The Blackwing Diaries: Squash and huh?

Oct 2, 2006

Squash and huh?

Amid Amidi points out this whopper in an L.A. Times reporter's recap of the top opening movies this past weekend--"Open Season", Sony Animation's inaugural film having made a very respectable three day take. The writer elaborates on the "genre" film a bit:

"The movie, based on the humor of cartoonist Steve Moore, introduces a technique dubbed "squash and stretch" that allows the cartoon characters to change shape during action sequences."

Now, I'm hoping that what the he really means is that there was a special tweaking of the software used at Sony to better facilitate the driving principle that's the basis of all animated movement since forever, "squash and stretch". At least I hope so. I hope he doesn't think that this new "squash & stretch" thing was really introduced in "Open Season". I hope.

I'm old enough to remember more than one review in the 70s lauding Bakshi's "invention" of the rotoscope device in "Lord of the Rings", though, so anything's possible.

6 comments:

Todd Oman said...: That is some great reporting LA times. I think Open Season invented movement in animation also.; 10/02/2006
Bill Robinson said...: Holy wow. That is just...beyond words. Also, I saw Open Season and was satisfied but a little let down at the same time. I knew going in that it would be a talking critter film, but I really was hoping for more. (I also saw it on IMAX 3D, which was really distracting and horrible. Don't do it!); 10/02/2006
David said...: I hear tell that D.W. Griffith will be introducing some radical new technique in his next motion-capture film ... something called "the close-up" . What's next : "talking movies" ?! Ha, ha, ha, ha.....; 10/02/2006
hans bacher said...: why should these news-guys be smarter than some executives, I remember some good stories...; 10/02/2006
Lee-Roy said...: Yikes! And I guess there wasn't any squash and stretch in Over the Hedge or other 3D-animated films, either, huh? Just a bunch of plastic, emotionless, weightless mannequins.

That is a whopper.; 10/03/2006
David Germain said...: Yeah, if Mr. Stupid had done his research, he'd have found that the technique was actually introduced to the Walt Disney studio by Freddy Moore back in 1931. So really, Open Season moreso commemorates the 75th anniversary of Squash & Stretch.

By the way, Jenny, I just bought the Animaniacs dvd. Whenever I see your name in the credits I get kind of gooey inside.; 10/04/2006