If you've seen Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland this week-end you're may be curious to know how it was done. Well, although it don't look like when you watch the movie, most of the film was shoot inside using green screen, motion capture, etc...except, of course the opening and end sequence in the "real world". All Wonderland seems to be a CGI creation, not to mention of course the CGI animation for the creatures.
The video below will show you more but if you haven't seen the movie yet it may be a good idea to watch this making-of only when you will come back from the theatre.
And in this next video from the Wired web site Tim and some of the actors explains the creation process.
Screen Captures and Videos: copyright Disney, Wired.
Alice's White Rabbit reminds you that you have a very important appointment this week-end! If you live in a country where Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is now released don't forget to go see it - and in 3D! You'll find my review of the film below, and thanks to let us know in the comments if you've liked it or not!
You have also another appointment tomorrow with the D&M Innovations series and don't miss the upcoming article as it will show you nothing less than the future!
And if you live in Singapore or South East Asia your important "appointment" is on March 18 at 8.28 am as it's now official: Universal Studios Singapore will open on that date! Tickets will be on sale from March 10 and of course this time the rides will be fully operationals, except probably the Madagascar flume ride.
I was invited last Tuesday to the press screening of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and i loved it! The movie is released today in the U.S as well as in the UK and Ireland, is already released in Germany and will be released in France March 24.
One of the most important thing when you go to watch a movie is probably to have the right mental image, i.e to don't await of it something that doesn't exist. As all of you are Disney fans who probably have seen the Disney animated there is a danger to compare this new live version to the 1951 version, which obviously would be a big mistake. Also, if you've read Lewis Caroll's books - "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" - you have to know that more than a strict adaptation of Caroll's books the movie was done from an original script written by Linda Woolverton.
So, let's put it this way: no, Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland is not a "candy" adaptation of Lewis Caroll's famous tale. However, Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland is a world where Imagination "have the power" and it's totally the case in Burton's movie. The "spirit" of Alice in Wonderland is there and it's all what matters. And yes, you will find back all Alice's famous characters whether it is the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Blue Caterpillar, the Cheschire cat, the Red Queen, etc... and all of them are just as odd, crazy, lunatic as they were in the Disney animated or, more simply, in the original tale.
BUT, as it is a Tim Burton's movie, Alice's "Wonderland" is also a place that can be uncertain, dangerous, although not nightmarish. Which on a certain point of view is logical as there is no reason why a world with such mad characters would be reassuring, right? However, the movie is not too "dark" and have a lot of funny scenes so if you have young children who are at least seven years old you can bring them to watch Alice in Wonderland, they will probably love it.
The other important thing to know, and it's not really a spoiler, is that it's more a "Return to Wonderland" as Alice, now almost 20 years old and on the point to get married with a young British lord - that's the opening sequence - went previously to Wonderland when she was seven. Although she don't remember it really, since her first trip she regularly had nightmares, and it's fair to say that her subconscious is still impregnate of all the strange characters she met when she was a child... Until this fateful day on which Alice, once again, will fall inside the tree hole and will be back to Wonderland.
I don't want to tell you more about the story line itself to don't spoil anything but what i can say is that technically and artistically speaking the movie is gorgeous. Wonderland looks really like a place out-of-this-world with giant mushrooms and flowers which can talk but also amazing creatures - all CGI animation is perfect, special award for the white rabbit, although all of them whether it is the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Blue Caterpillar, The Dodo Bird or the Jabberwocky are really great.
The casting, too, is perfect. Johnny Depp is playing the Mad Hatter with all his genius and probably nobody else could have played it so well. The young Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice have the right ingenuousness and Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway respectively playing the red and white queen are very good too. Interesting to note also the "voices" of talented actors like Alan Rickman - the voice of the Blue Caterpillar - or the great Christopher Lee - the voice of the frightening Jabberwocky.
The movie is released in 3D and what a great 3D! Generally in live action movies they use the 3D to give more dephts or an immersive feeling - this was the case with James Cameron's Avatar - but they try to avoid "pop-up" effects. One of the reason is that directors try to avoid that the movie looks like a theme park attraction. But here, in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland it's not the case: the 3D is used to give more depths but you will also enjoy some great pop-up effects all done elegantly and with a perfect timing.
I, personally, think that "Alice" should be very successful at the box-office - not as Avatar, of course, but Avatar is the "exception that confirms the rule" - and i'm pretty sure that children of all ages will love it. So, if you live in the U.S, in the U.K, in Ireland or Germany go to see Alice this week-end - and in 3D! - as for all the reasons explained above Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is an extremely enjoyable movie. And to tell the truth, i loved it so much that when the end credits appeared i already wanted to see it again!
Let us know in the comments if you've liked it or not!
Here is a new clip from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and this one shows the famous sequence of "The Tea Party". Although it's typically Burton's atmosphere, it looks great, so don't miss it!
Yesterday evening the Alice in Wonderland Royal Premiere happened in London. And something that i thought i would never see in my lifetime happened: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp shaking hands with Prince Charles and Camilla!
Then it was the turn of Jay Rasulo and Bob Iger, and it looks just as surrealist.
Outside the theater the premiere had began under the rain with the usual fan hysteria and Tim Burton, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, the young Mia Wasikowska who play Alice or Johnny Depp cheered with the fans and signed autographs.
In the huge crowd of fans, a lot of Mad Hatters!
Johnny and Tim joined Bob Iger and Rich Ross - the new President of Walt Disney Pictures - at the photo call, and Rich Ross seems to be so excited by the Premiere that he is almost in levitation!
A last picture of Johnny Depp with the great Christopher Lee who "play" the Jabberwocky character in the movie.
But if you want to feel the incredible atmosphere of this memorable evening, nothing is better than a good video and here it is! Watch it in full screen!
In one week the highly awaited Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will be released in theatres and Disney put on line yesterday - day of the London Royal Premiere - new clips from the movie. No need to say that if you want to prevent any spoilers it's better that you don't watch them. But for those of you who don't mind to have a look, here we go. Note that all pictures are in high-res except the one above.
In this first clip, a great encounter between Alice and the Cheschire cat.
In this next clip the White Queen play by Anne Hathaway prepares a magic potion for Alice.
In the clip below, the Red Queen play by Helena Bonham Carter in a scene called "Off with his head" - and no, she's not talking about Alice head.
This next one shows the famous sequence of "The Tea Party". Although it's typically Burton's atmosphere, it looks great, so don't miss it!
I'm reposting the clip with the white rabbit posted early this week, so you'll have all of them on the same page.
This last video is not really a movie clip although you'll see many scenes from it. It's more a featurette with some of the actors, including Johnny Depp talking about the film itself.
2010 will also be a "Alice in Wonderland" year, thanks to the awaited Tim Burton's version of the famous tale. Let's have a look today in a short pictorial article to the different visuals released recently by Walt Disney Studios for the movie posters.
And if you're wondering how will look the the Japanese posters, here is one of them!
You know how trailers editing are, they always go too fast, right? I know, it's done on purpose, as they don't want us to see too much. Still, it's frustating, isn't it? And in the case of the awaited Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, it's VERY frustating!
So, now that Alice's trailer is available in high definition we can have good screen captures - click on each to see them in "wallpaper" size. And as you will see, it is very interesting to see clearly the details. A little warning, though, as there may be some spoilers ahead!
Soooo, the beginning of the trailer shows Alice running in the British countryside, until she's attract by this hole in the tree...
A little bit too close, and she falls...
We then have the scene where she drinks the bottle on the table and then shrinks...
In the next shot - by the way, may i remind you that in the trailer they are not necessarily in chronological order - we find Alice in the enchanted garden...
And then walking through a giant mushroom forest with the white rabbit and TweedleDee and TweedleDum.
In the next shot she's on the top of what appears obviously to be a castle, with the "white queen" played by Anne Hathaway, and water falls in the background.
The Cheschire Cat appears then, magically, in a forest...
And the next shot introduce...the King of heart?
For sure it's the Red Queen in the next one - played by Helena Bonham Carter
Then arrives the shot with a monstruous beast, apparently in fight with some of the "cards" guards...
We find back Alice with TweedleDee and TweedleDum, seconds before they being attacked by an eagle...
...leaving Alice alone in a typical Tim Burton forest.
Doors of a the Red Queen castle hall now open with the help of two frogs - and we can see the Mad Hatter prisoner of the cards...
It's at this point in the trailer that Johnny Depp - the mad hatter - appears in a close shot...
...and walk on his unbirthday party table to meet Alice.
Cut on the movie title, and we see again Johnny and the white rabbit...
And the last shot show the mad hatter, probably in his workshop...
I think it's fair to say that the atmosphere of each scene looks really "Tim Burtonesque" and we better await a different kind of Alice in Wonderland, much different than the Disney movie. But i have a good feeling with this new version.
The trailer is now also available on Apple Trailers in high definition and the best is of course to watch it in full screen!
Let's end with this video of the surprise appearance of Johnny Depp two days ago at the Comiccon. during the Tim Burton's presentation. As you will see girls became hysterical instantly!
