Dazzle and Sparkle: Everything You Need For A Magical Film

Cinderella 

I am a huge Disney fans, as far as I can remember I have always idolized Disney princess for their beautiful dresses and amazing elegance and grace. As I grew older I became more aware of the issues people have against Disney princesses and why they can in some ways ruin a child's perception of body image and identity. However, despite those issues I have found the princesses to be inspirational. I recently went to see the new Cinderella movie and I was absolutely astonished and amazed by the beauty and perfectionism in the editing and graphics in the film. But most of all I was obsessed with the costume designs and the art direction in the film, I mean I was literally jaw-dropped at how beautifully crafted Cinderella's ball gown was. I watched a couple interviews with the  Academy Award winning costume designer Sandy Powel to see her inspirational and how she went about designing the costume choices for Cinderella. 

 When I am first approached to design the costumes or be the art director for a film shoot, the very first thing I do is request a script from the writer to (1) find the time and setting of the piece, (2) extract the emotional appeals intended for the audience, (3) meet with writers and directors, and (4) find colors and clothing choices to fit the piece. I was pleased that Sandy Powel takes on a very similar approach when designing for a film, her sketches were extremely detailed and beautifully crafted... the amount of hard work, dedication, and precision placed in the designed sketches between Powel and Swarovski definitely show in the film. Cinderella's dress is nothing short of fabulous and truly timeless. 

 

Cinderella

Over this weekend, I went and saw Disney's new live adaption of the classic tale of Cinderella. I wasn't expecting a lot going in, and I ended up leaving the theatre extremely surprised and very pleased. The story was adapted fairly well, but the thing that struck me most was the production design and the visual effects. The attention to detail was remarkable, and managed to make the film pop more than practically any film I've seen before. I was so impressed, in fact, that after I left the theatre I looked up the previous work of the production designer, Dante Ferretti. Here's a great article about his attention to detail in the film from Hollywood Reporter.

Hollywood Reporter Article

Cinderella

One of the classic (if not THE classic) animated films is getting the live treatment in 2015.  Cinderella, the tale of the mistreated step-child, turned princess will be getting a Disney reboot. Take a look at the trailer below. 

The film looks to be a classic, but modern take on the fairytale. Using animation and motion graphics sparsely to allow the story and setting to seem real. This is pretty different than the last largely received adaption of Cinderella. 

This version starring Brandy and Whitney Houston is one of my personal favorite fairytale movies. Compared to the new release though the film is over animated and a campier version of the tale.  I am glad that Disney went in a different direction this this film. 

I'm also very interested to see how it compares to the original!

Until next time,

Alex