For ninety years, the Disney Animation Studios have been creating movies and enchanting the lives of generations. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to Wreck-It Ralph, kids and adults have packed theaters to be amazed by Disney’s magic. Now you can explore the amazing feats of Disney Animation Studios in a new app, Disney Animated.
The app, which was developed by Touch Press, who also created the Beethoven’s Ninth app recently reviewed on GeekDad, is a soup-to-nuts, interactive, fun-filled journey that examines how Disney brings characters to life and creates compelling content that is as good today as when they began nearly a century ago.
In the iOS-only app, there is plenty to see and do. Begin with a deep study in animation that looks at how Disney Animation Studios began, before progressing to the different trademark elements of any animated Disney feature. Story, visual development, character, backgrounds, effects, and music are all examined before looking at how they all come together. There are plenty of sketches, movie clips, and much more — from the earliest movies to the upcoming feature, Frozen.
Nearly every screen has a block of explanatory text, along with supporting images. Tap certain images and they open to in-depth examples that illustrate how that piece of the animation fits into the overall film. There’s a lot in this animation education, so the app cleverly bookmarks your position in the app, allowing you to quickly find your place if you have to return later.
Once you’ve honed your chops, move on to the more interactive elements of the app. Several minigames let you animate characters yourself; a helping hand is available if you need it. There’s also an interactive timeline that lets you dig deep into the Disney Animation vault, learning trivia, discover new information, and even watch trailers for all the films.
One of my favorite features of the app is a collection of color maps for each individual movie, from Snow White to Wreck-It Ralph, showing how important of a role color palette plays, not only in each movie, but the acts and scenes of a particular feature. It is truly fascinating.
Disney Animated is $9.99 at the iTunes store and only for the iPad. If you are an animation or Disney fan, you should buy it — Disney Animated is worth every penny.
Disclosure: GeekDad was sent an sample of this app.
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