Dream on Silly Dreamer on Documentary Channel

[DizneyRox]

Dream on Silly Dreamer
8/3 @ 10pm

On March 25, 2002, more than 200 Disney artists working at the studio's legendary Feature Animation department in Burbank, California, were told that their services were no longer needed by the company. It took only one uncomfortable gathering with then president of Feature Animation Thomas Schumacher, now dubbed "The Tom Meeting," to kill 75 years of a beloved animated tradition. A similar series of events soon played out at Disney's other animation studios in Paris, Tokyo and Orlando, Florida. Doors were closed for good and in total nearly 1,300 skilled artists and craftsmen were fired. The company best known for its handcrafted animated features no longer wanted artists to draw for them. Dream On Silly Dreamer is the animated documentary from director Dan Lund and producer Tony West that tells this tale. Featuring interviews recorded soon after the now infamous "Tom Meeting," viewers will learn the reasons offered by the company and feel the emotional responses from those affected. A handful of artists tell their side of the story and share their recollections of the "good old days" at Disney. Told as a modern-day fairy tale, "DREAMER" pays homage to the classic Winnie the Pooh shorts. An artist's sketch book becomes the viewer's window into this documentary realm with original, animated vignettes helping to tell a side of the story that the world never has heard. This film will touch anyone who has ever dreamed, believed in fairy tales or wished upon a star

Probably worth setting the DVR if you get this channel. Been meaning to see it myself, I'm not sure it's as good as it sounds however.

[magicofdisney]

It sounds interesting. If DirecTV has this channel, I'll record it.

[BluewaterBrad]

We will find out! My DVR is being programmed now!

[eas423]

Wish I got this channel, I'd like to see this. Someone be sure to post your thoughts on it!

[Ian]

Sort of dated and old news now, though, with the recent rejuvenation of hand-drawn animation at the company.

Although, since Princess and the Frog underperformed who knows where it's headed now.

[magicofdisney]

I found out last night I have the channel and I'm set to record.

Although, since Princess and the Frog underperformed who knows where it's headed now.

You know, this movie never got me excited. My kids didn't even ask to see it. I think it had more to do with the story line than the animation.

[Ian]

You know, this movie never got me excited. My kids didn't even ask to see it. I think it had more to do with the story line than the animation.

Well that's always been my theory on animation, too. People don't really go for films based on what medium they're expressed in. They go because they sense the film may have a compelling/entertaining/funny, etc. storyline.

Years ago Disney put out a string of hand drawn animated features that for all intents and purposes bombed ... Home on the Range, Atlantis, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Chicken Little, etc. Now I know some folks liked these movies (in many cases quite a bit), but for the most part I've seen them all and found that all of them basically stunk. I kinda liked Atlantis a bit, but even with that I could see why it didn't have broad appeal.

So somehow Disney decided that this was due to these films being hand drawn. I guess they were comparing them to Pixar's computer animated films and saying, "Gee Pixar's films are killing us at the box office. Must be because they look prettier!!" Which is a lot easier than admitting that your movies pretty much were terrible.

So they killed off the entire hand drawn animation team, bought Pixar, and decided to do everything in computer animation from then on. Problem is, Pixar's computer animated films have continued (for the most part) to be box office blockbusters while most of Disney's computer animated films have continued to stink.

So who knows what they'll do now??

[magicofdisney]

Well that's always been my theory on animation, too. People don't really go for films based on what medium they're expressed in. They go because they sense the film may have a compelling/entertaining/funny, etc. storyline.

Exactly. Many of the Disney classics were based on folklore that held world wide appeal. Pixar, well, they just know how to tell a great story.