For the past 5 years, we have been treated to many computer animated films. There is no denying the effect that Pixar has had on the animated film industry. With the enormous success of movies such as "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc.," and "Finding Nemo," it just seemed like audiences preferred computer animation to traditional animation. After all, it was the "new" thing that everyone wanted to see. All animation studios seemed to have put down their pencils and picked up their mouse.

Disney's last hand drawn animated film was "Home on the Range," and many people thought that if Disney was going to end their 2-D era, they didn't exactly go out with a bang. Well, don't worry. Disney wasn't planning on ending their traditional animation department. They were just taking a break.

We now enter a new era of Disney animation. One that many people are eager to revisit. This December, Disney will be releasing its first traditionally hand drawn animated film in five years. And no, it's not about talking cows, or sibling bears. Disney is going back to their roots, in both art style, and in story too. 1992's "Aladdin" was the last time we had a true Disney princess. (I know, Disney counts Pocahontas and Mulan as princesses too, but they really aren't.) Welcome Princess Tiana, Disney's first African American princess, the star of "The Princess and the Frog." It's a retelling of "The Frog Prince," but with a twist. In Disney's version, when the princess kisses the frog, the frog doesn't turn back into a prince. Instead, the princess turns into a frog. The story continues at this point with how these two transformed amphibians, must reverse the spell so they can both become humans again.

The movie is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the same team that directed "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," and "Hercules." When the two directors held the first meeting with the animators, they quietly mentioned that all the rough animation would be done by hand. Then they paused to wait for the response. Andreas Deja, one of Disney's top animators, remembers that moment. He claimed he was so excited to be doing hand animation again, that he wanted to jump up on the board room table and do a little song and dance for everyone. Andreas, who has animated for this team of directors before, handling King Triton, the evil Jafar and the heroic Hercules, will once again be handling a major character in this film. He is animating Mama Odie, this film's Fairy Godmother.

The film is set in New Orleans, and features all new jazz music by composer Randy Newman. A few of the celebrity voices heard in "The Princess and the Frog" include, Terrence Howard, Keith David, John Goodman, Oprah Winfrey and Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana. The film opens December 11, 2009.

Barry Morris:

Barry Morris is a writer, an award-winning television producer, author and educator.  He’s written and produced corporate television in the United States from Miami to Maui, as well as in Mexico, Canada and Australia.  His media training clients range from the Midwest Research Institute, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Australian Amusement Parks Association and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions

For seventeen years Barry was a Kansas City television reporter and news anchor on
WDAF-TV4 while it was the NBC television affiliate. He created the national award
winning “Made In Kansas City” series.

Currently Barry is Executive Producer/Director of Newsday Communications, a video production company specializing in medical television production for training and continuing education of health care professionals.

As an educator Barry teaches communications for the University of Phoenix - Kansas City and the University of Phoenix Online.  He’s taught communications at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, Rockhurst University and Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City. He’s led seminars in the Executive Management Program at Cornell University in Ithaca New York.

Barry is active in community affairs.  He serves on the Board of the William Jewell College National Alumni Association and is an active volunteer at KCPT Public Television in Kansas City.   He is a past Board Member of the State Ballet of Missouri and an Advisory Board member of the Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry and Niles Home for Children.

He is a veteran of the U.S. Army having served tours of duty in the Middle East.

Barry Morris is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators.  He holds an AB Degree from William Jewell College and an MA from the University of Oklahoma.

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