The Princess and the Frog

http://www.awn.com/news/films/lasseter-talks-princess-and-frog-and-2d

"I believe strongly that there are certain things you can do in 2D animation and still can't do in CG. I think, actually, when you look at PRINCESS AND THE FROG and the amazing animation of Louis the alligator, I'm not sure that would be quite the same way in computer animation. And I always say that if you look at SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, that the animation of the dwarfs themselves is something that's pretty much impossible to achieve in computer animation. That fluidity, that squash-and-stretch, that kind of stuff just works with hand-drawn animation. Also, the rich painted backgrounds, we took a look at the films that Walt Disney made because I asked them to aim high: I said, 'Let's make great art.' So we chose LADY AND THE TRAMP and BAMBI for the bayou scenes, the nature, the way that that was represented there, almost an Impressionistic point of view at times. And then with LADY AND THE TRAMP, the scenes of the humans and the architecture of the character design is just the pinnacle of what was Disney's personal style."

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8380601.stm~ article about the heroine princess in The Princess and the Frog- Disney's ninth princess- being the first coloured

African-American princess. This is a "symbolic step for Disney" which has previously been accused of being racist.

"In fact, the film is also notable for rekindling the art of hand-drawn animation and hand-painted backgrounds, dropping the more contemporary reliance on computer generated imagery."

...

"When you are a child, what you are shown does affect you and I can remember when I was growing up not wanting to play with black dolls," she says.

Disney are keeping up with modern times: the new African- American president (though the film began production long before Obama was made president).

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On issues of race surrounding the film and false information on the internet: http://hollywood-animated-films.suite101.com/article.cfm/frog_princess_damage_control

"The Frog Princess was going to be the first cel-animated movie from Disney since 2005. Not only that, the Mouse House was bringing back the legendary team of Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin, The Little Mermaid) to develop the project.

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Photo Gallery: http://makingof.com/happening_now/media/the-princess-and-the-frog/disney-s-return-to-2d-animation/75/267

http://events.animationblogspot.com/2009/01/27/princess-and-the-frog-preview/