scale with a country’s tourism organization for the launch of one of its titles. It and Disney aim to create a global marketing campaign around the film set to roll out around the world this summer. Multimedia activities such as joint TV and cinema advertising across the U.K., North America and Europe; PR opportunities; digital marketing; and events including premieres and screenings are among the arrows in their marketing quiver. The campaign will see Scotland’s scenery, humor and culture showcased on an unprecedented scale and will position Scotland on the world stage in a way not seen since Braveheart, according to VisitScotland. Tricia Wilber, chief marketing officer of the Walt Disney Company Europe, Middle East & Africa said, “Brave takes its inspiration from the majesty and mystery of Scotland and features the voices of many much-loved Scottish stars, so it’s fitting to create a global campaign with VisitScotland to further bring to life the iconic Scottish landscapes and folklore that inspired the film.” For VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay, the opportunity is not to be missed. “This film will be shown in more than 70 countries across the world and will give us the opportunity to convert cinemagoers into visitors in the biggest campaign VisitScotland has ever launched,” Cantlay said. Brave co-director Mark Andrews said: “During our research, we learned that everything in Scotland tells a story -- every stone, tree, mountain -- which is why we are so proud that this beautiful country is the backdrop of our film.” The movie details the story of a young flame-haired heroine and skilled archer who confronts tradition and challenges destiny to change her fate. Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane also lend their voices to the cast. Directed by Andrews and Brenda Chapman (The Lion King), Brave is produced by Katherine Sarafian and scored by Scottish composer Patrick Doyle. The film is readying itself for a U.K. rollout in August and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D in select cinemas. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brave-walt-disney-visitscotland-marketing-296392?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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Post by trinity on Mar 2, 2012 6:46:02 GMT -5
Disney/Pixar link up with VisitScotland a tourism 'first'A global marketing campaign promoting Scottish tourism is to be based around the launch of Disney/Pixar's forthcoming animated film, Brave. VisitScotland's £7m campaign will be its biggest yet and the first time that Disney has linked up with a country's tourism organisation on such a scale. Set in the Scottish Highlands, Brave is to be released in August 2012. It has characters voiced by Billy Connolly and Kelly Macdonald and a song by Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis. Formerly called The Bear and the Bow, the film follows Merida, an impetuous girl who defies an age-old custom and inadvertently unleashes chaos, forcing her to discover the meaning of true bravery before it is too late. The film's makers visited Scotland as part of their research for the story. Director Mark Andrews told the latest edition of Empire film magazine that he was a Scottish history "buff". In December last year, VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay told the BBC News Scotland website that Brave could help boost Scotland's tourism during difficult trading times. Announcing the tie-up with Disney, he said: "This is an incredible opportunity to extend the reach of VisitScotland's marketing activity across the world. "This film will be shown in more than 70 countries across the world and will give us the opportunity to convert cinema goers into visitors in the biggest campaign VisitScotland has ever launched. "There are very few tourism destinations that get to work so closely with the world's largest entertainment companies - and this gives us an unprecedented opportunity to put Scotland on the worldwide stage with a whole new audience." Tricia Wilber, of the Walt Disney Company, said: "Brave takes its inspiration from the majesty and mystery of Scotland, and features the voices of many much-loved Scottish stars. "So it's fitting to create a global campaign with VisitScotland to further bring to life the iconic Scottish landscapes and folklore that inspired the film." Scots actress Macdonald provides the voice for Merida, while Robbie Coltrane voices a lord called Dingwall - the name of a town in Ross-shire in the Highlands. Connolly, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson also star. A Gaelic song by Dingwall-based singer Julie Fowlis also features and can be heard on the film's full-length trailer. Called Tha mo ghaol air àird a' chuain - My love is on the high seas - it a track from the singer's first album Mar a tha mo chridhe. Lanarkshire-born musician and composer Patrick Doyle has composed Brave's musical score. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17220359
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Post by earth2eternity on Mar 5, 2012 6:24:47 GMT -5
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Post by trinity on Mar 13, 2012 11:18:57 GMT -5
Disney/Pixar film Brave to premiere at Edinburgh International Film FestivalDisney/Pixar's Scotland-set animated film, Brave, is to have its European premiere on the closing night of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The film, which is set in a mythical Highlands, will premiere on 30 June. Several of the characters are voiced by Scots, including Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson. Kelly Macdonald provides the voice for the main character, a princess called Merida, and Robbie Coltrane voices a lord called Dingwall. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Brave is to be released across the UK on 17 August. First Minister Alex Salmond made the premiere announcement during his speech at VisitScotland's Winning Years Conference in Perth. He said: "I am delighted to announce that Hollywood will roll into town during the Edinburgh International Film Festival when we host the European premiere of 'Brave'. "This will present us with an immense opportunity when Scotland will be centre stage in the film with all the tourism and business opportunities this will bring. "I fully expect that as the film launches across the world, so will awareness of Scotland increase." He added: "Brave will be the most high-profile film ever set in, and themed around, Scotland, featuring Scottish stars. "We are looking at a film which comes from the award-winning team behind such box office smashes as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Up, and will create global buzz when it is released." Scottish talentThe announcement comes just days after VisitScotland revealed it had joined forces with Disney/Pixar in a campaign designed to promote Scottish tourism across the world and bring a boost to the Scottish economy. Chris Fujiwara, Edinburgh International Film Festival artistic director, said: "We're delighted to host the premiere of Brave and continue the festival's long relationship with Disney. "Though we are an international film festival, we're mindful that we have a special responsibility to Scotland's cinematic image. "It makes perfect sense that this film, which is so strongly tied to the cultural mythology of Scotland and the beauty of the Scottish landscape, and in which Scottish talent has such a significant involvement, should be part of our festival." Mike Cantlay, VisitScotland chairman, said: "The film will showcase the scenery, humour and culture of Scotland and we are looking forward to converting cinema-goers into visitors." Formerly called The Bear and the Bow, the film follows Merida, an impetuous girl who defies an age-old custom and inadvertently unleashes chaos, forcing her to discover the meaning of true bravery before it is too late. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-17352065
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Post by trinity on Mar 15, 2012 14:46:28 GMT -5
Brave looks to put heart back into film festival‘I WANT my freedom!” The words from the lips of the flame-haired young woman ring round the auditorium . . . and set Alex Salmond’s eyes twinkling. Could Merida, the latest animated heroine from the studios of Disney-Pixar, become the poster girl for his party’s referendum campaign? She’s certainly got the looks, but unlike Mel Gibson’s William Wallace she’s only demanding independence from her parents. The F-word declared in a strong Scottish accent certainly has the power to provoke nationalistic tendencies – and make the First Minister, rapt with attention as he watches exclusive clips of the as yet unseen, movie, break into a smile. But right now Merida – and her film Brave – are just expected to be a major boost to Scottish tourism when the film is released internationally this summer. Closer to home it’s also hoped that she will rejuvenate Edinburgh’s ailing International Film Festival for, as Mr Salmond announced yesterday in Perth’s Concert Hall, the glittering premiere of Brave will be the closing-night gala event this June. There’s a lot resting then on the shoulders of a cartoon girl with wild, radioactive-orange curls and large green eyes, who prefers the forest to her castle and who’s rather good with a bow and arrow. “There are inestimable benefits to Edinburgh with this premiere,” says Mr Salmond. “The Edinburgh International Film Festival is historically a great success and while there have been one or two issues of late, this is a huge movie to have closing this year’s festival. It also shows the importance of investment in Edinburgh Festival Theatre as now we have a venue which can stage a film premiere with a film which is as advanced as this one is. “It re-establishes Edinburgh as a major movie premiere venue and the world’s eyes will be on the city. It’s also the biggest film which has ever been premiered in Edinburgh – it is three times the size of Braveheart in budget terms and Disney-Pixar have never made a movie which hasn’t gone into the top 20 in box office takings, so this is huge stuff.” It certainly is for the film festival. From around 1995 it had a decade or so of attracting major Hollywood stars, from Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery to Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller, Sean Penn and Heather Graham to Liam Neeson and America Ferrera, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman to Charlize Theron and Gabriel Byrne . . . the cast list of Hollywood and British film stars attending was impressive. In 1999 when Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo stepped through the doors of the Odeon in South Clerk Street for the UK premiere of The Thomas Crown Affair, the then-director, Lizzie Francke, said that it had indeed reached a turning point as film companies were approaching the festival to be included rather than the other way round. Yet in the last few years the festival drifted back to its more art house roots, finance has been hard to get, and a move from August to June proved controversial. Last year’s festival was ultimately branded a “flop”. So attracting the multi-million-pound Brave which stars Pixar’s – if not Disney’s – first animated heroine, is a major boost to the event’s 2012 programme. A red carpet event with Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Billy Connolly won’t hurt either. “We’re delighted to host the premiere of Brave and continue the festival’s long relationship with Disney,” says film festival director Chris Fujiwara. “Though we are an international film festival we’re mindful that we have a special responsibility to Scotland’s cinematic image. It makes perfect sense that this film, which is so strongly tied to the cultural mythology of Scotland and the beauty of the Scottish landscape, and in which Scottish talent has such a significant involvement, should be part of our festival.” The Festival Theatre is also delighted to play host. It benefited from a £245,000 funding boost from the Scottish Government two years ago to install state-of-the-art digital cinema facilities and become a 1600-seat venue, giving it the capacity to host major film premieres. A theatre spokesman says: “To present the European premiere of Disney-Pixar’s eagerly anticipated new fairytale animation, Brave is a major coup for the Festival Theatre and we are delighted to continue our relationship with the Edinburgh International Film Festival as we host 2012’s closing film. “In previous years we have welcomed such Scottish luminaries as Sir Sean Connery and we hope this year to roll out the red carpet to some of Britain’s best talent in what will truly be an all-star affair.” Work on Brave began in 2005, but just why Disney-Pixar alighted on Scotland as a setting is now as lost in the mists of time as some of the origins of the myths retold in the movie. Set in the 10th century, the successor to Gibson’s William Wallace in Braveheart is a redhead Scottish princess named Merida, who is pretty handy with a bow and arrow, but whose parents want to be more ladylike and get hitched. In the best tradition of Disney historical adventures, she lives in a mythical Scotland where ghostly blue lights, will-o’-the-wisps, lead her to a witch’s cottage and possibly to her doom. The ensuing perils force Merida to discover the true meaning of bravery to undo a curse before it’s too late. An allegory perhaps for modern day Scotland? The First Minister laughs at the suggestion. “This is not political, it’s about promotion – promoting Scotland – and who wouldn’t want to get behind that? “The co-operation between Disney and VisitScotland and all others involved in bringing the premiere to Edinburgh and the spin-offs we hope to gain in terms of tourism, has really been pleasing. It’s a real first for them [Disney] but we hope that by working together this will be a massive opportunity in terms of promoting Scotland internationally. We hope people love the film and then love Scotland when they visit. “We had early knowledge about the film and there have been talks ongoing for some considerable time about its promotion, and Scotland’s promotion. The Scottish Government will invest £7 million in total through VisitScotland in promotional activities to Brave and £4m of this will support campaigns in major international tourism markets such as North America, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.” The American premiere of the film will take place just a week before the Edinburgh launch on June 30, and it’s expected the animators will also be in the city for the event. They took two field trips to Scotland to ensure they caught the landscape and weather perfectly before beginning the movie – including visits to The Witchery, the Royal Mile and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo as well as the Highlands, Skye and Lewis. “Without doubt this film will bring people to Scotland, and that will mean more tourists for Edinburgh,” adds Mr Salmond. “And while I wouldn’t say this film will save the Edinburgh Film Festival, it will definitely help its renewal. The move to June for the festival has been difficult, but I believe it’s been the correct decision and allows people to focus on the film festival in itself, and Brave will help it re-establish itself as it would be very difficult to host something of this scale during the Edinburgh International Festival.” But does Mr Salmond feel that Edinburgh itself will be able to manage more tourists, especially given the current problems with tram works? “We stepped in to put the tram project back on track. Everyone knows I was one of the foremost opponents of doing it but we were voted down in Parliament by the other parties who didn’t take the long view about the welfare of Edinburgh citizens, but having started it and spending the money we could not have left it unfinished. “But that’s all in the past and we have to finish it and see the benefits it will bring to the city. In the meantime, while the work is happening, we can’t forget that Edinburgh is still a majestic city. As residents we look at the holes in the roads, but the people who visit just see its majesty and the people who will love Brave, will love coming to Scotland and to Edinburgh.” TALES FROM THE RED CARPETTHE red carpet at the Festival Theatre may well be graced with such stars as Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Kevin McKidd from the cast of Brave in June, but the city is no stranger to hosting such glitzy events. In May 1995, Rob Roy stars Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange turned up for the premiere at the Odeon followed by a Hollywood-style party in a tented pavilion in Princes Street Gardens. And in 1999 Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo attended the premiere of the Thomas Crown Affair also at the Clerk Street cinema, followed by a star-studded bash in the National Museum of Scotland. The same year saw Catherine Zeta Jones – along with her husband Michael Douglas – and Sean Connery take to the Odeon’s red carpet for the premiere of Entrapment with an after-screening party at the Prestonfield House Hotel. www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/features/brave-looks-to-put-heart-back-into-film-festival-1-2172032
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Post by Leanne on Mar 22, 2012 1:43:55 GMT -5
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Post by iveocd on Mar 28, 2012 18:42:56 GMT -5
INCREDIBLE behind-the-scenes pictures show how forthcoming Pixar blockbuster Brave made it to the big screen. These fun-filled snaps look like they're straight out of a tourist's holiday album. But they actually reveal how the team of top Tinseltown filmmakers lived, worked and breathed Scotland to bring the mythical Highland tale to life. Brave is expected to become Scotland's biggest movie success — even bigger than Mel Gibson's Braveheart — when it takes the world by storm this summer. Disney and tourism chiefs VisitScotland are planning a multi-million-pound marketing campaign for the film to take Scotland global. Read more: www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/scotlandfeatures/4217105/Behind-the-scenes-of-Pixars-Scots-blockbuster.html
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Post by trinity on Apr 2, 2012 15:16:52 GMT -5
Pixar's 'Brave': Inside look at movie's characters -- EXCLUSIVE PHOTOSBrave (in theaters June 22) is a bit of a maverick among Pixar’s animated repertoire. As the studio’s 13th feature, it represents the first time a Pixar picture has starred — finally! — a female protagonist. Brave‘s also the animation powerhouse’s first fairy tale, its first movie set far in the past (Scotland circa 10th century), and marks a step into slightly darker and creepier territory. In Japan, for instance, the film will be called Merida and the Frightening Forest. “It’s appropriately scary, as much as it needs to be to tell the story effectively,” says Mark Andrews, who shares directing credit with Brenda Chapman. “But it’s not overly horrific or terrifying — we’re not going for a PG-13 rating. You’re in good hands with a Pixar movie, as always.” Andrews was careful not to reveal too much of the story, but this much we know: Merida (Boardwalk Empire‘s Kelly Macdonald) is a teenage princess in the Scottish kingdom of DunBroch, and as such, she’s expected to marry one of three suitors from neighboring clans. But Merida, being the fiery free spirit that she is, wants nothing to do with the tradition. “How she resists [this custom] leads to more and more trouble that ultimately endangers not only the kingdom, but her loved ones,” says Andrews. One of Merida’s choices involves seeking the assistance of a witch (Julie Walters), who grants the princess a wish that goes horribly wrong. Check out more about Merida and Brave‘s other major characters, as well as see four new character posters exclusive to EW, below: Read more here: insidemovies.ew.com/2012/04/02/brave-pixar-first-look-character-posters/
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betinad
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Post by betinad on Apr 4, 2012 7:38:37 GMT -5
Moviemakers admit Scots animated epic Brave was inspired by William Wallace blockbuster BraveheartApr 4 2012 By Brian McIver BRAVE is the most exciting movie to hit Scotland since Braveheart – and the filmmakers behind it admit they were inspired by the smash-hit epic about William Wallace. Director Mark Andrews says he watched the Mel Gibson flick again and again as he prepared to shoot scenes for his massive animated movie. Mark and the rest of the production team also viewed other Scots films – including Dear Frankie and Local Hero – to make sure they got the accents and attitudes right, and took tips from a string of stars including Billy Connolly. Mark said: “We had to do a lot of research and watched a lot of Scottish films. I particularly liked Dear Frankie, Braveheart and Local Hero, which is fantastic. “The animators watched every film closely to analyse how Scots speak. When people speak in a Scottish accent, it comes very specifically out of the mouth, so we studied that. “However, most of our cast are Scottish so we got a lot of information from them – especially Billy Connolly. “We went to the Braemar Gathering and the Lonach Games, and travelled all over the Highlands, and to Harris, Skye and Lewis. “We also went on the March of the Lonach Men – a six-mile hike stopping every now and again for a dram of whisky. We were with them every step of the way and, I can tell you, we weren’t walking in straight lines on the way back.” The Daily Record met Mark for a sneak preview of scenes from the film, which is to be released in August after a star-studded premiere in Edinburgh. The movie – made by the team behind Toy Story and Finding Nemo – features one of the strongest Scottish cast lists in film history, with Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson all providing voices. Others featuring include honorary Scot Emma Thompson, who plays Queen Elinor, wife of Connolly’s King Fergus and mother to feisty teenager Princess Merida, voiced by Boardwalk Empire’s Kelly Macdonald, who replaced originally cast Reese Witherspoon. Mark has taken great delight in bringing his passion for all things Scottish to the big screen with Pixar and Disney. The filmmaker, who previously worked on The Incredibles and Cars for the studio, wants to make Brave a film that all Scots can relate to. He said stars like Connolly and McKidd were a huge help as expert advisers. Although he had to get some actors to slow down their delivery on occasions, he tried to make it authentic – even encouraging Elgin-born McKidd to play up the Doric. And if non-Scots can’t understand him, tough. Mark said: “There will be no subtitles, no way. “There were some moments recording with Billy, Craig and Robbie when we had to say to slow it down a little. “We’d say, ‘Let’s do it again for middle America,’ and they were all fine because at the end of the day, it has to be clear and understandable. “But for Kevin, who does both voices of the Lord and the Young MacGuffin, he talks in the Doric dialect from his area. “He’d call up his mum to get her to remind him about certain words and accents, and we’ve left some of it unintelligible because that is the gag. “When we started, we had Reese. She was getting her Scots accent ready and was sounding great but she had other movies lined up and we were lucky to get Kelly, who is fantastic in the part.” The main character is Princess Merida – the headstrong tomboy daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor, who would rather be an adventuring warrior woman than a dainty princess and prides herself on being the best archer in the kingdom. The plot revolves around the conflict between mother and daughter, and when an argument between them over suitors and marriage boils over, the whole kingdom is put in danger. And it’s down to her to beat a magic curse. She is joined by Scots nobles Lord Dingwall (Coltrane), Lord MacGuffin and Lord Macintosh (Ferguson) in the story. The Scottish landscapes provide a fantastic backdrop and some stunning visuals are set to have audiences searching for Highland travel brochures when they leave movie theatres around the world. Mark said: “When I started off on the film, co-director Brenda Chapman and I had a love for Scotland, it is such a magnificent land. “She wanted a setting that was magical, and you can’t go to Scotland and not have that experience. “There is no time period. It’s fantasy Scotland, maybe sometime between the eighth and 12th centuries. “We’re not trying to portray it exactly, just getting the character and a flavour of country. “There is a lot of mix-up of different ideas in there. They didn’t have stone castles until later but timber is not as dramatic looking. “Kilts were another issue. We got a fantasy Scotland, and it’s all about the character and the period. “In a period setting, it’s easier for audiences to understand things on a primal, visceral level and accept things and just go with it.” Mark added that the combination of fiery red hair – as seen on Merida and most of her family – and woven kilts provided the animators with their toughest challenge since they first attempted hair for the movie Monsters, Inc. He said: “When this film started, and we said we were doing lots of kilts and hair, all the technicians cr***ed their pants because they are not their favourite issues. “But everybody embraced it and while making this film they had to develop a whole new platform of tools at Pixar to make it. “So, we were doing two things at once and it was a huge technological upgrade to give us the realisation to tell the story.” Like most Pixar movies, Brave looks great, but the movie’s real magic looks to be in the storytelling. The moviemakers have created an incredible world full of entertaining characters. And while a lot of key plot details are being kept top-secret until closer to the release date in August, it looks like Scottish audiences are in for a treat. The movie gets its European premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 30 and VisitScotland have signed a deal with Disney for a joint promotional marketing deal to help sell Scotland around the world. But Mark can’t wait to show the movie off to the ultimate target audience. He said: “We love Edinburgh and can’t wait to bring the film there.“If we are helping with tourism, that’s fine by me. “If we can do what Braveheart did for Scotland and bring everybody here, then that’s great.” ● Brave will be released in cinemas on August 17. www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2012/04/04/moviemakers-admit-scots-animated-epic-brave-was-inspired-by-william-wallace-blockbuster-braveheart-86908-23812609/
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betinad
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Post by betinad on Apr 4, 2012 7:42:47 GMT -5
Can Brave reverse Disney box office fortunes?By Kev Geoghegan The creative minds at Pixar studios, home to Toy Story and The Incredibles, and their partners Disney have travelled into the highlands of mediaeval Scotland for their latest film Brave. But following the financial failure of their sci-fi feature John Carter, how much pressure is there for this new project to be a box office hit? Whether Brave's director Mark Andrews realises it or not, all eyes will be glued to the release of Pixar's newest film Brave this summer and not simply for its stunning animation. The film, featuring the vocal talents of Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Boardwalk Empire's Kelly Macdonald, is being released by Walt Disney Pictures, still stinging from the below par performance of the live action sci-fi John Carter at the worldwide box office. Andrews was involved in that one too, as a co-writer with director Andrew Stanton - another Pixar alumnus who wrote and directed the hits Finding Nemo and WALL-E. "I just make the movie so that stuff is out of my hands, that's for the people up in Olympus, the gods," says Andrews. "I'm just a wayward movie director trying to tell my story and get on in the world." Disney has admitted that John Carter, based on the books of Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs, will end up as a $200m (£126m) hole in its pocket. "You know we all hope for a bazillion dollars at the box office but at the end of the day, John Carter was a great film," insists Andrews. "We're really proud of it and whatever happens with this, we all love it and we're going to be really proud of it." However, the failure to create a John Carter "brand" which would have included sequels, toys and merchandise and rides at Disneyworld will inevitably weigh heavy on its executives. "The unprofitability of John Carter is a very stressful problem for Disney," says UK box office expert Charles Gant. "But it's also a little awkward for Pixar because Andrew Stanton would have been given so much freedom because of his reputation. He would have been very supported by very important people within the Disney hierarchy." John Carter was the first of Disney's three big summer films, alongside The Avengers superhero movie and Brave. "It does inevitably add pressure to Disney overall, they struck out with John Carter so they definitely need the other two movies to deliver," says Gant. Brave is the tale of a feisty young Scottish princess - played by Macdonald - whose dreams of freedom are tempered by her loving but conformist mother, voiced by Thompson. Macdonald - who first made her name in 1996's Trainspotting - landed the role after Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon pulled out of the project due to work scheduling conflicts - one of several road bumps the production has already suffered including the departure of the original director and co-writer Brenda Chapman. Macdonald is Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated for the hit US drama Boardwalk Empire Praising his leading lady as "fantastic", Andrews said: "Her voice has that great teenager quality." And of course, she was born and bred in Scotland. As were the majority of the cast, which includes Robbie Coltrane, chat show host Craig Ferguson and Macdonald's Trainspotting co-star Kevin McKidd. However unlike the dark comedy set in Edinburgh's drugs underworld, this film will not be subtitled for mid-western US audiences, according to Andrews. "Kevin McKidd does the voices of Lord MacGuffin and young MacGuffin - who talks in the Doric dialect of his area," he says "and he would call his mum to remind him how to say certain things and we're going to leave it unintelligible because that's the gag."
Anyone who is familiar with the Doric tongue of the north-east of Scotland will be better prepared for the gag than others.
Brave's computer-generated sweeping shots of the hills and glens of Scotland are of the highest quality - the type expected of a studio which has won more than 25 Oscars. Andrews insists that the secret of Pixar's success lies in the "research, research, research" philosophy of chief creative officer and fellow director John Lasseter. "For Nemo, you're going to have to go underwater, Cars you need to know everything about cars and for Ratatouille we went to France," he explains with reference to the studio's past box office hits. The result was several trips to Scotland spanning two months. "We went everywhere from Edinburgh up into the highlands, the Isle of Skye, Lewis and Harris," says Andrews. "We went skinny dipping in lochs, we laid down in the heather, we climbed boulders, got stuck in the rain. It was fantastic." With the completed film still under wraps, one of the notable scenes shown to journalists takes place at a highland games where the sons of three noblemen compete for the hand in marriage of Merida. One of the film's stars, Billy Connolly, is a patron of the Lonach Highland Gathering near his home in Aberdeenshire in north-east Scotland. "We got a lot of information from Billy," says the director. "I'm of Scottish descent and I would have a mini-highland games on my birthday, we'd go to the park and I'd do the caber tossing so I was Pixar's unofficial games aficionado." Of course, Hollywood's regular dalliances with Scotland have produced memorable, if not always historically accurate results. Examples include the awful "Scotch" spoken in Brigadoon, Liam Neeson's strapping western-style cowboy loner in 1995's Rob Roy and Mel Gibson's blue painted and kilt wearing William Wallace. Andrews admits liberties have been taken with stone-built castles and clan tartans (not really popularised until Walter Scott in the 18th Century). But he defends the decision saying: "We (Andrews and Brenda Chapman) had such a love for Scotland and she just wanted a setting that was magical. "We'd be arguing which exact period it was, but it's fantasy Scotland somewhere between the eighth and 12th Centuries. It was the really character of that time period we wanted." The film will have its European premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and Visit Scotland has been quick to seize upon the film's subject matter, ploughing around £7m into a tourism promotion tied in with Brave. Sidestepping the political implications of a flag waving Scottish film so close to a referendum on independence, Andrews simply says: "What Braveheart did for Scotland in getting everybody there was great and it's great when we can help each other." Brave is due out in the UK in August. www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17460761
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Post by trinity on Apr 4, 2012 11:05:29 GMT -5
'Brave' preview: Mark Andrews on Pixar's Scotland-set fantasy talePixar heads to the Scottish Highlands for its latest movie Brave, which follows the adventures of red-haired Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) as she defies her parents' wishes and brings their kingdom into chaos. Digital Spy recently got the chance to see the opening scenes from the movie (it looks great!) and attend a Q&A with co-director Mark Andrews. Here's what we found out about Andrews's Scots epic... Reese Witherspoon was originally going to voice Princess Merida before Kelly Macdonald stepped into the role... "We did have Reese Witherspoon when we started the project and she was on for quite some time. "She was getting her Scottish accent down, she was working very hard and it was sounding great but as we were continuing with the movie she had other movies lining up, so unfortunately we were unable to continue with her and had to get a replacement. "Luckily we found Kelly Macdonald, who is Scottish and fantastic in the part. Her voice is amazing, it has this great teenager quality. She had fun with it." > 'Brave': New scenes from Disney Pixar's latest movie in TV trailer - watch In the name of research, the Pixar team went 'method' to get the full Scottish experience... "We went everywhere from Edinburgh, up into the Highlands, to the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Lewis and Harris, the Clannish Stones, castles up the wazoo! "We went skinny dipping in lochs, we laid down in the heather, we climbed boulders, got stuck in the rain, it was fantastic. We went to the Braemar Games, we went to the Lannick Games. For the Lannick Games they had the 'march of the men', all these guys dress up in period kit and they'd walk this 6-mile hike, but they're stopping every once in a while to get a little dram of scotch. "We were right along with them, drinking scotch. Boy, we were not walking in straight lines on the way back!" Brave aims to create a timeless fantasy version of the Highlands... "When we started off on a film, Brenda (Chapman, co-director) and I had a love for Scotland. It's such a magnificent land and area. She wanted a setting that was magical. You can't go to Scotland and not have that kind of experience. "We're talking fantasy Scotland between the 8th and the 12th centuries. There's a mix of different ideas in there. They didn't actually have stone castles until way later, but you don't want to go to a movie and watch a thing that's just built with a bunch of timber and be dramatic. "We had a fantasy Scotland and again it's that character of that time period and that moment. When you go period, there's much more for the audience to get into." Pixar staples like the Pizza Planet Truck and John Ratzenberger will make an appearance... "Everything is in here. All the typical things, those little insider jokes are all in the movie. You've gotta find them. [John's Scottish accent] is good. It's not bad. He had a couple of good goes at it, but he got it. He plays one of the guards." Mark Andrews and Pixar love Scottish cinema... "Dear Frankie is a great one with Gerard Butler. Braveheart, obviously. Local Hero is fantastic - when Mac leaves the phone, what a great device for his character. "We watched a lot of them. The animators just go right into every Scottish film, because if you look at this closely we were analysing how the Scots speak because the sound that they make with that accent comes out very specifically." There will be no subtitles! "No way! No way! Kevin McKidd, who does both [the] voices of Lord MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin, talks in a Doric dialect. He would call up his mother to remind him how to say certain things during some of the recording sessions in Doric. We're going to leave it unintelligible because that's the gag." Brave opens in US cinemas on June 22 and on August 17 in the UK. www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/at-the-movies/a374625/brave-preview-mark-andrews-on-pixars-scotland-set-fantasy-tale.html
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Post by trinity on Apr 5, 2012 12:05:06 GMT -5
Brave Preview Draws CheersPixar previewed the first half hour of Brave for a group of bloggers yesterday as part of a two-day media junket in Emeryville. While I wasn't able to attend (thus missing the complimentary archery lesson), the buzz around the film is so far unanimously positive. Read more here: www.bigscreenanimation.com/2012/04/brave-preview-draws-cheers.html
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