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I see what you are saying. I have only ever seen ads and snippets of either, and the spin-offs on television. But if what you are saying about the sequel is true, and since there is no definite time frame for the Lion King movies, then I suppose it could work in theory.

Heheh, I like this topic - thank you for posting this, though I can't understand how I've missed this before...!

Anywho, I can say from experience that writing a crossover is a lot of hard work, but if you can get it just right, it'll be successful. For example, I've had ideas for a Wolf Quest/pre-Scamp's Adventure crossover for a couple of years, which based on the timelines, would probably work out somewhat. It'll probably never get written out though, but it was an idea.

But yeah, some crossovers are just.... impossible. Believe me, I've heard and read of some horrible ones that just don't make sense, even for fanfiction. Bad crossovers just... aren't entertaining, even if it sounds like a good idea to let certain characters mingle somehow.

Also, I'm not sure if this could be considered as a "crossover", but I have my epic fic-in-progress "StarCrossed" that could be a crossover between Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" with Balto [although you could say that the Shakespearean characters are somewhat embodying the ones from Balto sans the original lines, and a lot of things are altered to fit the 1925 Alaskan time period]. Again, it's probably not be the same thing... right?

- Juuchan17

I often point, in situations such as this, to the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190590)...this would be more of what I like to call a "reimagining"...taking an old, epic poem or story and redesigning it (and tweaking it) to fit familiar or new characters (as in the case of your story, I think). I am doing the same...developing a reimagining of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" using the characters from the first Balto movie. But just as "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" is not a clone of Homer's "Odyssey", neither will my story be a clone of "A Christmas Carol". It will simply follow a similar storyline, and be inspired by it. But none of these qualify as crossovers. They do, however, probably make for another fine topic on fan fiction writing!

And thanks for the compliments on this topic! I was hoping to have your input!

What about Balto and Arashi No Yoru Ni? There are no hints about the setting in that movie, but it's a good crossover since it's both related with wolves. What do you think?
-AuraWolf

I don't watch anime. Not except for a few old classics that no one on this forum would even know, for the most part. So I cannot say. But anime is a special sort of animation genre which exists in its own reality, with its own and very different physical laws...

Having looked up this "Arashi No Yoru Ni" on the internet, for the sake of learning what the heck it is, I perused the plot. I SUPPOSE it could be a crossover possibility with some other settings, but I find it particularly disturbing (and all-too-typical of the rather violent and often perplexing* nature of Japanese anime)...not that it is founded on the notion of an unlikely friendship (in this case, between a goat and a wolf), but that the goat later offers himself up as food for the wolf, and actually gets angry when the wolf refuses to eat him because of the friendship they've developed. That makes no freaking sense in real-world terms...or from a western viewpoint at least.

Frankly, it never ceases to astound me that younger Animation Source members have the uncanny ability to discover the most obscure and wacky anime in existence. Stuff most Americans, Canadians and Europeans, generally, never have seen or heard of. I mean, where do you people find this stuff? And honestly, what is the attraction?

I wouldn't combine such stories with anything I'm more accustomed to from other genres regardless of the motivation. But hey, that's me. I realize that there is some sort of attraction to these obscure anime products...which continues to escape me. But if it floats your boat, so be it.

Sorry if that sounds harsh. I meant no criticism or insult.



*Because I know there will be questions:

perplex
per·plex [per-pleks]
verb (used with object)

1. to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally: Her strange response perplexed me.

2. to make complicated or confused, as a matter or question.

3. to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.

This is a really great article, I enjoyed reading it. So I was wondering, what about 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp? I've seen a few of this type, but wanted to know your opinion on it.

Thanks ^^

A good question, and thanks! (And thanks for bringing this topic back from the dead!)

A review of the basic points already laid out earlier is a good place to start, Aiyana. You don't need my approval to make it happen. Be the writer, and write!

But remember one key point of what I said earlier about GOOD crossover writing (as opposed to what is often seen in fan fictions here and elsewhere): were it in the real world, how would characters in early 20th century New England, in the U.S., get to early 20th century London? (Or vice versa.) And why would they? What's their motivation? What's the key plot of the story? Identify that one basic element, and you can then build a story around it that would be plausible. Remember, even in most (and, I think, ALL) animated movies, there still needs to be a measure of plausibility. "Believability", in other words. The milieus of these two movies seem to be more or less within the same general time period. The question for you to resolve, in outlining your story, is how, and for what reason, would you be getting the characters together? And would you see it working within the framework of the technologies and cultures of that time period, even in a cartoon setting?

If you can resolve those points, you have a free road ahead of you to write the story. If not, well...


Incidentally, on my Nome Meets Snob Hill, Pt. 1 comments page, you said:



I would not consider Wikipedia to be a completely reliable source (unless they have some exclusive information Disney gave them). While the Lady and the Tramp milieu is certainly set within the 1900-1920 or so time frame, we don't know that for certain. It is apparent to me that the 101 Dalmatians looks more to be set in the 1920-1930 time frame. But both of these milieus are very close in time, and you can work them into each other without much fuss. After all, we're not talking documentary-level accuracy here. Just plausibility.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it I may have to do some research on the times they are set, though, if there are any particular times

I have seen all the movies of each, and I can tell you that I recall no mention whatsoever of a specific date. Only a general time frame, as evidenced by clothing, automobiles, homes, etc.

Do you think it would be possible to make a crossover between a cartoon and a live action movie? After taking all the advice from your [article?] into account,I feel the movies which I have in mind share so many traits (time frame, subject matter, types of characters, etc.), that I could blend them quite seamlessly. I'm thinking if I suspended reality just a little from the live action movie, I could successfully connect the two stories without it being too jarring of an adjustment for the reader. I know this is a little vague, but I want to keep the crossover candidates to myself for now.

You're getting into a much different concept now, Arctic. Not that you can't do this...but you'd probably have to think REALLY hard on what would make a good story concept and story line. Further, you'd have to allow for the fact that, no matter how you do this, any story where animated characters venture into the real world, or vice versa, is going to be a fantasy by its very design...and a serious bending of the physical laws of either universe. No longer are you pulling together two milieus from one universe (an animated universe in the cases we've been talking about so far in this topic)...now you're meshing together two entirely disparate universes with extremely different physical laws. Yeah...that's a tough nut to crack.


(Some video clips of a few movies I mentioned below are at the bottom...)


As to examples you can draw upon? Consider movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096438/), Cool World (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104009/), Pete's Dragon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076538/), Space Jam (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117705/), and Looney Tunes: Back In Action (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318155/). There are a few other examples. Frankly though, the only ones I noted here which I happen to think have a good story are the first three. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one every member of this site should know. And while it's basic theme and story line is a looney one, it's still a really entertaining one at that. And it sort of works. Cool World is a much darker story...and not one for kids. It is actually a drama for the most part, and any humor in it comes from incidental situations which may, at times, be looney, but are definitely dark. Imagine it as a DARK version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, with a different story line. It works too...and in a sense, even slightly more plausibly than the Roger Rabbit movie. Pete's Dragon, on the other hand, being a classic Disney film, is a sweet and touching story (though, as with any animated or live-action movie, I personally HATE musical numbers performed by characters in almost EVERY movie or television series I've ever seen or heard of...and this would be a good example of that). But it builds, like the other two, upon characters from one universe crossing into another (or crossing back and forth in the former two cases).


And then there was the very interesting concept in the movie version of the old but very good 70s animated television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068072/), which was 2004's Fat Albert (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396592/). While the acting in most of this is atrocious, the story concept is fascinating, and does touch on the original animated series' morally-upbeat value lessons. There really is no mixing of animated and live-action characters, but rather animated characters temporarily transitioning into live-action ones via some bending of physical laws (it would be very difficult to explain better than that the characters just start talking through the television to one of the main live-action characters, and then decide to pop into the real world through the television screen and have an adventure together with her). Sounds weird, but the CONCEPT is good. The acting? Not so much. Though there is a very touching scene in the end which pays tribute to Bill Cosby's original story foundations, and his youthful adventures in the urban environment of 1940s and 50s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That alone is worth having the movie (or at least renting it).


Whereas movies such as these feature a scene or two that mix those media: Song of the South (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038969/), Mary Poppins (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058331/), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066817/), and The Three Caballeros (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038166/). There are plenty of other examples, and even animated series episodes from the classics of the 30s, 40s and 50s which feature such mixing.


Who Framed Roger Rabbit -- The Toon Patrol visits Eddie Valiant:

EDIT: Sorry, I had originally embedded this as a YouTube video link, but apparently the person who posted it there disabled the embedding feature. Here is the direct link to the video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZap9bgWrA



Cool World Trailer:





A scene from Pete's Dragon:





Fat Albert Trailer:





And just so you can see where they drew the inspiration for the Fat Albert movie, here is a great example...one of the classic episodes from the Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids show of the early 70s. lol There was always a moral lesson in each, and the setting was early 1970s urban Philadelphia. Bill Cosby himself (a very YOUNG Bill Cosby from most members' perspective...XD) would intro the show and break in from time to time to narrate or impart a viewpoint or clarification. This whole series was based on old bits he did during his early days of stand-up comedy in the 60s, talking about his real-life experiences growing up in urban Philadelphia, and the friends he had (some of whom, like Fat Albert himself, and Weird Harold, appear as characters in the gang...as well as Bill himself and his younger brother, Russell):

I'm quite surprised at just how many of those I am familiar with. You put me through a serious trip down memory lane.

Anyway, you have given me a way to explain my intentions more clearly. What I am imagining is going to be very similar to "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids." The only thing necessary to successfully combine these movies/stories is to make the animals talk. Other than that, it is just a change in the perceived visual medium. The intention is not to write a potential movie script. I merely wish to combine elements from two or more stories in a way that I feel does not violate the nature of the originals.

Perhaps I'm thinking too much about how I myself read literature? When I read the Balto fan fictions, I mostly abandon the cartoon visuals from the movie. Everything becomes very real in my imagination. Even more so for the characters that were never in the movies. (I think I'll start a new topic to discuss that very subject. I can't seem to find one.)

Once again, I apologize for being so vague. I just think I've struck gold, and I'm reluctant to post it on an open forum before it comes to fruition.

That can only be a good thing. lol But for a place like this, rather rare.



I got that from the outset, dude. I was never under the impression that you wanted to write a script.



Another rare quality within the confines of this fandom. And a refreshing one.



Considering a large quantity of the fan fiction material on this site (let alone elsewhere), that would be one heck of a challenge.



Perhaps you could PM me with a basic synopsis of what you're planning then. You've mildly piqued my interest with this, and now I kind of want to see what you're trying to accomplish here.

Funny you should request that. I already wrote the synopsis. I'll PM you the idea.