
Outstanding animation artists from all over the world have joined
forces to bring Quest for Camelot to life, creating vivid characters in a
uniquely beautiful setting. Classic animation techniques, combined with the
latest possibilities in CGI (computer-generated imagery), bring physical
presence and storytelling power to the action in the film.
Says producer Dalisa Cooper Cohen, "We've created intriguing, unconventional
characters who prove that they, the unlikeliest of heroes, can win the day
through intelligence, courage and humor. Kayley, our female lead, is a
strong-willed, agile and principled young woman who's not afraid to plunge into
a haunted forest or take a swing at a villain if the situation requires it.
She wants to be a knight, something unheard of in her era, but she's not so
single-minded that she's immune to the charms of a handsome young man who comes
to her assistance, either.
"Garrett, her male counterpart, is someone who changes a great deal during the
story. He's bright, talented and strong, but he's turned away from the world
because of an accident that changed his life. Kayley, and her quest to find
the lost sword Excalibur, are Garrett's first reasons in years to consider
rejoining the kingdom of Camelot. The transformation in him is inspiring,
touching and sometimes very funny."
Comments director Frederik Du Chau, "We also created a terrific villain in
Ruber -- someone who's genuinely evil -- and completely nuts! Animation
allows you to visually express so much emotion in your characters -- Ruber is
almost literally deformed by his own wickedness. And we were very fortunate to
get Gary Oldman as the voice of Ruber -- he brings tremendous drama and humor
to the role."
Among the most entertaining supporting players is Devon & Cornwall, a
two-headed dragon voiced by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame, and Don Rickles,
whose insult-laden humor has made him a comedic institution. Devon is a snooty
and cultivated dragon; the other, Cornwall, is earthy and crude. Each despises
the fact that he and his opposite are ruled by one body from which both of
their heads sprout.
Their constant arguing has made it impossible for them to enjoy any of the
"perks" that other dragons are allowed, such as breathing fire and flying --
too much of their energy is consumed in hilarious bickering. But when Devon
& Cornwall come to the aid of Kayley and Garrett, they learn an important
lesson about overcoming obstacles -- and, all the while, provide a comic
underpinning to the adventure story.
Quest for Camelot boasts songs from David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager, two
of the music world's most talented and successful songwriters. Says director
Du Chau, "Our songs are not directed or staged like musical theater. We've got
some great song and dance numbers, but, thanks to the choreography of Kenny
Ortega and the insight of our creative consultant, Broadway's Mike Ockrent,
we've been able to handle them differently. I think that some of the best
parts of the movie are the way songs are staged and how they bring this world
to life. They keep moving; they don't stop the story."
Artists working on the scenic backdrop for Quest for Camelot traveled to
England and visited ancient Celtic sites to incorporate images from
thousand-year-old stone carvings into the visual themes of the movie. The goal
of this exhaustive research and attention to detail is to combine the best of
Warner Bros.' world-renowned reputation in animation with its ambitious new
horizons in making animated feature films.
States Max Howard, President of Warner Bros. Feature Animation, "I think one of
the things Warner Bros. is doing is taking something from our heritage of the
Looney Tunes, which we're very fortunate to have. We've enjoyed a
reputation for really pioneering work and a tradition of making the greatest
animated shorts. And one of the reasons I think they were so successful and
why millions of kids and adults have so enjoyed them is that there was a
special nature, an irreverence in them. Now our goal is to bring that
irreverence to our filmmaking, to try new things in storytelling as well as in
graphic arts, and to share the world we've created in our minds -- the world of
enchantment and challenging adventure in Camelot -- with our audiences."

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