General
Finally! A new “Why For”!
After taking the summer off, this JHM favorite make its triumphant return. Today, Jim fills you in on what’s been going on with the Disney Store sale, Disneyland’s “Finding Nemo” ride as well as announcing all of the winners of our “Ghost in the Shell” contest!
Perhaps this note from Martin M. best sums up the mail that I’ve been getting lately.
Jim —
Why no new “Why For”? It’s been months since you last did one of those columns. And I loved those! Have you discontinued “Why For”? If so, that was a big mistake, Hill. You answering all of those JHM readers’ questions. That was my favorite thing at your site. Please bring that column back!
Ask and ye shall recieve …
Actually, “Why For” never really went away, Martin. I just pulled a “Puzzler” with this piece.
To explain: Surely, some of you are familiar with that extremely popular NPR show, “Car Talk”? That weekly radio program where Ray and Tom Magliozzi (AKA Click & Clack, the Tappet Brothers) dispense car repair advice and generally behave like goof-balls? Well, one of the more popular features of that show is “The Puzzler,” this weekly brain-teaser-of-a-contest that “Car Talk” listeners are regularly invited to take part in.
Unfortunately, “The Puzzler” takes a lot of time to properly prepare. Either that or the Magliozzis are incredibly lazy (It’s probably the latter). Whatever the reason, Click & Clack have made it a tradition that — whenever summer rolls around — their show’s popular brain teaser feature goes on hiatus for a while. Then — once the weather cools down again in September (Making it okay to wrack your brain without fear of blowing a gasket) — “The Puzzler” returns.
This — to me — seemed to be a frankly ingenious plan. Deliberately avoiding something that involves an awful lot of effort during the hot summer months. (FYI: This is also the same excuse that I use when I don’t want to mow the lawn. “It’s too hot.” Which is why our back yard now looks like the African Velde.) Which is why I quickly swiped … er … “borrowed” Click & Clack’s idea and quietly put “Why For” on hiatus ‘way back in late May / early June.
But now that the weather has cooled down considerably (More importantly, now that Tom & Ray have actually gone back to work), I guess I can’t trot out my tired old “Car Talk Puzzler” excuse to Tony Moore (JHM’s webmaster) anymore. Which is why I guess it’s time for the fat man to go back to work and answer a few questions from JHM readers.
First though, here’s a bit of news from someone of the retail side of things at the Mouse House:
Jim —
I just want to give you a “heads up” that word came down today (Thursday, September 16th) that the sale of the Disney Store chain has finally been completed. Disney’s expected to make a formal announcement about the sale to Children’s Place sometime late on Friday. More likely on Monday as part of next week’s Board of Directors meeting.
Yeah, I’d been hearing some rumblings about this over the past week or so. Particularly with the notion of this sale being announced at part of Disney’s Board of Directors meetings next week. With this news hopefully being viewed by Wall Street as yet another sign that Mickey’s finally getting his financial house in order.
But what does this all mean to the managers & staff who work at the 300+ stateside “Disney Stores” that are changing hands here? To be honest, it doesn’t look good. I’ve been hearing that Children’s Place is looking to bring a lot of its own people in to run the troubled retail chain. Which undoubtedly means another round of layoffs. Plus I told that not every store in the chain will survive this transfer of power. Which means even more closures.
On the other hand … Some of this news will probably be viewed as a relief to Disney Store cast members. Who have been living with the unsettling news that the retail chain that they work for has reportedly been up for sale for over two years now. Not to mention the news that the sale of the chain was allegedly been “imminent” for the past six months. Now at least the other shoe has finally dropped. So these people can finally get on with their lives and find out what happens next.
And — speaking of what happens next — here’s a question from CarolinaWinds about what’s going on with Disneyland’s sub attraction:
Jim —
Alright, what’s the deal with Disneyland’s subs. I keep hearing all these rumors about a “Finding Nemo” redo and work secretly being done after hours in the Tomorrowland caverns. Is this story really legit? Or just another case of some idle internet speculation being totally blown out of proportion.
Dear CarolinaWinds —
Oh, the Disneyland “Finding Nemo” project *IS* real. And the prep work for this ambitious Tomorrowland redo project isn’t being conducted in secret anymore. It’s being right out in the open these days. For example, late last week, divers were sighted working in the lagoon. Making repairs to the attraction’s filteration system.
And — earlier this week — a Submarine suddenly appeared in the attraction’s load / unload area.
Photo by David Michael
And please note the banner that’s been draped over the submarine’s conning tower:
Photo by David Michael
It reads “We’re Imagineering a new idea.”
Now the phrasing on that banner is important, folks. “We’re Imagineering a new idea.” NOT ” … a new attraction.” You see, WDI’s still very much in the investigative phase here. They’re trying to get a handle on what it’s actually going to cost to install the “Finding Nemo: Let’s Party!” version of Disneyland’s subs. Which — contrary to popular opinions out there — is *NOT* going to be done on the cheap. This show’s going to have an amazing new finale that — through the use of some frankly incredible technology — will actually extends the show beyond the caverns. You see the way it’s going to be done is …
CRASH! An Imagineering SWAT Team suddenly comes flying in the window and quickly wrestles Jim to the ground. After repeated warnings about how “Walt wouldn’t like it if you leaked information like that,” they finally allow him to get back up and go back over to his keyboard.
Okay. So I can’t talk about “Finding Nemo” ‘s finale. So can I at least talk about what you’re doing in the caverns? The really clever way that you guys are recycling most of this attraction’s previously existing sets? I mean, I think that it’s just great that the Tank Gang has made a home for itself in …
WHAM!! Jim’s back on the floor again. A burly show producer now puts Hill in a headlock and says “Now don’t make us go all Eisner on your ass.” After another couple of warnings about what he can & can not talk about, Jim gets back on his feet and — still gasping for breath — staggers back over to his computer.
Okay. So I can’t talk about what’s going on in the caverns either. Alright. How about this? What if I were to tell them about the first 30 seconds of the “Finding Nemo: Let’s Party” attraction? Or just talk the stuff that you can see out on the lagoon without actually having to go on the ride itself?
The Imagineering SWAT Team quickly goes into a huddle. After quietly conferring for a moment or two, they turn back to Hill and say: “Okay. You can talk about the stuff that we’ll be doing above the waterline, the things that Disneyland guests can see without having to go on the submarine ride. You can also reveal the first 30 seconds of the attraction. But say anything else …and we take your spleen.”
Yikes. Given that I’m pretty sure that I actually need my spleen (If only to vent it on Roy & Stanley and the poor job they’ve been doing lately with their “Save Disney” movement), let me chose my words carefully here, folks
So what can you see above the waterline without actually going on the proposed “Finding Nemo: Let’s Party!” attraction? Not a whole hell of a lot, actually. The Imagineers have really made an effort to make this part of Tomorrowland look just as it has since June of 1959, when Disneyland’s sub ride first opened to the public. So that there’s no real giveaway of the new fun that lies in store.
Oh wait … That’s not entirely true … If you were to walk toward Tomorrowland from Fantasyland, moving along Matterhorn Way, and were you to look out onto the submarine lagoon, you would spy at least one thing that was new: A buoy.
But not just any buoy. A bright red buoy that would have a couple of minimatronic seagulls on it. And — each time a sub would float by — these robotic birds would immediately come to life, screeching “Mine! Mine! Mine!”
But that would be the only outward sign — other than, of course, the “Finding Nemo: Let’s Party!” marquee outside of the attraction as well as the videos playing on the overheard monitors in the queue — that something significantly different was going on with Disneyland’s subs.
Now — as to the attraction itself — this same principle would apply here. That — in order to maximize the surprise for theme park guests — the first 30 seconds or so of this show would be played ridiculously straight. With the attraction’s pre-recorded announcer (in a very serious voice) talking about how happy they are that you’ve chosen to join him on this submarine voyage trip out to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. As the sub glides away from the dock through that bubble field, you’re to be told about the amazing ecosystem off of the Australia coast. How hundreds of thousands of species make their home on the reef, etc.
You get the idea here, right? Deadly serious. This is a scientific voyage. You shouldn’t expect anything fun to happen at all, alright?
Then — revisiting a classic moment from the old Disneyland submarine voyage — our unseen announcer says: “We’re going to turn on our external hydrophones now. So that you can hear the sounds that the sea creatures all around us are making.”
So he throws the hydrophones on. Not-so-co-incidentally at the very moment our sub finally clears the bubble field. So we peer out the porthole and what do we see? Two crabs standing on an underwater pipe, waving their claws menacingly at one another, as they say “Eh! Eh! Eh!”
And that’s all I can safely tell you guys right now. You see, I can’t really spill my guts about all I know about “Finding Nemo: Let’s Party!” out of fear that the Imagineers will then try to spill MY guts.
But what I can tell you is that — provided that Disneyland management finally gives this project the greenlight — this wittily revamped attraction will make a truly memorable addition to Tomorrowland’s line-up of rides & shows. This will be a undersea voyage that “Finding Nemo” fans will want to experience over & over again, if only to experience that great moment at the end of the ride where …
A woman who works in WDI’s model shop suddenly pulls out a foam cutting tool. She makes a few gestures that suggest that — if Hill doesn’t shut up soon — his daughter, Alice, will be an only child.
… Which I really can’t talk about right now. Maybe later. Much later. Much, much, much later.
Satisfied that they’ve now scared the bejeezus out of Jim, the WDI SWAT s quickly exit his home. Climbing aboard an oddily shaped zepplin (which is piloted by a weird bearded gentleman & his little purple dragon), the Imagineers take to the skies.
As he watches them go, Jim Hill rubs his aching throat and mutters to himself: “I wonder if this ever happens to Al Lutz.”
Anyway … Where were we? Oh, yes. Answering e-mails from JHM readers. Speaking of which, here’s a sad bit of news that I have to share with you all. Following up on a recent question from Monica P.
Where did Chuck Oberleitner go? It’s been weeks since he’s done a new column for JimHillMedia.com. Is everything okay with him?
Dear Monica —
Sadly, Chuck no longer works for JHM. Back in August, Mr. Oberleitner suddenly decided that he wanted to pursue other opportunities. Which is why he abruptly resigned from this website.
Me personally, I was sorry to see Chuck go. He’d been a part of the JHM family right from the beginning. And I — along with thousands of JimHillMedia.com readers — genuinely enjoyed his “DizBiz” and “Reporters Notebook” pieces. Which usually featured Oberleitner’s unique & informed take on the business side of things over at the Mouse House.
As to where Chuck might set up shop next … I have no idea, folks. But — should we find out — I’ll be happy to put up a pointer at this site, so that Oberleitner’s legion of fans will then know where to find him.
The entire JHM family wishes Chuck well as he begins this exciting new phase of his career. I’m sure that — wherever Oberleitner lands — he’ll quickly become a valued contributor for some lucky website. Here’s hoping, anyway …
Anywho … Moving on to a somewhat happier topic … BrerBadger writes in to ask”
Jim —
I really loved those SIGGRAPH photos that you posted over on skwigly. You know, the ones about Disney’s upcoming computer animated features? So what can you tell us about these films? I’m particularly interested in hearing any info you might have about WDFA’s return to fairy tales, “Rapunzel.”
Dear BrerBadger —
I am pleased to report that the in-house scuttlebutt on “Rapunzel” has gotten a lot better over the past month or so. Where once people at Feature Animation seemed genuinely concerned about this project, It would now appear that — after years of floundering — that this film’s production team has finally found the appropriate style & tone for this feature length CG animated picture.
You see, at one time, this was going to a really satirical fairy tale film. You know, something along the lines of “Shrek” & “Shrek II.” But now … “Rapunzel” producer Phil Lofaro & director Glen Keane seem to have decided that imitating these two Dreamworks hits may not the smartest way to go (Particularly since it’s now looking quite likely that this WDFA film will be making its initial big screen debut just about the same time that “Shrek III” will be going up for sale on DVD). Sooo … Phil & Glen are now said to be taking a more traditional approach to this project. In other words, making a real modern fairy tale film — something more in the tradition of 1991’s “Beauty & the Beast” and 1992’s “Aladdin.”
Toward that end, Lofaro & Keane have signed Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth to provide both the singing & speaking voice of the film’s title character. Also “Legally Blonde” star Reese Witherspoon is said to be playing a rather significant role in this production. Both as one of “Rapunzel” ‘s producers as well as voicing a contemporary character who (in the course of this picture) somehow gets sucked into the fairy tale world.
By the way, this upcoming animated feature isn’t actually the first time that this long-haired beauty has made an appearance in a Disney project. How many of you out there remember seeing this picture while you were on an Orlando vacation?
Photo by Jeff Lange
This picture of Rapunzel & her strategically placed strands used to be found in the “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” attraction in WDW’s Magic Kingdom. If I’m remembering this correctly, you could briefly see this nearly naked young lady as your car rolled through Winky’s Pub. This picture was a decoration somewhere near the bar … Or so I recall.
Something tells me that the “Rapunzel” that we see from Disney in 2006 / 2007 won’t look a lot like this. Which I know is gonna disappoint a lot of you guys out there.
Speaking of disappointed … I’m sure that a lot of JHM readers would be disappointed today if I didn’t announce the results on this week’s “Ghost in the Shell” contest. Of the 200+ entries that we recieved, these were the ones that made me laugh the most:
- Paul Webb’s borsht belt-like riff: “What do you call an albino tortoise? A Ghost in the Shell!”
- Phil Conley’s: “Ghost in the Shell: The Harvard Rowing team finally finds a coxswain of perfect weight.”
- “Dan Weckerly’s long but good: “Two competing gas stations are across the street from one another; one is deserted, except for a hearse at the lone pump, an unseen hand pumping gasoline into the tank. The other has a crowd of wild-eyed patrons lined up, fearful of buying gas across the street. Why for? Well the one with the hearse is haunted. Yes, there’s a Ghost in the Shell.”
- Tom McAndrew’s absurd but brilliant Disney related joke: “Ghost in the Shell: The tragic result of a boiling water accident on the set of ‘101 Crustaceans.’ ”
- Donald Laird’s (who evidently channels for Steven Wright): A Ghost in the Shell is what you hear when you put up to your ear a conch that you found along the Dead Sea…
The above five folks will each recieve a copy of the “Ghost in the Shell: Innocence” poster … Just as soon as Dreamworks’ promotional departments finally sends them my way (Hint! Hint!)
As for who will recieve our grand prize, that “Ghost in the Shell” DVD … I don’t know why. But this entry by MagicO really just cracked me up:
- GHOST IN THE SHELL: 2(nd floor).. Cyberbrains, Cyberware, Cyborgs, Hackers, Fuchikomas and Com-m-mputers! Watch your step, puhlease!”
I want to thank everyone who submitted an entry for this inaugural JHM reader contest. In fact, this one went so well that we’re thinking of making contests a regular feature at JimHillMedia.com. “And what sort of prizes will you offer?,” you query. Well — for starters — I hope you folks like coffee.
Before we close up shop for this week, let me make a few quick acknowledgments:
Thanks to Dreamworks’ promotional department for providing the posters for this week’s “Ghost in the Shell: Innocence” contest. With an extra special thanks to Manga Entertainment for providing our grand prize, that “Ghost in the Shell” DVD.
Remember that “Ghost in the Shell: Innocence” opens in theaters today. If you’d like to get a sneak preview of this Mamoru Oshii film, you can see the first eight minutes of “Innocence” by following this link.
Alright. That’s it for this week, folks. Have a great weekend. And we’ll see you all again on Monday, okay?
jrh
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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