I read the AWN article on it and checked out the clip. I'm glad that they seem to be going after the story for the sake of the story itself...part of the whole integrity of the thing is the outcome and at least on the surface it shows they care enough to preserve that.
Plus, I don't know about you, but some of those shots looked damn nice.
I watched the short on the Little Mermaid DVD, and I have to say I think they did a great job. Of course the animation was awesome and I loved the transition when the lights on the tree turned into snowflakes. They remained true to the ending, althoough it was done in such a way that a child who doesn't know the story might not realize that she's died. But I remember being in first grade shen my teacher read it to us, and I was the only one in my class who understood the ending. My teacher looked out at us and saw everyone was smiling, and she had to explain that "froze to death" didn't just mean she was really cold. I think the ending of the short is very much the same. It carries on in much the same way as the rest of the film, that you can be swept into her dreams and not quite realize the terrible thing that's happened.
I saw the film in the Annecy Film Festival, absolutely gorgeous, brought tears to the eyes, even though I knew the story. Seeing that traditional style and its effect when its been so sidelined emphasises how wonderful it is, gave the magic to the story.
so its on the little mermaid dvd?! I've been wanting to see it again for ages, wohoo, doesn't come to Uk until november though. something to look forward to!
I imagine parents, especially nowadays, aren't into rich and deep storytelling when the kids are young as much as sugar-coated things to protect (or appease them). Frosty the Snowman goes over way better with a 3 year old than having your starvation ended by something else killing you.
Even if the parents miss it I'm surprised the schools didn't get to it. My parents always sacrificed so we could be in nice school districts and we really had it made there, except our districts just felt they had the freedom to do "the stuff you -gotta- cover"...
And beyond that it falls to the kid him or herself. It could be seen as unfortunate that Dickens(?) didn't get full exposure compared to the Bard, but had I known of the story then I would've went off to grab it on my lonesome.
Kids are reading and being read to, they just aren't receiving LMG. It needs renewed exposure. Maybe that'll be an effect of the short.
And beyond that it falls to the kid him or herself. It could be seen as unfortunate that Dickens(?) didn't get full exposure compared to the Bard, but had I known of the story then I would've went off to grab it on my lonesome.
It was written by Hans Christian Anderson... not Dickens. Although I was read this story in school, it was the only Anderson or Grimm story I remember hearing (in school). My parents read me fairy tales, and Suess, etc. Once I got older (about 12)my mom bought me a collection of classic books including an Anderson collection. In school we were usually read more modern stories. We didn't hit Dickens until high school.... and honestly I think it is easier to appreciate that kind of literature at a later age. Like I said, most of the students in my elementary class didn't realize that the little match girl had died. I know HCA is usually considered a fairy tale writer, but I would put his stuff as classic short fiction and more of the mature realm, usually. Most of his stories are tragic.
But to return to the original post about the 17 year old's reaction, I agree that the storytelling was great in the Disney film.
I have a great big collection of andersen tales expect them to end happily and then something totally unexpected happens and its like 'they died, the end' hehe, well probably not like that, but maybe few, I still love them though! at first when I was about 8 my mum gave me a tiny book of andersen that she had as a child and it had lil drawings in the cover she had done. I loved it, felt like a treasure, still does.
I've been collected a big series of fairytale books, they take fairy tales from all over the world, many cultures. They are called 'The red fairy book', 'THe blue fairy book' etc etc , all the colours, edited by andrew lang. I love just picking one from the shelf and reading a random story.
I think we like to imagine the ideal, reading bedtime stories to our kids, seems like a very simple thing to do, but the world moves so fast now, no one seems to have time to slow down, its not just about too much tv and computer games. Kids will prolly be reading themselves stories off their laptops in bed soon! at least they'll be reading I guess...
Also just a thought I had, years ago when kids were read stories, the stories came first for them and then the films. Nowadays the kids know the films first so thats where they get the stories, the books come to them second. maybe.
For my niece now, Cinderella is the DIsney one, which it not a problem, but when shes older it will be my opportunity to show her the real one, the other interpretations. I think thats all we can do sometimes.
still im going to make sure I read my kids bedtime stories, if they sit still for long enough! :) oh and then ill show them the films!
i liked what you said.
And i think its important that children are read and told stories.
I think this somehow awakens and spurs the imagination in very strong and other ways than film does.
Although film can have a big impact too.
i just read the recollection of a dutch animator he said that when he thinks back of his first cinema experience, which was Disneys Snowwhite, he does not remember it as watching a movie but that he was actually there with the dwarfs in their cabin.
Yes the stories really spur the imagination, and its great the films bring you back to the stories. I don't think animated films are as special to children as they were when Snow White appeared, and even to me as a child, we've just see too much. Its when you a bit older you realise the difference between them and just how great certain films are.
Back to the little match girl, the great thing it does is to make you want to back to hans christian andersen, read the tales. Even tho the stories get altered, the little mermaid lives etc, at least the stories live in another way and not just in the books which people tend to appreciate less sometimes. and then its so refreshing when you read the originals, pretty inspiring.
I still don't know how Ariel could have left her daddy like that! (at least thats what I thought as a child, haha)
Many early fairy stories/tales were cautionary stories, so that kids would learn morals and good behavior, hence many were quite violent by today's standards.
Andersen's the Tinder Box is one of my favorites. Lang's colored Fairy books are a staple of most libraries, don't know what their circulation stats are like these days...probably not high, as seen as too violent. Been over twenty years since I worked in a library.
I had the chance once to take a two year old to his first movie in a theatre. His mouth was open, and the first thing he said was what a big tv set. But he sat quiet through the whole film. It just happened to be the first animated try at Lord of the Rings. It was probably way over his head, but he just loved the experience.
I can't imagine a 17 year old not knowing the story. It's a classic. Don't parents read stories to their children anymore? Guess not.
Your thinly-veiled swipe at my parenting skills aside; not only didn't my son know this "classic" story, neither did I, and I grew up in the 60's, when I guess parents didn't read stories to their children either.
There are endless amounts of "classic" stories out there. Sorry that one you consider vital to the proper raising of my child didn't make my list. I guess I was too busy reading him Aesop's Fables, Brothers Grimm, and Dr. Seuss when he was young to notice I was depriving him of this all-important, character-shaping tale.
Sorry didn't mean anything by my comments, except that I grew up with the story. My mom read us the Brothers Grimm, and all the fairy tales. We didn't have tv until we were middle school. My dad was out to sea most of the time we were growing up.
The Little Match Girl, the Little Mermaid, etc, are public domain stories because they've been out there for parents to tell their children for years. It's sad that parents today don't have the time to read and share these stories with their kids. That's all I meant. Disney absorbed many of them because the studio didn't have buy rights to the stories. Beauty and the Beast is another.
None of my own, but guess what... I read the Little Match Girl and many other Grimms and Anderson tales to my nephews, plus taking them to movies and sharing many fabulous Halloweens and Christmases with them when they were growing up. That's been many years ago. They are both over 35 now. Plus, they attended my puppet shows, many of which were based on classic fairy tales.
Hey if you guys base your knowlege of fairytales on Disney you should visit your local library and pick up a copy of Snow White and Rose Red, totally different from what Disney sold you. And Hansel and Gretel there are some versions that are downright scary.
you know, everyone had such hostile things to say about this film, and i thought it was wonderful! maybe a little typical coming from disney, but it was a strong film. and very tragic. i forgot how tragic that story was!
I read the AWN article on it and checked out the clip. I'm glad that they seem to be going after the story for the sake of the story itself...part of the whole integrity of the thing is the outcome and at least on the surface it shows they care enough to preserve that.
Plus, I don't know about you, but some of those shots looked damn nice.
I watched the short on the Little Mermaid DVD, and I have to say I think they did a great job. Of course the animation was awesome and I loved the transition when the lights on the tree turned into snowflakes. They remained true to the ending, althoough it was done in such a way that a child who doesn't know the story might not realize that she's died. But I remember being in first grade shen my teacher read it to us, and I was the only one in my class who understood the ending. My teacher looked out at us and saw everyone was smiling, and she had to explain that "froze to death" didn't just mean she was really cold. I think the ending of the short is very much the same. It carries on in much the same way as the rest of the film, that you can be swept into her dreams and not quite realize the terrible thing that's happened.
I saw the film in the Annecy Film Festival, absolutely gorgeous, brought tears to the eyes, even though I knew the story. Seeing that traditional style and its effect when its been so sidelined emphasises how wonderful it is, gave the magic to the story.
so its on the little mermaid dvd?! I've been wanting to see it again for ages, wohoo, doesn't come to Uk until november though. something to look forward to!
Enter into a world of light....
'The Spirit Child'...www.myspace.com/thespiritchild
There are some clips from it here:
http://showcase.awn.com/showphoto.php?photo=2366&cat=778
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
Watched it yesterday afternoon. Very engaging. My son (17) who was paying periodic attention, exclaimed at the end (spoiler)...
"Wait - did she just die?!?"
If you can get a 17-year old to care about what happens to a little match girl, you've done some fine storytelling, IMO.
I can't imagine a 17 year old not knowing the story. It's a classic. Don't parents read stories to their children anymore? Guess not.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
I imagine parents, especially nowadays, aren't into rich and deep storytelling when the kids are young as much as sugar-coated things to protect (or appease them). Frosty the Snowman goes over way better with a 3 year old than having your starvation ended by something else killing you.
Even if the parents miss it I'm surprised the schools didn't get to it. My parents always sacrificed so we could be in nice school districts and we really had it made there, except our districts just felt they had the freedom to do "the stuff you -gotta- cover"...
And beyond that it falls to the kid him or herself. It could be seen as unfortunate that Dickens(?) didn't get full exposure compared to the Bard, but had I known of the story then I would've went off to grab it on my lonesome.
Kids are reading and being read to, they just aren't receiving LMG. It needs renewed exposure. Maybe that'll be an effect of the short.
LMG? Sorry Scattered, don't understand that.
My family was poor but we were read to. Never had a TV in the house until I was 12.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
It was written by Hans Christian Anderson... not Dickens. Although I was read this story in school, it was the only Anderson or Grimm story I remember hearing (in school). My parents read me fairy tales, and Suess, etc. Once I got older (about 12)my mom bought me a collection of classic books including an Anderson collection. In school we were usually read more modern stories. We didn't hit Dickens until high school.... and honestly I think it is easier to appreciate that kind of literature at a later age. Like I said, most of the students in my elementary class didn't realize that the little match girl had died. I know HCA is usually considered a fairy tale writer, but I would put his stuff as classic short fiction and more of the mature realm, usually. Most of his stories are tragic.
But to return to the original post about the 17 year old's reaction, I agree that the storytelling was great in the Disney film.
Thanks! I knew I was off, I just didn't know exactly how... I'd rather be educated than ignorant any day =)
It definitely has some similarities to Dickens... the tragic impoverished child, and all. But usually Dickens ends a little more happily.
I have a great big collection of andersen tales expect them to end happily and then something totally unexpected happens and its like 'they died, the end' hehe, well probably not like that, but maybe few, I still love them though! at first when I was about 8 my mum gave me a tiny book of andersen that she had as a child and it had lil drawings in the cover she had done. I loved it, felt like a treasure, still does.
I've been collected a big series of fairytale books, they take fairy tales from all over the world, many cultures. They are called 'The red fairy book', 'THe blue fairy book' etc etc , all the colours, edited by andrew lang. I love just picking one from the shelf and reading a random story.
I think we like to imagine the ideal, reading bedtime stories to our kids, seems like a very simple thing to do, but the world moves so fast now, no one seems to have time to slow down, its not just about too much tv and computer games. Kids will prolly be reading themselves stories off their laptops in bed soon! at least they'll be reading I guess...
Also just a thought I had, years ago when kids were read stories, the stories came first for them and then the films. Nowadays the kids know the films first so thats where they get the stories, the books come to them second. maybe.
For my niece now, Cinderella is the DIsney one, which it not a problem, but when shes older it will be my opportunity to show her the real one, the other interpretations. I think thats all we can do sometimes.
still im going to make sure I read my kids bedtime stories, if they sit still for long enough! :) oh and then ill show them the films!
(sorry about the essay)
Enter into a world of light....
'The Spirit Child'...www.myspace.com/thespiritchild
Hey *spirit*
i liked what you said.
And i think its important that children are read and told stories.
I think this somehow awakens and spurs the imagination in very strong and other ways than film does.
Although film can have a big impact too.
i just read the recollection of a dutch animator he said that when he thinks back of his first cinema experience, which was Disneys Snowwhite, he does not remember it as watching a movie but that he was actually there with the dwarfs in their cabin.
Peter Wassink - Digital 2D Animator
Thanks :)
Yes the stories really spur the imagination, and its great the films bring you back to the stories. I don't think animated films are as special to children as they were when Snow White appeared, and even to me as a child, we've just see too much. Its when you a bit older you realise the difference between them and just how great certain films are.
Back to the little match girl, the great thing it does is to make you want to back to hans christian andersen, read the tales. Even tho the stories get altered, the little mermaid lives etc, at least the stories live in another way and not just in the books which people tend to appreciate less sometimes. and then its so refreshing when you read the originals, pretty inspiring.
I still don't know how Ariel could have left her daddy like that! (at least thats what I thought as a child, haha)
Enter into a world of light....
'The Spirit Child'...www.myspace.com/thespiritchild
Many early fairy stories/tales were cautionary stories, so that kids would learn morals and good behavior, hence many were quite violent by today's standards.
Andersen's the Tinder Box is one of my favorites. Lang's colored Fairy books are a staple of most libraries, don't know what their circulation stats are like these days...probably not high, as seen as too violent. Been over twenty years since I worked in a library.
I had the chance once to take a two year old to his first movie in a theatre. His mouth was open, and the first thing he said was what a big tv set. But he sat quiet through the whole film. It just happened to be the first animated try at Lord of the Rings. It was probably way over his head, but he just loved the experience.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
Your thinly-veiled swipe at my parenting skills aside; not only didn't my son know this "classic" story, neither did I, and I grew up in the 60's, when I guess parents didn't read stories to their children either.
There are endless amounts of "classic" stories out there. Sorry that one you consider vital to the proper raising of my child didn't make my list. I guess I was too busy reading him Aesop's Fables, Brothers Grimm, and Dr. Seuss when he was young to notice I was depriving him of this all-important, character-shaping tale.
LMG = Little Match Girl
Sorry didn't mean anything by my comments, except that I grew up with the story. My mom read us the Brothers Grimm, and all the fairy tales. We didn't have tv until we were middle school. My dad was out to sea most of the time we were growing up.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
The Little Match Girl, the Little Mermaid, etc, are public domain stories because they've been out there for parents to tell their children for years. It's sad that parents today don't have the time to read and share these stories with their kids. That's all I meant. Disney absorbed many of them because the studio didn't have buy rights to the stories. Beauty and the Beast is another.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
Wow. . .I'm going to go out on a limb and take a wild guess that you don't have children.
None of my own, but guess what... I read the Little Match Girl and many other Grimms and Anderson tales to my nephews, plus taking them to movies and sharing many fabulous Halloweens and Christmases with them when they were growing up. That's been many years ago. They are both over 35 now. Plus, they attended my puppet shows, many of which were based on classic fairy tales.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
Hey if you guys base your knowlege of fairytales on Disney you should visit your local library and pick up a copy of Snow White and Rose Red, totally different from what Disney sold you. And Hansel and Gretel there are some versions that are downright scary.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
you know, everyone had such hostile things to say about this film, and i thought it was wonderful! maybe a little typical coming from disney, but it was a strong film. and very tragic. i forgot how tragic that story was!