The world of animated cartoons has changed drastically since the days of Walt Disney and his first "live" action film, Steamboat Willie, featuring the character who would become Mickey Mouse. Instead of having to painstakingly draw each frame in a movie, animators now have computers, which not only "sculpt" images, but also bring them to life. The worlds that their creations move through are no longer hand-painted static backdrops, but three-dimensional backgrounds co-ordinated to move in conjunction with the action taking place in front of them. Although the ability to seamlessly integrate the animated characters' activities with the world surrounding them has resulted in cartoons almost as realistic as live action movies, no matter how sophisticated our technology becomes it still can't replace human artistry.
While there wasn't anything artistic about the assembly line conditions under which many commercial cartoons were created in the past either, there's something infinitely more impressive watching a feature drawn by hand than one done on a computer. To today's sophisticated audience used to CGI special effects and 3D rendering, it might at first appear primitive and crude. However there is a certain magic to these efforts that will eventually win them over, especially if a film is as obvious a labour of love as Mia and the Migoo. The English language version of the film from French director Jaques-Remy Girerd's Folimage animation studio was released on DVD on August 7, distributed by GKIDS Films throughout North America.
With every cell hand painted, the film took nearly six years to complete from conceptualization to final product. However, when you see the results of this painstaking attention to detail on your television screen, you'll appreciate the care and effort that went into its creation. From the opening frames, this movie is a visual feast. The use of colour in the beautifully painted backdrops catches your eye right away. In an interview with Girerd included in the DVD's special features he talks about how his studio works in the tradition of Impressionist painters like Cezanne and Van Gogh, and you can see their influence in every frame. Whether a busy street, the interior of a house, a lush jungle or a stark mountain top, each background is a celebration of the shades and hues of colour that go into creating everything around us.
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