General
Film composer Christopher Willis talks about the challenges of writing music for Disney’s new Mickey Mouse shorts
There's this terrific comment that someone once made about
Fred Astaire.
"Sure he was great. But don't forget that Ginger Rogers
did everything he did backwards … and in high heels!"
And for some odd reason, that comment brings to mind British
composer Christopher Willis. This is the guy who's been composing all of the
music for that Emmy Award-winning series of new Mickey Mouse shorts which
Disney Television Animation has been producing.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Now you'd think — having come out of the world of film
(Willis has written additional music for many popular motion pictures, among
them "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
," "Winnie the
Pooh
," "X-Men: First Class
," "Shrek Forever After
"
& "Grown Ups
") — that Christopher might view working on these 3 &
1/2 minute-long cartoons for the Disney Channel to be something as a career
come-down. But to hear Willis talk, that's really not the case.
"For me, working on these new series of animated shorts
has been more challenging than composing music for full-length films. In fact,
I think that composing for these new Mickey Mouse shorts is the hardest thing
that I've ever had to do," Christopher admitted during a phone interview
earlier this week. "I mean, they're certainly the most time-consuming
things that I've ever had to work on. But — at the same time, because these
new Mickey Mouse shorts are so varied & colorful when it comes to their
subject matter — they're also probably
the most rewarding composing assignment that I've ever had."
So what exactly is about this series of new animated shorts
that makes them so difficult to compose for? Well, one of the basic conceits
for these new Mickey Mouse cartoons is that they're supposed to send the Fab
Five around the globe to all sorts of different urban settings. And Willis has
to then compose a suitable score that supports this far-flung cartoon adventure.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"So for 'Tokyo Go,' which is this cartoon about Mickey
battling rush-hour crowds aboard a bullet train as it zooms through Tokyo, that
short's score was supposed to be done in bebop style," Christopher
explained. "And since I didn't know a lot about bebop, I had to sort of
teach myself a lot about that particular music genre very, very quickly."
And to hear Christopher talk, that's actually become one of
his favorite parts of working on these new Mickey Mouse shorts. These deep
dives in specific music genres that he sometimes has to do in order to come up with
just the right score for the next animated cartoon.
"Take — for example — the new Mickey Mouse short that
I'm working on right now. It's got a section that's supposed to sound kind of Indiana
Jones-ish," Willis. "I was initially a little hung up on what I
should be doing with this section of that short. But then I thought: What did
John Williams listen to before he began writing the music for 'Raiders
' ? So I
dug up all of this music from old Republic serials & Zorro movies. And that
proved to be the perfect inspiration for this part of that project."
Christopher Willis with his Annie Award
And Christopher's dedication & attention to detail when
it comes to composing music for these Mickey Mouse shorts has clearly paid off.
Given that — just last month — Willis won an Annie for Best Music in an
Animated TV/Broadcast Production category.
But now — on the heels of this well-deserved recognition
from the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA-Hollywood) — comes what
Christopher considers to be the most challenging Mickey Mouse short that he has
scored to date. And that's "The Adorable Couple," the first
all-musical episode of this series. Which debuts tonight on the Disney Channel
at 8:25 p.m. ET/PT.
"Given that music is such an integral part of this new
series of Mickey Mouse shorts, we knew that it was only a matter of time before
we then attempted an all-music, all-singing short," Willis stated. "But
here's the funny thing about Mickey Mouse. Though he sang a bit early, early on
in Disney, for most of his film career, Mickey hasn't really sung that
much."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"So when we began thinking about turning 'The Adorable
Couple' into a musical short, the question then became could Chris
Diamantopoulos make Mickey Mouse sing in a way that sounded & felt right,"
Christopher continued. "I mean, we knew that Chris could sing. And he did
say that 'I think that I can do it.' But
as soon as we got him in front of the mic to do a test, Chris made Mickey Mouse
sing in the most obvious way. He made you think that you've been hearing him
sing for Mickey for a hundred years already. So that helped a lot."
But then it came down to what sort of musical style should
Mickey & Minnie sing in. Given that these two mice have been around since
1928, a lot of musical styles have come and gone in the past 86 years.
"I have to admit that — when we first started on this
one — we weren't quite sure what it was that we were thinking of historically.
This short's score could be a 1930s vaudeville kind of thing or it could be
more of a Golden Age 1950s 'Hello Dolly' kind of musical number," Willis
said. "But as we worked on 'Adorable Couple,' as so often happens when we
work on these shorts, we tend to either move into the Disneyland era of the
1960s or we move all the way back to the 1930s. And this one eventually wound
up all the way back in the 1930s. So musically, in terms of instrumentation, we
thought that there'd be an orchestra. But what we wound up using instead was
just a vaudeville piano mostly. So this whole short has kind of a honky-tonk
feel."
And that — to my way of thinking, anyway — is the most
impressive part of Christopher does. He took the short that director William
Reiss storyboarded and then turned into a full-fledged musical filled with that
classic 1930s vaudeville energy. And Willis pulled all of this off with just 3 &
1/2 minutes of screen time.
"Look, I'm sure that making a musical is hard at even
the best of times, but if it's going to be 3 & 1/2 minutes-long and it's
got to be musically coherent and it's supposed to tell a story, that's a huge
amount to pack into a single short," Christopher said. "So we had
quite a lot of to-ing & fro-ing. And quite a lot of stuff had to go. But
that's the only way through this kind of process."
"And the people at Disney Television Animation are so
nice to work with. Which is very unusual in the film world. I mean, I can come
in and go to them and say 'I'm really struggling to make this work because …'
And I'll go over to the piano and I'll make this very pretentious music-centric
observation. And in most cases, they'll then say 'Well, we can add a few frames
if you want. Or maybe we can swap those two things around,'" Willis
continued. "You never hear of anybody doing that in movies. In the film
world, the composer always comes last."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Anyway, if you'd like to check out Willis' handiwork (which
features Mickey & Minnie attempting to use the power of song to cheer up an
extremely grumpy Donald & Daisy. And FYI: This new animated short features
a cameo appearance by another Disney power couple who were once " …
barely even friends"), be sure and catch 'The Adorable Couple.' Which air
tonight on the Disney Channel starting at 8:25
p.m. ET/PT.
Now you'd think — what with last month's Annie win as well
as tonight's all-musical episode — Christopher could maybe take a break. Enjoy
a little bit of his success. But no such luck.
"Each week, these Mickey Mouse shorts throw another
challenge my way. I mean, it's one thing to when you're writing in what
everyone thinks of as cartoon music and you then have to hit all of the beats,
make the music go up where it needs to go and then go down where it needs to go
down. Because making the music go down is what then makes it sound scary,"
Willis concluded. "But when one episode of these new Mickey Mouse cartoons
features a score that's inspired by Hawaiian music and the next week it's samba
… Well, how do you then make samba music sound like it's scary? That — I
think — is the biggest challenge of this series."
Fred Astraire and Ginger Rogers
Which — again — is kind of why I think of Ginger Rogers
whenever I think of Christopher Willis. For he's a guy who's consistently
delivering high quality music for these new Mickey Mouse shorts while having to
learn a new musical genre every week and then having these brand-new scores fit
each of these animated cartoons' 3 & 1/2 minute long running times.
Which — I'll admit — isn't exactly doing everything that
Fred Astraire did backwards and in heels. But it's pretty darned close.
Your thoughts?
General
Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District
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
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
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
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.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
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.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved
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.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
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.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
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.' "
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"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.
Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"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.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"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.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"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.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"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?
Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"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
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