Best Shot(s): Disney's "Zootopia"
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 11:08PM 
Each year we throw an animated movie into the mix of our Best Shot season. It's a handy reminder that Best Shot is about more than just camera work and lighting actors and sets but how filmmaking teams choose to tell the stories they're telling. But even if we think of it only as a celebration of cinematography, animated films have been upping their game there, too, famously hiring high profile cinematographers as consultants as CG animation really took over the world in the last 20 years.
Since we're counting on Zootopia, one of the year's most beloved films, to be one of the nominees (though it's too early to say "frontrunner") for Best Animated Feature we give it pride of place here today now that it's out on BluRay and DVD. My own choice will come tomorrow due to a last minute screening. But please do enjoy these Best Shot articles from around the web today.
ZOOTOPIA
Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush
Production Design by: David Goetz and Dan Cooper
Lighting: There are over 45 people listed in Zootopia's credits with "lighting" in their title.
There are so many great things about this film, but it's its world building I'd like to focus on...
-Sorta That Guy
People say the messaging is too heavy-handed... I would like to introduce you to something called a FABLE!
- Rachel's Reviews
It's so damn noir...
-Antagony & Ecstasy
Despite how simple and brief, it still manages to be the defining moment of the film...
-Conman at the Movies *new participant*
The film’s lesson of appearances vitally works in both ways...
-Film Mix Tape
Judy and Nick’s arc is great. And for me, it culminates here...
- Storyphile
I have a lot of feels about this masterwork...
-Anna, Look! *new participant*
Next Week's Special Party (Monday-Friday)
1977's Cinematography Nominees. Pick one of the five films and join us. Details here!
Reader Comments (7)
Truly one of the best movies of the year. Just so well done in so many levels.
As a past English teacher I loved your comments and the movie itself.
Hi Nathaniel, I did a blog on this too! My first ever HMWYBS entry! http://zummer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-zootopia.html
Thanks! :')
Loved reading these. Thanks Rachel for highlighting one of the great laugh-out-loud images. And Conman--that tiger is so cuddly-looking that it really piles on the sadness to the tragic mean-spiritedness of those fearful bunnies... I recently re-watched on a plane and my choice probably would been something from the same sequence as Sorta that guy. Of course, I'm a sucker for girl dreamers and swelling music cues, combined with gorgeous sets.
Ugh, i'm horrified that I missed this one because I really wanted to sit and watch this movie.
i wasn't quite as enamoured with it as many people seem to be. excellent world-building/art-design, top-notch animation, good character development...but the story felt like a self-serious after school special, revelling too heavily in its own often cheesy jokes. but i'll have to agree with Conman at the Movies, the little scene with the tiger on the bus next to the bunnies was insanely evocative of race struggle and societal paranoia.
Zootopia is a really cool movie not only for kids or teenagers. Me and my son watched it like 10 times and still he wants more :-) thanks!