The trailer for Jon Favreau’s The Lion King broke records over Thanksgiving, and no wonder: It’s a remake of a beloved classic, and it looks stunning. But in between breathless exclamations of emotion since the trailer hit - whether borne of CGI majesty or nostalgia - there’s been much debate around the film’s photorealistic visual style. Put simply: Will a “live-action” Lion King feel weird? And can it possibly be as visually stylish as the original? Indeed, these questions also raise a more existential one about animation’s history and future in general.
The most tedious version of this argument concerns the jargon of moviemaking. Given that the film will be entirely computer-generated, calling it “live-action” is patently incorrect. One can split hairs over the production process - shooting motion-captured actors on a bluescreen stage, rather than animating by hand - but not a single frame of live-action footage will make the film. How you define it, however, makes little difference; the intended aesthetic is that of live-action animals, and that’s that.
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The most tedious version of this argument concerns the jargon of moviemaking. Given that the film will be entirely computer-generated, calling it “live-action” is patently incorrect. One can split hairs over the production process - shooting motion-captured actors on a bluescreen stage, rather than animating by hand - but not a single frame of live-action footage will make the film. How you define it, however, makes little difference; the intended aesthetic is that of live-action animals, and that’s that.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...