While many computer animators have dreamed of being the first to create a full-length, computer-animated feature film, it looks like the honor is destined to go to Pixar (Richmond, CA) and Walt Disney Studios. The two companies recently formalized a deal to tackle such a project. According to Pixar spokesperson Pam Kerwin, the film should hit the big screen in about two-and-a-half to three years. The basic outline of the story, says Kerwin, has already been developed and approved by Disney, and final writing of the script will take place over the next year. The production of the animation is expected to take another full year after that. However, says Kerwin, the total cost of the project is expected to be equivalent to the cost of animated films produced by traditional methods.
Though unable to divulge the nature of the plot of the proposed film, Kerwin did say it will reflect the flavor and characterizations of Pixar's short films, which include Luxo Jr., Red's Dream, Knickknack, and the Oscar-winning Tin Toy. The main purpose of the film, Kerwin says, will be to move audiences with the story line and not impress them with the technology. "We hope the poignancy of the story will stand out and not the way it was created," says Kerwin. "Of course, it will look different because it"ll be computer-generated, but we're not going to try and create the kinds of special effects that you would see, for example, in Terminator 2."
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