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4 days and counting: The Walt Disney Feature Animation-Florida countdown clock ticks on

As more WDFA-F staffers chime in with their stories about what’s really going on inside Disney-MGM’s animation facility, Jim Hill asks: Why is the Orlando Sentinelso silent on this issue? Shouldn’t the WDFA-F hometown paper be doing more reporting on this proposed closure?

Published

20 years ago

on

We’re now just less than 100 hours away from when Walt Disney Company execs will finally reveal what the corporation’s real intentions are for the folks who work at Disney Feature Animation-Florida. But still the sad stories continue to trickle in WDFAF staffers who just can’t understand why the Mouse would opt to shut down a studio that cranked out three hit films in a row.

What sort of stories have I been hearing? Well, for starters, I got a lot of e-mail yesterday from Disney Feature Animation Florida personnel who wrote in to say how much they appreciated yesterday’s JHM article (insert link to “WDFAF Countdown III” here). You know, the one where a Disney studio exec wrote in to offer the corporation’s side of the story.

“Why would WDFA-F staffers appreciate an article like that?” you ask. “A story that offered Disney Corporate’s half-assed explanation as to why Feature Animation Florida has to be shut down?” Well … because getting some information (no matter how nonsensical it may sound) is often better than getting none at all.

Here. I’ll let WDFA-F Staffer A explain:

Hi Jim,

As an artist at WDFA in Orlando, I appreciate seeing the executive’s side of the story. Because that is absolutely the only communication we worker-bees have seen on the subject. Not a word has come from
anywhere about the reasoning behind this. Maybe we’llget some reasons from the top on Monday. Maybe just a pre-baked statement. Who knows?

Although, I have to say, either this exec is brand new, or extremely blind. We have been yelling, since
before “Lilo”, about the sheer number of releases that were diluting the brand name. The people don’t know the difference between “Piglet’s Big Movie” and “Treasure Planet.” Heck, they don’t even know the difference between who made “Nemo,” and who made “Lilo.” All they know is that it all has Disney on the front of it. We’ve talked and wondering whether anyone on top would actually notice it, and for someone to say that this was just realized now, with survey after survey, says a lot.

It just doesn’t make sense to anyone. If they want to make 3D films, we were on that track. Heck, we could make them now with a little extra time.

We just can’t figure it out. So if you get any other exec opinions, paste ’em up.

Not too surprisingly, WDFA-F Staffer B offered up similar sentiments:

Ok, Jim, I have a few comments on this.

First , thanks for being fair and attempting to give both “sides” of the story. Dissecting that entire email from the anonymous Disney exec. would be an interesting exercise. But I’ll limit my observations to a few lines that jumped out at me as someone who was there and saw it happening.

The Disney Animation exec. said:

“As you might expect, we’ve been doing a lot of market research, running a lot of surveys, trying to get to the bottom of WDFA’s disappearing audience problem. And you know what we’ve found, Jim? There’s just too much Disney animated product out there nowadays. We’ve glutted our own market.”

and

“You see what I’m saying, Jim. That’s an awful lot of product. So I guess you can understand why consumers don’t consider Disney animated films to be all that special anymore.”

Now, that’s real interesting. Almost every artist working at Disney Feature Animation over the last 10 years predicted this would happen since the day they announced the first of the “cheapquels,” “The Return of Jafar ” (1994) . We objected to this strip-mining approach of our carefully crafted feature movies and we kept on objecting year after year as the number of the cheapquels increased. We said those exact words: “It will glut the market” and “The public won’t consider the Disney animated films to be all that special anymore.” We said it over and over. We could see what the result would be.

And we were brushed aside. Over the last 10 years, every time an objection along those lines was made, we were told things like : “There’s nothing we can do about it. And — besides — it’s good for the company, overall. The public loves this stuff. Why not give them more of what they want? Heck, people are buying these direct-to-video things. So they must like them, right? Don’t worry, silly little animators. We’re the business people. Just you scurry on back to your desks and keep drawin’ them cute little cartoons. There’s a good fella. “

So they just now figured this out by doing “lots of market research” and “surveys”? Duh.

Then there’s this:

“And it also means cutting loose our Feature Animation — Florida unit (Which — arguably — has been WDFA’s most consistent production unit. Year after year, these guys have turned out top quality work. I mean, how can you complain about the string of pictures that these folks churned out. “Mulan,” “Lilo and Stitch,” “Brother Bear.” Those titles will be making millions for the Mouse for decades yet to come.)

But we had to do it, Jim. We really had no choice.”

I’ll just let that one hang there, twisting in the wind. People can just read it over a few times and make their own judgment .

No comment is necessary.

Mind you, not everyone has had nice things to say about JimHillMedia.com’s coverage of the situation at Disney Feature Animation-Florida. A few e-mails took us to task for not getting on board with this story months earlier. Take — for example — this e-mail from a former WDFA-F staffer:

Dear Jim,

I would just like to mention that you seem to have overlooked the over 50 or so artists that were given only two weeks notice last June that we were going to be laid off — with only an eight week grace period to get the rest of our lives in order. This number included not only those expecting babies but also those with two, three and five children who would be hitting the pavement with no real prospects and none of the training that was promised “in the worst case scenario” to last at “least six months” to the original proposed finish date of “My Peoples” for their respective department. Some (of the) artists (effected had) up to 25 years experience and nearly all chose this career to be a part of the legacy that generations of artists have literally given their whole adult lives to promote and rekindle that Disney flame that now is burning out.

As work continues to go overseas I wonder when the average Disney fan will stop and look at the destruction of a company that used to stand for “all that was good and honorable” in America and stand up and say — you guessed it — “I’M MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

Let’s hope for a miracle to take our company back…

While still other JHM readers chided us for not noticing that this same sort of behavior — I.E. veteran Disney employees being tossed out on their ear, with little if any thought being given to what might become of these people by company officials, since the bottom line is now the top priority at the Mouse House — is running rampant in the Disney corporation today. Take — for example — this story that was sent along yesterday by a WDW spouse:

There is a key point that is being missed here. The cruel and unusual treatment of the animators is rampant throughout the company and applicable to all employees. You see it at the top, with Roy Disney being dumped from the board “because of his age”. You also see it throughout Walt Disney World in the horrendous treatment of the cast members.

(For example) My wife works at Disney-MGM Studios, right down the street from the animation building. She worked with a wonderful woman who had the age and years to qualify for retirement. A year or so ago, this woman had a stroke while working at the studios. She recovered and returned to work, although it was a struggle. She was not able to retire because she couldn’t afford the reduced pension since she was under age 62. She struggled and recently needed to take several days off due to her condition. She continued to work under the threats of management that she was taking too many days off.

Well, rather than helping this woman find a position that was better suited for her, today they fired her. On top of that, they did it in a way that was heartless, demeaning, cruel, and unforgivable. Two managers took her in the back, told her to clean out her locker, and took her ID card. At this point she was crying hysterically since she was losing everything, especially her health insurance. Then they had the nerve to force her to cross Sunset Boulevard, in front of all the guests, while she was crying her eyes out. In fact she was so upset she almost collapsed on the street. This woman put many loyal years into the company and yet lost everything.

Disney has become a heartless corporation, and the soul-less Michael Eisner is the vacuum at the top of the company.

While I realize your main area of concern is animation, it is important to realize how deep this problem has become. I am beginning to fear that the company is too far gone to be recovered. This is just a tragedy and is indicative of the heartless business environment we see today.

Okay. I’ll admit it. The above e-mail wasn’t exactly on topic. Sticking with JHM’s coverage of the proposed closure of Disney Feature Animation-Florida. But it does allow us to widen our frame a bit. To see the forest through the trees, if you will.

And the fact of the matter is … the proposed closing of Disney Feature Animation-Florida, this poor woman being fired so heartlessly at Disney-MGM, these are symptoms of the disease that’s wracking the Walt Disney Company these days. People just really don’t count anymore at the Mouse House. Money does.

Don’t believe me? Then head over to Disney’s online Investors Relations and Shareholder Services page. There, you’ll be able to access a recording of Michael Eisner’s appearance at this past Tuesday’s session of the 14th Annual Smith Barney Citigroup Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference.

Listen carefully to Eisner’s presentation. How he paints this picture of how things are perfectly fine at the Walt Disney Company these days. How there’s really nothing to worry about. No cause for concern.

One particularly telling moment in the presentation is when Eisner brings up how — to date — the Walt Disney Company has produced 15 direct-to-video sequels to pre-existing Disney films. He practically crows about how these low budget Buena Vista Home Entertainment projects will aid over a billion dollars to the company’s bottom line in the coming years.

Now based on yesterday’s WDFAF Countdown article — as well as the e-mails that I’ve excerpted above — you and I are both aware that Disney management is now aware that it’s all these “cheapquels” that’s been undermining the box office of Disney’s feature length animated films of the past five year. Yet here’s the CEO of the company not only proudly talking up how much these low budget direct-to-video projects have made, but promising that more — lots more — of these video premieres are now on the way from Disney Television Animation.

And — while we’re talking about things that are wrong — I’ve been getting a lot of e-mail asking why the mainstream media hasn’t yet latched onto the Disney-Feature-Animation-Florida-possibly-closing-next-Monday story. In particular the Orlando Sentinel.

Pulling an excerpt from MMaus’ recent e-mail to me:

Why isn’t the Sentinel writing more about this story? Wouldn’t it make sense for WDFA-F’s hometown newspaper to be covering an event where 300 locals may soon be losing their jobs? I’ve checked the Sentinel’s web page every day this week. There hasn’t been a single mention of what’s going on at Disney Feature Animation.

What’s the deal, Jim?

Ah, the Orlando Sentinel. O-Town’s only daily newspaper. Which the Walt Disney Company does an awful lot of business with. Regularly buying ads to promote its movies and television shows as well as its Central Florida-based theme parks, night clubs, shops and resorts.

Now — given that I’m not stupid (more importantly, that I have a more than rudimentary understanding of our nation’s libel laws) — I’m not going to suggest that there’s a connection between the amount of money that the Mouse spends on advertising in the Sentinel and the fact that Orlando’s only daily newspaper is sometimes seen as being somewhat soft on the Mouse. That this paper’s reporters rarely — if ever — really hammer hard on Disney whenever Mickey makes a mistake.

But if YOU, the readers of JimHillMedia.com, want to jump to that conclusion … hey, that’s your choice.

But — on the other hand — if the staff of the Orlando Sentinel would like to prove me wrong (given that the last story that your paper did about what’s been going on at Disney Feature Animation-Florida, “Disney Halts Work on Orlando Film; The end of ‘A Few Good Ghosts’ could leave 258 animators without jobs,” ran back on November 15th) and do a big honking story about what’s going on right now with WDFA-F … hey, that’d be cool today.

Okay. That’s enough rabble-rousing for today. Your thoughts?

Related Topics:

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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General

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

Published

8 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

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. 

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General

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 10, 2015

By

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?

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General

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

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?


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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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