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Could the cancellations of ABC ‘s “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” have been prevented?

Published

14 years ago

on

There were a number of articles late last week about how the
actors who worked on "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" were blindsided by
ABC's decision to cancel these long-running soaps. But when you really think
about it, there were some pretty obvious signs over the past three years that
The Walt Disney Company was losing its enthusiasm for daytime drama.


Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Perhaps the most obvious sign was Walt Disney Parks &
Resorts' decision to pull the plug on Super Soap Weekend. Though these annual events
– which were usually held in November at Disney's Hollywood Studios – drew tens
of thousands of ABC soap fans to Central Florida, Disney discontinued SSW in
September of 2008. Opting instead to launch an event that was known as the Soap
Nation Tour, which (it was hoped) would be a more cost-effective way for ABC
Daytime to give soap fans face time with their favorite performers.

This — coupled with Disney Corporate's announcement in May
of 2010 that it would soon be scrapping SOAPNet (so that this cable channel could
then become the home of the Company's new preschool network, Disney Junior, in
January of 2012) – were seen as pretty strong indications that the soap bubble
was about to burst at the Mouse House.

But for every sign that seemed to indicate that ABC soaps
were not long for this world (EX: Daytime's announcement last summer that it would begin
airing reruns of selected episodes of "All My Children," "One Life to Live" and
"General Hospital." Which would then allow the network to reduce by 20 the
number of new episodes of each soap that ABC Daytime would produce annually),
there were other things that longtime soap fans would then point to as possibly
encouraging signs. Like ABC Daytime's decision to start shooting "AMC," "OLTL"
& "GH" in high-definition.


Six-time Emmy-winner Erika Slezak from ABC's "One Life to Live" was recently 
surprised
by the cast and crew with a celebration to mark her 40th
anniversary playing Victoria Lord.
Ms. Slezak first appeared on "One
Life to Live" on March 17, 1971.  Photo by Heidi
Gutman. Copyright American Broadcast Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

But wishful thinking aside, there was just no hiding the
fact that – with each passing year — the audience for ABC's soaps was shrinking
and growing older. Which made these daytime dramas a far less attractive buy
for advertisers.

Which is why – after a controversial move on Brian Frons'
part (i.e. the president of Daytime for the Disney / ABC Television Group announced
in August of 2009 that production of "AMC" would be moved from NYC to
LA as part of a cost-cutting move) failed to yield the expected savings and/or
ratings boost … Very quietly in mid-2010, Frons ordered the development of 15
different shows that could then be used as possible replacements for ABC's
rapidly fading daytime line-up.

According to Nellie Andreeva of Deadline.com, 4 of these shows
were deemed good enough to go to pilot: "The Chew," "The Revolution," and a
talk show and a dating show. And while Brian had originally only anticipated
pulling the plug on one ABC Daytime drama, a combination of factors …


Copyright American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
All rights reserved

  • In March, "AMC" delivered record low Nielsen ratings. This
    ABC soap came in dead last with the key demographic of women 18-49 years of
    age. Just 463,000 viewers in that demo were now watching "AMC." Which is down
    34% in comparison to this daytime drama's viewership last year.
  • The two daytime programs that CBS introduced in the Fall of
    2010 – "The Talk" and a brand-new version of that 1960s game show favorite, "Let's
    Make a Deal    " as replacements for that network's own long-running soaps, "The
    Guiding Light" & "As the World Turns" – were making significant gains with
    afternoon TV viewers.
  • The last original episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will air
    on May 25th    . And when the very last rerun of this syndicated talk
    show airs on September 9, 2011, nearly 3 million TV viewers will then have to
    change their daily viewing habits


Oprah Winfrey used her February 11, 2001 broadcast to pay tribute to the stars of ABC
Daytime. Copyright Harpo Productions, Inc. All rights reserved

… led Frons to believe that he had to move sooner — rather
than later — to address ABC Daytime's problems.

As you might have expected, the actors and technicians who
actually work on "All My Children" and "One Life to Life" were upset with the
way that ABC handled this whole situation. The folks who were at NYC-based "OLTL"
were annoyed that – rather than telling them in person – Brian broke the bad
news via a video simulcast from the set of "AMC." Still others were angry about
the timing of these two cancellations. Given that – since the 2011-2012 pilot
season is basically over at this point – it'll be the better part of a year
before any new acting opportunities emerge / new shows begin staffing up.

 Mind you, from the
theme park side of things, it would appear that cancelling "All My Children"
and "One Life to Live" might actually be a good thing. Since it's expected that
"The Chew" (i.e. the replacement for "All My Children", a talk show that
celebrates anything & everything relating to the world of food) will have a
very strong presence at Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival &
Disney's California Food and Wine Festival. Likewise, it's anticipated that "The
Revolution" (i.e. the replacement for "One Life to Live." A new lifestyle show
that – each week -will track one woman's five-month weight loss journey) will
tie in with the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, the Disneyland
Half-Marathon Weekend  as well as the
Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend.


Photo by Todd Anderson. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

Of course, there are those who suggest that the timing of
all this may wind up biting ABC Daytime big-time. Let's not forget that – just about
the same time that "All My Children" will be going off the air – Regis Philbin
will be exiting Disney / ABC Television Group's long-running syndicated morning
talk show, "Live with Regis and Kelly." And if Regis' replacement fails to
click with audiences … Well, ABC Daytime may suddenly find that it has a lot
more to deal with than "The Chew" 's shakedown cruise. Which will then make it
difficult to give "The Revolution" all of the attention that this lifestyle
show will need while it's in prelaunch mode.

This much is clear, though: You can expect that the Disney / ABC
Television Group will do everything within its power to see that "The Chew" and
"The Revolution" are launched 
successfully. Which is why you can anticipate that "Good Morning
America," "The View," "World News with Diane Sawyer," "20 / 20" and "Nightline"
will all be featuring segments that directly tie back to these two new daytime programs
in the Fall of 2011 as well as the Winter of 2011/12.

More to the point, ABC Daytime execs have reportedly already
resigned themselves to the idea that – when "The Chew" debuts in September of
2011 and "The Revolution" premieres in January of 2012 – that this two new chat
shows will (at least initially) get ratings that are about the same if not
lower than "OLTL" and "AMC" got. But you have to remember that the Disney / ABC
Television Group is thinking long term when it comes to these afternoon time
slots. They're willing to take the time (more importantly, spend the money necessary)
to build an audience for "The Chew" and "The Revolution" that's far more
desirable to ABC's potential advertisers (read that as: younger and more
affluent that your average soap viewer).


Copyright American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

And as for ABC's remaining soap opera, "General Hospital" …
Well, earlier this week, Brian Frons reassured daytime fans that GH …

… should remain on ABC for a "long, long time."

But let's remember that – back in August of 2009 – that, as
Brian was announcing "AMC" 's move to LA, that the president of ABC Daytime
said …


Copyright American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

" … 'All My Children'
is one of the most recognizable brands in television, and we are committed to
continue telling and enhancing the stories of the residents of Pine Valley."

And as we know now, that commitment to "… telling stories"
set in Pine Valley barely lasted two years. So one wonders what Frons' promise
of a "long, long time" will eventually translate into for the people of Port
Charles.

Let me stress here that I don't think that Brian Frons is a
bad guy. By that I mean: If you look at the number of daytime dramas that CBS
and NBC have cancelled over the past 12 years, it's clear that this business is
changing and that ABC Daytime held out for as long as it could.


ABC's "Desperate Housewives" (L to R) Marcia Cross, Teri
Hatcher, Vanessa Williams,
Eva Longoria and Felicity Huffman. Photo by Matthew Rolston. Copyright
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

But now … It's obviously time for people on "AMC" and "OLTL"
to start brushing up their resumes. Some performers will clearly land on their
feet quicker than others (There's a rumor making the rounds that Marc Cherry has
already reached to Susan Lucci, asking "All My Children" 's resident diva if
she'd like to become the newest resident of Wisteria Lane during Season 8 of ABC's
long-running comedy-drama, "Desperate Housewives"), it's sad to see daytime
drama being replaced by reality TV. Especially when you consider that – back in
the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s – one of the main reasons that soap operas were so
popular with housewives was because these shows then gave their viewers a break
from their sometimes desperate realities.

So how do you feel about ABC Daytime's decision to pull the plug
on two of its long-running soaps, "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" ?
Could anything have been done to save these daytime dramas? Or were their exits
kind of inevitable at this point?

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

9 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?


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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