General

Why Walt Disney Feature Animation opted NOT to make “My Peoples”

Published

14 years ago

February 21, 2011

I’m sure that you’re already familiar with that Audio
Animatronic version of Abraham Lincoln which appears in The Hall of Presidents
at WDW‘s Magic Kingdom.

And maybe you’ve seen that cool, new NextGen version of
Honest Abe which made its debut in Disneyland‘s significantly revamped “Great
Moments with Mr. Lincoln” show back in December of 2009.

In honor of Presidents Day, I thought that I’d show you another
Disney version of Abe Lincoln that you may not be familiar with. Which is the
folk art version of our 16^th president that was supposed to have
appeared in “My Peoples.”

“My Peoples” AKA “Eglin’s People” AKA “Once in a Blue Moon”
AKA “Angel and Her No Good Sister” AKA “A Few Good Ghosts” was the animated
feature that Walt Disney Feature Animation – Florida had in the works right
before that studio was closed for good in March of 2004.

Now as to why “My Peoples” got shut down (More importantly,
why this animated feature was going to feature a folk art version of Abe
Lincoln ) … Well, it’s kind of an interesting snapshot of what was going on at
Walt Disney Feature Animation at that time.

According to Barry Cook, the co-director of Disney’s “Mulan
“
as well as the creator / director of the “My Peoples” project, the origins of
this proposed production can be traced back to the late 1990s. Which – as you
may recall – was a pretty stressful time to be working in feature animation.

For those of you who don’t recall: As the summer of 1998 was
arriving, Disney Company management was increasingly concerned about WDFA’s
mojo. Or lack thereof. You see, the three animated features that the Studios
had released since the Summer of 1994 – 1995’s “Pocahontas,” 1996’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and 1997’s “Hercules” – hadn’t even come close to
matching “The Lion King” ‘s box office earnings and/or merchandising might.

And then – when you factor in the increased competition that WDFA was about to face in the animation marketplace, what with
the upcoming release of DreamWorks Animation‘s first two feature-length films,
“Antz” (which was released to theaters on October 2^nd, 1998) and
“The Prince of Egypt” (which went into
wide release on December 18, 1998) – there was increasing pressure on Walt Disney Feature Animation to deliver a hit.

Thankfully, “Mulan” delivered. The first feature-length
project to be produced primarily by the crew working at Disney Feature
Animation – Florida, this Tony Bancroft / Barry Cook film performed solidly at
the box office. More to the point, critics hailed “Mulan” as the Studio’s best
film since “The Lion King.” Which is just the shot in the arm that Walt Disney
Feature Animation needed at that time.

But as for Barry Cook … As he looked at all of the other
animated features that Disney had in development and/or active production at
this time, ambitious & hugely expensive projects like “Tarzan,” “Fantasia 2000,” “Kingdom of the Sun” and “Atlantis,” Cook couldn’t help but think that WDFA
needed to be doing things differently. Like maybe borrow a page from what Walt did in the early 1940s. Which is — in addition to the big, expensive, labor-intensive projects like “Pinocchio,” “Fantasia” and “Bambi” — you slip a smaller, sweeter, easier-to-animate films like “Dumbo” into your production schedule. That way … Well, you’d be adding some variety to the mix. More to the point, Mouse House managers then wouldn’t have to worry about all of these hugely expensive animated event films becoming massive blockbusters. Which was the only way that these movies were ever actually going to recover all of their production / P & A costs.

And Barry … He thought that he had the perfect premise for a small but sweet Disney animated feature: “The Ghost and his Gift.” Which was a short story that Cook
had written (which – in a phone conversation that he and I had last week –
Barry described as being a cross between “The Canterville Ghost” and “To Kill a Mockingbird“) about these two star-crossed lovers who lived in Appalachia in
the late 1940s. More importantly, how a ghost and three small kids helped to bring
this couple together.

“Mulan” co-director and “My
Peoples” creator Barry Cook. Copyright
2004 Westlund Productions, Inc. All
rights reserved

Now given that Cook had actually grown up in Tennessee, he knew
this region of the United States — more importantly, its music & style of
storytelling — very well. Which is why Barry was then able to create a series
of beat boards that he used to pitch this project to Michael Eisner, the
then-Big Cheese at The Walt Disney Company, and Thomas Schumacher, the
then-head of Walt Disney Feature Animation.

And while Eisner & Schumacher were admittedly charmed by
Cook’s initial presentation, they both had concerns about “The Ghost and his
Gift.” Michael flat-out told Barry that his story was just too simple &
sweet, that it needed more edge. Whereas Thomas … His main concern with “Ghost”
was that this premise – as Cook had initially pitched it, anyway – wasn’t
crying out to be animated. That this film (in its present form) could just as
easily be produced by the live-action side of things at Walt Disney Studios.

So Barry took the notes that he got from Michael &
Thomas and then thought some more about this Appalachia-based tale. Which then
made Cook think of his grandmother who dabbled in folk art. Who’d taken things
like high heel shoes and glued pieces of macaroni & fabric to them,
thereby transforming those shoes into something entirely different; truly
unique pieces of character art.

Barry wondered. If he removed the Ghost & the kids from
his storyline and then made it pieces of folk art which eventually brought
these two star-crossed lovers together … Would that make this story seem that
much animate-able and edgier? At least in Eisner & Schumacher’s eyes?

So Cook quickly sketched up 7 folk art characters: Angel
(the sweet protagonist of our tale, whose body & head had been made out of
an old flour scoop) and Ms. Spinster (whose body & head were fashioned from
of someone’s long-discarded wooden leg & foot) …

Whereas Blues Man had been built out of a broken mandolin,
Abe Lincoln was made using an old scrub brush & some spoons, and Good O’
was fashioned entirely out of auto parts …

Cherokee had been crafted out of an old work glove …

While Crazy Ray had been carved out of an old tree stump.

With these seven pieces of folk art now acting as the backwoods
Cupids that ultimately brought Rose & Elgin (i.e. they’re the human couple at the very heart of “My
Peoples” ‘ story) together, Barry wondered: Would these characters actually be enough to
then put this story premise over the top? Get Michael & Thomas to allow “My Peoples”
to move beyond beat boards into artistic development?

To seal the deal, Cook had a maquette of Angel created …

… and then had this folk art figurine placed inside
of an empty fiddle case. Which Barry then had shipped to Thomas’ office at
Feature Animation’s headquarters in Burbank. And when Schumacher opened that
fiddle case and saw the Angel maquette, he was immediately charmed and saw the
true potential of “My Peoples.” Which is why Thomas then allowed Barry to proceed with development of
this project .

Which isn’t to say that “My Peoples” had
a particularly smooth production path. Given that Disney Feature Animation already had a
“Romeo & Juliet” -themed project (i.e. “Gnomeo & Julliet”) in
development, Cook knew that his proposed animated feature had to seem that much better, had to have
some sort of additional hook if it were to eventually get greenlit by
Mouse House managers.

And given that Barry – thanks to his work experience on “Off
His Rockers,” that hand-drawn / CG combination short that Cook and the crew at
Walt Disney Feature Animation – Florida had created back in 1992 — …

… he knew that there was considerable cost savings to be had
if all of the “My Peoples” folk art characters were animated via CG while this
film’s human characters were done hand-drawn style.

So that’s how Barry wound up pitching his production plan for
this Walt Disney Feature Animation – Florida project. That “My Peoples” would
be 70% CG and 30% hand-drawn. Which meant that he could then deliver this movie
for a considerably lower price point than – say – “Atlantis: The Lost Empire“
or “Treasure Planet.”

As Cook recounted in an interview that he did for Dan Lund
& Tony West‘s acclaimed documentary, “Dream On Silly Dreamer
” :

“As I told (veteran WDFA producer) Pam Coats: ‘Give us $45
million dollars, leave us alone for 3 years and I’ll deliver you a movie. A
movie that could make a profit. I felt very confident that I could do that.”

Mind you, it was very canny of Barry to suggest that he
could deliver “My Peoples” for $45 million. Given that – back in 1992 &
1992 – “The Lion King” had been produced for just $45 million. And that Don
Hahn film had gone on to make $783 million worldwide.

And Coats – to her credit – genuinely went to bat for “My
Peoples.” Doing everything she could to run interference for this Walt Disney
Feature Animation – Florida production, as she tried to keep the executives back
in Burbank out of Cook’s hair.

Want proof? Here’s an excerpt from James B. Stewart’s 2005
book, “DisneyWar.” Where Pam actually stands up to Michael Eisner in an
animation production meeting. Telling the then-head of The Walt Disney Company
that ” … We
don’t want you to shoot (“My Peoples”) down,” when Eisner continues to quibble about this particular
project. Saying that this Barry Cook film is admittedly “… cute but it feels
small.”

Well, to counter Michael’s concerns, Barry then went out
and signed a big-name vocal cast for “My Peoples.” Hiring Dolly Parton to voice
the role of Angel, Lily Tomlin to do Ms. Spinster’s dialogue and Hal Halbrook
to perform Abe Lincoln’s lines. Cook – for a short time, anyway – even
convinced James Carville (i.e. the former lead strategist for Bill Clinton‘s
presidential campaigns and now a noted liberal pundit) to do the voice of Crazy
Ray.

Better yet, Barry convinced Ricky Skaggs & Marty
Stuart to come handle the musical end of things on “My Peoples.” Which meant
that this WDFA production was going to have an absolutely killer score. Which
would then (hopefully) translate into a best-selling soundtrack for Walt Disney
Records.

All of the necessary pieces seemed to be falling into
place. With master animator Andreas Deja agreeing to handle Elgin & Rose,
this film’s two hand-drawn starring roles. While Ric Sluiter handled character
development of “My Peoples” CG characters and Andy Harkness worked on this
film’s overall look.

And for a while there, it really did look like “My Peoples”
was actually going to get made. Especially when – on March 25, 2002 – Thomas
Schumacher announced that the Burbank end of Walt Disney Feature Animation
would soon be transformed into an all-digital operation producing only CG
films. With the Studio’s two remaining hand-drawn projects (2003’s “Brother Bear” and the 30% hand-drawn “My Peoples”) being completed by the crew
at Disney Feature Animation – Florida.

Given that hundreds of his longtime friends &
co-workers had lost their jobs as a direct result as Schumacher’s announcement,
Cook tried to stay positive. Tried to keep his team at WDFA-F on track,
focusing on the day-to-day problems involved with developing a brand-new
feature-length cartoon. Rather than obsessing on what was going on in Burbank
at that moment and what the long
term implications for the staff of Disney’s Florida studio might be.

“Tom genuinely believed in ‘My Peoples,’ ” Barry stated.
“Which is why – if he had just stayed with Disney Feature Animation – I’m
certain that he would have helped me get this project where it needed to be.
That this movie would have eventually been made.”

Unfortunately, Schumacher exited WDFA in November of
2002. Opting to move over to Buena Vista Theatrical Productions, so that Thomas
could then concentrate on developing new plays & musicals that The Walt
Disney Company could then present on Broadway.

Which is why –
after a brief power vacuum – Eisner then appointed David Stainton as the head
of Walt Disney Feature Animation in January of 2003. And given how poorly
“Treasure Planet” had performed over the 2002 holiday season (earning only
$38.1 million during its entire domestic run), Stainton was under orders to
make even more reductions-in-production-costs-and-head-count at WDFA. Which
didn’t bode well for the folks in Florida.

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think that David was a bad
guy. I just don’t think that he never got ‘My Peoples,’ ” Cook said. “

Which is why – while Stainton was calling the shots at
WDFA – “My Peoples” went through a number of title changes (In “DisneyWar,”
David is quoted as being really enthusiastic about renaming this film “Angel
and her No Good Sister” because that title then suggested ” … automatic
conflict”).

On Stainton’s watch, the main plot of this animated
feature also received a pretty significant rewrite. Now it wasn’t just
enchanted pieces of folk art that were helping Elgin & Rose with their
romance. But – rather – pieces of folk art that were now possessed by
mischievous mountain spirits. Hence “My Peoples” late-in-the-game title change,
“A Few Good Ghosts.”

And then the production team began to get increasingly
erratic story notes from the execs back in Burbank. So one week, the folks in
Florida would be told “Stage that scene indoors at an old-time movie theater …”

And the very next week, these same allegedly-creative
executives would then say “You know, maybe this scene would play better if it
were set outdoors at a drive-in movie?” …

And the crew in Orlando would then have to create all-new
artwork in order to accommodate this sudden story change.

Mind you, all of this extra effort & aggravation
would have been worth it if “My Peoples” had actually been completed. But in the end, though David allowed Barry’s
film to officially go into production in May of 2003, this project was only up
and running for a brief six months. In November of that same year, Stainton
abruptly pulled the plug on this combination hand-drawn / CG animated feature
because … Well, for a variety of reasons, actually.

Some folks will tell you that it just came down to the
fact that “Chicken Little” had far better name recognition than “My Peoples”
AKA “Angel and Her No Good Sister” AKA “A Few Good Ghosts.” Which is why Disney
then decided to press ahead with production of that Mark Dindal movie rather
than continuing with Cook’s film.

“Which is kind of ironic. Given that Disney then didn’t allow
Dindal to make the movie that he originally wanted to make either. Mark’s an
old friend of mine. We started at Disney together in visual effects animation.
We both worked on ‘Tron,’ ” Barry remembers. “And after they okayed production
of his animated feature, the Studio then made Mark make all sorts of changes to
Chicken Little. They made him get rid of Holly Hunter as the voice of Chicken
Little because some VP suddenly decided that ‘This character should be a 10
year-old boy.’ All sorts of stuff like that. Mark had a really tough time on
that project.”

Another factor in Disney’s decision to abandon “My
Peoples” came because there were a lot of executives at Walt Disney Studios who
seriously underestimated the appeal of bluegrass music.

“Which again is kind of ironic., ” Cook laughed. “Given
that Disney was the company that had distributed “O Brother, Where Art Thou?‘ domestically in
2000. And given the soundtrack
for that Coen Brothers film – which was just
loaded with great bluegrass music – then went on to win a Grammy as Album of
the Year and then become one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time. But –
by the time 2003 rolled around – people at the Studio had entirely forgotten about that. Which just goes to
show you how short memories in Hollywood really are.”

Still others will tell you that the decision to shut down
production of “A Few Good Ghosts” in November of 2003 (and then the entire Walt
Disney Feature Animation – Florida studios just four months later) wasn’t
Stainton’s doing. But – rather – Eisner’s. Who – as he did with ABC back in
1999 when Michael ordered that that network move its corporate headquarters
from Manhattan to the Disney lot in Burbank – was just looking for ways to consolidate
power. Put all of WDFA employees in one place under one roof so that they could
then respond that much quicker to any & all of Eisner’s commands.

Whatever the real reason for “My Peoples” ‘s shutdown, it
was then up to Barry to pick up the phone and break the bad news to all of
the voice actors that he’d signed to work on this Disney Feature Animation
-Florida production.

“I think that the toughest call that I had to make was
the one to Charles Durning. You see, when we hired him to do the voice of Old Man
McGee, Charles just went on and on about how thrilled he was to get this part.
How he’d always wanted to do a voice for an animated character in a Disney
film. And now I had to call Durning and tell him that the Studio had decided
that it didn’t want to make that movie anymore?,” Cook remembered. “Yeah, that
was a tough call.”

Barry also had to reach out to Hal Holbrook, the voice of
Abe Lincoln for “My Peoples.” Who – as our 16^th president was going
to be portrayed in this proposed Walt Disney Feature Animation production – was
going to be a very comical character.

“Just like the Teddy character in ‘Arsenic & Old Lace
‘
is crazy and thinks that he’s Theodore Roosevelt, our folk Abe
wasn’t going to be the real President Lincoln. He was just an old scrub brush
with spoons for ears that thinks he’s president,” Cook explained. “So we were
going to have him do crazy President-Lincoln-kind-of things like emancipating
the chickens out in the barnyard.”

But that said, “My Peoples” Abe Lincoln character was
also going to be this movie’s voice of reason. He was the one who’d be advising
caution when all of the characters wanted to go rushing after Angela. Who – after learning that Elgin
had created this particular piece of folk art in order to tell Rose of his love
for her … Well, Angel decides that she just isn’t up for playing the role of
Cupid and then runs away from home.

And given that Holbrook had already played Honest Abe in
“Sandburg’s Lincoln” (which was this 6-part mini-series about our 16^th
president that NBC aired back in 1974) … Well, Hal gave a wonderfully warm
& thoughtful performance as this cartoon character. In fact, it was during
one “My Peoples” recording session that Holbrook did something that
brought Cook and the rest of his team in the booth to tears.

“Before he got started, Hal said ‘I gotta warm up as
Abe.’ So then – in his Lincoln voice, entirely from memory – Holbrook performed
the Gettysburg Address,” Barry recalled. “And to hear those words in that voice
was just so moving.

And speaking of moving … As if the sudden shutdown of “My
Peoples” AKA “Angel and her No Good Sister” AKA
“A Few Good Ghosts” wasn’t bad enough, Cook soon discovered that there just
wasn’t any room for him at the new
Burbank-based version of Walt Disney Feature Animation. So after 22 years at
the Mouse House, Barry moved on.

“Which was tough. I mean, it’s a hard lesson to learn
that — while you may personally be loyal to a corporation – it’s impossible
for a corporation to then be loyal back to an individual. Enormous multinational
companies just aren’t built like that,” Cook continued.

But Barry took all of that story-telling expertise that
he picked up during his two-plus-decades of working at Disney and then took it on the road. For most of
2009, Cook was over in the UK., where he worked with the folks at Aardman
Animations, Ltd. as the co-director on their upcoming Holiday 2011 release, “Arthur Christmas.”
Which is already getting some terrific buzz thanks to its very funny teaser
trailer.

But as for “My Peoples” … Well, Cook continues to have a
soft spot in his heart for this aborted WDFA-F production. Which is easy to understand. Given that Barry associates so
many great experiences with this nearly-made movie (like the time he got to go to Ricky
Skaggs’ house and watch this country star perform in his home recording studio)
that it’s hard to now dwell on what might have been.

But that said … Given that the Walt Disney Feature
Animation management team that actually pulled the plug on “My Peoples” is no
longer in power in Burbank … More to the
point, given that the crew that’s now in charge of Walt Disney Animation
Studios have begun circling back on feature film concepts that Schumacher &
Stainton couldn’t quite make work (EX: “Reboot Ralph.” That
console-game-character-who-escapes-from-his-vintage-cartridge-only-to-then-discover-that-it’s-now-a-MMORPG-world
film that’s currently in active development at WDAS. Whereas – back in the late
1990s / early 2000s – this project was known as “Joe Jump”).

So if “Joe Jump” can be rebooted … Wouldn’t it stand to
reason that a sweet, sincere and deliberately-low-cost project, one that’s
deliberately aimed at the heartland of the country and combines CG &
hand-drawn animation, deserves another look-see?

Well, here’s hoping that – someday soon – John Lasseter has his people take
another look at “My Peoples.”

Your thoughts?

General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

10 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015