Disney•Pixar’s COCO Printables and Recipes – Giveaway

For This Music Is My Language and the World Es Mi Familia – Coco 

“There [is] something familiar to us all in this story” remarks director Lee Unkrich. “That [is] what makes it so special.” Disney•Pixar’s “Coco” will debut in theaters this week, and its story about honoring one’s ancestors and following your dreams is the perfect holiday treat this season. Coco finds its origins in Unkrich, who first presented the idea to Pixar seven years ago. The story follows 12-year-old boy Miguel, an aspiring musician who’s family ironically forbids music. He teams up with the the scrappy but streetwise skeleton named Héctor in a remarkable journey through the Land of the Dead.

Disney•Pixar’s Coco

Miguel is an aspiring singer and self-taught guitarist, who dreams of following in the footsteps of his idol and famous musician Ernesto de la Cruz. Miguel’s family forbids music, because of an age-old rift between his great-great grandmother and great-great-grandfather. She wanted to raise their family in Santa Cecilia while he could not let go of his dream of becoming a musician. When he leaves his family behind to pursue his dream, Mamá Imelda imposes a ban on music which is passed down through the generations.

Miguel’s pursuit of his dream uncovers a family secret and a connection to de la Cruz. When Miguel shares the news with his family, it causes further conflict, forcing him to choose between his love for his family and his dream of becoming a musician. His impulsivity sets off a magical event which makes him visible only to those who have come to visit from the Land of the Dead on Día de los Muertos. In this vibrant world live generations of people who left the Land of the Living including Miguel’s ancestors. Their offer to help is conditional…he must give up music forever. Unwilling to give up his dream, Miguel encounters the streetwise skeleton Héctor, who both set off to find de la Cruz. They believe he is the answer to uncovering Miguel’s confusing family history.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Coco

The story of Coco is inspired by Mexico’s people, cultures and traditions – Lee Unkrich

• • The Filmmakers include subtle nods to the skeleton residents in the Land of the Dead. For example, the cobblestone streets feature bone-shaped paving stones.
  • While the artists at Pixar typically add vegetation to exterior environments, they felt the Land of the Dead should be different. The only living plants in this fantastical world are marigolds.
  • The color and aroma of the marigold petals are believed to help guide the spirit of a family’s loved one home during Día de los Muertos.
  • Miguel’s canine companion Dante is a Xolo dog, which is short for Xoloitzcuintli. This is the national dog of Mexico and has its origins in Mesoamerican civilization. The filmmakers invited local Xolo dogs to Pixar so the artists could interact with them and study their anatomy.
  • The Xolo is often depicted as having its tongue hang out due to missing teeth. The filmmakers wanted to include this characteristic in Dante’s design and his tongue actually behaves like a character on its own.
  • In the film, Miguel recycles an old guitar by patching it up and painting it to mirror de la Cruz’s signature guitar. In order to create an authentic look, Unkrich enlisted his son to create the recycled guitar’s design.
  • All of the guitar playing in Coco is technically accurate. The filmmakers strapped a GoPro onto the guitars of musicians to give animators reference footage.
  • Chicharrón is the least remembered character in the Land of the Dead. Artists wanted to showcase the effects of being forgotten: his face has more chips and grooves, and his bones are much looser and more weathered than his counterparts.
  • More than 500 pieces of clothing were made to dress the crowd characters. Artists shaded, shaped and combined the 500 individual pieces in a variety of ways to outfit thousands of crowd characters.
  • Character artists spend months finding the right look for each character, specifically Ernesto de la Cruz. As the larger-than-life character known around the world, they wanted to give him identifiable attributes including a cleft in his chin, a distinctive curl of hair, a pencil-thin mustache, and pristine bones, all so that he would be well-remembered.

Disney•Pixar’s Coco On Blu-ray and DVD

Disney•Pixar’s Coco will be available on Blu-ray and DVD February 27, 2018. Here is a brief overview of the bonus features included with Disney•Pixar’s Coco Blu-ray and Digital formats:

• Deleted Scenes with Introductions – Director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina talk about the deleted scenes and the part they played in the development of “Coco.”
  • Día de los Muertos – In this musical extravaganza, the colors and excitement of Día de los Muertos come to life as we meet superstar Ernesto de la Cruz.
  • The Way of the Riveras – A musical number in which Abuelita and Miguel prepare their Día de los Muertos celebration while she teaches him Rivera family history and traditions.
  • Celebrity Tour – Héctor, a Land of the Dead tour bus guide, agrees to help Miguel, revealed to be a living boy, on his quest to find de la Cruz.
  • The Bus Escape – The Rivera family catches up to Miguel and Héctor and attempts to halt their mission to find de la Cruz.
  • Alebrije Attack – Miguel and Héctor are interrupted on their journey to find de la Cruz by a fierce alebrije.
  • The Family Fix – After de la Cruz reveals his true colors, the Rivera family puts their dismay aside and comes together to repair the smashed guitar needed to send Miguel home.
  • To the Bridge – As the Land of the Dead counts down to the end of Día de los Muertos, Miguel and de la Cruz come head-to-head on the marigold bridge.
• Filmmaker Commentary – Presented by Lee Unkrich (director), Adrian Molina (co-director) and Darla K. Anderson (producer).
• The Music of “Coco” – Collaborating with musicians of Mexico and some unique instrumentation, this documentary explores the beautiful fusion of music essential to the story of “Coco.”
• Paths to Pixar: “Coco” – Explore how the film crew’s personal stories resonate with the themes of the movie itself.
• Welcome to the Fiesta – A musical exploration of the skeletons that make the Land of the Dead in “Coco” so wondrous and intriguing.
• How to Draw a Skeleton – Pixar artist Daniel Arriaga gives a lesson on the quick and easy way to draw skeletons using simple shapes.
• A Thousand Pictures a Day – Join the “Coco” crew on an immersive travelogue through Mexico, visiting families, artisans, cemeteries, and small villages during the Día de los Muertos holiday.
• Mi Familia – Developing the Riveras was a labor of love that took the cast and crew on a deep dive into the meaning of family.
• Land of Our Ancestors – Watch Pixar artists lovingly construct layer upon layer of architecture from many eras of Mexican history, bringing the Land of the Dead to life.
• Fashion Through the Ages – The cast of characters in “Coco” are from many different eras, making for some magnificent costuming opportunities.
• The Real Guitar – The majestic guitar that spurs Miguel on his journey through the Land of the Dead is a unique creation. Watch as it is initially designed by a Pixar artist and ultimately realized as a real instrument by a master luthier in this poetic ode to craftsmanship.
• Dante – How the crew fell in love with the uniquely Mexican breed of Xoloitzcuintli (or “Xolo”) dogs that inspired Dante.
• How to Make Papel Picado – Join Pixar artist Ana Ramírez González as we learn how papel picado is made traditionally, and then try your own approach to this beautiful art form.
• Un Poco “Coco” – A montage of original animated pieces used to promote “Coco.”
• “Coco Trailers” – Trailers include “Feeling,” “Dante’s Lunch,” “Destiny,” “Journey” and “Belong.”

Disney•Pixar’s Coco Printables and Activity Sheets

In honor of the film’s release, download our free Coco Printables and Recipes.

Disney•Pixar’s Coco Giveaway

One of you will win a digital copy (via redemption code) for Disney•Pixar’s Coco. To enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter form and leave me a comment with your favorite moment from the film (or why you want to see it). Comments will close on March 13, 2018 at 11:59 PM PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

US Residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.

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