Disney pulls the plug on Zemeckis performance capture company | Movie News

Disney pulls the plug on Zemeckis performance capture company
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Strike Back below!
by: Dave Davis Mar. 12, 2010

It doesn't look like filmmaker Robert Zemeckis will get the chance to keep improving his "performance capture" animation process. At least not on Disney's dime.

The Mouse House is closing down Zemeckis' ImageMovers Digital studios, and will phase out its 450 employees over the next nine months. Disney honcho Alan Bergman said: "Given today's economic realities, we need to find alternative ways to bring creative content to audiences and IMD no longer fits into our business model."

Since the holiday zombies of POLAR EXPRESS, Zemeckis has been refining the process on his projects BEOWULF and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The company's upcoming MARS NEEDS MOMS will be the final performance capture feature from the four-year-old company.

Disney still wants to continue a working relationship with Zemeckis, but it seems like his 3D update of the Beatles' YELLOW SUBMARINE is now in question.

Source: LA Times

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Extra Tidbit: Maybe this will finally steer Zemeckis back toward that ROGER RABBIT sequel?

27 discussions Expand all
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SCope07
8:31PM on 03/15/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Zemeckis Gets The Shaft
After James Cameron takes his technology and makes eight foot smurfs, they shut him down. I can only wait till Cameron tries to animate human beings (something Zemeckis has pushed the boundaries on) and gets SHUT DOWN. What will Cameron's reaction be when people call his human renders "creepy" or "zombies". I'm guessing he'll go postal.
After James Cameron takes his technology and makes eight foot smurfs, they shut him down. I can only wait till Cameron tries to animate human beings (something Zemeckis has pushed the boundaries on) and gets SHUT DOWN. What will Cameron's reaction be when people call his human renders "creepy" or "zombies". I'm guessing he'll go postal.
 
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MJZ
1:20PM on 03/15/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
maybe this is all for the best...
maybe this is all for the best...
 
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FeedMeAStrayCat
9:51PM on 03/14/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Finally
Like others, I want Zemeckis to go back to some more traditional filmmaking. None of his motion capture stuff has been all that great, or enhanced by the technology. Not that Beowulf would have been good with or without it. Terrible film.
Like others, I want Zemeckis to go back to some more traditional filmmaking. None of his motion capture stuff has been all that great, or enhanced by the technology. Not that Beowulf would have been good with or without it. Terrible film.
 
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Huttjos
7:39PM on 03/14/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
haha, or maybe disney, james cameron came in and punched everyone in their faces with the SAME tech??



I'm sure that's not it...
haha, or maybe disney, james cameron came in and punched everyone in their faces with the SAME tech??



I'm sure that's not it...
 
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T DUBBS
7:16PM on 03/14/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
It sucks that 450 people will be losing their jobs but maybe this will help Zemeckis start making better movies and stop using that gimmicky zombie robot crap.
It sucks that 450 people will be losing their jobs but maybe this will help Zemeckis start making better movies and stop using that gimmicky zombie robot crap.
 
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BIGE1312
3:20PM on 03/14/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Good
I've really enjoyed some of Robert's films. I think it would be great to have him and Tom Hanks team up together again to do one last great project together.
I've really enjoyed some of Robert's films. I think it would be great to have him and Tom Hanks team up together again to do one last great project together.
 
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critic_h8er
11:48AM on 03/14/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
No more YELLOW SUBMARINE? I'll take it.
No more YELLOW SUBMARINE? I'll take it.
 
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Monotreme
6:42AM on 03/14/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Any news that throws into question the pointless, stupid Yellow Submarine re-make is good news in my book!
Any news that throws into question the pointless, stupid Yellow Submarine re-make is good news in my book!
 
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Dr_Fruitness
1:14AM on 03/14/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Bout damn time. What's the deal with all our favorite director from yesteryear going psycho on us anyway.
Bout damn time. What's the deal with all our favorite director from yesteryear going psycho on us anyway.
 
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TheCanadian
5:20PM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
...
In English now: Disney recently told Robert Zemeckis to "Get the F out of our studio...Avatar just made your collective CGI portfolio look like the first season of South Park...You're Fired"
In English now: Disney recently told Robert Zemeckis to "Get the F out of our studio...Avatar just made your collective CGI portfolio look like the first season of South Park...You're Fired"
 
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Axman58
10:15AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I like 'em
I thought all three movies were pretty cool, especially "A Christmas Carol" which looked amazing in 3-D. The guy tried to do something different and I hope he finds another studio to do it in.
I thought all three movies were pretty cool, especially "A Christmas Carol" which looked amazing in 3-D. The guy tried to do something different and I hope he finds another studio to do it in.
 
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Axman58
10:14AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I like 'em
I thought all three movies were pretty cool, especially "A Christmas Carol" which looked amazing in 3-D. The guy tried to do something different and I hope he finds another studio to do it in.
I thought all three movies were pretty cool, especially "A Christmas Carol" which looked amazing in 3-D. The guy tried to do something different and I hope he finds another studio to do it in.
 
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wallcrawler383
9:24AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
A Christmas Carol
Out of all the movies to use that technology, Christmas Carol was the only one I saw. While it easily could've been live action, I really enjoyed it because it wasn't kid friendly, it kept the dark tones. On the other hand, A Muppet Christmas Carol is still awesome :)
Out of all the movies to use that technology, Christmas Carol was the only one I saw. While it easily could've been live action, I really enjoyed it because it wasn't kid friendly, it kept the dark tones. On the other hand, A Muppet Christmas Carol is still awesome :)
 
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andris
8:11AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Thank God!
I hope Robert Zemeckis will never make the Yellow Submarine reamake which, like most remakes, sounded terrible. Also, he directed so many great live-action films, why would he be stucked with this soulless CGI?
I hope Robert Zemeckis will never make the Yellow Submarine reamake which, like most remakes, sounded terrible. Also, he directed so many great live-action films, why would he be stucked with this soulless CGI?
 
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AnnaDraconida
8:07AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
"BUILT-IN" HIGH HEELS.



'Nuff said.
"BUILT-IN" HIGH HEELS.



'Nuff said.
 
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KcMsterpce
7:42AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I am tired of Zemeckis' animated features
I want him to make something great again, like he's done in the past. I don't DISLIKE his strange mo-cap flicks, but I'd rather he worked with real-world settings again. He's great, though.
I want him to make something great again, like he's done in the past. I don't DISLIKE his strange mo-cap flicks, but I'd rather he worked with real-world settings again. He's great, though.
 
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Netforce
6:32AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Though I like modern day computer graphics or motion captures, I personally think it would be nice to see actors/actresses act with 2d cartoon characters like in the original Roger Rabbit. It doesn't have to be a sequel to Roger Rabbit but something like it.
Though I like modern day computer graphics or motion captures, I personally think it would be nice to see actors/actresses act with 2d cartoon characters like in the original Roger Rabbit. It doesn't have to be a sequel to Roger Rabbit but something like it.
 
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pykowrnozes
5:25AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Maybe this will finally steer Zemeckis back toward GOOD MOVIES.
Maybe this will finally steer Zemeckis back toward GOOD MOVIES.
 
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nodirectionhome
5:24AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Im glad all these ventures failed, each one was aggressively worse than the previous entry. But my man problem was Zemeckis never allowed for the 3D to be more than a gimmick ie spear tips, icecicles..etc pointing at the screen he never really found a way to incorporate it like Cameron with Avatar which enhanced the enviroment. CASTAWAY has been almost 10 years ago I cant wait for Zemeckis to...
Im glad all these ventures failed, each one was aggressively worse than the previous entry. But my man problem was Zemeckis never allowed for the 3D to be more than a gimmick ie spear tips, icecicles..etc pointing at the screen he never really found a way to incorporate it like Cameron with Avatar which enhanced the enviroment. CASTAWAY has been almost 10 years ago I cant wait for Zemeckis to return with something great again.
 
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ilovemovies
5:08AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Good. Maybe now he'll go back to making great movies like Cast Away, Contact, Forrest Gump, Back to the Future (and their sequels) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I really Zemeckis. He use to make one masterpiece after another. But this motion capture stuff has been pretty underwhelming. A Christmas Carol sucked IMO.
Good. Maybe now he'll go back to making great movies like Cast Away, Contact, Forrest Gump, Back to the Future (and their sequels) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I really Zemeckis. He use to make one masterpiece after another. But this motion capture stuff has been pretty underwhelming. A Christmas Carol sucked IMO.
 
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Guy
4:44AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Honestly I don't think I ever bothered with this mocap lark.



I'd be happy to see him go back to genuine film-making, the stuff he excelled at
Honestly I don't think I ever bothered with this mocap lark.



I'd be happy to see him go back to genuine film-making, the stuff he excelled at
1 Reply
 
CJN
5:00AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Agree that I rather see "real" actors and so on. But the rumor is that Beuwulf would have been too expensive mixing a real environment with CGI. This technology is a middle way between all CGI and classic film making.
Agree that I rather see "real" actors and so on. But the rumor is that Beuwulf would have been too expensive mixing a real environment with CGI. This technology is a middle way between all CGI and classic film making.
 
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CJN
4:24AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Too bad.

Really enjoyed the Beuwulf movie.
Too bad.

Really enjoyed the Beuwulf movie.
 
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Kilar
1:58AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I never quite understood what he was trying to achieve with this technique. Why use human actors to play CG human charactors that DELIBERATELY look animated.
I never quite understood what he was trying to achieve with this technique. Why use human actors to play CG human charactors that DELIBERATELY look animated.
 
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sneekyfox
12:58AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
if they do roger rabbit i hope they pull it off because otherwise it will be the slaying and tarnishing of yet another great movie memory. - as for the studio.. i think theyre closing it because it doesnt compete with james cameron's stuff, and the characters from IMD always feel like theres something 'off' about them. they fall into the chasim of unsettling and mildly creepy.
if they do roger rabbit i hope they pull it off because otherwise it will be the slaying and tarnishing of yet another great movie memory. - as for the studio.. i think theyre closing it because it doesnt compete with james cameron's stuff, and the characters from IMD always feel like theres something 'off' about them. they fall into the chasim of unsettling and mildly creepy.
 
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X-KID
12:07AM on 03/13/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
RR Sequel?
I don't know about that... the original is a classic, you don't mess with the classics.
I don't know about that... the original is a classic, you don't mess with the classics.
 
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dankfoo
11:47PM on 03/12/2010 Add as a friend | MFC profile
roger rabbit
who framed roger rabbit sequel would be greatness
who framed roger rabbit sequel would be greatness
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