One of our greatest childhood dreams is about to become a reality. Disney Animation vets Aaron Blaise and Chuck Williams are raising funds for an animated picture in which people jump into famous works of art. We're not sure if you spent hours of precious youth dreaming of such a fantastic art-centric adventure, but we sure did.
Blaise and Williams worked on classics like the Lion King, Pocahontas and Mulan before embarking on this independent project. According to the Kickstarter description, "Art Story" follows a straight-laced, Michael Cera-esque protagonist and his wacky Christopher Lloyd-like grandfather on their misadventure through a slew of art history's greatest hits. The two struggle to get along as they journey through the painted worlds of Degas, Lichtenstein, Rousseau and more.
"Through a combination of hand-drawn, CG animation, and different rendering techniques, you can make stuff look like a Van Gogh or a Lichtenstein," the filmmakers told The Wrap. "You can really make those worlds come alive. The technology's there." Judging from the concept artwork available thus far, the simulated artworks really do capture the essence of the originals.
The duo has turned to Kickstarter to raise funds for their prospective flick, hoping to earn $350,000 in the next month. For only a dollar donation you can suggest a painting to appear in the film! Check out some stills from film below and let us know if you've been waiting for an artsy fairy tale all your life in the comments.
Here they are in "American Gothic"...
And in an Andrew Wyeth painting...
Barging in on a ballet class with Edgar Degas...
Enjoying some diner food ala Edward Hopper...
Cruising through a Roy Lichtenstein scene...
Prancing through a Henri Rousseau jungle...
And enjoying a Vincent Van Gogh starry night.
BEHIND THE SCENES from Chaz Williams on Vimeo.