A Sneak Peek at Disney’s Frozen

Category: Movies

Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s story “The Snow Queen,” Disney’s Frozen is a story that has been lingering around the studio in various stages throughout the years. Walt Disney had wanted to make this story but was never satisfied with what had been presented to him. Now, decades after his death, the Disney studio has accomplished one of Walt’s dreams.

 

Not only does this film introduce original songs and some fun characters, but it also brings another Disney Princess to the beloved group of characters. Anna is the newest Disney princess. The story focuses on Anna and her sister Elsa, whose powers can destroy the kingdom if they are used improperly.

 

Art Director Michael Giaimo said, “It’s all about the research.” The story takes place in the fictional kingdom of Arendelle. To make this fictional locale as realistic as possible, the filmmakers traveled to several locations for their research. They went to an Ice Hotel in Canada, Jackson Hole, Wyoming to see how snow affects walking – especially when it comes to long dresses which Anna wears while trudging through the snow, and they went to Norway. In Norway, the Fjords inspired the artists as well as the architecture of the Stave Churches and the interesting detail of the region’s Rosemaling (decorative Norwegian folk art) in the designs and clothing.

 

The kingdom of Arendelle is beautiful, and for the first time the filmmakers decided not to place the castle atop a hill. Instead, they tucked it into nature and it sits on the shore. The setting is breathtaking and audiences will be wowed by not only the wonderful story but also the visuals involved in this beautiful film.

 

Evan Goldberg emphasized the amount of work that went into creating this visually stunning film. “When you look at this movie, there is so much richness, so much detail, in every pixel on the screen. And there are a lot of people, and there are a lot of custom software tools that we write here at Disney Animation to make this happen.”  

 

 

An expert from Cal Tech was brought in to the studio to explain about snowflakes and ice crystals to the artists and effects staff, who ended up designing 2000 unique snowflakes for the film. While at a press day at Disney Animation, where the details of the process involved in creating Frozen were discussed and preview scenes were screened for members of the press, I was mesmerized by all the intricacies that went into this animated film. There are 420,000 hairs on Elsa’s head. In contrast, Rapunzel, from Disney’s Tangled, has a mere 27,000 hairs on her head. All of the details and technical advances incorporated into Frozen might not be fully appreciated by young kids, but the story will. It is a heartening story of sisters, love, dedication, and emotions.

 

Frozen will open in theaters November 27, 2013.

Michael Giaimo claimed the filmmakers have “taken a beautiful stone and turned it into a gem.” And that definitely describes Disney’s Frozen.