The Scottish Sun published a
fascinating article last week about Brave -
Incredible
behind-the-scenes pictures show how forthcoming Pixar blockbuster Brave made it
to the big screen. These
fun-filled snaps look like they're straight out of a tourist's holiday album. But
they actually reveal how the team of top Tinseltown filmmakers lived, worked
and breathed Scotland to bring the mythical Highland tale to life.
Brave is
expected to become Scotland's biggest movie success — even bigger than Mel
Gibson's Braveheart — when it takes the world by storm this summer.
Disney and
tourism chiefs VisitScotland are planning a multi-million-pound marketing
campaign for the film to take Scotland global.
Pixar — the
animation giants behind Finding Nemo, Cars and The Incredibles — signed up a
host of Scotland's biggest names, including Trainspotting star Kelly Macdonald,
comic legend Billy Connolly and US chat show host Craig Ferguson.
It's due out
in August but these amazing pictures show this big-screen adventure started a
staggering SIX YEARS AGO.
Director
Mark Andrews, with writer Brenda Chapman and cartoonist Steve Purcell, made a
secret visit to Scotland for the first time. They enjoyed
a two-week research trip here, visiting Pitlochry, the Trossachs, Skye, Harris
and Lewis. One snap
shows the trio lying down in the heather soaking up the atmosphere surrounded
by some of our most stunning scenery.
Back at the
Pixar hub in California, those on the Brave animation dream team had to attend
weekly production meetings wearing KILTS and tartan so that they could stay in
the creative mood. One of our
images captures animators Travis Hathaway, Ken Kim, Daniel Campbell, Terry Song
and Carlo Vogele wearing our national dress.
A Brave
insider said: "The guys behind the film have gone to extraordinary lengths
to make the project work.
"They
just wanted to soak up the very essence of Scotland and make that transfer on
screen and in the story.
"And
they've shown that they don't take themselves too seriously.
"Seeing
pictures of some of the world's top people in animation lying face up in the
heather staring at the sky, captured that injection of famous Scottish humour.
"That's
been vital for getting the right humour across on screen."
Writer
Brenda came up with the idea for the 3D film, which also features Harry Potter
star Robbie Coltrane, Grey's Anatomy hunk Kevin McKidd and Oscar-winner Emma
Thompson.
She led the
project until she was replaced by Andrews as director two years ago.
Brenda says
she was inspired to write the screenplay by her 12-year-old daughter.
She said:
"I wanted to do a story about a mother and a daughter and what that
relationship is like, the struggle.
"Mainly
it was inspired by my relationship with my daughter, who is 12. She is very
strong-willed and very independent natured.
"We
butt heads and we're both control freaks but the intensity of my love for her
is constant."
It was also
Brenda's decision to set the medieval tale in the Highlands.
