'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

[ALIASd]

'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird Finds Blu-ray Delectable

Author: JOHN GAUDIOSI
HomeMediaRetailing
Posted: November 1, 2007

Ratatouille, heaped praise on the Blu-ray format and what it brings to computer-generated movies during the Blu-ray Disc Festival.



Ratatouille disc, however, he did have crews documenting the process from start to finish.





A home theater enthusiast, Bid loves the way Blu-ray brings the movie he created into homes.

Spider-Man 3 in Wisconsin on the second day after it opened.

Laurence of Arabia and Citizen Kane

The IncrediblesCars and Ratatouille

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2

[Coheteboy]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

GAH!!! now i have to have a bluray player.

[SimpTwister]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Note that everything in the quotes above would apply to HD-DVD as well as Blu-Ray.

I suggest Brad Bird is promoting Blu-Ray as part of his professional obligations (Disney supports Blu-Ray, obviously), and not so much as a matter of his personal opinion.

Also, I'm of the opinion that most DVD 'extras' are unnecessary. Just give me the dang movie. When I buy a set of bedsheets, I don't get a booklet explaining how sheets are made and introducing me to the managers at the factory, nor do I want one.

And don't even get me started on "Interactive Animated Menus!", bullet-pointed on the box as if it somehow improves the experience. The more work they put into the menu, the longer it takes to actually get to what you want. And they often give away key information from the second or third act of the movie in clips or soundbites. (OK, now I'm going off-topic, since this also applies to standard DVDs.)

In summary:

* Brad Bird is promoting Blu-Ray over HD-DVD because he has to.
* All of Bird's comments above would apply to any hi-def format, not just Blu-Ray.
* Just give me the movie. Any 'extras' beyond maybe a commentary track are a waste of my time and yours. If you want to put more info on a higher-priced 'special edition', that's fine, but 99 times out of 100 I'll buy the 'standard edition'.

[Mr_Incredible]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

I agree with Mr. Bird with everything he's said. I'm a huge fan of DVDs that give you endless hours of behind the scenes footage, that take you through every step from the script to the release of the film. And I much prefer the Blu-ray over HD DVD, especially since I've already invested in it, and because I believe it delievers the best quality picture, sound and bonuses that's possible. I just can't wait till tomorrow!

[ROBONICS95]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

I do not own Blu-ray as of yet but there is some validity to what Mr. Bird has said about the benefits of an Hi Def DVD experience.

I had the opportunity to screen Ratatouille at the Pixar Studios in their State of the Art movie theatre. It was presented directly from the digital source. The film itself is an artistic masterpiece, IMO, and the level of detail in the animation is stunning. It did not really hit me how much of a difference it was to see the film in it's true digital form until I saw it at Century Theatres on opening day. It was then that I felt disappointed by the lack of quality these films are presented in in comparison to what I had previously experienced.

Bird claims Blu-ray (HD-DVD's) present the film as it was meant to be seen, just like it is seen by the artists at the studio. If this is truly accurate than just the film experience alone is a high selling point for me.

But I am still holding out until I see the prices drop...

[SimpTwister]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Just to be clear, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are two different formats (which give essentially the same result).

Blu-Ray is basically a 'high-definition DVD', but it's not HD-DVD.

[ROBONICS95]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Right...

I wrote:

Bird claims Blu-ray (HD-DVD's) present the film as it was meant to be seen, just like it is seen by the artists at the studio.

I meant HD-DVD as in the general Hi Def format and not the competing "HD-DVD" format.

Sorry, that was a little confusing

[IndianaRudison!]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Aw, man! i wish they'd put the extended cut of the film onto the Regular DVD version, how cool would that be?

[Aladdin]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Blu-Ray is more advanced than high def dvd. BUT
this bigger question is what is more affordable at this
point. High Def DVD have begun appearing at much
more affordable prices, But Blu Ray is still quite a bit
more expensive ~ even though it is more advanced,
it will need to become more affordable to remain
competitive with HD DVD.

And I do like the extras, behind the scenes, deleted
scenes and songs, various commentaries, They all
add value to the dvd and extend repeatability.
BUT, most of the Games with the dvd's are worthless.

[kcnole]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

The only real capability BluRay has over HD-DVD is in capacity, but we've had this conversation in the other thread so I'm not going to retread it.

[sediment]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

When I buy a set of bedsheets, I don't get a booklet explaining how sheets are made and introducing me to the managers at the factory, nor do I want one.

Obviously, you're not a sheet snob, as so many of us around here are.

Now if you were to have used "hot dog" instead of "bedsheets," you'd have a very valid point.

[Chernabog]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

I just purchased the Blurays of Ratatouille and the Pixar Shorts today.

I first watched the short of "One Man Band" and my jaw absolutely freaking dropped. It looks.... I can't even begin to describe how amazing it looks. There are textures I've never seen before. Wow, just.. wow.

Ratatouille has a really stupid game, but the movie itself is also visually breathtaking. I saw the DVD version last week, and while it looks really good, the Bluray version is a definite step up (I'm running the Bluray (Ps3) via HDMI input into a 50" 1080p LED-DLP set). It sounds fantastic as well, but I don't have the best speakers right now and can't use the subwoofer due to neighbor issues, so it is hard to compare.

Visually though... sorry bluray haters, but you're missing out on the Disney stuff.

[ROBONICS95]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Thanks for the info Chernabog!
I can't wait to experience it in my own home...

[Chernabog]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Thanks for the info Chernabog!
I can't wait to experience it in my own home...

There are a lot of extras on the Ratatouille Bluray too (in the Cinema exploration feature). I'm still trying to see if there's a comparison as to what features are on what disc (and then compared to whatever the heck is on that bonus disc you get at Target).

It seems that there's a lot more on the Bluray special feature wise than the DVD since there's this huge menu, but it is hard to tell without having complete DVD specs to compare it to.

[ROBONICS95]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

There are a lot of extras on the Ratatouille Bluray too (in the Cinema exploration feature). I'm still trying to see if there's a comparison as to what features are on what disc (and then compared to whatever the heck is on that bonus disc you get at Target).

It seems that there's a lot more on the Bluray special feature wise than the DVD since there's this huge menu, but it is hard to tell without having complete DVD specs to compare it to.

Having seen both versions, were you able to see the added animation to Ratatouille that Bird had mentioned was available on Blu-ray?

[Chernabog]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Having seen both versions, were you able to see the added animation to Ratatouille that Bird had mentioned was available on Blu-ray?

Not yet, I didn't watch both versions all the way through yet. I was noticing things like sharper quality on the rat fur, and sparkles around the Gusteau-ghost, the buildings of Paris being sharper, textures on paper/walls/countertops, stuff like that. It didn't seem nearly that clear on DVD.

On both versions I've only watched up to the point that Remy gets captured (after the kitchen run-around scene where he makes the soup) so I can't really comment on that (I probably wouldn't go "oh my god his hair is blowing differently!" either, lol). I mean if Brad Bird said things were added, I believe him... but unless I had a side-by-side comparison of little things like that....

The picture quality though... yes, there is a difference.

[ROBONICS95]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Gotcha, thanks again for your input.

[ALIASd]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

Pixar Embraces Blu-Ray

November 06, 2007
AnimationWorldNetwork

The high-def Blu-ray camp gets a big boost today (Nov. 6, 2007) with the release of Pixar's RATATOUILLE, CARS and THE PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION VOL. 1 (from Walt Disney Studios Home Ent., $34.99).

And no one is prouder than John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios. "Blu-ray is really exciting because I feel for the first time that you can truly see a Pixar film because there are so many details that get lost on the DVD," he told AWN. "Also because of the amazing amount of data available on the Blu-ray, it makes it so you can do special features that you can't do in any other technology. We have the 'Cine-Explore,' which is like having a commentary with visuals. So it's like watching the movie, hearing the commentary and seeing a documentary at the same time. It's for real cinephiles, and, for me, as a filmmaker, it's great because this becomes the ultimate document on the making of the film. It's so important to put these ideas down when they're fresh in your head.

"And also the Blu-ray technology gives you the opportunity to have fun. The number of characters in the backgrounds of CARS was so gigantic. And we [enjoyed] developing them all but you just drive by in the movie. But the Blu-ray technology gave us the opportunity to explore those characters a little more. So that was the evolution of the CAR FINDER game, which is like a moving scavenger hunt, where you're looking for these cars as the movie's playing. Even as you find them and select them, you can learn about their names, their backstories and more details about them.

"And then there are the shorts with the COLLECTION. I was really excited to finally have the ultimate collection in Pixar shorts, which we've wanted to do for a while, and a lot of people have been asking for this. And there's a great little documentary on the early days of the shorts and commentaries on each one, and it's just great to have them all together [in Blu-ray]."

In addition to such RATATOUILLE DVD bonus features as deleted scenes with intros by Brad Bird, the Fine Food and Film featurette and two shorts -- LIFTED and YOUR FRIEND THE RAT -- there are the following Blu-ray exclusive bonus features:

http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=...sitem_no=21392

[Chernabog]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

^^ I'm not gonna be home till after I hit the gym tonite, but I'll play around with that Cine-Explore stuff (I didn't last night, too busy marveling at the movie itself). Not sure what Lasseter is talking about above, but I'll figure it out -- since it sounds like something they can't do on regular DVD.... hmmmm has anyone else played with this feature yet?

[Chernabog]

Re: 'Ratatouille' Director Brad Bird finds Blu-ray delectable

OK just got off the phone with my roommate who watched that cine-explore stuff -- apparently it is different from what I was imagining -- not sure if is a "regular" documentary, but it seems like a collection of stuff that either branches off from, or appears simultaneously with, the film itself (and perhaps, it adds up to 50 minutes extra, etc.). So it's like you're watching comments and extra stuff simultaneously with the scene that it is referring to. I'll figure it out tonight (not sure if it is picture-in-picture, or what).