tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post6934103395763766597..comments2024-03-19T02:27:08.584-05:00Comments on Ghibli Blog: Studio Ghibli, Animation and the Movies: Posters - Ponyo (USA)Daniel Thomas MacInneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-41625708135012557122009-05-04T18:24:00.000-05:002009-05-04T18:24:00.000-05:00I hate it, the 3D waves specially.I hate it, the 3D waves specially.hjghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15459485877620127826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-72619118873872663892009-05-04T12:09:00.000-05:002009-05-04T12:09:00.000-05:00Interesting insight, Kevan. I've read a lot of co...Interesting insight, Kevan. I've read a lot of complimentary words on Disney's Ponyo poster, particularly at Cartoon Brew, and I'm sure they'll agree with what you've said.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to what the consensus is overall. As, always, we'll cross our fingers and hope for the best.Daniel Thomas MacInneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-22015619630463388792009-05-04T10:07:00.000-05:002009-05-04T10:07:00.000-05:00It's common for Hollywood movies to have one tease...It's common for Hollywood movies to have one teaser poster that's different from the official relase. Usually these teasers do just that - little more than a "coming soon" banner. Sometimes, these posters are better than the final versions, sometimes they're worse. As in all things, it's a matter of taste.<br /><br />Really, everything comes down to the box-office numbers. If Disney makes Ponyo a hit in the US, then the poster becomes a success. If not, then it becomes an easy target for all the Monday Morning Quarterbacks.Daniel Thomas MacInneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-11416624241640385332009-05-04T10:02:00.000-05:002009-05-04T10:02:00.000-05:00Maybe I'm just a little too easy going, but I feel...Maybe I'm just a little too easy going, but I feel like Disney has made the right move here. I'm not saying I think this is a particularly great poster, but unfortunately the art of posters has long died out in the US marketplace. <br /><br />Disney is playing to the audience, it has to market this movie. In Japan and much of the world, all you need is one TV commercial that highlights "from Hayao Miyazaki" and you're guaranteed your high box office. With that kind of audience Ghibli is free to make a truly artful, engaging, beautiful poster campaign, because it doesn't matter if the poster sells the film or not, it's already in the public's consciousness.<br /><br />In the US, anyone who would be sold by a trailer even going as far as stating "from the man who brought you Spirited Away," has already been aware of Ponyo for over a year now. They don't need to be sold, that's not who this poster is for. Ponyo should become a children's classic, and Disney needs to sell this to kids. <br /><br />American children grow up with CG fare left and right, action toons on CN and Nickelodeon; they're overstimulated. The artistic posters from overseas won't interest them, this is a bold colorful poster likely to catch a child's eye from across the hall coming out of Ice Age 3. They'll be drawn to it, and I feel that this striking, mysterious image will pique their curiosity enough for them to ask their parents about it. The Nemoesque font may seem cheesy, but I think it's unique enough and if the kids are reminded to Nemo looking at this, then all the better. Once they're in the seats, they're in for a great ride!<br /><br />This is where I think the true genius of this is. First of all, this depiction of Ponyo clearly sells the film as 2D animated fare, something people haven't seen in many years at the cinema. Second, the small central image and vertical tagline, I think, is a callback to the Disney classics of the early 90's. This is setup just like the preview posters for Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, and I think the children of yesteryear, today's parents, will go nostalgic for it. That's my hope anyway. Needless to say, I don't feel this should be the Blu-ray cover, but I think it's what this film needs to try to fill those 700 screens!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10344962024732101724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-45644396316259451022009-05-04T09:50:00.000-05:002009-05-04T09:50:00.000-05:00I see your points in comparing this poster to the ...I see your points in comparing this poster to the original Japanese version, but all in all I can't say I dislike the Disney poster because I know it could have been so much worse (over-busy, crammed full of all the characters from the movie, airbrushed-to-death) , so I am content to see a simple, direct design . <br /><br />(although it is not as strong a design as the <A HREF="http://www.mypostercollection.com/LIttle%20Mermaid%20LB.jpg" REL="nofollow">good Little Mermaid poster</A> which was barely seen compared to the piece of crap they used as the wide-release poster and VHS cover: <A HREF="http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/essential-movies/284-1.jpg" REL="nofollow">crappy Mermaid poster</A> . So you see ? Could have been worse.)Davenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-8230343952978223452009-05-04T01:47:00.000-05:002009-05-04T01:47:00.000-05:00You've got to be kidding. When I saw the poster I ...You've got to be kidding. When I saw the poster I thought it had to be some sort of April's Fools prank. Come on, looks like a complete Nemo ripoff! Seriously, look at the typo, the composition, the CG, the tagline...<br /><br />It reminds me of the way distributors treated in my country the incredible Gondry film Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. Spanish distributors felt that selling a serious Jim Carrey film wasn't going to be that easy so they tried to fool everybody into thinking the movie was the tipical Carrey stupid flick. They "translated" the film title as "¡Olvídate de mí!", which roughly means "Forget about me!". What a joke.<br /><br />Seems like Disney doesn't believe either in the film so they're trying to fool the public as well. Shame on them! Ponyo is one of the most beatiful, bold and unique films I've ever seen. It stands completely by its own, no need for fake advertising.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040418848139787666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-78914128369471528932009-05-03T21:17:00.000-05:002009-05-03T21:17:00.000-05:00I struggled with that question for a while. I thin...I struggled with that question for a while. I think Disney is banking on both things to happen. We identify with Ponyo because she's so alien. We are literally looking down at her as she enters the world of humans - though that aspect is something the poster only implies. The function of the tagline is to invoke a sense of scale to what we're seeing. A world where anything is possible? Gee whiz, what's that fish gotten into? Who hasn't felt like a fish out of water at some point in their lives? The lack of context of where Ponyo actually is, plus the visual cues (small protagonist in a big sea of blue, expressions, etc) plus the tagline makes it much easier for us to put ourselves in her shoes- er, fins.Brandon Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-83648787433106205452009-05-03T20:50:00.000-05:002009-05-03T20:50:00.000-05:00That's an excellent analysis! Thank you so much f...That's an excellent analysis! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm eager to hear as many different viewpoints on the new Ponyo poster as possible.<br /><br />It's very interesing to think of the poster this way. In your view, then, Ponyo's alienness (both the character and the movie) becomes the central theme. Does this mean we are meant to identify with her, or look upon here from another perspective?<br /><br />Again, excellent insights, Brandon. Feel free to share more if you like.Daniel Thomas MacInneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-43110018165012953952009-05-03T20:41:00.000-05:002009-05-03T20:41:00.000-05:00This poster is pretty similar to Disney's Spirited...This poster is pretty similar to Disney's Spirited Away poster. Both Spirited Away and Ponyo feature somewhat minimalistic, bland designs featuring the lead character with a small amount of backdrop. Chihiro is center stage in front of a black background with just a hint of the shops surrounding the bath house against a solid black background; Ponyo on a barely-visible jellyfish over a blue gradient with some water.<br /><br />Comparing this Ponyo sheet to its analogous Japanese poster, it seems that Disney is trying to market Ponyo as an adventure-into-the-unknown story. In the original Japanese poster, Ponyo seems to be about eye level with the viewer and has a neutral expression. She also takes up a large amount of space- she may be from under the sea, but she's not out of place here. In the American poster, the our viewpoint is much higher. Ponyo looks up to us with an awed look on her face, mouth hanging open. She's tiny, almost insignificant against the sea of blue. She's in over her head. So it seems that in Japan, the point was to get us to ask "how does this goldfish fit into our world?" while in America, we're supposed to ask "what is this goldfish doing in a totally alien place?"Brandon Brownnoreply@blogger.com