Disney Television Animation executives attribute their current hot streak to turning DTA into a more talent-friendly place

Jim Hill

10 years ago

It’s been an interesting month for the folks at Disney
Television Animation as this division of The Walt Disney Company celebrated its
30th anniversary. So there have been parties and presentations …

Notable creative talent mark
Disney Television Animation’s 30 years of unrivaled animation
for kids and
families, at an event sponsored by the International Animated Film Association
(ASIFA) and Disney’s D23, at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank,
CA on Wednesday,
November 5th. (L to R)
Jeffrey Epstein (Senior Manager of Publicity & Synergy, Disney
Corporate
Communications; Jymn Magon (Writer, “DuckTales,” “Darkwing
Duck”), Rob
LaDuca (Executive Producer, “Jake and the Never Land
Pirates”), Paul Rudish
(Executive Producer, “Mickey Mouse”
cartoon shorts), Dan Povenmire (Creator
/ Executive Producer, “Phineas and
Ferb”), Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, (Creator /
Executive Producer,
“Phineas and Ferb”), Mark McCorkle (Co-Creator /
Writer / Executive
Producer, “Kim Possible”), Bob Schooley (Co-Creator
/ Writer /
Executive Producer, “Kim Possible”), Bill Farmer (Disney
Legend /
Voice of Goofy). Photo by Rick Rowell. Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All
rights reserved

… as the talented artists & writers who actually
created many of these beloved animated series looked back on the show that
started it all.

Not to mention discussing how some of DTA’s cult classics
…

… and fan favorites actually came into being.

Mind you, Disney Television Animation has been on something
of a roll since February of 2008. Which is when “Phineas and Ferb,”
the Emmy Award-winning animated series began running on Disney Channel.

And why is that exactly? According to David Wright, Vice
President of Casting for Disney Television Animation, this cable channel’s
winning streak began because DTA has made a conscious effort to be seen as a
talent-friendly place.

“That’s what our focus has become over the past few
years. And that’s largely through the leadership of Eric Coleman, our Senior
Vice President in charge of Original Series here at DTA, and Mike Moon, who’s
in charge of Development here at Disney Television Animation,” Wright
explained during a recent sit-down interview. “Since these two guys have
both worked in television animation for years, Eric & Mike understand how
rare & valuable genuinely creative people are in this business. Which is
why they’ll go out there and actively recruit talent. Bring these people back
to Disney and then partner them up with other creatives. Always giving these
folks the support and the means necessary to be successful.”

Take — for example — Paul Rudish, Executive Producer and
Supervising Director behind that Emmy Award-winning series of new
Mickey Mouse shorts. Mike Moon had first identified Rudish as a guy to keep an
eye on nearly a quarter of a century ago.

“Paul and Mike first worked together back in 1990. And
because people saw all of the creative freedom that DTA gave him when he began
working on those new Mickey Mouse shorts … Well, that then makes it that much
easier for Mike and I to reach out to the Alex Hirschs and the Daron Nefcys of
the world, that next generation of creators that are coming up who — when they
see that someone like Craig McCracken is now making shows for Disney Television
Animation — get excited about the idea of possibly coming to work here,”
Eric Coleman explained.

Just to be clear here: Coleman & Moon aren’t guys who
like hogging the spotlight. When I talked with them earlier this year about
Disney Television Animation’s current hot streak, they were quick to spread the
credit around. Not only talking up the important creative contributions that
key people like Khaki Jones (who oversees Current Series), Lisa Salamone (DTA’s
Senior VP of Production) and Jay Stutler (Vice President of Music) make but
also acknowledging all of the support that the President and Chief Executive
Officer of Disney Channels Worldwide has given them.

“I have to give a lot of credit to Gary Marsh. When he
brought us into the Company and he then talked a lot about what Mike and I
believed we could be doing here, Gary
supported everything that we were talking about,” Coleman continued.
“And while not everyone may notice how gorgeous the backgrounds on
‘Gravity Falls’ are or how great the art direction on those new Mickey Mouse
shorts are, the people that we’re wooing to come work at Disney Television
Animation do,” Eric stated. “Which is why we work hard to make sure
that all that quality winds up there on screen.”

Looking ahead to 2015 now, Coleman & Co.
are looking to expand DTA’s horizons by producing their first-ever project
based on a Disney theme park attraction. This Haunted Mansion TV special is
being developed by horror genre artist and children’s book illustrator Gris Grimly
with the help of “Phineas and Ferb” vets Scott Peterson & Joshua
Pruett.

“It was Mike who aggressively pursued this idea. He was
the one who brought in all sorts of incredible artists and talent to work on
our Haunted Mansion TV special,” Eric enthused. “As you can tell from
our Mickey Mouse shorts, we love doing things here that directly tie back to
our Disney heritage. And while I’m really not at liberty at this time to talk
about Mansion, I have to admit that I am really excited with how this TV
special is looking.”

Speaking of Disney heritage, Coleman & Moon have made a
conscious effort to bring some balance to DTA’s development slate. Trying to
make sure that — for every new series based on a classic Disney film (EX:
“The Lion Guard,” which takes its inspiration from Walt Disney Animation
Studio’s 1994 smash hit, “The Lion King”) — Disney Television
Animation also tries to create shows that are built around brand-new characters
& stories (EX: That soon-to-debut new animated series, “Star vs The
Forces of Evil“) for Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior.

“Look, not every project that we develop here at DTA
comes to fruition. But that’s because we
want the shows that we produce to be driven from a creative point of view. No
one who works at Disney Television Animation is following some corporate
strategy to monetize a particular IP and then put that show on the assembly
line quickly,” Coleman said. “Instead, we look for creative takes on
things that feel like they can rise and hold their own with the other shows
that we are already producing here and feel so great about.”

“The philosophy that we follow here at DTA is simple:
Great art comes from great artists,” Coleman continued. “Has it been
easy to get here? To be honest, no. There have been lots of rifts and long
discussions and hold-hands-and-jump-into-the-future-together moments. But we’ve
been really happy with how the success of shows like “Wander Over
Yonder” and “The 7D” have allowed us to build a schedule that
shifts between legacy properties, new characters, longer form & shorter
form. And I can assure you that Disney
Television Animation will absolutely
stay the course in regards to our focus on great character, great story driven
by great talent.”

By the way, if you’re unfamiliar with some of the newer
Disney Television Animation series that were mentioned in this article, the
long Thanksgiving Weekend would be an excellent time to crash on the couch and
then tune in to the Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior.

Take — for example — “Big Bad Sneezy,” the new
episode of “The 7D” which debuts on Sunday, November 30th at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Which is when the Seven Dwarfs
meets up with the Big Bad Wolf. Who then tricks Sneezy into blowing down the houses
of The Three Little Pigs.

Or — better yet — check out this Saturday’s “Gravity
Falls” mini-marathon on Disney
XD. Which starts off with three of the most recent episodes of this acclaimed
animated series” and concludes with “The Love God,” a brand-new
installment of the show.

And with Will Arnett helping to round out Disney Television
Animation’s 30th anniversary celebration by guest voicing a brand-new character
on Friday’s episode of “Wander Over Yonder,” it’ll be interesting to
see what top talents turn up in future DTA projects as this division of The
Walt Disney Company heads into its next decade.

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post’s Entertainment page on Tuesday, November 25, 2014