What Was The First CGI Animated Movie
The term animated movie typically refers to films that are completely computer-generated, but not every CGI film is an animated feature. Some use special effects like animation to make it seem as if something or someone is moving for real, which clearly does not fit the definition of animated movie! These types of movies are referred to as semi-animated or pseudo-animated.
A few examples of this include: Ghosts, Planet of the Apes, and some Harry Potter flicks (though these don’t count because they have live action!). An example of a fully CG animated movie that isn’t considered an animated feature is 2015′s Monster Trucks, though it definitely has lots of cool visuals.
But what was the very first cgiamned feature? That would be 1952′s Mighty Mouse Episode #1, “The Royal Pain.
The Little Mermaid
Many people know Disney for their feature length movies that tell stories with elaborate production values, rich settings, and engaging characters. But what many don’t realize is that some of the most well-known films in the company’s history are actually made up of several different styles and genres mixed together.
For example, back in 1989, there was already one movie within the studio that used CGI to create animated features. That movie was The Lion King, which won three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Roger Rabbit creator Roger Ramjet Brolin), and Best Original Screenplay (Tom Stoppard).
While not as famous today as it once was, The Lion King remains an important piece of both Disney and animation lore. It helped start something special at the company, and proved that they could make successful CG projects outside of classic fairy tale adaptations.
So why isn’t Therese Trebat has more credit than just being the man behind The Lion King? Well, he did write much of the script, but his contributions were mostly focused on the story. He got his big break writing for A Beautiful Mind, so I guess we can let him off the hook this time!
What makes Therese Trebat really unique though, beyond his success as a writer, is his career transition. Back when he wrote for A Beautiful Mind, he didn’t necessarily set out to be a screenwriter.
Monsters, Inc
Many people know that Pixar is famous for creating incredible stories full of lovable characters and scenarios. However, some may not realize just how early they were producing animated features. The first one was actually released in 2001!
Monsters, Inc., which many consider to be the perfect example of an iconic Pixar movie, premiered back in May 2002. It took almost two years to get this film made though, as it wasn’t until September 2000 when producer James Gunn got final approval from Fox Studios to start production.
This isn’t too surprising since most studios take several months to produce their films due to all of the internal processes that happen. Graphics, animation, sound, music, editing, etc.
The Incredibles
Many people know Disney for their animated features, like Frozen or Tangled. But what many don’t realize is that some of the most popular movie franchises ever are actually made up of CGI-animated movies!
The first one to win big at the Oscars was back in 2004, when filmmakers Daniel Geller and Robert Stokes created an unexpected hit with The Incredibles. It just so happened to be their own creation!
A lot of people credit director Brad Bird (whose career includes films such as Ratatouille and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) with helping get The Incredibles into theaters, but it was actually producer John Lasseter who put together the initial team. He wanted to make something fun, so he asked his friend Geller if there were any cartoons he had been wanting to do for years.
Geller told him about his favorite character from college days, Bob Parr, and how much he loved his family. So, Lasseter pitched the idea of making a movie about a superhero family to Geller and Stokes. They thought it was crazy, but they agreed to give it a try.
Since then, The Incredables has earned more than $600 million at the box office and received several Academy Award nominations. It even inspired its own successful TV show!
But before all of that, The Incredible ___________ did something no other super hero film has done before.
Toy Story
Many people credit Pixar with creating the current era of animated features, but they are wrong! It was actually Disney that pioneered the concept back in 1986 when they released their first CGI movie, The Fox and The Hound.
The Fox and The Hound is a dark comedy about two dogs who must work together to survive after their respective owners are put into a dog show.
While The Hounds funny moments come mostly from actor John Travolta’s acting ability, it is director Jim Davis (All Dogs Go To Heaven) and writer Paul Rudish who really make the film shine.
Their witty banter between the two main characters makes for some very entertaining cinema.
After the success of The Fox And The Hound, Davis and Rudish were able to create another hit movie titled G-Force. Like its predecessor, G-Force also starred two animals as leads, this time a cat and mouse duo.
Not only did this pair bring us many great laughs, but they also gave us our first ever look at what would later be known as “the cowl.”
This is an easy way to describe the soft furry hat or headpiece that all villainous robots in animated films have since been replaced by.
It is still used today, though not always exclusively for villains. For example, you can see it being worn by the robot cowboy hero in Robots and Monsters as well as Vision in Avengers: Age Of Ultron.